• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.233-241
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• 2008

Functional feeding groups (FFGs) of benthic macroinvertebrates are guilds of invertebrate taxa that obtain food in similar ways, regardless of their taxonomic affinities. They can represent a heterogeneous assemblage of benthic fauna and may indicate disturbances of their habitats. The proportion of different groups can change in response to disturbances that affect the food base of the system, thereby offering a means of assessing disruption of ecosystem functioning. In this study, we used benthic macroinvertebrate communities collected at 650 sites of 23 different water types in the province of Overijssel, The Netherlands. Physical and chemical environmental factors were measured at each sampling site. Each taxon was assigned to its corresponding FFG based on its food resources. A multilayer perceptron (MLP) using a backpropagation algorithm, a supervised artificial neural network, was applied to evaluate the influence of environmental variables to the FFGs of benthic macroinvertebrates through a sensitivity analysis. In the evaluation of input variables, the sensitivity analysis with partial derivatives demonstrates the relative importance of influential environmental variables on the FFG, showing that different variables influence the FFG in various ways. Collector-filterers and shredders were mainly influenced by $Ca^{2+}$ and width of the streams, and scrapers were influenced mostly with $Ca^{2+}$ and depth, and predators were by depth and pH. $Ca^{2+}$ and depth displayed relatively high influence on all four FFGs, while some variables such as pH, %gravel, %silt, and %bank affected specific groups. This approach can help to characterize community structure and to ecologically assess target ecosystems.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2008

In this minireview we focus on how males may exploit female's sensitivity to predation risk in the context of mating. It has been shown in studies on guppies and jumping spiders that in response to altered female behaviors, which are adaptations to the unfavorable environment and a consequence of females' higher sensitivity to predator's presence as well as females' higher predation risk, males can adopt condition-dependent mating tactics. It appears that in such cases males do not modify their reproductive behavior directly in response to their own perception of predation risk, but indirectly in response to changes in female behavior induced by predator presence. It has also been recently shown in crabs that males can exploit female behavior by creating safer habitat spots, which increases the male mating success. Hence all the evidence suggests that males not only respond to female sensitivity to the natural variation in predation risk, but that males can also exploit female behavior by altering the environment. As a logical extension of these findings, we present a hypothesis that in certain conditions males can manipulate the environment in order to increase the predation risk and to induce female behaviors that enhance the male's mating success with the increased predation risk. We propose that such a manipulation to increase predation risk is expected to evolve in males of species with a strong sexual conflict and female-biased predation risk. Although empirical evidence has not been yet shown, initial observations in a water strider species in Korea, Gerris gracilicornis, seem to support this hypothesis.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.70
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• pp.107-140
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• 2022

This study is a review of the role of Christian education in the face of ecological crisis and the task of its recovery from the perspective of Moltmann's creation theory. Mankind has achieved epoch-making industrial development through several industrial revolutions. However, as a result, the ecosystem has suffered severe physical aches and has reached the point of revealing anomalies. In the face of such destruction and suffering of the ecosystem, Christian education needs to approach the ecological sensitivity toward the natural world more holistically and present a practical alternative. Moltmann reminds us that today's growing exploitation of nature by humans stems from a human-centered ecological consciousness that the world belongs to humans. At the same time, it suggests a transition to a God-centered ecological world consciousness. 'A community of creation', 'the fellowship of the Triune God', and 'eschatological new creation through the Sabbath' are key concepts that integrate God-centered ecological world consciousness. Based on Moltmann's creation theory, this article examines the ecological sensibility that Christian education should pursue from the point of view of the sacramental creative community, and reviews the role and practical alternatives of Christian education. Through this, it was derived that the world, including humans, is not owned by humans, but is a sacramental community that is built together toward the end as a part of nature and reveals the glory of God. In addition, it was suggested that Christian education need to be recognized as a suffering subject which mediates humanity and the nature of the mutual fellowship of reconciliation. in the fellowship of God. Sabbath keeping education, which celebrates God's creation and aims for the completion of the eschatological creation, will become a practical area for Christian education to practice for the restoration of the collapsed ecosystem. Moltmann's creation theory is significant in that it provides a meaningful Christian educational insight to restore the ecological environment as well as interest in the ecological environment that has been overlooked or ignored by Christian education.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.383-387
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• 1998

the geoecology of the alpine and subalpine belts of the Korean Peninsula, its component plant group, its environmental history, and climatic amplitudes of the arctic-alpine and alpine plants has reviewed and discussed. The present-day alpine and subalpine landscapes are likely to have been formed during the post-glacial warming phase. The disjunctive distribution of many alpine and subalpine plants, however, suggests a former continuous distribution of these both locally and on a broader, and the subsequent breakdown of a former continuous range into fragments as the climate ameliorated during the post-glacial warming phase. The presences of numerous arctic-alpine and alpine plants on the alpine and subalpine belts of the Korean Peninsula, are mainly their relative degree of sensitivity to high summer temperatures. The continued survivals of alpine species and landscape in Korea is in danger if global warming associated the greenhouse effect takes place.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.129-136
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• 2004

Recently, indoor air pollution has been seriously apprehended, and became a striking issue, due to the airtightness of buildings or the misuse of building materials. Especially, SHS(Sick House Syndrome) and MCS(Multi Chemical Sensitivity) which can have bad influences on the resident in an existing apartment house as well as newly constructed apartment house start to attract public attention. The emission rates of VOCs is sensitively affected by the indoor/outdoor condition, construction materials, construction method, and character of ventilation facilities. Therefore, in this study, by measuring the indoor air pollution substance of the existing apartment house, the problem over this tends to be grasped and it is going to secure an improvement methods.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.363-369
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• 1999

