Relationship between biodiversity and landscape structure in the Gyungan stream basin, central Korea

Abstract

The relationship between landscape structure and biodiversity was investigated in the Gyungan stream basin, central Korea, in order to prepare a biodiversity conservation plan. The study area was divided into upstream, midstream, downstream and Gonjiam stream sub‐watersheds based on the land use pattern of each sub‐watershed. The quality of the terrestrial landscape was assessed by connectivity and percentages of deciduous broad‐leaved forest and urbanized area. The quality of the terrestrial landscape was the highest in the downstream sub‐watershed followed by Gonjiam stream, midstream and upstream sub‐watersheds. The quality of the riparian landscape assessed by percentages of the number and the area that the wetland vegetation elements occupy in the whole area showed a similar trend to that of terrestrial landscape. The diversity of all taxa including fish, reptiles and amphibians, birds, mammals and wetland vegetation except benthic macroinvertebrates was the highest downstream. The diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates was the highest in the Gonjiam stream sub‐watershed. Thus, biodiversity was shown to be the highest in the downstream sub‐watershed, followed, in order, by Gonjiam stream, midstream and upstream sub‐watersheds in proportion to landscape quality. On the other hand, the quality of the aquatic environment based on the ecological score of benthic macroinvertebrate (ESB) index was the highest downstream, followed, in order, by upstream, Gonjiam stream and midstream areas. This trend is different from that of biodiversity. In order to improve landscape quality degraded by excessive land use and to increase biodiversity, we recommended a restoration plan that addresses both ecosystem and landscape.

Effects of climate change on biodiversity and measures for them

“…생물다양성은 모든 생명체의 풍부한 정도, 즉 생물의 종 류가 얼마나 다양한 가를 의미한다 (CBD, 1992;Morrell, 1999 (Noss, 1990;Cardinale et al, 2012;Lim et al, 2016 (Naveh, 1994;ESK, 2013 (Gaston and Spicer, 2004;ESK, 2013). 셀 수 없을 만큼 많은 생명들은 하나하나가 특징을 가지고 있으며 각각 그물과 같이 다양한 관계 속에 Abstract In this study, formation background of biodiversity and its changes in the process of geologic history, and effects of climate change on biodiversity and human were discussed and the alternatives to reduce the effects of climate change were suggested.…”

Evaluation of the 20-Year Restoration Process in an Air-Pollution-Damaged Forest near the Ulsan Industrial Complex, Korea

“…Ecological restoration is carried out through a series of procedures, including diagnostic evaluation, the collection of reference information, the preparation of a restoration plan (based on both types of information), restoration practice, the monitoring of the restoration process, the analysis of monitoring results, adaptive management based on the results, and the evaluation of the restoration effect [10][11][12]. The implementation of restoration is the starting point, while the process of ultimately checking the performance of the restoration execution-including the processes that proceed thereafter-allows for evaluation of the restoration effect(s) [10,11,13]. Restoration is a type of work that seeks to shorten the period of succession-the process of restoring the natural state damaged by disturbances from nature itself-which usually takes a long time.…”

“…Ecological restoration is carried out with the aim of restoring the damaged structure and function of nature, thus further securing a system that can be self-maintained. As such, the restoration effect can be evaluated by comparing the structure and function of the restored system with reference information obtained from an ecosystem or landscape with an intact natural system [13].…”