• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.441-451
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• 2009

The major objectives of this study were to evaluate trophic state of reservoirs using major water quality variables and its relations in terms of trophic guilds and tolerance guilds with dominant lentic fishes. For this study, we selected 6 artificial reservoirs such as Namyang Reservoir ($N_yR$), Youngsan Reservoir ($Y_sR$), Daechung Reservoir ($D_cR$), Chungju Reservoir ($Cj_R$), Chungpyung Reservoir ($C_pR$), and Paldang Reservoir ($P_dR$), and collected fish during 2000~2007 along with data analysis of water quality monitored by the ministry of environment, Korea. Biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), indicators of organic matter pollution, varied depending on types of the reservoirs and the spatial patterns in terms of trophic gradients were similar to patterns of nutrients, Secchi depth and chlorophyll-a. Analysis of trophic state index (TSI) showed that reservoirs of $D_cR$ and $C_jR$ were mesotrophy and other 4 reservoirs were eutrophic state. The relations of trophic relations showedthat TSI (Chl-a) had a positive linear function [TSI (CHL)=0.407 TSI (TP)+28.2, n=138, p<0.05] with TSI (TP) but had a weak relation with TSI (TN). Also, TSI (TP) were negatively correlated ($R^2=0.703$, p<0.05) with TSI (SD), whereas TSI (TN) was not significant (p>0.05) relations with TSI (SD). Tolerance guilds of lentic fishes, based on three types of the reservoirs, reflected the exactly water quality in the TN, TP, BOD, and COD, and similar trends were shown in the fish feeding/trophic guilds.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.505-515
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• 2015

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of stream nutrient regime, N:P ratios and suspended solids on fish tolerance/trophic compositions and stream ecosystem health, based on multi-metric model, during 2008-2013. Also, stream ecosystem health was evaluated in relation to chlorophyll-a (CHL) as a measure of algal productivity or indicators of trophic state to water chemical parameters. Total number of sampled fish species were 50 and showed a decreasing trend from 2008 to 2013. The minnow of Zacco platypus, based on the catch per unit effort (CPUE), was the most dominant species (25.9%) among the all species. Spatial heterogeneity was evident in the fish tolerance guilds that showed the dominance of sensitive species (89%) in the headwaters (S1) and the dominance of tolerant species (57%) in the urban. These conditions were directly influenced by concentrations of nutrients and organic matter (COD). The N:P ratios, as a barometer of water pollution, had a negative linear function (R² = 0.40, P < 0.01) with CHL, and the ratios had an important role in changes of COD concentration (R² = 0.40, P < 0.01). Under the circumstances, the N:P ratio directly influenced the relative proportions of fish trophic/tolerance compositions. According to the regression analysis of omnivore (O_m) and insectivore sp. (I_n) on total nitrogen and total phosphorus, nitrogen had no significant influences (P > 0.05) to the two compositions, but phosphorus influenced directly the two guilds [slope (a) = -32.3, R² = 0.25, P < 0.01 in the I_n; a = 40.7, R² = 0.19, P < 0.01 in the O_m]. Such water chemistry and fish trophic guilds determined the stream ecosystem health, based on the multi-metric fish model.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.107-119
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• 2016

