This study presents a modified version of the Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Multimetric Index (LBMMI) originally proposed by Park et al. (2024) in Korea. Among the six core metric elements of LBMMI, two elements-total number of taxa and the proportion of predator taxa-were excluded, as they were considered to be strongly influenced by vascular hydrohytes following eutrophication. The revised LBMMI was constructed using the remaining four metrics: Pielou’s evenness index, proportion of insect taxa, individual proportion of oligochaetes and chironomids with blood tubules, and proportion of clinger taxa. Compared to the original LBMMI, the modified index showed approximately a 6% improvement in explanatory power for the first principal component (PC 1) in principal component analysis of environmental factors, and it also exhibited a broader range of discrimination. These results suggest that the modified LBMMI can be more effectively utilized for environmental assessment of lake ecosystems.

Biological assessments of streams have been developed in many countries to evaluate ecological integrity. A multimetric index is one of the primary methods used for this purpose, incorporating chemical, physical, and biological variables of the environment. In Korea, the Benthic Macroinvertebrates Index (BMI) is currently applied in national biological monitoring programs; however, BMI reflects only organic pollution and does not account for other environmental variables in streams. This study aimed to develop a new multimetric index, the Benthic Macroinvertebrate-based Multimetric Index (BMMI), for assessing the ecological integrity of Korean streams. We analyzed data from 3,307 sites, including water quality information. Reference and disturbed streams were identified based on PC 1 scores with 7 environmental factors (Axis 1 of the PCA), genus levelbased taxa richness, and BMGI values used for trimming. From an initial set of 82 candidate metrics, six (genus level-based taxa richness, Shannon’s diversity index, percent of taxa in E.P.T., percent of individuals in collectorsgatherers, percent of individuals in clingers, BMGI based on saprobity) were selected through statistical analyses, including coefficient of variation and discriminant analysis. BMMI successfully distinguished between reference and disturbed streams and showed significant correlations with various environmental factors. These results indicate that BMMI is suitable for evaluating the ecological integrity of streams in Korea. Therefore, it is recommended that stream ecosystem assessments transition from BMI to BMMI in the future to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of stream integrity.

Water environment management in Korea has long been driven by chemical water quality standards; however, such an approach does not adequately reflect the structural and functional integrity of aquatic ecosystems. Accordingly, the introduction of biological water quality criteria (biocriteria) has emerged as a key task for establishing ecosystem-centered water environmental policies. This study reviewed the scientific and legal foundations necessary for developing biocriteria suited to Korean aquatic ecosystems and proposed practical approaches for institutionalizing them as environmental standards. To this end, we conducted a comparative analysis of biocriteria implementation cases in major countries, including the United States, the European Union (EU), and Canada, and examined both the applicability and limitations of domestic multi-metric index (MMI)-based biological indicators. In addition, we evaluated the potential linkage with national legislation, including the Framework Act on Environmental Policy and the Water Environment Conservation Act, and proposed an institutionalization roadmap. This study emphasizes the necessity of establishing biocriteria as a policy turning point for securing the ecological health of Korean freshwater ecosystems and building an integrated water environment management framework.

The Hangang River* is necessary to manage the water environment of severe pollution due to the high density of residential areas, parks, and agriculture and the large population concentrated there. Benthic macroinvertebrates, such as chironomids larvae, are bioindicator species that reflect environmental changes and are crucial for water quality monitoring. In this study, we investigated morphological characteristics and molecular analysis of the chironomids larvae inhabiting the Hangang River area for water environment surveys. For this research, 20 rivers, lakes, and urban area in the Hangang River basin were selected. Chironomids larvae were collected from July to September 2022, and their appearance and characteristics were identified through morphological identification. In addition, phylogenetic analysis was performed based on the mtCOI gene sequences of the collected chironomids larvae, and identification at the genus level was confirmed. As a result, 32 species and 18 genera of 3 subfamilies of Chironomidae larvae were identified, and Stictochironomus sp. dominated most sites (6 sites). The morphological characteristics of the identified chironomids larvae, such as the mentum, ventromental plate, and antenna, were organized into table and pictorial keys, and a Bayesian inference molecular phylogeny was presented. These results provide basic morphological information for genus-level identification and can be used as fundamental information for water quality management. *The public nomenclature following by NGII 2015

Recently, with the development of genetic technology, interest in environmental DNA (eDNA) to study biodiversity according to molecular biological approaches is increasing. Environmental DNA has many advantages over traditional research methods for biological communities distributed in the environment but highly depends on the established base sequence database. This study conducted a comprehensive analysis of the habitat status and classification at the genus level, which is mainly used in eDNA (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, COI, and CYTB), focusing on Korean registration taxon groups (phytoplankton, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, and fish). As a result, phytoplankton and zooplankton showed the highest taxa proportion in 18S rRNA, and macroinvertebrates observed the highest ratio in the nucleotide sequence database in COI. In fish, all genes except 18S rRNA showed a high taxon ratio. Based on the Korean registration taxon group, the gene construction of the top 20 genera according to bio density observed that most of the phytoplankton were registered in 18S rRNA, and the most significant number of COI nucleotide sequences were established in macroinvertebrates. In addition, it was confirmed that there is a nucleotide sequence for the top 20 genera in 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and CYTB in fish. These results provided comprehensive information on the genes suitable for eDNA research for each taxon group.

