Emergy Valuation of Tidal Flat Ecosystems in Korea: I. Characteristics of Environmental Emergy Inputs

Korean tidal flats receive environmental emergy inputs worth $4.98×10^21 sej/yr, equivalent to 1.14 trillion won annually, forming the foundation for ecosystem services like fishery production. Regional analysis revealed higher emergy inputs per hectare in the Incheon-Gyeonggi region compared to Busan, reflecting tidal range patterns along the Korean coast. While no clear correlation was found between emergy input and fishery production across all regions, western coastal tidal flats with greater emergy inputs produced more fishery products than southern counterparts, suggesting emergy valuation as a rapid tool for assessing ecosystem service potential. The study employed emergy analysis to quantify environmental energy contributions (sunlight, wind, waves, precipitation, tides) sustaining tidal flat ecosystems.

NAM, JUNG HO, & Kang, Daeseok. (2016). Emergy Valuation of Tidal Flat Ecosystems in Korea: I. Characteristics of Environmental Emergy Inputs. The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY, 21(4), 134–143. https://doi.org/10.7850/JKSO.2016.21.4.134