Background: Previous studies on the biological integrity on habitat and landuse patterns demonstrated ecological stream health in the view of regional or macrohabitat scale, thus ignored the mesoscale habitat patterns of pool, riffle, and runs in the stream health analysis. The objective of this study was to analyze influences on the mesohabitat structures of pool, riffle, and run reaches on the fish guilds and biological integrity in Geum-River Watershed. Results: The mesohabitat structures of pool, riffle, and run reaches influenced the ecological stream health along with some close relations on the fish trophic and tolerance guilds. The mesoscale components altered chemical water quality such as nutrients (TN, TP) and BOD and these, then, determined the primary productions, based on the sestonic chlorophyll-a. The riffle-reach had good chemical conditions, but the pool-reach had nutrient enrichments. The riffle-reach had a predominance of insectivores, while the pool-reach has a predominance of omnivores. Also, the riffle-reach had high proportions of sensitive fish and insectivore fish, and the pool-reach had high proportions of tolerant species in the community composition. The intermediate fish species in tolerance and omnivorous fish species in the food linkage dominated the community in the watershed, and the sensitive and insectivorous fishes decreased rapidly with a degradation of the water quality. All the habitat patterns were largely determined by the land-use patterns in the watershed. Conclusions: Trophic guilds and tolerance guilds of fish were determined by land-use pattern and these determined the stream health, based on the Index of Biological Integrity. This study remarks the necessity to include additional variables to consider information provided by mesohabitats and land-use distributions within the selected stream stretch. Overall, our data suggest that land-use pattern and mesohabitat distribution are important factors to be considered for the trophic and tolerance fish compositions and chemical gradients as well as ecological stream health in the watershed.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.503-510
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• 2007

The purposes of the study were to analyze the seasonal effects on the fish fauna and compositions including trophic guilds and tolerance guilds. For the study, we collected fish samples twice in June as premonsoon period and early September 2007 as monsoon periods in five sampling sites of the Gap Stream, and then biological oxygen demand (BOD), nutrients (TN, TP) and suspended solids (SS) were compared with the guild data along the gradient of upstream-to-downstream. Chemical water quality, based on BOD, TP, and TN degraded gradually from the upstream to downstream reach and there were about 3 fold difference between S1 and S5. Water quality was worse in the premonsoon than the monsoon, and the heavy monsoon resulted in a dilution of the polluted river by rain water, especially, in the downstream reach. Total number of fish species, based on the catch per unit effort (CPUE), showed a distinct difference between the two seasons; 30 species were sampled in premonsoon, but 23 species were sampled in the monsoon, indicating a seasonal difference in the fish fauna. Tolerant species dominated the fish community (48.3%) in the stream, and the proportions prior to physical disturbance by the monsoon rain were evidently greater in the downstream reach than the upstream. This reflected the characteristics of urban stream polluted by nutrient enrichment as shown in the BOD and TP values. Sensitive species in the premonsoon decreased from the gradient of upstream-to-downstream reach. Such seasonal modifications in the trophic and tolerance guilds were evident. In the analysis of trophic guild and habitat guild, during the premonsoon the proportion of insectivore and riffle-benthic species were largely greater in the upstream reach than the downstream, whereas the proportions were opposite along the gradient of the stream in monsoon. Thus, the patterns of chemical water quality along the longitudinal gradients reflected the premonsoon conditions of insectivores and tolerant species, indicating that summer monsoon data of fish may not match with water quality due to large physical disturbance by flow regime. Seasonal monsoon in this region as well as the chemical pollution may act as a key role influencing the fish compositions of trophic and tolerance guilds and fauna. The data collected during the premonsoon rather than the monsoon, thus, may be better predictor for a diagnosis of stream health conditions.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.503-512
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• 2010

This study was conducted to evaluate fish fauna, species composition, and various guilds against stream orders along with analysis of fish community structure and diversity in Geum River watershed from 2005 to 2007. The total number of fish collected was 4,216 representing 12 families with 56 species. Zacco platypus was the most abundant fish species with 26% in relative abundance (RA). Korean endemic species were 24 species including Zacco koreanus, Microphysogobio yaluensis, Gobiobotia nakdongensis, and Iksookimia koreensis, etc. We also collected endangered fish species such as G. nakdongensis, Liobagrus obesus, and Pseudopungtungia nigra, etc., and their new distribution sites were found in the survey, providing some sites of the fish conservation and protection. Fish tolerance and trophic guilds analysis showed that the proportion of sensitive species, intermediate species, and tolerant species were 33.4%, 29.3%, and 37.3%, respectively and omnivores and insectivores were 48.1 % and 38.4%, respectively. Analysis of site-base study indicated that tolerant species and omnivore species were high in some polluted tributary streams (i.e., Gap and Miho stream) and sensitive and insectivore species were low. In the functional relations, expressed as simple linear regression equations, of stream order on fish metric attributes, showed that the number of species and the number of individuals increased as the stream order increases. This phenomenon was explained by greater availability of stable water volume, rich food, and higher physical habitat capacity. Such guild compositions and stream order characteristics of the river influenced the community structures, based on species diversity, dominance and evenness index in the study. This study may be used as important data in the future for comparisons of fish fauna and compositions before and after two weir (dam) constructions in the middle of Geum River by the government.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.546-552
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• 2007

