• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.269-287
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• 2023

The genus-level biotic index of benthic macroinvertebrates (Benthic Macroinvertebrates Genus Index, BMGI) was developed and applicated based on the data collected from 13,347 sampling units of 814 sites from 2010 to 2021 in Korea. Tolerant values of 274 indicator taxa were established by analyzing the relationship between the relative frequency and abundance of indicator taxa and the water quality index considering biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), total suspended solids (TSS), and total phosphorus (T-P). BMGI showed a slightly higher correlation with water quality than the species-level biotic index (Benthic Macroinvertebrates Index, BMI) that was developed and applied in Korea. Although the BMGI does not contain species-level information, the reason why BMGI shows higher applicability than BMI seems to be due to the increase in the number of indicator taxa and the decrease in the misidentification of immature aquatic insects. The coefficient of determination in multiple regression with BOD₅, TSS, and TP for BMGI was 0.62 in the long-term averaged data of 814 sites, and the standardized coefficient of BOD₅ was -0.46, TSS was -0.17 and T-P was -0.21, respectively. As a result of the evaluation by BMGI, of the 814 sites, 38% were in good, 25% in fair, and 37% in poor condition.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.825-831
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• 2013

The Suwon stream which consists of a mountainous reach, an artificial reservoir and an urban reach provides benthic macroinvertebrates with various habitats. This study was conducted to find out the influence of reservoir sluice control and water quality on benthic macroinvertebrates community in the Suwon stream from June to August, 2011. As a result, substrate composition showed little difference between the upper site (S2) and the lower site of the reservoir (S3). At site S3, water velocity was fastest, and water temperature was lowest due to the intermediate depth discharge of the reservoir. Cheumatopsyche brevilineata which prefer fast water velocity was dominant at site S3. Some biotic indices (H', J, and R) of site S3 decreased significantly whereas Benthic Macroinvertebrate Index (BMI) showed little difference between site S2 and site S3. EPT showed a negative correlation with water temperature. The sluice control of the reservoir leaded variations of water velocity and temperature, and seemed to make the state of aquatic ecosystem worse.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.760-768
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• 2011

Jinwi Stream is considerably polluted. The urban development in a Jinwi Stream basin can make state of aquatic ecosystem worse. However, researches for aquatic ecosystems in Jinwi Stream are insufficient. In this study, biotic indices of periphytic diatoms (DAIpo and TDI), benthic macroinvertebrates (EPT, KSI and ESB) and fish (IBI) were compared with the annual water quality data. Benthic macroinvertebrates indices showed highly significant correlations with concentrations of organic materials and nutrients, while DAIpo, TDI and IBI showed low correlations with them. In particular, ESB can be considered as an useful indicator that reflects the degree of diversity and abundance of biotic community as well as water quality. In polluted and disturbed streams as Jinwi Stream, DAIpo, TDI and IBI appeared to be not available for evaluating and discriminating the water quality, although they have been known as good indices in general streams.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.759-770
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• 1998

biotic indices scoring with the benthic macroinvertebrates were assessed as pollution monitoring tools in the north branch of the Han River system, Korea. We investigated the temporal variability of water quality at unpolluted, moderately polluted and heavily polluted sites using several biotic indices and assessed appropriate biological monitoring indices for lotic systems in Korea. The following biotic and chemical indices were employed in order to compare their applicability to the lotic systems : Trent Biotic Index (TBI), Chandler's Biotic Index-Average Score per Taxon (CBI-ASPT), Modified Biological Monitoring Working Party Score System-Average Score per Taxon (BMWP-ASPT), Hilsenhoff's biotic Index (BI) and Family-level Biotic Index (FBI) models for biotic analyses and National Sanitation foundation's Water Quality Index (NSFWQI) and comprehensive Chemical Pollution Index (Pb/n) for chemical analyses of water quality. Index and score values were compared with each other and with 24 water chemistry parameters. All biotic indices were significantly auto-correlated (p<0.001) and BI and FBI/ROK among them were highly correlated (r=0.84). BI and BMWP-ASPT models were also highly correlated with NSFWQI, while TBI values showed high correlation with the Pb/n. The BI and BMWP-ASPT were highly correlated with the most water chemistry parameters. We conclude that the BI model, which includes indicator species and abundance of taxa, is best suited for the bioassessment of lotic systems in Korea. For rapid field-based assessments, FBI/ROK and BMWP-ASPT models are also appropriate.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.152-164
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• 2019

