• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.149-169
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• 2022

Hwapocheon stream is located in Gimhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, and a part was declared a protected wetland area in 2017. In 2020 and 2021, we investigated the community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates of the Hwapocheon stream to provide ecological information for the management of the wetland. As a result, 4 phyla, 6 classes, 20 orders, 51 families, 83 species, and 2,621 individuals of benthic macroinvertebrates were identified. The average indices of diversity, richness, and evenness were the highest in the midstream area, whereas the highest average index of dominance was observed upstream. Seven biological water quality evaluations based on the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates showed that the Biological Monitoring Working Party was an extremely suitable method for environmental evaluation of the Hwapocheon stream. Regarding functional feeding groups, the number of species of predators and gathering-collectors was the highest, and considering habitual dwelling groups, the number of species of clingers and sprawlers was the highest. The species number of Odonata, Hemiptera, and Coleoptera increased toward the downstream area, whereas the community loss index was the highest upstream. We also investigated relative resistance and resilience based on the distribution of aquatic insects and found that community stability was the highest downstream, whereas the lowest upstream.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.421-429
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• 2012

This study was aimed to analyze the water quality characteristics of the Hwapocheon Stream and to be utilized in the further related research. Water in the upper stream became a dammed pool due to the existence of 14 weirs, and pollutants such as both sewage and irrigation water were introduced into the mainstream passing through farming settlements and agricultural land. For these reasons, filamentous cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria sp.) bloomed at the bottom of the dammed pool. Also in the midstream and downstream, tributaries with high pollutant concentrations [e.g., Comocheon (T3) and Yongdeokcheon (T8)] were inflowed, and had a negative impact on water quality of the mainstream, especially nitrogen and phosphorus. In the Hwapocheon Stream, dissolved oxygen (DO) decreased, and suspended solid (SS) increased toward the downstream. The result showed that hydraulic retention time, SS, COD, and concentration of $NH_4{^+}$ were important water quality factors of the Hwapocheon Stream. The high concentration of benthic organic matter and rich in attached algae in the core of Hwapo-wetland were expected to give impact on the water quality of the mainstream. In the spatial manner, water quality showed increasing trend in the weir zone, and it was constant or decreased trend in wetland. In the seasonal manner, the nutrient concentrations were high in the winter dry season, however, the organic matter concentrations were high in spring and summer. Generally, the concentrations of phytoplankton value were $40{\mu}g\;chl-{\alpha}/L$ or less in all reaches except for the high concentrations in the weir and wetland area in June.