• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.25-35
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• 2001

This study aims to find out the growth characteristics of riparian plants on the artificial floating islands (AFI). Three types of experiments were performed. The vegetation growth were compared by the plant-supporting materials; natural cotton mat, coir mat on the AFI or in the water, and natural soil at the waterfront. Major findings are; 1. The survival rate of riparian plants was 100% on both coir-mat and cotton-matislands, which implies that we may substitute cheaper cotton for expensive coir-mat. 2. Both natural cotton mat and coir mat were good for the growth of plants. Especially, the natural cotton mat was good for Sparganium stoloniferum and Miscanthus sacchariflorus, and the coir mat was good for Typha latifolia. 3. The growth rate of stem and root showed difference between the stem-removed plants and stem-remaining plants. As a whole, the growth rate of stem-removed plants was bigger than the one of stem-remaining plants. 4. The growth rate of plants showed difference between those grown on the AFI and those grown in the water. The growth rate of plant on the AFI was bigger than the one in the water. 5. The growth rate of plants on the AFI was bigger than the one on the natural soil at the waterfront.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.189-200
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• 2008

As a transition zone between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, riparian areas of rivers and streams 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 to understand the characteristics of riparian areas for the Nakdong River in Korea which has a large watershed area and diverse land uses. This study aimed at collecting field data, according to stream types, which are essential for the management of riparian areas of the middle and lower reaches of the Nakdong River, Korea. Most riparian areas surveyed in this study had roads within 100 meters from river edges. Distances from water edge to banks were less than 1m for most riparian areas neighboring agricultural lands, indicating that those areas might be very vulnerable to pollutant inputs from non-point sources. Water quality data indicated that soil erosion in the riparian areas could be a major source of phosphorus input to the Nakdong River and land use patters might have a significant influence on nitrogen concentration in the river. Heavy metal concentrations in soils of the riparian areas of the river were below soil quality standards, except arsenic and chromium. Vegetation surveys showed that therophytes were the most frequently occurred riparian plants in the Nakdong River. Number of aquatic plant 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.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.273-280
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• 2001

We investigated the flora and vegetation structure of exotic plants along stream geomorphology and disturbance factors in the riparian zone of Seunggi stream, Incheon. Total 53 exotic plant species were found in the riparian corridors of Seunggi stream. The percentage of exotics ranged from 25% to 33% of total species richness, and its mean value was 24% in the whole riparian area. The percentage of exotics reflected the vulnerability of riparian zones to plant invasions by disturbances, and it could be used as an indicator of riparian system dysfunction. The distinct distribution patterns of exotic plants did not found in the lateral topographic features of the stream. Invasion and proliferation of the exotic plants were somewhat remarkable at terraces and bank slopes of the stream. Among various disturbance factors, plowing and trampling were important on the invasion of exotic plant species of Seunggi stream.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.149-162
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• 2008

Aquatic and riparian vegetation of river ecosystems are very important both in ecological and management perspectives. Vegetation surveys were conducted to understand the characteristics of riparian vegetation in the mid and lower reaches of the Nakdong River, Korea. A total of 68 families and 260 species were identified at eleven survey sites. The numbers of taxa were similar to those reported in a previous survey in 1996,but the percentage of naturalized plants increased more than two times compared to that in the previous survey. Survey sites near Yangsan Bridge and Nambu Park in Yangsan showed the highest percentage of naturalized plant species. Urbanization indices of the survey sites were high at 18.8% on average. Therophytes were the most dominant plant life form at the survey sites with 39.2% of total plants identified, followed by phanerophytes (19.2%), hemicryptophytes (18.9%), aquatic plants (13.9%), cryptophytes (5.8%), and chamaephytes (3.1%). The relative composition of hemicryptophytes decreased whereas those of therophytes and chamaephytes increased compared to those in the survey in 1996. This may be due to increase in dryness of riparian soils or degradation of riparian areas. Plant compositions at sites near Jeokpo Bridge and Hwoicheon suggest that the composition and distribution of riparian vegetation are affected by land use pattern surrounding riparian areas or human accessibility to the areas.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.13-30
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in vegetation and flora after five years through field surveys data with the Han Gang Watershed Management Committee (2013) data in order to observe natural vegetation changes in the riparian zone of Han River watershed. As a result, the flora of the riparian zone in 2012 were listed total 231 taxa, 66 families, 158 genus, 207 species, 23 varieties, and 1 forms, and in 2017, a total 247 taxa, 74 families, 174 genus, 218 species, 27 varieties, and 2 forms were identified. The number of rare plants decreased from 4 taxa in 2012 to 2 taxa in total in 2017, and the number of endemic plants increased from 1 taxa to 3 taxa. The number of specific plants by floral region decreased from 21 taxa (9.1% of all 231 taxa of flora) in 2012 to 16 taxa (6.5% of all 247 taxa of flora) in 2017. The total number of naturalized plants is analyzed to increase from 35 taxa, a naturalization rate of 15.15% (all 231 taxa of flora) and urbanization index of 11.2% (all 312 taxa of naturalized plants) in 2012 to 44 taxa a naturalization rate of 17.8% (all 231 taxa of flora) and urbanization index of 14.1%(all 312 taxa of naturalized plants) in 2017. The ecosystem disturbance species showed an increase in both number of species and cover degree grades, indicating that the riparian zone changed in a negative direction.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.62-73
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• 2001

