국내 여름철 고온 재난은 증가 추세이며, 폭염은 도시열섬(UHI)과 상호작용해 도심 열환경을 악화시킨다. 그러나 기존 복합 지수 연구는 강도(Intensity)와 빈도·발생가능성을 명확히 구분하지 않아 도시 간 비교와 취약지역 설정에 한계가 있다. 본 연구는 도시 열섬의 강도를 표준화하여 비교 가능한 지표를 제시하였다. 전국 178개 ASOS·AWS의 2020–2023년 7–8월 관측자료를 활용해 도시열 섬 강도지수(UHI Stress Index, USI)를 산정하고, 관측쌍 부재를 고려해 시가화(불투수)·수역·산림 비율, 위도, 해발고도를 구조 변수로 구축하여 다중회귀로 검증하였다. USI는 시가화(+)·수역·산림(–)과 유의하게 연관되었고, 고도를 공변량으로 포함한 분석에서 R²≈0.56(R≈0.75)로 나타나 구조 변수만으로도 상대적 강도 비교가 가능함을 보였다. 본 연구의 USI는 도시별 열환경을 정량 비교할 수 있는 지표로서, 열축적에 따른 대기불안정과 연계하여 뇌우·다운버스트 등 국지적 돌풍 특성 분석에 활용될 수 있다.

Lentic ecosystems, including lakes, reservoirs, and marshes, are vital ecological assets increasingly threatened by anthropogenic pressures, necessitating robust tools for assessing their biological integrity. This study aimed to develop and apply an aquatic plant-based Multi-metric Index (MMI) to evaluate the biological integrity of 90 lentic systems (primarily lakes and reservoirs) across the Republic of Korea, using a standardized dataset from a three-year national monitoring program (2022~2024). We selected eight metrics based on their ecological relevance, sensitivity to disturbance, and scientific robustness. These were organized into three categories: Species richness (30% weight), eutrophication and disturbance (30%), and habitat integrity (40%). Scoring criteria for each metric were established using cumulative distribution functions, and the final MMI scores were used to classify the ecosystems into five integrity classes (A: Excellent to E: Very Poor). The assessment revealed that the majority of the surveyed ecosystems (87.8%) were in a moderate to slightly poor state (Classes B, C, and D), with only 4.4% classified as excellent. Widespread loss of submerged and floating leaved aquatic plants suggests that many domestic lentic systems may be approaching or have already undergone a regime shift to a turbid, phytoplankton-dominated state. This MMI provides a scientifically-defensible tool for managing lentic ecosystems, underscoring the urgent need to restore aquatic plants communities by improving underwater light conditions and rehabilitating littoral habitats.

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.

Zooplankton are dominant pelagic consumers in lake ecosystems with high population and biomass. Their broad geographical distribution, ease of quantification, and rapid responses to abiotic environmental factors, such as eutrophication, acidification, and climate change, make them highly suitable as indicator organisms for assessing lake ecosystem health. The multi-metric index (MMI) provides an effective framework for capturing the complex responses of biological communities to varying environmental stressors, making it a valuable approach for improving the practical effectiveness of lake ecosystem management based on biological assessments. This study introduces the Lake Zooplankton Assessment Index (LZAI), developed for 90 lakes in South Korea. The LZAI comprises four components: a sensitive species index based on cladocerans, a eutrophication index based on rotifers, a food web index based on copepods, and a habitat index based on species diversity. Applying the LZAI to 90 lakes showed that lake grades followed a normal distribution regardless of sampling season, though A-grade and E-grade lakes exhibited greater seasonal variability. When compared with the clustering results based on zooplankton community composition, the LZAI closely reflected the underlying patterns in community structure. However, in brackish lakes-where population densities are lower and Calanoida copepods dominate relative to freshwater lakes-the M1 and M4 indices were consistently low, while M2 and M3 were high. This suggests that the LZAI requires index adjustments tailored to regional and lake-type factors, including size, depth, and salinity. Incorporating biomass data into the index would further improve the accuracy of assessing community structure and its role in nutrient and energy cycling.

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.

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.

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.

바다의 사막화라 할 수 있는 갯녹음(barren ground)은 우리나라뿐만 아니라 미국, 일본 등 전세계적으로 발생하여 수산생물의 서식지 황폐화, 해양 탄소고 정 능력 약화, 해양생태계 순기능 상실이라는 부정적 영향을 미치고 있다. 갯 녹음의 발생원인은 기후변화, 해수온도 상승, 해양 산성화, 이산화탄소, 지하수, 조식동물, 해양오염 등 복합적인 요인으로 추정하고 있으나 현재까지는 정 확한 원인을 규명하지 못하고 있다. 갯녹음 대응을 위해 우리나라는 바다숲(marine forests) 조성사업을 시행하 고 있지만 갯녹음이 왜 발생하는지에 대한 원인을 명확하게 규명하지 못한채 사업이 진행되다 보니 갯녹음 발생이 줄어들지 않고 있다. 본 연구는 갯녹음의 유발요인을 찾기 위해 현재 해양환경관리를 위한 지표 (indicator)와 지수(index)를 살펴보고 바다숲 조성사업 시행에서 나타난 바다숲 조성사업 시행지침상의 평가항목, 천연 해조장 등급화상의 평가항목, 갯녹음의 진단 및 판정 기준상의 평가항목을 검토하고 이들 지표 및 지수에서 갯녹음 관 리를 위한 지표와 지수의 개발 방향에 대해 검토하였다.

