• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.213-222
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• 2017

Background: This study was conducted to assess the physicochemical water quality and the altitudinal distribution of low-temperature and mountain epilithic diatom (LTMD) community in Buk and Hangae streams that are located in Seorak Mountain with the height of 1708 m in Korea. And the community characteristics of LTMD found in the Buk and Hangae streams were compared to that of LTMD from the Han River system. Results: The physicochemical water qualities of Buk and Hangae streams were determined to be very clean. As a result of analyzing the community composition, 135 taxa of epilithic diatoms were determined, and 22 taxa appeared including Hannaea arcus var. subarcus which are known to have low-temperature and mountain ecological characteristics in the literatures. The relative frequencies of LTMD were 37.0~0.9% range from the upper to lower regions. Although Diatoma tenuis, Eunotia minor, and Gomphonema affine are known to be ubiquitous in streams and lakes, in this research, the three taxa were added into low-temperature and mountain epilithic diatom, since D. tenuis and E. minor appeared only in altitudes above 600 m, and G. affine had the highest relative frequency during spring and fall in altitudes above 700 m, when water temperature was around $10^{\circ}C$. Conclusions: Among the 24 taxa of low-temperature and mountain epilithic diatom (LTMD) (including the 3 taxa added in this study), 14 taxa (Diatoma hyemalis, D. mesodon, D. tenuis, Hannaea arcus, H. arcus var. subarcus, Ulnaria inaequalis, Eunotia bilunaris, E. implicata, E. minor, E. muscicola, E. silvahercynia, E. septena, Delicata delicatula, and Gomphonema affine) represented the characteristics of LTMD very well; they grow best in water temperatures below $15^{\circ}C$ in Buk and Hangae streams and Han River system.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.143-160
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• 2012

The community of periphyton was studied at high altitude streams of the Han-river System, including Buk-stream and Hangae-stream from October to November 2010. The study had special emphasis on the distribution of the cryophilic and mountain periphyton. In this research, 117 taxa of periphyton appeared and 80 taxa of diatom were included within these periphytons. Saproxenous taxa, such as Achnanthes convergens and Hannaea arcus var. subarcus were appeared in most sites, 7 sites were dominant by filamentous taxa in green and blue green algae. The DAIpo value was from 48.8 to 92.5 for the water system of this research. Most sites showed a good water quality, receiving a B class or above except the Woljeong-stream and the Daeki-stream. Cryophilic and mountain periphyton appeared 9 taxa which composed by diatoms Cymbella affinis, Cymbella tumida, Diatoma mesodon, Diatoma vulgare, Eunotia pectinalis, Hannaea arcus, Hannaea arcus var. subarcus and Synedra inaequalis and green algae Ulothrix zonata. Among these taxa, Hannaea arcus var. subarcus, found in 29 out of 33 sites, had the highest frequency of apperance. The relative frequency of Hannaea arcus var. subarcus was positively correlated with altitude($r^2$=0.539) and negatively correlated with water temperature($r^2$=0.338). As a result, Hannaea arcus var. subarcus showed the characteristics of cryophilic and mountain periphyton in the research site.