The ecosystem provides a diverse array of environmental conditions for organisms, and only those that are capable of successfully adapting to these conditions within their habitats can endure, thrive, and proliferate. Further, the environmental conditions within these habitats can significantly affect the bioavailability of chemicals that are introduced therein, thus resulting in varied adverse impacts on the organisms. The present study aims to evaluate the sensitivity of Yuukianura szeptyckii - a species adapted to riparian - to heavy metals following ISO guideline 11276, with the objective of assessing its potential as an indicator species for ecotoxicological evaluations in riparian habitats. The findings revealed that cadmium and copper both had significant toxic effects depending on their concentrations. For cadmium, the LC50 was 280 mg kg-1, EC50 was 66 mg kg-1, and NOEC and LOEC were 25 and 50 mg kg-1, respectively. For copper, the LC50 was 911 mg kg-1, EC50 was 151 mg kg-1, and LOEC was 50 mg kg-1. Comparative analysis with previous results for the international standard species Folsomia candida and the domestic standard species Allonychiurus kimi indicated that Y. szeptyckii exhibited even greater sensitivity to toxicity values. The adverse effects on survival and reproduction were closely associated with the influx concentration of heavy metals in their bodies. Altogether, the results suggest that Y. szeptyckii is a sensitive species for ecotoxicological assessments in riparian habitats, thus making it suitable as an indicator species, particularly in riparian ecosystems that are characterized by relatively high humidity conditions.

The key to invasive pest management lies in preemptive action. However, most current research using species distribution models is conducted after an invasion has occurred. This study modeled the potential distribution of the globally notorious sweet potato pest, the sweet potato weevil (Cylas formicarius), that has not yet invaded Korea using MaxEnt. Using global occurrence data, bioclimatic variables, and topsoil characteristics, MaxEnt showed high explanatory power as both the training and test areas under the curve exceeded 0.9. Among the environmental variables used in this study, minimum temperature in the coldest month (BIO06), precipitation in the driest month (BIO14), mean diurnal range (BIO02), and bulk density (BDOD) were identified as key variables. The predicted global distribution showed high values in most countries where the species is currently present, with a significant potential invasion risk in most South American countries where C. formicarius is not yet present. In Korea, Jeju Island and the southwestern coasts of Jeollanam-do showed very high probabilities. The impact of climate change under shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) scenarios indicated an expansion along coasts as climate change progresses. By applying the 10th percentile minimum training presence rule, the potential area of occurrence was estimated at 1,439 km2 under current climate conditions and could expand up to 9,485 km2 under the SSP585 scenario. However, the model predicted that an inland invasion would not be serious. The results of this study suggest a need to focus on the risk of invasion in islands and coastal areas.

Many changes in the scale and structure of the Korean rice cropping system have been made over the past few decades. Still, insufficient research has been conducted on the sustainability of this system. This study analyzed changes in the Korean rice cropping system’s sustainability from a system ecology perspective using an emergy approach. For this purpose, an emergy table was created for the Korean rice cropping system in 2011, 2016, and 202, and an emergy-based indicator analysis was performed. The emergy analysis showed that the total emergy input to the rice cropping system decreased from 10,744E+18 sej year-1 to 8,342E+18 sej year-1 due to decreases in paddy field areas from 2011 to 2021, and the proportion of renewable resources decreased by 1.4%. The emergy input per area (ha) was found to have decreased from 13.13E+15 sej ha-1 year-1 in 2011 to 11.89E+15 sej ha-1 year-1 in 2021, and the leading cause was a decrease in nitrogen fertilizer usage and working hours. The amount of emergy used to grow 1 g of rice stayed the same between 2016 and 2021 (specific emergy: 13.3E+09 sej g-1), but the sustainability of the rice cropping system (emergy sustainability index, ESI) continued to decrease (2011: 0.107, 2016: 0.088, and 2021: 0.086). This study provides quantitative information on the emergy input structure and characteristics of Korean rice cropping systems. The results of this study can be used as a valuable reference in establishing measures to improve the ecological sustainability of the Korean rice cropping system.

Glyphosate, a worldwide most used herbicides, can have complex implications for terrestrial ecosystems, extending beyond its intended target, weed control. This study investigated the cascading effects of glyphosate application on both plant and collembolan communities. Our findings reveal that glyphosate application can reduce the richness of plant communities, and these effects can be pronounced in areas with low initial plant diversity. Furthermore, our results confirm that the fluctuations in plant community composition induced by glyphosate application can also impact the richness of collembolan communities. This research highlights the importance of considering both plant and invertebrate communities when assessing the impacts of herbicide use in agroecosystems.

