• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.324-329
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• 2015

For the restoration of lateral connectivity between rivers and floodplains, it is important to find the isolated former floodplain (IFF) and to characterize its land use in Korean rivers which were channelized by levee constructions for flood protection. The aim of this study is to map the IFF and to assess its land use pattern in the Nakdong River, Korea. The isolated former floodplain was explored by being overlapped on a digital elevation model (DEM), digital topographic map and design flood level using a geographical information system (GIS) in the Nakdong River basin. The land use of the identified IFF was classified by land-use map. The total number of IFFs was 384 and their total area was $291km^2$. While IFFs were usually surrounded by mountain forest in the upper river area, they tended to be located on wide plain areas in the downstream area of Nakdong River. The land use pattern of IFFs was mostly farmland (73.9%) and urban areas (12.7%) in the river. The results of delineation and land use analysis of isolated former floodplain in the Nakdong River will be used as a base line data for planning stream restoration.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2017

For the restoration of lateral connectivity between channel and floodplain, it is important to find the former floodplain and to characterize its land use in streams which were channelized by the levee construction for the flood protection. The aim of this study is to map the former floodplains and to assess its land use pattern in the Cheongmi-cheon Stream, Korea. The former floodplains were explored by being overlapped on a digital elevation model (DEM), digital topographic map and design flood level using a geographical information system (GIS) in the Cheongmi-cheon Stream basin. The land use of the identified former floodplains was classified by land-use map. The total number of the former floodplains was 104 and their total area was $11.9km^2$ in the Cheongmi-cheon Stream. The land use pattern of the former floodplains was mostly farmland (87.1%). The former floodplains were usually surrounded by mountain forest in the downstream of the Cheongmi-cheon Stream. These former floodplains are probably suitable for restoration of lateral connectivity because of lower ratio of urban area but higher ratio of farmland. The results of delineation and land use analysis of the former floodplain can be used as a baseline data for planning stream restoration in the Cheongmi-cheon Stream.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.154-162
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• 2019

Lateral connectivity between the channel and the floodplains has been damaged by the levee construction and channelization in most streams of South Korea. The purpose of this study was to develop a technique for easily and remotely assessing lateral connectivity using GIS in the streams and to evaluate the effectiveness of the assessment method by applying it to Cheongmi-cheon Stream, a representative stream in the central Korean Peninsula. The metrics of the lateral connectivity assessment are composed of (1) existence of remaining wetlands and (2) land use property as a habitat quality of the former floodplain outside the levee and (3) existence of levee barrier, (4) connectivity to the stream and (5) connectivity to the upland natural habitats as a connectivity from the channel through floodplain to the upland forest. According to the result of applying the assessment method to Cheongmi-cheon Stream, the lateral connectivity was severely damaged due to the levee construction and land use change in the former floodplain. The GIS-based assessment of the lateral connectivity developed in this study is expected to be used as a useful tool for identifying limitations of current connectivity in various attempts to restore lateral connectivity in riparian ecosystems.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.22-32
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• 2015

This study investigated the difference in fish community structures in a main channel and an isolated former channel, considering the environmental factors in the Mangyeong River, Korea. Principal component analysis (PCA) with environmental factors showed that former channels were composed of a fine substrate covered by in-stream vegetation, whereas the main channel was covered by a wide range of substrates with a higher dissolved oxygen and conductivity. The result of the hierarchical cluster analysis with species abundance delineated to the four main groups; three abandoned channel groups and one main channel group. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) showed that fish community structures of each study site differed from environmental factors: former channel fish communities were positively related to in-stream vegetation cover, whereas main channel fish communities were positively associated with dissolved oxygen and conductivity. The results indicated that channelization, where there was a separation between the former channel and the main channel, had detrimental effects on fish community structures of both the main channel and the abandoned channel in the Mangyeong River. In conclusion, this study suggested that the connectivity between the main channel and abandoned channel were required to enhance both habitat structural diversity and species diversity of the Mangyeong River.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.137-146
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• 2015

Lateral connectivity between a main channel and a former channel plays an integral role in maintaining ecological functions of stream-floodplain ecosystems. This study virtually restored the connectivity of the former channel, which is currently isolated by channelization, in the Mangyeong River, Korea. Fish habitat improvement after the connectivity restoration was evaluated using River2D, two-dimensional depth-averaged hydraulic modeling, depending on normal and flood flow conditions. Target fish species were crucian carp (Carassius auratus), which are known as lentic species, and pale chub (Zacco platypus), known as lotic species. The weighted usable area (WUA) of the two species was increased after the connectivity restoration: the two-way connection between the main and formal channels was more effective than the one-way connection. The result of the physical habitat simulation at a flood flow condition demonstrated an increased rate of the WUA than during a normal flow condition. In particular, the WUA of pale chub increased about four times on the two-way connectivity restoration. This result suggests that habitat availability of both lentic and lotic fish species will increase after a connectivity restoration, and a two-way connectivity restoration may be more effective. In addition, the restored formal channel would function as a shelter for fish during the flood season.