• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.445-459
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• 2022

In this study, we investigated current vegetation and assessed the health of vegetation through the KERVI (Korea Estuary Riparian Vegetation Index) to monitor vegetation changes near estuaries due to the opening of the Nakdong River estuary. As the first investigation of the long-term monitoring, six areas near the Nakdong River estuary were surveyed twice in July and October 2021, and vegetation monitoring and a survey of species composition and distribution density of aquatic, riparian, and land plants were carried out. The survey identified 262 taxa, 82 families, 192 genera, 196 species, 3 subspecies, 26 varieties, and 1 form of vascular plants in the surveyed area. The results of the vegetation health assessment through KREVI showed that sites 1 and 6 were rated "Very good" in both surveys, sites 2 and 4 were rated "Very good" in the first survey and then "Good"in the second survey, and site 3 and 5 were rated one grade higher in the second survey than the first survey. The assessment showed that the health grades of most species in the survey area were generally high. Most of the potential natural vegetation after the opening of estuary gates to create a brackish water area is expected to consist of reed (Phragmites communisTrin.) communities. The area of the willow (Salix koreensisAndersson) community adjacent to the water area may be somewhat narrower, but the community will be maintained. In the case of freshwater areas in inland areas with very low salinity, reeds (Phragmites communisTrin.) are expected to occupy most of them, and some communities such as amur silver-grass (Miscanthus sacchariflorusBenth.) and cattails (Typha orientalisC. Presl) are expected to be distributed. We suggest establishing measures such as estuary gate operation to create healthy brackish water regions through long-term monitoring.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.231-243
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• 2022

Anthropogenic disturbances on freshwater ecosystem are known to degrade biodiversity, especially on fish assemblage. In this study, we have conducted fish surveys to identify impact of a bridge construction on fish assemblages. A total of eight study sites were surveyed in the Danjang and the Dong Stream in southern part of South Korea from June to November in 2021. The fish samplings were carried out five times, using cast-nets(10×10 mm mesh size), scoop-nets(4×4 mm, 5×5 mm mesh size), set-nets (10×10 mm mesh size), and fish traps (3×3 mm mesh size), along with the Stream/River Ecosystem Survey and Health Assessment by the Ministry of Environment of Korea and basic water quality measurement. Also, we applied the species diversity index and length-weight relationship regressions on certain species to identify interspecific growth rate differences in accordance with study sites. As a result, a total of 782 individuals, 23 species and 10 families were collected. The dominant species was Zacco Koreanus and relative abundance was 50.89%. When applying the length-weight relationship regressions on certain species, the 'b' value for Z. Koreanus was lower at the downstream points than at the upstream points of the construction site. In addition, when comparing to the results of the past survey, relative density of demersal fish at the upstream and downstream points decreased from 26% to 1.4%, and from 18% to 6.3%, respectively. In conclusion, it is considered that bridge construction negatively affects the habitat of fishes, especially on demersal fishes. Therefore, appropriate conservation efforts such as installation of silt protector and sand sedimentation pond are needed to alleviate the disturbance in habitat such as occurrence of turbidity and destruction of micro-habitats.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2022

An estuary is an area where a freshwater river or stream meets the ocean. Even before the importance of the value of estuaries was recognized, the estuary was lost because of large-scale conversion by draining, filling, damming, and dredging. In South Korea, 643 estuaries are located, and the total area is 3,248,300 ha, accounting for 32.5% of the total area of South Korea. Over 35% of Korean estuaries are closed estuaries which are only temporally connected with the sea, either permanently or periodically. Since 2008, in order to preserve the estuary ecosystem and solve major issues in the estuary by accumulating knowledge about the estuarine ecosystem, the Ministry of Environment of Republic of Korea has been conducting the "Estuarine Ecosystem Monitoring and Assessment Project". At 668 sites of 325 estuaries, epilithic diatom, benthic macroinvertebrate, fish, and vegetation are investigated, and the habitat condition of each site is evaluated using the newly developed biotic index. More than 100 researchers annually record 2,097 species of estuaries according to the standardized survey guidelines over the past 14 years and provide strictly managed data necessary for establishing estuaries conservation policies. As a result of bibliometric analysis of 1,195 research articles related to the monitoring and assessment of the estuarine ecosystem, research on pollutants such as heavy metals and sediment control have recently been conducted. "Estuarine Ecosystem Monitoring and Assessment Project" is an ecological monitoring type of long-term mandated monitoring that is usually focused on identifying trends. Although it is difficult to identify the mechanism influencing a change in an ecosystem through long-term mandated monitoring, providing empirical data for supporting evidence-based policy, decision-making, and the management of ecosystems. In order to increase the efficiency of the project, research to investigate the relationship between sediments and pollutants and organisms can be conducted at specific estuaries or sites to compensate for the shortcomings of mandatory monitoring.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.297-306
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• 2023