The objectives of this study were to analyze fish compositions, based on trophic guilds and tolerance guilds and determine community characteristics structure at five sampling sites of Yeongsan Lake during July 2006-May 2007. Total number of species sampled was 30 species and the number was 1350. Cyprinidae (77%) and Centrarchidae (15.7%) dominated the community and then followed by Cobitidae(2.7%), Gobiidae(2.4%), Mugilidae (0.5%), and others (0.1%). The relative abundance of tolerant and omnivore species at all sites was 63% and 77% of the total, respectively, suggesting an ecological degradations in the Lake. Exotics species such as large mouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), which is a top-carnivore in the water distributed at all sampling sites, implying that ecological disturbance was severe based on previous reference of US EPA (1991). Also, we found external anomalies such as external deformities, bleeding and tumors and not found migratory fish. Analysis of fish community structure showed that species diversity index and richness index was the highest in Site 1 and the dominance index was the highest in Site 2. In this study, high proportions of tolerant species and omnivore species, widespread exotic species, and frequent observations of abnormal fish. Such problems may be directly or indirectly associated with high nutrient enrichments and the reduced flow velocity by the dam construction. The ecosystem restoration by dam removal or removal of exotic top-carnivore fish may be one of the best strategies for better lak management.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.196-203
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• 2013

Seungchon Weir was constructed in 2010 on the downstream region of Yeongsan River watershed for four major river projects. The purpose of our study was to determine whether fish compositions and distributions differ between the upper ($U_w$) and lower regions ($L_w$) of Seungchon Weir during May - December 2011 along with hydroacoustic fish surveys using Eco-Sounder monitoring ($E_SM$) technique. Total number of fish species sampled by conventional fish sampling at all sites was 29, and 21 and 24 species occurred in the $U_w$ and $L_w$, respectively. Most dominant species was Hemiculter eigenmanni (43%) in the $U_w$ and Opsaiichthys uncirostris amurensis (21%) in the $L_w$, indicating a distinct differences of the species composition. According to hydroacoustic approach of ESM, fish density was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the $L_w$ section of 250 m than any other sections, This outcome indicates that fishes moving toward the upstream were blocked by weir construction. According to analysis of tolerance guilds, tolerant species (TS) were made of 88% and 79% in the $U_w$ and $L_w$ region, respectively, while the proportions of sensitive species were < 0.1% of the total in the both regions. Trophic guild analysis showed that the proportion of omnivore species were 58% and 40% in the $U_w$ and $L_w$ region, respectively, while insectivores were made of 16% and 21% in the $U_w$ and $L_w$ region, respectively. Both analyses of tolerance guilds and trophic guilds indicate the biological degradation of the waterbody. Fish community structure analysis, based on species diversity, dominance, and evenness indices, showed higher community stability in the $L_w$ region than $U_w$ region. Exotic species of largemouth bass were largely increased in this survey (14%), compared to the past (< 1%), indicating a modification of fish trophic structure.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.172-182
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• 2009