In this study, a Benthic Macroinvertebrates Family Index (BMFI) was developed using 100 indicator groups (99 families including Chironomidae with 2 phena). Families were assigned a score between 1 and 10 depending on their sensitivity to organic pollution. The BMFI was composed of the sensitivity and relative abundance of the indicator taxa. Sensitivity values of each group were generally similar to Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) scores or Walley, Hawkes, Paisley, Trigg (WHPT) scores of UK, Japanese BMWP scores, and the FBI tolerance values of North America. However, sensitivity values of some taxa were significantly different from those of foreign countries, which seemed to have resulted from discrepancy in species composition, difference of taxonomic classification system, or methodological difference for estimation of sensitivity. As an annual average level, BMFI showed significant correlation with concentration of 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) (correlation coefficient r = -0.80, n = 569 sites), total suspended solids (r = -0.68), and total phosphorus (r = -0.79). In addition, BMFI revealed strong correlation with Shannon-Weaver's species diversity (r = 0.85), Margalef's species richness (r = 0.85) and McNaughton's dominance (r = -0.84). Correlation between BMFI and water quality parameters or community indices such as species diversity did not show significant difference compared to that of species-level indices such as BMI (Benthic Macroinvertebrates Index). This means that BMFI is a more useful indicator in terms of easy identification of organisms. BMFI was used to assess the environmental status of 3,017 sites of Stream Ecosystem Survey conducted by the Korean Ministry of Environment between 2016 and 2018. As a result, about half of all sites appeared to be in good condition, and a quarter in poor condition.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.251-269
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• 2018

In 1997, the environmental score (Q) corresponding the tolerance value of Korean benthic macroinvertebrate species and the related biotic score, the ecological score of benthic macroinvertebrates (ESB) were proposed; ESB was similar to Beck's biotic index or Chandler's biotic score. This study was carried out to revise the Q values of individual species and the assessment scheme of ESB based on the taxonomic performance and ecological information accumulated since then. The original ESB was renamed as TESB (total ESB), and AESB (average ESB) was newly proposed. AESB is calculated by dividing the TESB (for a given station) by the number of species present in the sample. In this study, TESB showed a positively skewed distribution, while AESB showed a negatively skewed distribution. The correlation between TESB and the concentration of $BOD_5$ was a little stronger than that of the original ESB. TESB showed a very strong correlation (correlation coefficient r = 0.98) with Margalef's species richness, of which correlation coefficient was higher than that of AESB (r = 0.85). AESB showed a strong correlation (r = -0.79) with the concentration of $BOD_5$, while TESB showed a weaker correlation (r = -0.67). Applying TESB and AESB together in an assessment of the environment may be comprehensive because the physical and chemical states of the environment can be evaluated together. AESB is less dependent on the sample size, while TESB tends to increase as the sample size increases. In the evaluation of the environment using TESB, it is necessary to standardize the methods on monitoring.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.655-671
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• 2016

The distribution characteristics of functional feeding groups and biological evaluation of water quality with benthic macroinvertebrates were investigated from 2013 to 2014 in the mountain streams of Jirisan National Park. Both quantitative and qualitative collection had been performed six times during study periods in twelve sites located at upstream, midstream and downstream of four valleys, Chilsungol, Baemsagol, Daesunggol and Piagol of freshwater ecosystem in Jirisan National Park. As results, the total collected benthic macroinvertebrates were 3 phyla, 4 classes, 11 orders, 37 families, 107 species and 4,028 individuals. In 2013, 3 phyla, 4 classes, 10 orders, 32 families, 89 species and 1,829 individuals were collected. And in 2014, 3 phyla, 4 classes, 9 orders, 31 families, 80 species and 2,199 individuals were identified. The total dominant species was Ecdyonurus kibumensis, and EPT groups occupied 80.39% of total species number. Biotic indices were also compared to site and to season. The dominant index (DI) was highest at the downstream of Baemsagol in the spring of 2013, and the evenness index (J') was highest at the downstream of Daesunggol in the summer of 2013. Both diversity index (H') and richness index (RI) were highest at the upstream of Baemsagol in the summer of 2014. The correlation between altitude above sea level and functional feeding groups of benthic macroinvertebrates was also researched in this study. As a result, the species number of shredders and predators have significantly increased according to the increase of the altitude of their habitat. On the other hand, individuals of gathering collectors have increased according to the increase of altitude. The biological water quality was evaluated and compared with several methods in this study, and we suggest that ESB and GPI are more appropriate than KSI and BMI to evaluate biological water quality of mountain stream water.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.119-128
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• 2001