This study compared food security and dietary quality, as assessed by the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI), between single-person and multi-person households among Korean adults using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the KNHANES data. The participants were categorized into single-person and multi-person households based on the household composition. Food security was assessed using a validated questionnaire that categorized households into food-secure, mildly food-insecure, and moderateto- severe food-insecure groups. The dietary quality was evaluated using the KHEI, Nutrient Adequacy Ratio (NAR), and Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR). The final analysis included 13,647 adults aged 19–64 years. Among them, 1,176 (8.6%) were single-person households, while 12,471 (91.4%) were multi-person households. Single-person households showed a significantly higher prevalence of moderate and severe food insecurity than multi-person households (5.7% vs. 1.8%). The KHEI scores were significantly lower in single-person households (57.5±0.6) than in multi-person households (62.5±0.2, P<0.0001). Single-person households showed higher food insecurity and poorer dietary quality than multi-person households. These findings suggest the need for targeted nutritional interventions and policies to address the dietary disparities across different household types in Korea.

This study presents an integrated indoor air quality index (IAQI) algorithm aimed at enhancing the efficiency of indoor air quality management in diverse indoor environments. The proposed IAQI accounts for the combined effects of multiple pollutants, offering a more comprehensive approach than traditional concentrationbased methods. Findings from four exposure scenarios and probabilistic health risk assessments indicate that the IAQI can be tailored to reflect occupant characteristics and space usage, thereby providing improved protection for sensitive populations, such as newborns. The application of occupant-specific criteria led to reductions in pollutant concentrations and associated health risks compared to conventional standards. Furthermore, the IAQI incorporates correction factors and weighted adjustments, facilitating robust risk assessments in complex multi-pollutant contexts. By addressing the limitations of single-pollutant management, this approach supports the development of more effective strategies for indoor air quality control. The proposed algorithm holds significant potential for practical applications in indoor air quality management and policymaking. Future research should focus on validating its effectiveness across a wider range of indoor environments.

산림유역의 부유토사 동태는 토지이용 변화, 산림사업, 산불, 산사태 등의 인위적 또는 자연적 교란에 따라서 다변화될 수 있다. 이러한 측면에서 산림유역의 부유토사 동태를 이해하는 것은 효과적인 수질 관리 대책을 수립하는 데에 중요하다. 이 연구는 부유토사 동태를 해석하기 위한 체계적인 조사 방법을 제안하고자 관측된 유출량-탁도 자료를 토대로 2가지의 이력현상 지수 산정 방법(Lawler의 방법과 Lloyd의 방법)과 5가지 추출 간격(50, 25, 10, 5, 1 퍼센타일)을 고려한 10개 산정기법의 적용성과 성능을 평가하였다. 그 결과, 1 퍼센타일의 추출 간격을 활용한 Lloyd의 방법이 분석 가능한 유출 사상이 가장 많았으며, 성능 역시 가장 뛰어난 것으로 확인되었다. 이 연구의 결과는 이력현상 지수를 활용함으로써 유출량과 부유토사의 이력현상을 정량화할 수 있을 뿐만 아니라 부유토사 동태를 해석하는 데에 유용한 정보를 제공할 수 있음을 시사한다.

This note summarizes the application of zooplankton indices for water quality management and estimation based on main research topics of articles focusing on wetland ecosystems, topics that are remained poorly investigated in S. Korea. The aquatic ecosystem-based consists of indices that respond to different target environmental factors, including environmental disturbance. Among the major indicator species and biota, we reviewed that management strategy for the wetland environment has to be focused more on small-sizes, in terms of zooplankton ecology and indices. The ecology of zooplankton communities in freshwater ecosystem has been the focus of an increasing number of studies since 2019, and considerable progress has been made in understanding the major mechanisms involved in regulating their abundance, diversity and spatio-temporal patterns. Even though studies on the freshwater ecosystem in Korea have a long history, a few of studies on zooplankton biota were conducted at wetlands. We suggested the candidate zooplankton indices proposed by the U.S. EPA and EU to suit Korean conditions. In the step of selecting metrics, the best available metrics are species-related variables, such as composition and abundance, as well as richness and diversity. Overall, in spite of several limitations, the development of a plankton-based multivariate assessment method in Korea wetlands is possible using mostly field research data. Later, it could be improved based on qualitative metrics on zooplankton, and with the emergence of further survey data. The present information can be used as basic information for researchers who are dealing with aquatic environments and its interaction with organisms.

