낙동강 중·하류 지역의 수변 특성에 관한 연구

Abstract

As a transition zone between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, riparian areas of rivers andstreams play significant roles in production and decomposition for river and stream systems.Understanding of the physical and ecological characteristics of riparian areas are, therefore,important for the management of river and stream systems. It is especially important tounderstand the characteristics of riparian areas for the Nakdong River in Korea which has alarge watershed area and diverse land uses. This study aimed at collecting field data, accordingto stream types, which are essential for the management of riparian areas of the middle andlower reaches of the Nakdong River, Korea. Most riparian areas surveyed in this study hadroads within 100 meters from river edges. Distances from water edge to banks were less than1m for most riparian areas neighboring agricultural lands, indicating that those areas might bevery vulnerable to pollutant inputs from non-point sources. Water quality data indicated thatsoil erosion in the riparian areas could be a major source of phosphorus input to the NakdongRiver and land use patters might have a significant influence on nitrogen concentration in theriver. Heavy metal concentrations in soils of the riparian areas of the river were below soilquality standards, except arsenic and chromium. Vegetation surveys showed that therophyteswere the most frequently occurred riparian plants in the Nakdong River. Number of aquaticplant species increased downstream, with the most diverse aquatic plants observed in wetlands and irrigation canals of the West Nakdong River. Occurrence rate of naturalized plants and urbanization index were high in the survey sites adjacent to urban and agricultural areas.