Saemangeum Lake is the largest artificial lake in Korea. The continuous deterioration of lake water quality necessitates the introduction of novel water quality management strategies. Therefore, this study aims to identify the spatiotemporal water quality characteristics of Saemangeum Lake using data from the National Water Quality Measurement Network and provide basic information for water quality management. In the water quality parameters of Saemangeum Lake, water temperature and total phosphorous content were correlated, and salt, total nitrogen content, pH, and chemical oxygen demand were significantly correlated. Other parameters showed a low correlation. The spatial principal component analysis of Saemangeum Lake showed the characteristics of its four zones. The mid-to-downstream section of the river affected by freshwater inflow showed a high nutrient salt concentration, and the deep-water section of the drainage gate and the lake affected by seawater showed a high salt concentration. Two types of water qualities were observed in the intermediate water area where river water and outer sea water were mixed: waters with relatively low salt and high chemical oxygen demand, and waters with relatively low salt and high pH concentration. In the principal component analysis by time, the water quality was divided into four groups based on the observation month. Group I occurred during May and June in late spring and early summer, Group II was in early spring (March-April) and late autumn (November-December), Group III was in winter (January-February), and Group IV was in summer (July-October) during high temperatures. The water quality characteristics of Saemangeum Lake were found to be affected by the inflow of the upper Mangyeong and Dongjin rivers, and the seawater through the Garuk and Shinshi gates installed in the Saemangeum Embankment. In order to achieve the target water quality of Saemangeum Lake, it is necessary to establish water quality management measures for Saemangeum Lake along with pollution source management measures in the upper basin.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.4 s.105
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• pp.455-462
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• 2003

This study evaluated the change of water quality and chlorophyll - a at the birth stage of a large reclaimed estuarine lake (Lake Hwaong) of which the dike was finally constructed in March, 2002. Physico -chemical parameters and chlorophyll - a were investigated along a longitudinal transect, including 3 in-lake sites and 1 out-lake site from June to November, 2002. Salinity at all in-lake sites was over 21 psu during the study period, indicating that lake is still in the seawater phase. Salinity was periodically diluted at times when precipitation was high, especially in August. Chemocline was established in July near the dam site, and correspondingly vertical profile of dissolved oxygen was very clear during that Period. Total nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations at all lake sites were in the eutrophic range, and they were especially high at the stream inlet site. Nutrients concentration was not much varied vertically but significantly varied temporally, and correlated significantly with precipitation and chlorophyll-a concentration, indicating that inflowing water from the watershed seemed not to improve lake water by dilution but cause eutrophication of the lake, and thereby stimulate phytoplankton development. Based on the analyses of nutrient ratio (N/P) and trophic state deviation, both phosphorus and nitrogen appeared to limit phytoplankton growth in the lake. Phosphorus limitation appeared to be probable at all in-lake sites with being most severe at the stream inlet site. Nitrogen limitation seemed to occur at both in-lake and out-lake sites. These results indicate that in Lake Hwaong experiencing the very early stage of a reclaiming lake, water quality and phytoplankton development appear to be affect-ed largely by salinity and hydrology and nutrients from the inflowing water. Lake biogeochemistry is still very unstable, and thus further long-term study is necessary to understand the effects of seawater to freshwater conversion on lake biology and water chemistry.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.1 s.106
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• pp.1-11
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• 2004