집약적이고 장기적인 양식어업 활동은 많은 양의 유기물을 발생시켜 퇴적환경과 생태계를 악화시켜왔다. 정부에서는 양식어장 의 환경 보전과 관리를 위해서 어장관리법을 제정하였고 이를 근거로 2014년부터 어류 가두리 양식장에 대한 어장환경평가가 실시되었 다. 따라서 어장환경평가를 위해 국내 환경에 적합한 과학적이고 객관적인 평가방법의 개발이 필요하였다. 이를 위해 저서다모류 군집과 양식장의 주 오염원인 유기물의 관계를 이용한 저서생태계 건강도지수(BHI)를 개발하였고, 본 연구에서는 저서생태계 건강도지수의 개발 과정과 계산방법을 소개하고자 한다. 저서생태계 건강도지수는 국내 연안역과 양식장에서 출현한 225종의 다모류를 대상으로 퇴적물 내 총유기탄소량의 농도 구배와 종별 분포특성을 연관지어 4개의 그룹을 나누고, 각 그룹에 가중치를 부여하는 방식으로 계산된다. 저서생 태계 건강도지수를 이용하여 저서동물군집을 4개의 생태등급(Grade 1: Nomal, Grade 2: Slightly polluted, Grade 3: Moderately polluted, Grade 4: Heavily polluted)으로 나누었다. 개발된 지수를 현장에 적용한 결과, 기존의 평가방법인 다양도 지수나 국외에서 개발된 AMBI와 비교해 보 다 정확하고 계절의 영향을 적게 받아 우리나라 환경을 평가하기에 효과적인 것으로 판단된다. 또한 저서생태계 건강도지수를 사용하면 어장환경을 정량화된 수치에 따라 등급화 할 수 있어 양식장 환경관리에 효율적으로 활용할 수 있을 것이다.

조류의 이상증식을 일으키는 새만금호 부영양화를 평가하기 위해 Carlson 지수를 적용하였다. 연구를 위해 2021년 월별로 새만 금호내 총 7개 정점에서 수질조사를 실시하였다. Chl.a의 농도는 동계에는 만경수계가 약간 높았고, 춘계와 하계에는 동진수계가 약간 높 게 나타났으나, 일부 시기를 제외하고는 전체적으로 호소 수질환경기준 3등급과 비슷하거나 낮은 농도를 나타내었다. COD는 만경수계와 동진수계 모두 하계와 추계에 호소 수질환경기준 4등급과 유사하거나 상회하는 수질을 나타내었다. TOC는 모든 지점에서 3등급 이내의 수질을 보였다. 총인 농도는 호수 수질환경기준 4등급을 초과하였고, 월별로는 1월과 강우 후 8월에 높게 나타났다. 수질인자간의 상관성 분석에서 염분 농도에 대한 유기물, 총인, 총질소의 상관성이 상대적으로 높게 나타나 배수갑문을 통한 해수유입과 상류 하천을 통한 담 수 유입에 의한 담수역, 기수역, 해수역의 수질 특징을 반영하고 있었다. 영양상태지수에 의한 새만금호의 부영양화 변동 특성을 보면, Chl.a와 SD, TN의 지수에서 부영양화 초기 단계의 수질을 보였으며, TP 지수의 경우 심각한 부영양화 상태를 나타내고 있었다. 수질인자 간 부영양화 지수의 크기는 모든 수계에서 TSI(TP) > TSI(TN) > TSI(SD) > TSI(CHL)의 순으로 나타났다. TSI(CHL)에 대한 TSI(TP) 및 TSI(SD)와의 편차를 2차원 평면으로 나타낸 사분면 분석 결과를 보면, 조류 성장에 대한 총인이 영향에서는 모든 수계에서 대부분의 총인 (TP)에 의한 제한적 영향은 나타나지 않았으며, 빛 감쇠에 영향을 미치는 인자는 외부로부터 유입되는 적은 입자상 물질에 의한 영향이 크게 나타나는 것으로 평가할 수 있다.

굴은 패류 양식생산량 중 가장 큰 비율(평균 76%)을 차지하는 중요한 양식생물이다. 본 연구에서는 자란만의 굴 양식장에 대 해, 수온, 염분, 해수 유동, DO, SS, Chl.a를 어장적지평가 인자로 활용한 서식지 적합 지수(Habitat Suitability Index, HSI)를 산정하여 최적 서 식지를 탐색하였다. 조사결과 만 입구가 넓고 해수 유속이 빠르게 나타난 대상해역 남동쪽에서 만 내측으로 갈수록 적합한 서식지로 나 타났고, 굴의 생산량과 본 연구의 HSI는 0.710(p<0.05)의 유의한 상관성을 보였다. 만 내의 원활한 해수 교환으로 먹이공급 등 양식생물 성 장에 도움을 주는 해수 유동은 굴 생산량과 높은 상관성(0.709, p<0.05)을 보여 Chl.a보다 서식 적합도에 더 큰 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타 났다. 본 연구 결과는 양식장 재배치 등 효율적인 연안어장 보전, 이용과 관리에 도움이 될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.