공간 샘플링은 공간모델링 연구에 활용되어 샘플링 비용을 줄이면서 모델링의 효율성을 높이는 역할을 한다. 농업분야에서는 기후변화 영향을 예측하고 평가하기 위한 고해상도 공간자료 기반 모델링에 대한 연구 수요가 빠르게 증가하고 있으며, 이에 따라 공간 샘플링의 필요성과 중요성이 증가하고 있다. 본 연구는 국내 농지 공간샘플링 연구를 통해 농업분야 기후변화연구의 공간자료 활용의 효율성을 제고하고자 하였다. 본 연구는 층화랜덤샘플링 을 기반으로 하였으며, 1 km 해상도의 농지 공간격자자료 모집단 (11,386개 격자)에 대해서 RCP 시나리오별 (RCP 4.5/8.5) 연대별 (2030/2050/2080년대) 공간샘플링을 설 계하였다. 국내 농지는 기상 및 토양 특성에 따라 계층화 되었으며, 샘플링 효율 극대화를 위해 최적 층화 및 샘플 배정 최적화를 수행하였다. 최적화는 작물수량, 온실가스 배출량, 해충 분포 확률을 포함하는 16개 목표 변수에 대해 주어진 정밀도 제한 내에서 샘플 수를 최소화하는 방향으로 진행되었다. 샘플링의 정밀도와 정확도 평가는 각각 변동계수 (CV)와 상대적 편향을 기반으로 하였다. 국내 농지 공간격자 모집단 계층화 및 샘플 배정 및 샘플 수 최적화 결과, 전체 농지는 5~21개 계층, 46~69개 샘플 수 수준에서 최적화되었다. 본 연구결과물들은 국내 농업시스템 대표 공간격자로써 널리 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다. 또한, 기후변화 영향예측 공간모델링 연구들에 활용되어 샘플링 비용 및 계산 시간을 줄이면서도 모델의 효율성을 높이는 데에 기여할 수 있다.

Prediction of the behavior of heavy metals over time is important to evaluate the heavy metal toxicity in algae species. Various modeling studies have been well established, but there is a need for an improved model for predicting the chronic effects of metals on algae species to combine the metal kinetics and biological response of algal cells. In this study, a kinetic dynamics model was developed to predict the copper behavior (5 μg L-1, 10 μg L-1, and 15 μg L-1) for two freshwater algae (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Chlorella vulgaris) in the chronic exposure experiments (8 d and 21 d). In the experimental observations, the rapid change in copper mass between the solutions, extracellular and intracellular sites occurred within initial exposure periods, and then it was slower although the algal density changed with time. Our model showed a good agreement with the measured copper mass in each part for all tested conditions with an elapsed time (R 2 for P. subcapitata: 0.928, R 2 for C. vulgaris: 0.943). This study provides a novel kinetic dynamics model that is compromised between practical simplicity and realistic complexity, and it can be used to investigate the chronic effects of heavy metals on the algal population.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the toxic effects of zinc in collembolan Paronychiurus kimi at the individual (survival and juvenile production) and population (population growth and age structure) levels after 28 days of exposure in artificially spiked soil. These toxic effects were interpreted in conjunction with the internal zinc concentrations in P. kimi. The EC50 value for juvenile production based on the total zinc concentration was 457 mg Zn kg-1 dry soil, while the LC50 value for adult survival and ri=0 value for population growth were within the same order of magnitude (2,623 and 1,637 mg Zn kg-1 dry soil, respectively). Significant differences in adult survival, juvenile production, and population growth compared with the control group were found at concentrations of 1,500, 375, and 375 mg Zn kg-1 dry or higher, respectively, whereas significant differences in the age structure, determined by the proportion of each age group in the population, were observed in all treatment groups. It appeared that the internal zinc level in P. kimi was regulated to some extent at soil zinc concentrations of ≤375 mg Zn kg-1 dry soil, but not at high soil zinc concentrations. These results indicate that, despite zinc being regulated by P. kimi, excess zinc exceeding the regulatory capacity of P. kimi can trigger changes in the responses at the individual and population levels. Given that population dynamics are affected not only by individual level but also by population level endpoints, it is concluded that the toxic effects of pollutants should be assessed at various levels.

