• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.73-83
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• 2019

Background: Habitat selectivity and ecology of freshwater fishes were studied in two selected streams and their junction point which consist a total of 39 microhabitats. The aims of this study were to describe the habitat preference and its availability to fish assemblage, as well as ecology, habitat use, and habitat characteristics. Methods: We collected fish with backpack electrofishing three times during August 2013, December 2013, and March 2014. Using a variation partitioning approach of R software, we studied the relationship of fish abundances with stream type, habitat type, and abundance of key macroinvertebrate taxa. Results: A total of 6554 fishes representing four species belonging to the family Cyprinidae were caught. A higher total fish abundance was recorded from Gereb Tsedo (4870; 74.3%) than from Elala stream (1684; 25.7%). Taking both streams together, the overall total relative fish abundance was significantly higher in pools (53%) than in runs (35%) and in riffles (12%) at P < 0.05. Species-wise comparisons showed that 71%, 15%, 13%, and 1% of the pool fish community were occupied by Garra blanfordii, Garra ignestii, Garra dembecha, and Garra aethiopica, respectively. Stream type, habitat type, and key macroinvertebrate taxa each explained a significant proportion of the variation in fish abundance. Based on the variation partitioning approach, fish abundance was higher in Gereb Tsedo stream (P < 0.01). Moreover, fish abundance increased with pool habitat type (P < 0.01) and with availability of key macroinvertebrate taxa (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Fish abundance differed between stream types, among habitats and among key macroinvertebrate taxa availability. Among the factors, habitat type was the most important driving factor behind variation among fish abundances, and pool supports the highest fish abundance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.24-36
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• 2008

The essence of a natural stream restoration project is providing habitats for various creatures in terms of the stream's environmental function. This research suggests the problems of natural stream restoration project by studying streams in terms of habitats for creatures and reviewing the national and international cases on existing natural stream restoration project. As a solution for the above, this research suggests a preservation method for biotope of upper stream areas focusing on the fish biotope area considering the ecological characteristics and preservation value of the respective stream so that the stream can be preserved as habitats for creatures. The research was carried out on Cheonglimli Baekcheon region which is an upper stream area of Buan-Dam located in the public park in Byunsanbando, Buangoon, Jeonlabookdo. We suggest the preservation method based on the habitat environment and keystone species of fish. The habitat environment evaluation was carried out mainly being divided into three groups namely, habitats and surrounding environment, reservoir's features and fish way and the diversity of fish. By improving the problematic elements discovered through such evaluation, it tries to improve the biotope of the stream and continuously preserve the stream. In addition, in order to restore the stream as habitats for various creatures, this research suggests to select keystone species which are suitable for the stream environment and restore the habitats based on the keystone species rather than restoring habitats for all species. Fish not only plays the role of a consumer of Epilithic algae and water beetles but also plays an important ecological role as a food for birds or small mammalia. If such ecologically important biotope for fish is preserved, the ecological environment of the stream will be maintained more stably.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.49-60
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• 2014

Fish assemblages play an integral role in stream ecosystem and are influenced by stream environmental conditions and habitat disturbances. Fish community structures and habitat parameters of U.S. EPA rapid bio-assessment protocol were surveyed to investigate the effect of stream environment and habitat disturbance on fish communities at 13 study sites in the Gapyeong Stream, a typical gravel-bed stream. Principal component analysis (PCA) based on data from habitat assessment at each study site indicated that the study sites were differentiated by habitat parameters such as embeddedness, velocity/depth regime and sediment deposition, which were related with bed slope. A total of 46 species belonging to 12 families were collected in the Gapyeong Stream. A dominant species was Zacco koreanus, subdominant species was Z. platypus. Hierarchical cluster analysis based on species abundance classified fish communities into the three main groups along the stream longitudinal change. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) portrayed that fish community structures were related to major habitat parameters, i.e., epifaunal substrate/available cover, embeddedness, velocity/depth regime, sediment deposition, channel alternation and frequency of riffles. These results suggested that fish community structures were primary affected by the longitudinal environmental changes, and those were modified by habitat disturbance in the Gapyeong Stream, a gravel-bed stream.

• Water Engineering Research
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.161-168
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• 2005

With characteristics of river continuum, stream ecosystems have diverse components and environments from upstream channel to estuarine area. Therefore, the habitat requirements and composition of conservative object should be well understood before applying any improvement measure. In this paper, the causes of stream habitat changes were first illustrated with the categories and principles of habitat restoration methods. The structural restoration techniques of fish habitat improvement utilized by the authors or one three-year research project starting at 1990 were then presented. Through the introductions on the project background, planning guidelines, structure design, and ecological evaluation, this paper tried to provide some effective examples of stream restoration practices that ecological expert was invited for cooperation and advising.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.21-29
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• 2018

