The absence of standardized, biology-based assessment criteria for lake ecosystems at the national level underscores the need for developing systematic and integrative phytoplankton-based evaluation tools. Phytoplankton are primary producers that regulate energy flow and nutrient cycling in lake ecosystems, and their rapid responses to environmental changes such as eutrophication, altered hydrodynamics, and seasonal fluctuations make them highly effective biological indicators. Multimetric indices (MMIs) offer a structured and integrative approach for capturing complex community level responses to environmental stressors, thereby enhancing the ecological relevance and management utility of biological assessment tools for lentic systems. This study presents the Lake Phytoplankton Assessment Index (LPAI), developed using long term ecological and water quality data from 90 lakes and reservoirs across South Korea. The LPAI comprises six ecologically meaningful metrics: total cell density (M2), cell density of flagellated algae (M10), cell density of harmful cyanobacteria (M17), cell density of eutrophic Chlorophyta (M18), relative abundance of saprophilous diatoms (M23), and relative abundance of eutraphentic diatoms (M25). Application of the LPAI demonstrated that lake health grades exhibited a broad and near-normal distribution across seasons, while summer assessments showed a marked increase in lower grade (C~E) lakes associated with elevated temperatures and cyanobacterial blooms. Conversely, winter assessments showed improved conditions due to reduced phytoplankton biomass and the dominance of low eutrophic diatom assemblages. Correlation analyses confirmed that the selected metrics captured distinct ecological gradients, particularly nutrient enrichment and organic matter driven turbidity, while PCA results indicated that the LPAI performed consistently across lake types without structural bias. Overall, the LPAI reliably reflects trophic conditions, harmful algal risks, and structural changes in phytoplankton communities, offering a scientifically grounded and management-relevant tool for evaluating the ecological health of Korean lakes and reservoirs.

This study aims to advance Korea’s aquatic ecosystem assessment framework by developing and validating an Integrated Assessment Index (IAI) that synthesizes three biological indicators: the Diatom Assessment Index (DAI), the Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment Index (BAI), and the Fish Assessment Index (FAI). Using biomonitoring data collected from 2019 to 2021, three integration methods: the minimum grade method, most frequent grade method, and arithmetic mean method, were compared. The arithmetic mean method demonstrated the highest suitability and was adopted as the final integration approach. The resulting IAI showed stronger correlations with major water quality factors (BOD, TN, TP) than individual biological indices, indicating its enhanced capacity to capture both water quality gradients and ecological response patterns across biological assemblages. Application of the IAI to aquatic ecosystem assessment data from 2016 to 2023 revealed that the overall ecological condition of Korean rivers remained at a “fair (C)” level. Approximately half of the sites were classified as good to very good (A~B), while around 20% were rated as poor to very poor (D~E). Annual cycle analysis further indicated that first-year surveys within each monitoring phase exhibited higher proportions of good conditions, whereas second- and third-year surveys showed increasing frequencies of fair conditions, suggesting cumulative environmental stressors or progressive habitat alteration. Mid-sized basin target standards achievement analysis showed a clear discrepancy between waterquality and biological outcomes. While BOD and TP targets were met at relatively high rates, IAI achievement rates were the lowest across all major river basins (18~33%). This indicates that current water quality centered management goals insufficiently reflect actual ecological conditions. The results highlight that improvements in physico-chemical factors alone are insufficient for biological recovery and that habitat structure, flow regime, and substrate conditions are critical drivers of ecological integrity. Overall, the IAI effectively integrates biological and physico-chemical information, offering a more comprehensive quantification of river aquatic ecosystem health than single metric approaches. The index demonstrates strong potential as a practical tool for future policy applications, including mid-sized basin target management, ecological restoration prioritization, and integrated water resource planning.

