The Relationship of Vegetation and Environmental Factors in Wangsuk Stream and Gwarim Reservoir: I. Water Environments

Understanding the relation of water environmental factors and vegetation is critical to restoration and management of wetlands. To reveal relationships between representative plant groups and water environments, we measured cover and abundance of plant species, water depth, temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, $NH_4$-N, $NO_3$-N, and $PO_4-P$ concentration in water in Wangsuk stream (WS) and Gwarim reservoir (GR). This study was conducted monthly from May to October, 2004. Six vegetation groups $(W1{\sim}W6)$ in WS and five vegetation groups $(G1{\sim}G5)$ in GR were identified using TWINSPAN. WS was characterized by Phragmites japonica, Digitaria sanguinalis, Phalaris arundinacea, Beckmannia xyzigachne and Persicara hydropiper, Persicaria thunbergii, Typha angustifolia. GR was characterized by T. angustifolia, Scirpus tabernaemontani, P. thunbergii, Humulus japonicus and Scirpus fluviatilis, Typha orientalis, Zizania latifolia. The vegetation in WS experienced greater seasonal changes than in GR. A correspondence analysis suggests that water depth was the major environmental factor influencing the distribution of most plants communities in both wetlands.