• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.171-177
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• 2007

Korean rivers and their surrounding environments have been used excessively for rice production in the past and more recently for construction of urban areas to accomodate the rapidly increasing population. Affected Korean rivers experience dramatic fluctuations in their water levels and have faster currents compared with those in other countries. In order to restore more natural conditions in rivers experiencing such conditions, we employed a partial restoration method, which is designed to achieve physical and biological stability simultaneously. Concrete blocks were introduced to increase the river's physical stability during floods, and terra cottem, a soil enhancer, was used to reduce water loss due to intense heat. These interventions increased the river's ability to hold water and thereby promoted plant growth. This restoration method increased vegetation coverage and species diversity in treated areas, and changed the species composition in treated areas to more closely approximate that of the control site. These results suggest that this method is effective in restoring damaged habitats to more natural conditions.