The limnological characteristics of a coastal lagoon were studied in Lake Hyangho, one of a series of brackish lagoons along the eastern coast of Korea. Phytoplankton community structure, physical factors, and chemical factors were surveyed from May 1998 through November 2002 on a two-month interval basis. Temperature, salinity, Secchi disc transparency, TN, TP, organic matter content of sediment, chlorophyll a concentration, dominant phytoplankton species, and phytoplankton cell density were measured. Salinity gradient was formed between the overlying freshwater stream water and the permeated seawater at the bottom. The chemocline was persistent at the depth of 2 ${\sim}$ 5 m that caused discontinuities of salinity, DO, and temperature profiles. The inversion of vertical temperature profiles with higher temperature in deeper layer was observed in early winter. Secchi disc transparency was very low with the range of 0.1 to 1.1m. TP, TN, and Chl. a concentration in the epilimnion was 0.011 ${\sim}$ 0.238 mgP $L^{-l}$, 0.423 ${\sim}$ 2.443 mgN $L^{-l}$, and 0.7 ${\sim}$ 145.2 mg $m^{-3}$, respectively. Sediment was composed of silt and coarse silt. COD, TP, and TN content of dry sediment were 19.7 ${\sim}$ 73.3 mg$O_2\;g^{-1}$, 0.61 ${\sim}$ 1.32 mgP $g^{-l}$ and 0.64 ${\sim}$ 0.88 mgN $g^{-l}$, respectively. Dominant phytoplankton species were chlorophytes (Ankistrodesmus falcatus) and cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria sp. and Merismopedia tennuissima). The total cell density was in the range of 560 ${\sim}$ 35,255 cells $mL^{-l}$.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.10-21
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• 1976

The traditional application of night soil to vegetable gardens and rice paddies results in a most wide spread condition of parasitism, with a variety of helminths found in Korea. In addition to the above fact, the peculiar habit of the consumption of raw vegetables, fish, crustaceans and mammals provides a means of infestations of helminths. During the last sixty years numerous reports were found on the prevalence of helminths amongst the Korean population in different parts of the country, and it was generally recognized that ascariasis, hookworm disease, filariasis, clonorchiasis and paragonimiasis constitute the important helminthic disease in Korea. In practical measures of parasite control activities the main measures are summarized as mass-treatment, night-soil disposal and transmission control. Among the three, the mass-treatment has been commonly applied, however, no reduction of transmission has been obtained by treatment of a population. Therefore, the ultimate eradication of parasites will depend upon the application of comprehensive environmental sanitation measures. The basic environmental measures will be concerned with (a) the safe disposal of human excreta, (b) the provision of adequate and safe water supplies in such a way as to promote a higher standard of personal hygiene in the population, and (c) the prevention of food contamination by faecal material. Additional environmental measures will deal with the improvement of housing and housing hygiene and with general community development. Community development means social and cultural as well as economic development. The control measures on the parasitic endemic diseases, such as clonorchiasis and paragonimiasis are the good examples for community health development in Korea. The control of Clonorchis and Paragonimus infections are theoretically very simple, as the infection can only invade the human body by way of encysted metacercaria which are taken into the body when eating passive intermediate hosts(fishes, crabs and crayfishes). Although prophylactic measures in the case of the infections deal with above merely consist the fishes in cooking or submerging in hot water before eating them, it is exceedingly difficult to carry out such simple measures in face of century old traditions, to which the relatively primitive population clings with great tenacity. There is no one universally applicable method of control. The choice of methods must be dictated by the nature of the environment. the habit and custom of the people. the pattern of transmission and the resources of the country. There must exist a well organized public health infrastructure. Since a control programme is of necessity on a longterm basis and continuity in its implementation is essential. An investigation should be made on the prevalence of the diseases and its relationships to irrigation engineering, freshwater ecology, agricultural methods, hydro-electric schemes, and the development of communities in affected areas. In conclusion, however. the control of clonorchiasis and paragonimiasis in Korea is not an impossible task. A combination of efforts with major emphasis on health education and mass chemotherapy coupled with governmental aid in enforcing legislative public health measures could reduce the diseases. Health education in particular attempts following four things: (a) It supplies a person with enough general knowledge about a disease to make the preventive measures. (b) It makes a person feel sufficiently about the importance of his own health to make him alter his behavior and adopt these preventive measure. (c) It makes him concerned for the health others. (d) It tries to make him feel so strongly about the first three that be supports and even initiates preventive action by the community. Educational efforts should be directed primarily toward school children because it is during the early years that most persons become infected, and also because children are less entrenched in their food habits so that, the educational process should be involved at various levels in successive changes of knowledge, attitude, beha viour, habit and custom of their lives. The most parasitic endemic diseases are related to community diseases. In caring for a sick community. the first stage is to gather epidemiological data, the next is to make inferences from it-to make the community diagnosis. The third is to prescribe community treatment or community health action part of a community health action programme. The community health action is the sum of the steps decided upon to remedy the critical features revealed by the community diagnosis. Action takes various forms; health education is the most important.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.264-271
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• 2011