Riparian management has become important as stream water quality as well as riparian ecosystem gain more public attentions. The objective of this study was to determine riparian widths based on the functions of nutrient removal and wildlife habitat protection and to apply for the Jinwee stream area as a preliminary case. Nitrogen and phosphorus filtration efficiencies were considered in water quality aspect, while the habitat radii of amphibian and reptiles were used for wildlife conservation purpose. In addition, observation of endangered species and human impact on wildlife disturbance in riparian area were also taken into account in determining riparian widths. The stream confluence zone was emphasized by doubling the riparian widths as the focal point for wildlife habitat conservation. As the results, three different levels of riparian widths were proposed depending on the major riparian functions and applied to the Jinwee stream section as the case study. The proposed method can be used to determine riparian width in other stream areas based on different functional focus, ie, water quality or riparian conservation purposes.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.113-124
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• 2006

Landscape structure, habitat types, vegetation structure and biodiversity in the Bokha stream chosen as a reference stream were investigated to get ecological information necessary for restoration of urban stream degraded by excessive artificial interference. Landscape structure showed a slight change between before and after flooding. Habitat types of nine sorts were identified based on ecological information obtained from field survey such as micro-topography, hydrological characteristics, disturbance regime, and so on. Each habitat holds specific organisms to each site. Consequently, the number of plant communities, and species of benthos and fish increased as the kinds of habitat type increase. Ordination of habitat types based on vegetation, benthos, and fish data reorganized them into three groups of pool types of two kinds depending on whether they are connected to the water course or not and riffle one. Vegetation showed different stratification and species composition depending on topographical position in relation to disturbance cycle. Based on the results from this study, relationship between environmental heterogeneity and biodiversity was discussed and a restoration plan was suggested in a viewpoint of vegetation.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.3B
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• pp.311-317
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• 2009

Similarity indices between sampling sites are calculated and cluster analysis of fish community is carried out by UPGMA based on investigating fish fauna and water environment. The restoration indicators as target species of Wonju stream are selected Cottus poecilopus, Zacco temmincki, and Zacco platypus along upper, middle, and lower streams, respectively. For better habitat suitability, low flow increasing and induced water quality improving must be secured by sewer system rearrangement and watershed management. Composite habitat suitability of Zacco temmincki as target species at middle stream of Wonju stream improve significantly by low flow increasing, which is very important factor to improve habitat suitability. The changes of hydraulics of depth and velocity govern the habitat suitability in general, but the effects are not significant. Low flow increasing with the change of 10% reducing of lower channel improves the composite habitat suitability of 0.37~0.78 to their origin of 0.1~0.25, which represent the channel restoration scheme of Wonju stream for enhancing the habitat suitability of fish community.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.97-110
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data and evidence for the habitat improvement of wild birds in urban stream by analyzing changes in habitat characteristics of wild birds by riparian forest construction in Yangjae stream in Seoul. In Gangnam-gu, the multi layered riparian forest consisting of landscape trees and shrubs was formed on the slope. In Seocho-gu, the vertical vegetation structure of woody and herbaceous wetland plants was good. In Gangnam-gu, the vegetation area of the slope increased and the vertical stratification structure affected the species diversity of the forest birds. The number of species and individuals of plovers, sandpipers and wagtails decreased due to the impact of bicycle roads and trails. The poor forests on the levee slope in Seocho-gu affected the habitat selection and migration of the forest birds. The willows and amur silver-grasses formed in the riverside have been developed into the riparian forest, thus stabilizing the habitat of water birds by blocking disturbances from the influence of the trails.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.415-420
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• 2022

It is essential that continual assessments of the impact of mine-derived water as a long-lasting burden on freshwater environments. Abundance-based evaluations of benthic macroinvertebrates have been conducted to evaluate anthropogenic disturbances and devise policies to reduce their impact. In this study, the status of a stream habitat was evaluated based on the body length and biomass weight of benthic macroinvertebrates of the family Baetidae. Following the renewal of the mining water treatment plant, the abundance of Baetidae assemblages recovered to a level comparable to that of a reference site. However, relatively low values were found for both body length and biomass weight in Baetidae species inhabiting the reddened streambed area, suggesting that the habitat has not yet been completely recovered despite the recovery of the abundance of the Baetidae assemblages. Therefore, continuous investigation and evaluation of this disturbed stream are necessary until their growth conditions of the habitat have functionally recovered.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.156-163
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• 2008

This study was to introduce a methodology of ecological health assessment for efficient management and to provide some diagnostic results of the survey. We evaluated ecological health assessment at five sampling locations of Sikjang Mountainous Stream using the index of biological integrity (IBI) and Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) during May - October 2006. The health condition, based on the IBI model, averaged 32 and varied from 27 to 37 depending on the sampling sites. Thus, the stream health was judged as "good" to "fair" conditions. IBI values showed slight differences between upstream and downstream sites. Whereas, QHEI values varied from 75 (fair condition) to 196 (excellent condition) and QHEI at St. 4~5, indicating the downstream reach had significantly lower than the headwater site (St.1). Regression analyses also showed that QHEI values had a linear decrease from the headwater to downstream. This result indicated that habitat quality was rapidly degradated by human influence. Overall, data of IBI and QHEI suggested that the stream health was maintained well in the present but the habitat and biological quality were partially degradated in the downstream. So, the human interference should be minimized to protect the downstream environment.