• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.339-347
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• 2015

Differences in characteristics of flora and environmental factors of geomorphology, hydrology, water quality and soil were investigated in the shoreline of total 35 reservoirs according to their usages of waterpower generation, agricultural water supply, residential and industrial water supply and flood control in Korea. The number of plant species, floral structure and characteristics of species traits in the shoreline of reservoirs were different according to their usage. From the results of stepwise regression analysis, the total number of vascular plant species was increased at the environment of the higher flood frequency at the median water level and the longer exposure duration of the shoreline. The results of principal coordinates analysis and cluster analysis showed that the shoreline flora was classified as the 3 types of 1) flood control and residential and industrial water supply, 2) agricultural water supply and 3) waterpower generation reservoirs. The water level fluctuation, flood frequency at the median water level, lake water quality index and exposure duration of the shoreline were selected as important environmental factors affected on the characteristics of shoreline flora. The species richness of total flora and hydrophytes, especially submerged macrophytes, were much higher in the reservoirs for the purpose of the waterpower generation in which mesotrophic water quality and stable water levels were maintained. Annual or biennial ruderals were established on the ephemeral drawdown zone of flood control, residential and industrial water supply reservoirs which have oligotrophic or mesotrophic water quality and wide range of water level fluctuation. The floating hydrophytes were differentially dominated in the littoral zones of the agricultural water supply reservoirs with a mesotrophic or eutrophic water quality and a medium water level fluctuation. In conclusion environmental factors related to water level fluctuation and water quality were different and then the floral characteristics of shoreline were distinguishable according to usage of Korean reservoirs.