Current assessments of stream ecosystem health in Korea using benthic diatoms rely primarily on the Trophic Diatom Index (TDI), which is highly sensitive to phosphorus concentrations but has limited ability to capture complex environmental stressors such as organic pollution and physical habitat degradation. To address these limitations and enhance the ecological diagnostic capacity of diatom-based assessments, we developed a Korean-type multimetric diatom index, the Diatom Assessment Index (DAI). Using benthic diatom assemblage data and environmental variables collected from 3,029 sites nationwide between 2019 and 2021, we screened candidate metrics based on variability, redundancy, discriminatory power, and sensitivity analyses. Five metrics-TDI, proportion of motile diatoms, proportion of sensitive diatoms, proportion of saprophilous diatoms, and the [Achnanthes / (Achnanthes+Navicula)] ratio-were ultimately selected and integrated to calculate the DAI score. Applying the DAI to an independent dataset from 3,005 sites (2022~2024) demonstrated that the index exhibited a near-normal distribution across assessment classes, in contrast to the TDI, which tended to be skewed toward specific ranges. The DAI showed strong correlations not only with physicochemical parameters such as BOD and TP but also with physical habitat indicators, including flow velocity and the proportion of fine substrates. In addition, the DAI was significantly correlated with other biological indices, such as the Benthic Macroinvertebrate Index (BMI) and the Fish Assessment Index (FAI). These results indicate that the DAI provides a more comprehensive and ecologically meaningful measure of stream health in Korea and can serve as an effective tool for national aquatic ecosystem assessment and management.

This study investigated seasonal variations in phytoplankton community composition and physicochemical water quality across 90 lakes in South Korea surveyed 2022 to 2024, and examined their relationships with environmental factors. Over the course of four seasons, a total of 952 phytoplankton taxa were identified, with Bacillariophyta (diatoms) and Chlorophyta (green algae) accounting for 64.2% of the total species richness. Diatom species such as Aulacoseira granulata, Fragilaria crotonensis, and Cyclotella meneghiniana were frequently observed regardless of season. In terms of cell density, Cyanophyta were dominant, comprising 85.1% on average, with particularly high summer densities driven by blooms of Microcystis aeruginosa and Aphanizomenon sp. In contrast, diatoms accounted for the highest relative abundance in winter (54.1%). Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that Cyanophyta and Chlorophyta were positively correlated with water temperature, TP, COD, and Chl-a, whereas Bacillariophyta and Cryptophyta showed negative correlations with these variables. These results indicate that phytoplankton communities in Korean lakes are highly responsive to variations in temperature and nutrient concentrations, and that summer rainfall-driven nutrient inflow plays a critical role in triggering cyanobacterial blooms. This study provides a scientific basis for understanding seasonal ecosystem dynamics in Korean lakes and offers foundational data for eutrophication management and the development of biological water quality assessment indices.

The clear-water phase (CWP) is a notable limnological phenomenon in freshwater systems caused by predatory interactions between large filter-feeding zooplankton and phytoplankton. However, the mechanisms and factors that influence the extent of CWP, particularly in complex water systems with both fluvial and lacustrine characteristics, remain poorly understood. The present study evaluated CWP occurrence patterns at different sites in a large reservoir located in a temperate monsoon region (Lake Paldang, Korea); the relationships among factors associated with CWP occurrence, such as transparency, zooplankton diversity, and chlorophyll a concentration were investigated. Transparency exhibited significant correlations with precipitation and retention time, as well as the relative abundance of zooplankton (p<0.01), suggesting that a change in the retention time due to precipitation can alter CWP. Data collected before and after CWP occurrence were analyzed using paired t-test to determine variations in CWP occurrence based on the water system characteristics. The results demonstrated that various factors were associated with CWP occurrence in the fluvial-type and lacustrine-type sites. The correlation between zooplankton biomass and transparency was stronger in the lacustrine-type sites than in the fluvial-type sites. The lacustrine-type sites, where cladoceran emergence is common and is associated with long retention times, favored CWP occurrence. The results suggest that lacustrine-type sites, which are conducive to zooplankton development and have relatively long retention times, enhance CWP occurrence. Furthermore, CWP occurrence was notable in spring, and the present study revealed that site-specific CWP could occur throughout the year, regardless of the season.