Koreoleptoxis nodifila (Martens, 1886) is an endangered species only living in the central and north streams of South Korea. However, there is a lack of information on physical habitat characteristics of K. nodifila. We aimed to determine preference ranges for water depth, current velocity, streambed substrate of K. nodifila. The weibull model was used to estimate the habitat suitability based on distribution of individual abundance by physical factors. Optimal depth preferences ranged from 0.53~17.17 cm, current preferences ranged from 48.40~81.03 cm s-1 and substrate (Φm) preferences ranged from - 4.36~ - 2.26. Median values of central tendency were determined as follows: water depth 16.73 cm, current velocity 65.23 cm s-1, substrate - 3.51. Mean values of central tendency were determined as follows: water depth 21.32 cm, current velocity 65.65 cm s-1, substrate - 3.63. Mode values of central tendency were determined as follows: water depth 5.17 cm, current velocity 64.77 cm s-1, substrate - 3.24. Based on the habitat suitability analysis, the microhabitat types of K. nodifila were determined as riffle and coarse-grained streambed.

한강수계 남한강의 보 (강천보, 여주보, 이포보) 공사 후 수변부 여울 구간의 물리적 환경의 변화에 따른 유수성 저서동물의 군집 변화를 확인한 결과 다음과 같은 결론을 얻었다. 첫째, 보에 의한 여울구간의 소실은 유속, 하상 등 물리적 환경의 변화를 야기하여 수질요인과는 독립적으로 수생태계에 영향을 미칠 수 있다. 둘째, 남한강 보 구간의 수변부 물리적 서식환경의 복합적인 변화는 유수성 분류군의 군집구성에 영향을 미친 것으로 판단된다. 셋째, 저서성 대형무척추동물 유수성 지표 후보종 157 분류군은 수생태계 변화의 원인 분석을 비롯한 하천 수생태계 복원 및 재자연화 등에 유용한 지표로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다. 넷째, 향후 유속변화에 대한 수생태계 영향을 면밀하게 파악하기 위해서는 분류군별 유속에 대한 저항성 또는 선호도를 바탕으로 한 지표연구가 필요할 것으로 사료된다.

본 연구는 하천에서 가뭄으로 인해 나타나는 갈수현상 을 단기간의 유량의 감소로 모사하여 수질 및 부착돌말류 군집에 미치는 생태학적 영향을 인공수로에서 분석하였 다. 아크릴로 제작한 실내 인공수로에 부착돌말 인공기질 로는 슬라이드글라스를 설치하고, 부영양 저수지의 표층 수를 유입시켜 실험수로 이용하였다. 실험기간 중 부착돌 말 군체형성기 동안 모든 실험군의 유량은 6 L min-1, 이 후 유량감소기 동안 각 실험군의 유량은 NDF(No depletion of flow rate (Control): 6 L min-1), LDF (Low depletion of flow rate: 3 L min-1), 그리고 HDF (High depletion of flow rate: 1 L min-1)로 설정하였다. 유량감소의 영향을 비교하기 위하여 16일간의 실험기간 동안 유입수와 배출 수의 수온, 전기전도도, 용존산소, pH, 탁도, 부유물질, 영 양염 및 Chl-a 농도를 분석하였으며, 또한 부착기질의 Chl-a와 AFDM(ash free dry matter), 그리고 부착돌말류 의 조성과 세포밀도를 1일 간격으로 분석하였다. 광도는 처리 유량이 적어질수록 유의하게 증가했다(F=229.5, p= 0.000). NH4-N는 NDF보다 HDF에서 현저하게 높은 농 도를 유지하였다. 유입수의 SS 농도(100%) 대비 배출수의 SS 농도는 HDF에서 88%로 감소하였으며 LDF (97%)와 NDF (99%)에 비하여 높은 감소율을 보였다. 기질의 Chla는 NDF에 비하여 유량감소 처리군에서 약 2배 이상 유의하게 증가하였다(F=8.399, p=0.001). 또한 기질의 AFDM과 부착돌말류 총밀도는 NDF에 비하여 두 처리군 에서 유의하게 증가하였다(F=9.390, p=0.001; F=6.088, p=0.007). 실험기간 동안 대조군과 처리군 모두에서 Aulacoseira ambigua, Achnanthes minutissima, Aulacoseira granulata 등 총 3종의 부착규조류가 총 밀도의 10% 이 상을 보인 우점종으로 나타났고, 제1 우점종인 A. ambigua 는 LDF에서 가장 높은 밀도를 보였으며 HDF, NDF순 으로 생물량이 낮았다(F=8.551, p=0.001). 본 연구 결과, 인공 하천생태계에서 가뭄(갈수) 효과는 수질과 부착돌말 류 현존량에 유의한 변화를 야기하였으며, 특히 부착돌말 류 현존량이 유의하게 증가하였다. 이는 실제 하천에서 가뭄에 의한 생태계의 변화를 이해하는데 유용한 기초자 료를 제공할 것으로 사료된다.