Reconstruction of the past vegetational changes of Korea in connection with climate changes enables to understand the impacts of past and future global warming on alpine vegetation. Despite the early appearance of the cold-tolerant vegetation since the Mesozoic Era. the occurrence of warmth-tolerant vegetation during the Oligocene and Miocene implies that most of alpine and subalpine vegetations have been confined to the alpine and subalpine belts of northern Korean Peninsula. The presence of cold-episodes during the Pleistocene. however. might have caused a general southward and downslope expansions of cold-tolerant alpine and subalpine vegetation. But the climatic warming trend during the Holocene or post-glacial period eventually has isolated cold-tolerant alpine and subalpine vegetation mainly in the northern Korea. but also on scattered high mountains in the southern Korea. The presence of numerous arctic-alpine and alpine plants on the alpine and subalpine belts is mainly due to their relative degree of sensitivity to high summer temperatures. Global warming would cause important changes in species composition and altitudinal distributional pattern. The altitudinal migration of temperate vegetation upward caused by climatic warming would eventually devastate alpine plants.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.134-144
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• 2020

In-situ stabilization is a remediation method using amendments to reduce contaminant availability in contaminated soil. We tested the effects of two amendments (furnace slag and red mud) on the availability of toxic trace elements (TTEs) and soil enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, phosphatase, and urease). The application of amendments significantly decreased the availability of TTEs in soil (p < 0.05). The decreased availability of TTE content in soils was accompanied by increased soil enzyme activities. We found significant negative relationships between the TTE content assessed using Ca(NO₃)_2^-, TCLP, and PBET extraction methods and soil enzyme activities (p < 0.01). Soil enzyme activities responded sensitively to changes in the soil environment (pH, EC, and availability of TTEs). It could be concluded that soil enzyme activities could be used as bioindicators or ecological indicators for soil quality and health in environmental soil monitoring owing to their high sensitivity to changes in soil.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.387-394
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• 2022

Coastal upwelling is a significantly imperative process for understanding the interactions between physical and ecological processes and has been investigated incessantly. In this study, we explored the upwelling index, specifically upwelling age (UA). UA enabled us to observe the initiating, sustaining, and decaying upwelling processes. Although the sensitivity of many other geophysical parameters to estimate UA has been investigated, the wind direction has not been evaluated. Thus, we assessed the appropriate wind direction for the UA and obtained efficient upwelling signals from the four coastal stations. Furthermore, we applied the UA and compared it with the satellite sea level anomaly, sea surface temperature, and chlorophyll-a changes to validate how UA depicts their spatial extents. Thus, UA can predict the timing of coastal upwelling events using predicted geophysical parameters.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.45-64
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• 2020

Objectives: Limited information is available on the presence and associated ecological risks of pharmaceutical residues in aquatic environments near pharmaceutical manufacturing areas in Korea. In this study, we investigated the current state of pharmaceutical contamination and its associated ecological risks in streams near a pharmaceutical manufacturing complex. Methods: Seven pharmaceuticals (acetaminophen, clarithromycin, diclofenac, diphenhydramine, ibuprofen, mefenamic acid and roxithromycin) were measured in water samples collected from the streams near a pharmaceutical manufacturing complex. A predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) was derived using either the assessment factor method or species sensitivity distribution method. In addition, a hazard quotient for each pharmaceutical was calculated by dividing its measured environmental concentration by its PNEC. Results: Samples collected downstream from the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) had higher concentrations of pharmaceuticals than those collected from the reference site (upstream). Moreover, pharmaceutical concentrations were greater in ambient water than in the final effluent from the WWTP, which suggested that non-point sources were contributing to the contamination of the ambient water environment. Some of the target pharmaceuticals exhibited a hazard quotient >1, indicating that their potential ecological effects on the aquatic environment near the pharmaceutical industrial area should not be ignored. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the pharmaceutical manufacturing area was contaminated with residual drugs, and that there was a possible non-point source near the WWTP effluent discharge area. The results of this study will aid in the development of management plans for pharmaceuticals, particularly in hotspots such as pharmaceutical industrial sites and their vicinities.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.153-165
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• 2014

Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technology is recognizing one of method responding the climate change with reduction of carbon dioxide in atmosphere. In Korea, due to its geological characteristics, sub-seabed geological $CO_2$ storage is regarded as more practical approach than on-land storage under the goal of its deployment. However, concerns on potential $CO_2$ leakage and relevant acidification issue in the marine environment can be an important subject in recently increasing sub-seabed geological $CO_2$ storage sites. In the present study effect data from literatures were collected in order to conduct an effect assessment of elevated $CO_2$ levels in marine environments using a species sensitivity distribution (SSD) various marine organisms such as microbe, crustacean, echinoderm, mollusc and fish. Results from literatures using domestic species were compared to those from foreign literatures to evaluate the reliability of the effect levels of each biological group and end-point. Ecological effect guidelines through estimating level of pH variation (${\delta}pH$) to adversely affect 5 and 50% of tested organisms, HC5 and HC50, were determined using SSD of marine organisms exposed to the $CO_2$-induced acidification. Estimated HC5 as ${\delta}pH$ of 0.137 can be used as only interim quality guideline possibly with adequate assessment factor. In the future, the current interim guideline as HC5 of ${\delta}pH$ in this study will look forward to compensate with supplement of ecotoxicological data reflecting various trophic levels and indigenous species.