춘천호의 2014~2015년 평균 강수량은 800 mm 이하였으나, 2016~2017년에는 1,200 mm 이상으로 나타났다. 수온의 범위는 17.0~21.1°C, COD는 연평균 농도가 2.7~4.2 mg L-1였고, 2015년에 가장 높았으며 적은 강수량으로 체류시간이 증가하여 다른 해에 비해 높은 농도가 나타난 것으로 판단된다. TP와 TN의 연평균 농도는 각각 0.012~0.019 mg L-1와 1.272~1.922 mg L-1로 나타났으며 TN은 2014년부터 지속된 갈수현상으로 2015년이 다른 년도에 비해 높았다. 식물플랑크톤의 종 다양성 지수는 2014~2015년에 2.0 이하로 다른 년도에 비해 낮았으며, 강수량과 환경요인과의 상관 분석 결과 수온, TP 및 Chl. a가 높게 나타났다. 식물플랑크톤의 세포수는 CC3 (상류) 지점이 CC1 (하류)과 CC2 (중류) 지점보다 상대적으로 많았으며 그 이유는 갈수현상으로 수체의 안정 및 유기물이 농축되어 남조류를 포함한 식물플랑크톤이 성장하기 유리한 조건이 되었을 것으로 판단된다. 수온에 따른 식물플랑크톤의 분류군별 상관관계 결과 규조류는 음의 상관관계, 녹조류와 남조류는 양의 상관관계를 보였다. 춘천호의 식물플랑크톤은 온대호수의 천이 형태를 보이고 있으나 강우에 따라 식물플랑크톤의 종 다양성 및 발생량과 수질환경요인이 다르게 나타났을 것으로 판단된다. 본 연구는 춘천호의 수질 및 식물플랑크톤의 장기변화를 조사한 최초의 결과이며 향후 추가 연구를 위한 선행자료로 제공하고자 한다.

강우부족현상이 지속되었던 2015년 팔당호에서의 이화학적 요인과 동물플랑크톤 군집 특성은 선행연구에서의 몬순기후에 의한 강우와 수리·수문학적 요인의 영향을 받아 변화하던 동물플랑크톤 군집과 다른 양상을 나타냈다. 조사기간 동안 팔당호의 수리학적 체류시간은 2014년부터 지속된 강우부족현상에 영향을 받아 2013년대비 크게 증가하였다. 이에 따라 유입·방류량이 감소하여 팔당댐앞 (St.1)의 이화학적 수질은 호소형 특성의 남한강수역 (St.2) 수질보다 하천형 특성의 북한강수역 (St.3) 수질과 비슷한 특성이 나타났다. 동물플랑크톤의 군집변화는 봄 (3~5월)에는 주로 소형 윤충류 (Syncheata, Keratella)가 우점하였으며, 여름 (7~9월)에는 집중호우가 적어 연중 가장 높은 현존량을 기록했으며 우점종은 윤충류인 Keratella cochlearis와 원생동물인 Difflugia corona로 나타났다. 가을 (9~11월)에는 수온이 감소함에 따라 윤충류와 원생동물의 현존량이 감소하고 요각류 유생 (Nauplius)이 우점하는 천이를 보였다. 통계분석 결과 복합적 수계의 특성을 보여주는 팔당호에서 북한강수역은 하천형, 남한강수역과 경안천수역은 호소형 특성으로 지점별 상이하게 구분되며, 이에 따라 동물플랑크톤 군집 또한 영향을 받을 수 있음을 나타냈다.

This study was conducted to evaluate the characteristics of geosmin production of Anabaena circinalis under different environmental condition. The test cyanobacterium was isolated from Lake Paldang. The growth rate and geosmin production of A. circinalis were examined with different variables including temperature (10, 15, 20, 25℃), light intensity (60, 120, 240 μmol photons m-2 s-1), and phosphorus concentration (0.01, 0.05, 0.25, 0.50, 1.00 mg L-1). The highest growth rate and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration appeared at 25℃, 60 μmol photons m-2 s-1 and 1.00 mgP L-1 for temperature, light intensity, and P concentration, respectively. Total geosmin production was highest at the optimal growth condition of each variable, while chlorophyll-specific geosmin production (the ratio of geosmin to Chl-a) was higher at the less favorable growth condition, indicating high potential of the off-flavor problem during low temperature period, e.g., late fall and early winter. Our results demonstrated that geosmin production of A. circinalis was directly related to chlorophyll synthesis and varied with cellular growth condition.

