• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.305-313
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• 2002

The physico-chemical characteristics of water and sediment, and structures of vegetation of the vascular hydrophytes were investigated in the West Nakdong River. Water quality was eutrophic according to the mean values and the ranges of water properties such as pH, DO, BOD, chlorophyll a, total nitrogen and phosphate, and other nutrients. A few cases were hypereutrophic for chlorophyll a level in summer. Soil reaction was weak acid. Composition of sediment was mainly sand except in SI(Sinan chideung) of which was mainly clay, and SU(Suan chideung) of which was mainly silt. Flora of vascular hydrophyte had 26 species and 1 variety comprising 16 families. Trapa japonica was dominant species in the sites of DU(Dunchido), GA(Garak chideung) and SU. Nymphoides peltata and Hydrocharis dubia dominated in DA and SI, respectively. Species diversity and evenness were relatively high in SI and SU but dominance was high in DA. After June, water lettuce(Pistia stratiotes) and water hyacinth(Eichhornia crassipes) were flowed from tributary to the river. Standing crop of macrohydrophytes was high in DA from April to August, but it showed maximum standing crop (445g·dw/㎡) in DU after disturbance by explosive growth of exotic plants in October. In comparison with those in 1985, total productivities in DU and GA decreased to 33.5%, and the reduction ratio of dominant species, Trapa japonica was 56.7%. Najas marina, N. minor, Myriophyllum spicatum and Nymphoides indica have disappeared ever since the Nakdong barrage was constructed in the Nakdong river. They were divided into three groups (GA-SU-DU, DA, SI) by cluster analysis. Introduction of the exotic species in this river caused decreasing of endemic plants including endangered species Euryale ferox and rare species Hydocharis dubia, and food plants for waterfowl such as Trapa japonica, Vallisneria asiatica and Potamogeton crispus.