Effects of Climate Change on the Fish Community, and Rhynchocypris kumgangensis (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) Distribution in Deogyusan National Park
1
National Park Research Institute, Wonju 26441, Republic of Korea
2
National Institute of Ecology, Seocheon 33657, Republic of Korea
3
Alpha Research Ecology Institute, Gunsan 54151, Republic of Korea
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Water 2024, 16(23), 3523; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16233523
Submission received: 18 October 2024
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Revised: 28 November 2024
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Accepted: 4 December 2024
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Published: 7 December 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Management of Eutrophication, Harmful Algal Bloom and Ecological Health in Freshwater Ecosystems)
Abstract
:Rhynchocypris kumgangensis, endemic to Korea, is limited to the upper Hangang River and Gucheondongcheon Stream. As a key and climate-sensitive biological indicator species in the Deogyusan National Park, it has a southern range limit in the Gucheondong Valley. Due to climate change, notable shifts in the activity, distribution, and population of R. kumgangensis on the Gucheondongcheon Stream are expected. This study examined trends between the 2020 field survey and previous surveys (2014–2018) for fish faunal changes at 13 sites in the Deogyusan National Park and for the population changes of R. kumgangensis at four sites in the Gucheondongcheon Stream. At 13 sites, we identified 996 individuals of 17 fish species in seven families, including 2 endangered (Pseudopungtungia nigra, Hemibarbus mylodon) and 11 Korea-endemic species. The Fish Assessment Index (FAI) of the 13 sites in the Deogyusan National Park was analyzed and found to be of A-grade in both the 2020 and past surveys, with high scores in all M1–M8 categories. Both the results of CCA and field surveys between the entire fish community and pH, DO, and water temperature revealed that the population of R. kumgangensis had a narrower distribution range and was more sensitive to water temperature than the same cold-water fish, R. oxycephalus. Climate change has been identified as causing the annual maximum temperature (°C) in the Deogyusan National Park to increase year on year and the R. kumgangensis population to decline, suggesting that the time for conservation efforts is “now”.
1. Introduction
Rhynchocypris kumgangensis is an endemic Korean species that belongs to the Rhynchocypris genus of the Cyprinidae family. It is a freshwater fish that lives in the clear water and low water temperature of mountain streams and feeds on aquatic insects, land insects, and small crustaceans [1,2,3,4,5,6]. In South Korea, a total of six species of genus Rhynchocypris have been reported in Korea; R. oxycephalus, R. oxyrhynchus, R. lgowskii, R. percnurus, R. kumgangensis, and R. semotilus [6]. The scientific name of this species is Rhynchocypris kumgangensis, based on the characteristics of the genus, as suggested by Howes [7]. Rhynchocypris kumgangensis, the target fish species in the current study, has shown limited distribution in the following regions: the Daedonggang and Amnokgang rivers in North Korea, the uppermost waters of the Hangang River, the Muju Gucheondong Valley of the Geumgang River, the Bakdal Valley in Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, the Sobaeksan Valley in Danyang-gun, and Chungcheongbuk-do in South Korea [8]. Climate change brings complex problems due not only to changes in temperature but also to changes in the patterns of precipitation and typhoons. If climate change continues, it will lead to the prosperity of primary producers with strong environmental resistance in the river ecosystem, resulting in a series of changes in the food chain and the habitat environment of all fish. Because fish are limited to water-bound habitats, they cannot escape rapidly changing water temperatures, which leads to localized extinction [9]. Therefore, R. kumgangensis will be the most vulnerable species to climate change in the Geumgang watershed. Before the larger climate crisis comes, there is a need to study the fish community and the distribution area of the R. kumgangensis in the Deogyusan National Park.
R. kumgangensis is a representative climate-sensitive biological indicator species (CBIS) suggested by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) to analyze the effects of climate change on the habitat of stream–river ecosystems [8]. In particular, R. kumgangensis is sensitive to changes in water temperature; the annual average maximum water temperature should not exceed 20 °C [8,10,11].
This study was conducted at 13 sites from upstream to downstream to provide information on the distribution of R. kumgangensis in the Deogyusan National Park and the structure of fish communities. In addition, this study can be used as a resource for predicting environmental changes in stream–river ecosystems due to climate change and will be a fundamental study for the conservation of R. kumgangensis in a rapidly changing environment. This will be part of a conservation strategy that can respond to future climate change.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Period and Location
The fish fauna and physicochemical characteristics in the Deogyusan National Park were surveyed twice a year in spring and autumn, and comparative data from 2014 to 2018 were obtained from the Deogyusan National Park resource monitoring data [12]. The study locations included 13 sites in the Deogyusan National Park, which joins the Geumgang River, including four sites adjacent to the Gucheondongcheon Stream, four sites adjacent to the Wondangcheon Stream, two sites adjacent to the Bukchangcheon Stream, and three sites adjacent to the Myeongcheon Stream. All study sites were in the Muju-gun administration district (Figure 1, Table 1).
2.2. Survey Method
The physicochemical properties of the study sites (water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and pH) were measured using a water quality sensor (Pro Quatro, YSI Inc., Yellow Springs, OH, USA). The width and depth of the water in the environmental quality survey were measured using a steel measure and range finder, and the substrate structure was visually examined at each site [13]. Kick nets (4 × 4 mm mesh) and cast nets (7 × 7 mm mesh) were used for fish collection. The collected fish were identified to the species level and their numbers were recorded at the site [1,3,6] before being released into the water. For fish community analysis at each site, the following indices were measured: dominance [14], species diversity [15], evenness [16], and species richness [17].
