Spatial Dynamics of Diatom Community in the Mid to Lower Part of the Nakdong River, South Korea

Phytoplankton community dynamics were studied from 2004 to 2006 with two and four weeks interval at mid to lower part of the Nakdong River (Waegwan: RK 194, Goryeong: RK 157, Jukpo: RK 112, Namji: RK 75 and Hanam: RK 63: RK: distance from the Estuarine Barrage), South Korea. Annual averages of water temperature was about $16^{\circ}C$, and dissolved oxygen was ranged between 10.0 and 11.5 mg $L^{-1}$ (percent saturation, 106.5 to 112.8%). Diatoms were dominant group with over 60% of phytoplankton abundance in all study sites (Waegwan: 64%, Goryeong: 69%, Jukpo: 73%, Namji: 79%, and Hanam: 83%). However, the occasional dominances of other groups such as green algae and blue-green algae were observed from March to October. Stephanodiscus hantzschii was dominant species and the relative abundances were highat all study sites (48-72%). The ratio of S. hantzschiiltotal phytoplankton abundance were showed a clear increasing tendency toward the estuarine barrage: i.e. 0.31 at Waegwan, 0.39: Goryeong, 0.50: Jukpo, 0.56: Namji, 0.60: Hanam. The results of this study provide the information that the phytoplankton community structure in a regulated river system is basically affected by the physical properties such as water velocity and retention time, resulting in single species dominance by the stagnancy of river flow.