A biological assessment of water quality was carried out in the Pyungchang River water system, Gangwon-do, Korea from September 1999 through August 2000. The benthic macroinvertebrates collected seasonally from 15 field sites were identified mostly up to species level. Benthic macroinvertebrates composed of 109 species, 77 genera, 31 families, 10 orders, 4 classes in 4 phyla. Dominant species occurring in all the field sites were mostly ephemeropterans and trichopterans. On the basis of the values of species diversity and biological indices such as Trent Biotic Index (TBI) Modified Biological Monitoring Working Party Score System (BMWP) and Biotic Index (BI), the Pyungchang River Water system was generally regarded as showing oligosaprobic water quality.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.172-186
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• 2022

Benthic macroinvertebrates are important ecological and environmental indicators as primary or secondary consumers, and therefore are widely used in the evaluation of aquatic environments. However, there are no comprehensive river ecosystem monitoring surveys that link the major physicochemical water quality items with benthic macroinvertebrates in urban streams. Therefore, this study investigated the distribution characteristics of benthic macroinvertebrates and physicochemical water quality items (17 items) in Yangjaecheon and Yeouicheon from 2019 to 2020. At the same time, by applying Spearman's rank correlation analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) analysis in the water quality data and biotic index, we tried to provide basic data for diagnosing the current status of river ecosystems in major urban rivers in Seoul. Based on the study results, a total of 39 species and 3,787 individuals were identified in Yangjaecheon, the water quality(based on BOD, TOC, and TP) of Yangjaecheon was higher than Grade Ib(good), and the BMI using benthic macroinvertebrates appeared as Grade C(normal) at all the sites. In Yeouicheon, a total of 51 species and 4,199 individuals were identified, the water quality(based on BOD, TOC, TP) was higher than Grade Ib(good) similar to Yangjaecheon, and the BMI of both Upstream and Saewon bridge was Grade B(good), while Yeoui bridge was Grade C(normal). Overall, analysis results for the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates by a nonmetric multidimensional scaling method showed no significant difference between the two streams (p=0.1491). Also, significant environmental variables related to benthic macroinvertebrates distribution were determined as water temperature and DO. On the other hand, the results of the correlation analysis between biotic index and major water quality items confirmed that R1 and BMI could be used for on-site urban river water quality evaluation.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.164-172
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• 2018

This study aims to determine the community patterns of benthic macroinvertebrates and analyze the relationship between the communities and the water quality in the Pungyeongjeong Stream. We collected the samples four times by season. The number of species was 28 and the dominant species were Cheumatopsyche brevilineata, Hydropsyche kozhantschikovi, Baetis fuscatus, Chironomidae spp., and so on. The range of the dominant index was 0.54 to 0.93 and the mean was 0.77. The range of the diversity index was 0.94 to 2.54, and of the mean index it was 1.75. The ratio of filtering-collectors and clingers got lower, but the ratio of gathering-collectors and sprawlers got higher as collection progressed from the upper stream to the lower stream. The results of the Pearson correlation analysis showed COD, SS, TOC and total coliforms were highly related with biotic indices of benthic macroinvertebrates. The results of cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination showed that the survey sites and periods were divided into three groups. The survey sites were divided into upper stream and middle-lower stream. The survey periods were divided into winter season and other seasons. Distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates showed some characteristics according to various influence factors; however long-term and regular investigations were thought to need analysis and prediction with various statistical methods.