• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.61-69
• /
• 2011

Integrated stream naturalness based on abiotic and biotic factors were developed. Abiotic factors considered in this study were types of land use in the riparian area, river bank and high water bed streamside, revetment, bed substrate and artificial construction of streamside. Biotic factors included types of vegetation, assemblages of fish, macroinvertebrate, bird and mammal(Otter) in streams. The presence/absence of legal species and biological assessment index were also weighted as important parameters in this study. Scoring criteria selected for each matrix was five rating system; 1=poor, 2=moderate, 3=fair, 4=good, 5=excellent. Numerical ratings for the matrix were then summed. This resulted in a minimum score of 13 if all matrix at a site were poor, and a maximum score of 65 if all matrix were excellent. Five grade system from poor(I) to excellent condition(V) was employed. To verify its validity in natural environment, the evaluation system was applied to the Gapchun stream which is a test bed selected. Our result showed that stream naturalness of each reach was clearly distinguished by biotic and abiotic characteristics. Determination of correlation coefficient between abiotic and biotic factors was also high ($R^2=0.96$, p<0.05). In conclusion, assessment for stream naturalness reflecting abiotic and biotic factors was useful method representing stream integrated.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2011

This study was carried out to suggest the baseline data necessary for vegetation restoration at riverine wetland within stream corridor. We used the prevalence index for wetland assessment by applying the method of weighted averages with index values based on five hydrophyte indicator status as defined by estimated probability occurred in wetland. We selected near nature and urbanized reach of Gap and Yanghwa streams as experimental site. Although two sites have some different disturbance and characteristics of watershed, they showed that similarity of vegetation community including three dominant species - Salix koreensis, Phragmites communis, Miscanthus sacchariflorus - was very high. But in case of Yanghwa stream, various kinds of emergent plants along wetted condition were distinctly occurred, resulted from difference of hydrological regime and substrate, etc. Degree of naturalness of vegetation at the sampled areas indicated that near nature area of Gap stream and all area of Yanghwa stream were fitted as riverine wetland, while urbanized area of Gap stream has changed into upland condition. In conclusion assessment system using prevalence index would be considered an effective method for evaluating of natural states of riverine wetland, but further integrated consideration of physical, hydrological, and biological factors of stream process, and also with considering the difference between those qualitative data of vegetation community.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.384-401
• /
• 2016

The vegetation assessment indicator has been developed recently as a biological part of the integrated assessment system for river environment to improve the efficiency of river restoration projects. This study carried out to test the vegetation assessment indicator and to reset its grade criteria on experimental streams. We classified and mapped vegetation communities at the level of physiognomic-floristic composition by each assessment unit. A total of 204 sampling quadrats were set up on the 68 assessment units at 5 experimental streams. By analyzing the vegetation data collected, we examined the appropriate numbers of sampling quadrats, the criteria of vegetation index score, classification of vegetation community, and grade criteria for vegetation assessment. The developed vegetation assessment indicator composed with the vegetation complexity index (VCI), the vegetation diversity index (VDI), and the vegetation naturalness index (VNI) was proved to reflect the current conditions of the streams sufficiently. The contribution of vegetation naturalness index to grading by vegetation assessment indicator was larger, but three indexes were closely correlated to each other. Also there was more clearer discrimination of grading with the application of adjusted criteria of vegetation assessment indicator and the standardized classification of vegetation community, but the stream segment type did not influence the vegetation assessment grade significantly.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.189-203
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study is to build a GIS database that can utilized to provide a multi-dimensional analysis of aquatic health ecosystem. Especially, it was to build a GIS database for comprehensive analysis using the aquatic ecosystem health. So we collected data on aquatic ecosystem health assessment, Korea Reach File(KRF), Stream Naturalness and Water Environmental Information System, and detailed analysis of the collected data was performed. In addition, the core objects were extracted from individual data and a related entity was derived by pulling out the items associated with thematic characteristics and classifying them. The establishment of GIS database makes it possible to support the decision making for the user to quickly understand the information of water environment. Therefore, the database will provide the information for the effective management on water environment.