This study was to analyze characteristics based on tolerance and trophic guilds and to determine the level of total mercury in tissues of sentinel species, Zacco platypus at 3 sampling sites of the Mangyeong River in 2007. Total sampled fishes were 26 species and the most dominant species was Zacco temminckii (47%). Fish community analysis was resulted that eveness index and diversity index showed low value at S1. However, diversity index and richness index at other sites showed high. According to various guilds analysis, relative abundance of sensitive species was 70% and 42% at S1 and S2, respectively. While sensitive species were decreased (1%) and tolerant species were increased (60%) at S3. It was mainly carried to the impacts of wastewater treatment plants near the location. Relative abundance of insectivore species was decreased from up (S1) to midstream area (S3). In addition, chemical water quality, based on analyses of BOD, COD, TP, TN, EC, MPN and SS concentration showed similar trends. Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) was averaged 164, judged as "good" habitat condition. Average concentrations of total [Hg] was 146.9 ${\mu}g$ $kg^{-1}$. In the muscles of total [Hg] was the highest, and then followed by kidney, vertebrae, liver, and gills. According to FDA standards (500 ${\mu}g$ $kg^{-1}$) of Korea, total [Hg] has not affected to the individual fish health.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.561-573
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• 2012

The object of this study was to analyze long-term water quality gradients during 1992-2008 at six sites of Geumho River and near-by two sites of Nakdong River and their influences on fish trophic guilds and tolerance guilds along with ecological health. Water quality including biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), conductivity, total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and total suspended solids (TSS) varied largely depending on the sampling locations and seasons. Values of ambient BOD, COD, TP, and TN were greater in the downstream than in the upstream reach, and seasonal and interannual variabilities were also higher in the downstreams. This phenomenon was evident due to a dilution by the Asian monsoon rainfall during the monsoon. These outcomes indicate that point sources near the downstream are important for the chemical conditions, but also seasonal stream runoff was considered as an important factor regulating the chemical conditions. Conductivity decreased rapidly during the summer due to ionic dilution, and nutrients (N, P), BOD, COD had an inverse function of seasonal precipitation. Based on the water quality, we selected two sites (control site = $C_s$ vs. impacted site = $I_s$) for impact analysis of water chemistry on fish community and trophic/tolerant guilds. Fish guild analysis showed that species diversity was higher in the headwater stream ($C_s$) than the impacted downstream ($I_s$), and that the proportion of tolerant and omnivore species were greater in the impacted site of downstream. Comparisons of water quality between Geumho River and Nakdong River indicated that Geumho River was considered as a point source which degradated water quality to the Nakdong River. Overall, chemical water quality and fish guild analysis suggest that even if current chemical quality got better after 1996 due to continuous constructions of wastewater disposal plants near the downstreams, fish compositions of tolerant and omnivores were still dominated the community. Thus, biological restoration based on ecological health is required for the ecosystem conservation.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.8-18
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• 2019

The objectives of this study were to analyze the influence of chemical water quality on fish guilds, pollution tolerance and the multi-metric ecological health, based on the Fish Assessment Index (FAI) in the main stream of Mangyeong River between 2009-2016. The quality of water with specific conductivity, TP, and $NH_4-N$ got worse dramatically in the down region. During the study, a total of 50 species were collected and the most dominant species was Zacco platypus. Also known as tolerant species, accounted 22.9% of the total abundances, thus indicating a trophic degradation. The downstream region (S5) had the highest number of fish external abnormalities, indicating a degradation of ecological health, based on the fish assemblages. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that relative abundance of tolerant fish species and omnivore fish species had a significant positive correlation(r>0.30, p<0.05) with values of BOD, conductivity and $NH_4-N$. Whereas, the relative abundance of the sensitive species and insectivore species had a significant negative relations (r<-0.30, p<0.001) with the parameters. The mean obtained from the multi-metric fish model, based on the FAI of all sites was 47 (n=40). This indicated a "fair condition" in the ecological health, and the downstream regions (S3-S5) were judged as "bad condition", indicating an influence of the chemical degradation on the ecological health.