It is important to consider interaction between species in understanding structure and function of the biological community. Current ecological issues such as climate change and habitat loss emphasize the significance of the concept of species interaction in that varying species’ interaction across environmental gradients may lead to altered ecological function and services. However, most community studies have focused on species diversity through analysis of quantitative indices based on species composition and abundance data without considering species interactions in the community. ‘Ecological network analysis’ based on network theory enables exploration of structural and functional properties of ecosystems composed of various species and their interactions. In this paper, network analysis of Cheonggye stream as a case study was presented to promote uses of network analysis on ecological studies in Korea. Cheonggye stream has a simple biological structure with link density of 1.48, connectance 0.07, generality 4.43, and vulnerability 1.94. The ecological network analysis can be used to provide ecological interpretations of domestic long-term monitoring data and can contribute to conserving and managing species diversity in ecosystems.

The long-term biological monitoring data in domestic streams need to be appropriately analyzed. Food-web analysis using network-based approach can give ecological implications on these kinds of data by including interactions between species. The purpose of this study is constructing food-webs as a preliminary step of the analysis. We used observed species list data for 8 years (2008-2015) provided in Water Information System (WIS), focusing cheonggye streams as a case study. On the basis of species interaction dataset extracted from Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI) database, 96 food-webs were constructed. In further studies, these food-webs could be analyzed in various ways such as static, dynamic and spatial approaches.

Acute and chronic toxicities of methyl ethyl ketone and methanol were investigated on Paronychiurus kimi (Collembola), for evaluating the potential effects of accidental exposures of these chemical substances on the terrestrial environments. This study was undertaken to establish a toxicity database for these chemical substances, which was required for the preparation of the response compensation and liability act for agricultural production and environmental damage. The 7-d acute toxicity and 28-d chronic toxicity were conducted using the OECD artificial soil spiked with varying, serially diluted concentrations of methyl ethyl ketone and methanol. Mortality was recorded after 7-d and 28-d of exposures, and the number of juveniles were determined after 28-d of exposure in the chronic toxicity test. In both assessments, methanol was more toxic than methyl ethyl ketone in terms of mortality (LC50) and reproduction (EC50). The 7-d LC50 of methyl ethyl ketone and methanol were 762 and 2378 mg kg-1 soil dry wt., respectively, and the 28-d LC50s were 6063 and 1857 mg kg-1 soil dry wt., respectively. The 28-d EC50 of methyl ethyl ketone and methanol were 265 and 602 mg kg-1 soil dry wt., respectively. Comparison of results obtained in this study with literature data revealed that P. kimi was more sensitive to methanol than other soil invertebrates. However, given the high volatility of the chemicals tested in this study, further studies are necessary to improve the current test guideline, or to develop new test guidelines for an accurate assessment of chemicals that require toxicity databases for chemical accidents.

To assess the temperature change effects on Collembola communities, we selected 9 Korean mountains in different latitudes. Top soil was collected and Collembola extracted from 3 sites in different elevation in each mountain. Extracted Collembola were sorted to genera and this data were summarized as total abundance, family richness and diversity. Additionally, soil temperature in each plot, physical and chemical properties of the soil was investigated and that correlated with Collembola community data. Average soil temperature and soil properties affected patterns in Collembola abundance and family richness. The results indicate that temperature change and soil properties strongly affected Collembola communities. Therefore, Climate change has high potential to affect Collembola communities.

Global warming can seriously influence on the interaction between pest and natural enemy in the agroecosystem due to the differences in optimal temperature ranges. Two aphid-ladybug systems, Myzus persicae-Coccinella septempunctata (M-C) and Aphis gossypii-Coccinella septempunctata (A-C) in the pepper crop were simulated, respectively under four different temperature scenarios including crop development over 244 days with the assumption that the average temperature is higher by 1, 3, and 5 °C than that in Seoul in 2000. Temperature-dependent functions for each aphid-ladybug system were embedded in Rosenzweig-Macathur predator-prey model to explore their population dynamics, and then Dynamic Index was used to quantify the strengths of species interactions. The result shows that the predator-prey population cycles as well as species interactions are getting shorter and stronger in both systems as temperature increased. Especially, the excessively high temperature scenario in Aphis gossypii-Coccinella septempunctata system could result in the extreme species interaction. Therefore, the increasing temperature can facilitate the effectiveness of biological control because of growing crop plant development and much stronger species interaction, although there are increases of the frequency of pest occurrences.