Euiam and Paldang Reservoirs have often been facing water quality problems, such as eutrophication, algal blooms and off-flavors by treated wastewater effluent (TWE) in the North-Han and the Han River basins, but little is examined on the direct biological effect of TWE. This study tested algal growth potential (AGP) of four TWEs discharged into Euiam and Paldang Reservoirs to evaluate water fertility in September 2014 and March and September 2015. Test alga was used Anabaena circinalis isolated from Paldang Reservoir. Mean concentration of T-N and T-P in TWEs was 3,956.7 μg N L-1 and 50.8 μg P L-1, and the proportion of NO3-N and PO4-P to the total fraction was 72.1% and 40.8%, respectively. Both N and P were high in TWEs, but much higher N than P concentration indicates strong P-limitation. As a consequence, the maximum AGP was determined by PO4-P concentration (r=0.998, p<0.01). Mean AGP value was 15.4 mg dw L-1 among four effluents indicating its eutrophic condition. Due to the establishment of tertiary (advanced T-P) treatment method in the studied plants recently, P concentration was significantly decreased in TWEs compared to the years prior to 2012. However, P concentration seems to be still high enough to cause eutrophication and algal blooms. Therefore, wastewater treatment to P-free level needs to be considered if effluents are directly discharged into the drinking water resources.

This study explored spatiotemporal variability of water quality in correspondence with hydrometeorological factors in the four stations of Euiam Reservoir located in the upstream region of the North-Han River from May 2012 to December 2015. Seasonal effect was apparent in the variation of water temperature, DO, electric conductivity and TSS during the study period. Stratification in the water column was observed in the near dam site every year and vanished between August and October. Increase of nitrogen nutrients was observed when inflowing discharge was low, while phosphorus increase was distinct both during the early season with increase of inflowing discharge and the period of severe draught persistent. Duration persisting high concentration of Chl-a (>25 mg m-3: the eutrophic status criterion, OECD, 1982) was 1~2 months of the whole year in 2014~2015, while it was almost 4 months in 2013. Water quality of Euiam Reservoir appeared to be affected basically by geomorphology and source of pollutants, such as longitudinally linked instream islands and Aggregate Island, inflowing urban stream, and wastewater treatment plant discharge. While inflowing discharge from the dams upstream and outflow pattern causing water level change seem to largely govern the variability of water quality in this particular system. In the process of spatiotemporal water quality change, factors related to climate (e.g. flood, typhoon, abruptly high rainfall, scorching heat of summer), hydrology (amount of flow and water level) might be attributed to water pulse, dilution, backflow, uptake, and sedimentation. This study showed that change of water quality in Euiam Reservoir was very dynamic and suggested that its effect could be delivered to downstream (Cheongpyeong and Paldang Reservoirs) through year-round discharge for hydropower generation.

This study explored spatiotemporal variability of water quality in correspondence with hydrometeorological factors in the five stations of Paldang Reservoir located in the Han River during 4 years from May 2012 to December 2015. Variability of basic water quality factors were largely related with seasonal fluctuations of hydrology. Temperature stratification occurred in the deep dam station, and prolonged hypoxia was observed during the draught year. Nitrogen nutrients were increased with decreasing inflow in which changing pattern of NH4 reversed to NO3 by the effect of treated wastewater effluent. Phosphorus increase was manifest during the period of high inflow or severe drought. Chl-a variation was reversely related with both flow change and AGP (algal growth potential) variations. Our study demonstrated that water quality variability in Paldang Reservoir was largely attributed to both natural and operational changes of inflow and outflow (including water intake) based on major pollution source of the treated wastewater (total amount of 472×103 m3 d-1) entering to the water system from watershed. In the process of water quality variability, meteorological (e.g., flood, typhoon, abnormal rainfall, scorching heat of summer) and hydrological factors (inflow and discharge) were likely to work dynamically with nutrients pulse, dilution, absorption, concentration and sedimentation. We underline comprehensive limnological study related to hydro-meteorolology to understand short- and long-term water quality variability in river-type large reservoir and suggest the necessity of P-free wastewater treatment for the effective measure of reducing pollution level of Paldang drinking water resource.