Korean stream types based on benthic macroinvertebrate communities according to stream size and altitude

Autor: Jin-Young Kim, Pil-Jae Kim, Soon-Jin Hwang, Jae-Kwan Lee, Su-Woong Lee, Chang-Hee Park, Jeong-Suk Moon, Dong-Soo Kong
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2017
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Freshwater Ecology, Vol 32, Iss 1, Pp 741-759 (2017)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0270-5060
2156-6941
02705060
DOI: 10.1080/02705060.2017.1402827
Popis: Type-specific stream assessment systems based on biotic indicators are considered a main focus of future stream assessment in many European countries. However, there is a lack of information on type-specific differences of freshwater eco-regions in South Korea. We aimed to classify the stream types characterized by stream size and altitude. Analyzing the relationship between physical environmental variables and benthic macroinvertebrates collected between 2008 and 2015 at 1,020 sites (i.e. 13,366 samples) on a national scale in South Korea, we classified a total of five Korean stream types. All streams were divided into wadeable and non-wadeable streams using stream order and width. Wadeable streams were classified as mountain, highland, or lowland wadeable streams based on altitude. Non-wadeable streams were divided into lowland non-wadeable streams or rivers based on width. Mountain and highland streams significantly correlated with altitude, whereas others were distinctly related to stream order and width. We selected 25 indicator species sensitive to stream size and altitude. These assessments will provide preliminary information for development of a future biotic stream assessment system based on stream typology.
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