At the Jangheung multipurpose dam, which is on the Tamjin River, a trapping and trucking operation was established to maintain continuous upstream migration of fish,. To facilitate fish gathering, installation of an effective fishing trap was required. In this study, we evaluated the fish trap, established at the Jangheung dam, using PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) telemetry. A total of 254 individuals from 15 species were monitored. Among these tagged species, 36 individuals from 6 species (Carassius auratus, C. cuvieri, Zacco temminckii, Z. platypus, Pungtungia herzi, and Pseudobagrus koreanus) were detected; a 14.2% detection rate. C. auratus recorded the highest detection rate of 44.2% while P. herzi was 14.3%. Z. temminckii and Z. platypus showed relatively low detection, 5% and 7.7% respectively. Some of individuals from C. auratus and Z. platypus did not pass through the antenna at the first attempt but were continuously detected on multiple days. There were no statistical differences in body size (total length, standard length and body weight) of individuals that did or did not swim into the trap (Mann-Whitney U test, p>0.05). Fish mainly swam into the trap during outflow of water from the dam (Mann-Whitney U test, p<0.001) and showed a higher detection frequency in daytime than nighttime (Mann-Whitney U test, p<0.001). Thus, for fish movement into the trap, external factors such as outflow from dam and time of day have important roles. Based on detection rate, not all fishes showed upstream migration but represented selective migration. Consequently, the establishment of flexible outflow strategies that take into consideration ecological characteristics of fishes should required for improving the efficiency of fishway.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.149-159
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• 2018

Twenty-nine wetlands (20 river type and 9 lake type wetlands) in Gyeongsangnam-do were investigated to understand the characteristics of fish assemblages by the wetland type and to suggest management strategies. As a result, $10.3{\pm}4.8$ species were collected from river type wetlands on average (${\pm}SD$) and $9.1{\pm}4.1$ species from lake type wetlands. Thus, there was no significant difference in the number of species between them (Mann-Whitney U test, P>0.05). However, the species that constitute the fish assemblage showed statistically significant differences between the two wetland types (PERMANOVA, Pseudo-F=2.9555, P=0.007). Furthermore, the species that contribute the most to each type of fish assemblage were Zacco koreanus (river type, 28.51%) and Lepomis macrochirus (lake type, 23.21%), respectively (SIMPER). The results of the NMDS analysis using the fish assemblage by place classified the species into three groups (river type, lake type, and others). The current wetland management is only focused on endangered species, but this study shows a difference in fish assemblage by wetland type. Therefore, a management system based information on endemic species, exotic species and major contribution species should be provided. Furthermore, the classification of some types of wetlands based on the present topography was found to be ambiguous, and wetland classification using living creatures can be used as a complementary method. This study has limitations because only two types of wetlands were analyzed. Therefore, a detailed management method that can represent every type of wetland should be prepared through the research of all types of wetlands in the future.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.246-253
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• 2007

The reproduction toxicity of several pesticides on two Korean water flea was investigated to develop a new standard species used for ecological risk assessment of pesticide. Moina macrocopa and Daphnia sp. were exposed to 4 different types of pesticides over 10 and 21 days, respectively. No-ohserved effect concentration (NOEC) for synthetic pyrethroid, fenpropathrin on Moina macrocopa and Daphnia sp. were 0.17 and $0.06\;{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$, respectively. Diazinon, carbofuran and myclobutanil were in the order of their reproduction toxicity to cladocerans tested. There were large differences between Moina macrocopa and Daphnia sp. in their susceptibility to fenpropathrin, diazinon and carbofuran except myclobutanil. Daphnia sp. is more sensitive than M. macrocopa to pesticides tested. Therefore Daphnia sp. may be a good surrogate species to assess the reproduction effect of pesticides on aquatic invertebrates. M. macrocopa also be a good surrogate species because it is one of the most abundant cladocera in agricultural environment, especially rice paddy in Korea. In addition to it's ecological importance of wide spread distribution, it has also economical importance to make possible to shorten period for reproduction test using M. macrocopa due to it's short life cycle.