Assessment of hydrological regimes for vegetation on riparian wetlands in Han River Basin, Korea

Abstract

Hydrological regimes are regarded as one of the major determinants for wetland ecosystems, for they influence species composition, succession, productivity, and stability of vegetation communities. Since Korea launched the Four Major River Restoration Project in 2007, the water regimes of many of the riparian wetlands have changed, that is potentially affecting vegetation properties. For ecological conservation and management, it is important to connect hydrological characteristics and vegetation properties. The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of hydrological regimes on vegetation community, and develop a methodology that can connect them. Inundated exceedance probability (IEP) and its district concept are suggested to gain insights into hydrological regimes on the Binae wetland that is rehabilitated by the Restoration Project in 2012 and belong to the riparian zone. Results of this study indicate that the areas with P = 0.08 or lower IEPs should have the disturbance for vegetation communities, or could be changed to a hydrophilic vegetation in the study area, and it should be considered in the restoration and rehabilitation project to conserve legally protected or endangered vegetation.

Development of Water Level Prediction Models Using Machine Learning in Wetlands: A Case Study of Upo Wetland in South Korea

“…Wetlands play important environmental, ecological, and hydrological roles, such as maintaining species diversity, providing nutrients, controlling water levels, and reducing floods and droughts [1]. Hydraulic and hydrological conditions, such as flow rate, water level, and inundation depth, are significant constraints for aquatic environments, including wetlands [2,3]. In particular, wetland species have their preferred inundation depths or permissible water level limits.…”