The riparian environments of urban streams in Korea have been disturbed through the channelization for flood control and artificial land use as well as water pollution and flow decrease due to industrialization and urbanization. The flora and vegetation structure were investigated and an implication of stream restoration was discussed for the conservation of biodiversity in the riparian area of the Seunggi stream in Incheon. Naturalized plants and ruderal plants were widely distributed in the riparian area which was disturbed from cultivating, trampling, dumping etc. Submerged and floating hydrophytes were not found in the stream due to channelization and water pollution. Some halophytes were remained in downstream and reservoir after reclamation and embankment. The communities of Humulus japonicus, Panicum dichotomiflorum, Digitaria sanguinalis, Artemisia montana, Amaranthus retroflexus, and Aster pilosus were distributed in the disturbed area of bank slope and floodplain in the stream. As a natural potential vegetation, Phragmites australis in the wet meadow, Typha latifolia, Typha angustifolia, Oenanthe javanica, Persicaria thunbergii, and Penthorum chinense in the marsh, and Salix babylonica and Salix matsudana for. tortuosa in the woodland appeared in the floodplain. The topography in the stream played an important role on the distribution of riparian vegetation in the Seunggi stream. Appropriate methods for conservation and restoration of the riparian ecosystems must be planned on the basis of the actual vegetation in the disturbed urban stream.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.166-180
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• 2015

Pollutant in watersheds comes from two major sources which are NPS (nonpoint source pollution) and PS (point source pollution). Most of the pollutant can be treated by wastewater treatment plants. However, wastewater treatment plants may not be an appropriate practice to improve water quality for the watersheds with large portion of NPS pollutant and NPS pollution from direct runoff and baseflow has different characteristics. Therefore the practices to improve water quality need to be comprehensive for pollutants by both direct runoff and baseflow. Riparian buffer, one of practices to manage pollutant in watershed, has been applied to reduce pollutant not only from direct runoff but also baseflow. In this study, the scenarios for pollutant reduction by wastewater treat plants and the nitrogen reduction by riparian buffer were simulated using SWAT-REMM to suggest an effective plan for pollutant reduction from baseflow. Riparian buffer provided nitrogen reduction of 0.2~75.0% in YbB watershed and 38.0~47.0% in GbA watershed. The result indicates that riparian buffer is effective to reduce the pollutant especially from baseflow, and it suggested as suitable for the a watershed which WWTP discharge is not capable to reduce enough pollutant.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2005.05b
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• pp.1274-1279
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• 2005

The complex vegetation and plant species distributions within riparian corridors influence plant species diversity patterns at both local and regional scales and further reflect both natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Because of these characteristics, riparian zones are often the ecosystem level component that are most sensitive to changes of the surrounding environment; they provide early indications of environmental change and can be viewed as the important source in the watershed. The objectives of this study were two concepts: first, document the composition and dominance of plant communities of riparian areas in the stream, second, compare species composition and temporal diversity between stations in riparian areas of the Ian Stream. The flora was composed to total 158 kinds of the vascular plants as 49 family, 54 genera, 145 species, 12 varieties, 1 forma When the naturalized plant were applied to the recent classification system 280 kinds, the naturalization rate was $10.8\% higher than that of mean value($10.3\%$) of the Korean mountain district. Furthermore, urbanization index (UI) was $6.1\%$. The dominant vegetation communities were distributed in the habitats of three compartments from upstream to downstream. The vegetations were included Phragmites japonica, Salix gracilistyla, S. hulteni and Robinia pseudo-acacia in the riparian area, and Persicaria sieboldii, Stellaria alsine var. undulata, Draba nemorosa var. hebecarpa, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Lepidium apetalum, Bidens frondosa, Trigonotis peduncularis and Hemistepta lyrata in the sandbank or the riparian area, and Equisetum arvense, Humulus japonicus, Persicaria perfoliata, Trifolium repens, Artemisia princeps var. orientalis, Lactuca indica var. laciniata, Avena fatua, Agropyron yesoense, Oenothera odorata, Viola mandshurica, Rumex crispus in banksides, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.67-73
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• 2003

Natural stream work has been implemented recently to improve the urban stream environment in Korean cities. Many plants planted in the early work have not survived because they were not suited to the site and therefore failed to adapt to the riparian environment. The objective of this study is to investigate the floral change at the riparian environment after completion of the natural stream work by comparing the differences between planted species during the work and the current species at the study site. The study site was the stream area between Yeongdohng 2 bridge and Yeongdohng 3 bridge at Yangjae-cheon Stream, Gangnam-ku, Seoul, which was the prototype site of G-7 project of the Ministry of Environment in Korea. The following conclusions were derived after doing this study: Among the 50 species planted during the work, 23 species survived in the stream zone, while 27 species did not. The species that did not survive were ornamental plants that were not appropriate for the riparian environment. Among the 144 species which appeared naturally, 77 species(53.5%) were annuals and perennials, which means the study site is still in ecological disturbance and does not have a stable status ecologically. Thus, it is necessary to select the plant species that can survive in the disturbed riparian environment.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.47-57
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• 2012

We have measured soil enzyme activities, which represent the rates of organic matter decomposition, in four riparian ecosystems in Korea. ${\beta}$-glucosidase, N-acetylglucosaminidase, phosphatase and arylsulfatase activities were determined in five occasions over a year period in soils of control plots and plots with invasive plants, namely Sicyos angulatus and Humulus japonicus. Significantly higher enzyme activities were found in soils with invasive plant in barren land, but the difference was season and enzyme-specific. Although it was not universal changes, the invasive plants appeared to accelerate organic matter decomposition in some disturbed riparian ecosystems.