Toxicity test of contaminate soil is very complex because of differential bioavailability in the soil. Therefore, bioavailability of metals in soil is a major factor influencing estimates of toxicity. In this study, the two major test was conducted. First, the toxicity of arsenic for the Collembola, Paronychiurus kimi, was assessed by determining the effects of increasing arsenic concentration on survival, reproduction and body concentration of As in five forested soils with different available phosphate and oxide-metal concentration. Second, the sequential extraction procedure (SEP) for arsenic by choosing extraction reagents commonly used for sequential extraction of metals was tested. The EC50 based on total As concentration in soil was estimated respectively. The available phosphate and oxide-metal concentration in soil influenced on As fraction in soil. Especially, As in soil which is non specifically and specifically sorbed (fraction 1, 2) has strong correlation with available phosphate and oxide-metal concentration (p<0.05). The toxicity is more higher in the soil with high available phosphate and low oxide-metal concentration. In addition, the high arsenic concentration in fraction which is amorphous and poor-crystalline hydrous oxide of Fe and Al (fraction 3) had effect to the toxicity. As a result, the toxicity of As is related with As concentration in fraction 1, 2 and 3 and the soil properties and the arsenic fractionation in soil have a influence on the bioavailability and toxicity.

Behavioral response is commonly affected by heavy metal toxicity, and behavioral reaction can be measured as sensitive endpoint for sublethal toxicity test and obtained easily and quickly. Also behavioral endpoints may serve as an insightful evaluation tool of the ecological effects of toxic chemicals. In this study, Heterocypris incongruens (Crustacea: Ostracoda) was selected, which is usually used as an indicater species for water quality. H. incongruens was exposed to copper and arsenic for 5 minute and total distance, velocity, turn angle, and angle velocity were measured for 30 minute using video analysis system in laboratory condition. Each endpoints reflected the effects of copper and Arsenic toxicity appropriately. These endpoint have possibility that can be used to identify characteristic behavioral responses to metal toxicity.

Understanding how species will respond to projected future climate change has become important. However, the impacts of climate change on the ecosystem are very complex and uncertain, we need a reliable tool for approaching it. Mechanistic modeling can be one of the solution for handling the various factors and responses of test organisms in regard to climate change. We introduce the case study on the copper toxicity on D. magna and show the applicability of these mechanistic model approaches. The overall objective of this case study was to simulate the chronic toxicity of copper on Daphnia magna using dynamic energy budget theory with the improved toxicity module component. The toxicity module includes toxic effects on allocation of reserve, structure, and maturity energy in the D. magna. Model calibration and verification were performed using data sets obtained from a laboratory experiment that include growth, maturity and survival measurement data of D. magna during copper exposure. The simulation results show that the response of D. magna under copper exposure was well estimated by toxicity module. Overall, the results show the dynamics model based on DEB theory can be used for estimating long-term metal toxicity on D. magna. Thus, mechanistic modeling can be utilized as a approach tool for evaluating the impacts of climate change on the ecosystem with more mechanistic description.

Climate change is a global phenomenon and has major impacts on ecotoxicology. A variety of environmental variables affected by climate change can alter the fate of chemical and responses of organism. Especially, soil temperature is an important factor in ecotoxicology. Increasing temperature results in an increase in the rate of uptake and degradation of toxic compound. Therefore, the research of temperature effect on toxicity is needed to understand the change of toxic effect under climate change. In this regards, the response of Paronychiurus kimi (Collembola) to Geunsami™ (glyphosate-based herbicide) were evaluated at different temperatures (20℃, 25℃) and soil aging time (7, 15 days). Survived adults and hatched juveniles were counted after 28-day exposures in artificial soil spiked with 1, 5, 50, 100, 500 mg/kg of glyphosate in different temperature and soil aging time conditions. In addition, we investigated the fatty acid composition of Paronychiurus kimi. Increasing soil aging time and temperature, EC20 value of P. kimi was increased. Fatty acid composition of P. kimi was similar with that of Folsomia candida mainly composed of 18:1 w9c, 16:0 and 18:0 fatty acids. UI (Unsaturation Index) and the ratio C16/18 of fatty acid composition decreased with increasing temperature. The 18:0 (Stearic acid) fatty acid increased with increasing concentration of glyphosate.