We did not kill any fish in this study, and all the fish examined during our research activities were released in the field. This study was approved by the Korea National Park Research Institute. As we did not kill or move any living organisms, separate approval from the research ethics committee was omitted.
2.3. Data Processing
The similarity in fish communities in each stream was estimated by drawing a similarity matrix [18] based on the square root transformation of the total number of fish species that appeared during the study period and the Bray–Curtis similarity index. The similarity between the two groups was analyzed using permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) and one-way analysis of similarity (ANOSIM). Between-group variation was analyzed using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and visualized in two dimensions [19]. The contributing species and percentage contributions were determined using a similarity percentage (SIMPER) analysis to determine the similarity of fish communities. Habitat variation between the Gucheondongcheon and Wondangcheon streams was examined using comparative analyses of PERMANOVA and one-way ANOSIM tests for substrate, DO, and water temperature. PERMANOVA, SIMPER, and NMDS analyses were performed using the Primer v6 software (Primer-E Ltd., Plymouth, UK) and PERMANOVA+ add-on modules. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was performed using the PAST software (version 4.13) to analyze the relationship between fish communities and habitat environment factors. The independent variables were water temperature, DO, and pH for each year, and the dependent variable was the log (S+1) (where S is the number of individuals) of each fish species. To confirm the change in the R. kumgangensis population according to temperature change, the measurement network data near Muju-gun and the total number of R. kumgangensis by year were compared among the average annual maximum temperature data from 2014 to 2020 of the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).
Using the Deogyusan National Park resource monitoring data (2014–2018) and the results of this study (2020), we assessed stream health by year using the fish assessment index (FAI). The FAI assessment methodology was based on the Nationwide Aquatic Ecological Monitoring Program in South Korea [20] and was evaluated in the following eight categories. M1, number of native species; M2, number of riffle-benthic species; M3, number of sensitive species; M4, proportion of tolerant species; M5, proportion of omnivores; M6, proportion of native insectivores; M7, number of native individuals; and M8, proportion of anomalies (deformity, erosion, lesions, and tumors).
3. Results
3.1. Physicochemical Properties
The water temperature, dissolved oxygen (mg/L), and pH results are shown in Table 2. The water temperature ranged from 11.0 to 20.0 °C, with the average water temperature having the lowest Gucheondongcheon Stream, followed by the lowest Myeongcheon Stream. Wondangcheon and Bukchangcheon Stream had similar results, with water temperatures above 16 °C. The DO ranged from 10.93 to 12.04 mg/L, with the highest average DO in the upstream section, Gucheondongcheon Stream, followed by the Wondangcheon, Bukchangcheon, and Myeongcheon streams. The pH ranged from 6.58 to 8.39, with similar results in the four streams. These results were classified for each stream, as shown in Figure 2, and the Bukchangcheon and Myeongcheon streams were similarly grouped.
The substrate structure at the study sites consists mainly of rocks, boulders, and pebbles. The upper mountain streams, i.e., the Gucheondongcheon and Myeongcheon streams, showed an abundance of rocks, boulders (>256 mm), and cobbles (64–256 mm), whereas the Wondangcheon and Bukchangcheon streams were mainly composed of cobbles and pebbles (16–64 mm) and gravel (2–16 mm). Site 8 in the area downstream of the Wondangcheon Stream and site 13 downstream of the Myeongcheon Stream were mainly composed of sand (Table 3).
3.2. Fish Fauna
The investigation of the 13 sites in the Deogyusan National Park indicated 17 species and 996 individuals, of which the Cyprinidae family showed the highest frequency with 12 species and a 95.58% relative abundance (Table 4). Based on 337 individuals and 37.85% relative abundance, Rhynchocypris oxycephalus was confirmed as the dominant species in the target national park, and Zacco koreanus (360 individuals and 36.14% relative abundance) was confirmed as the subdominant species. R. oxycephalus showed the highest frequency, based on its appearance at 10 of the 13 investigated sites, followed by Z. koreanus, which appeared at seven sites. In addition, one fish each of Pseudobagrus koreanus and Silurus microdorsalia were found at sites 8 and 10, respectively. The target species in this study, R. kumgangensis, appeared only at sites in the Gucheondongcheon Stream. In the Deogyusan National Park, 11 endemic species were found: Pseudopungtungia nigra, Coreoleuciscus splendidus, Hemibarbus mylodon, Microphysogobio yaluensis, R. kumgangensis, Z. koreanus, Iksookimia koreensis, Pseudobagrus koreanus, Silurus microdorsalia, Coreoperca herzi, and Odontobutis platycephala, indicating endemic speciation of 64.71%.
Eleven of those species were found in the Deogyusan National Park, indicating the richness of endemic species. Pseudopungtungia nigra (n = 17), a Class I endangered wildlife species, was found at Site 8; and Hemibarbus mylodon (n = 5), a natural heritage fish, was found at Sites 7 and 8 (Table 4).
Wondangcheon Stream had the highest species diversity and number of fishes, with 13 species and 423 individuals. The lowest species diversity was observed in the Bukchangcheon Stream, with only three species: R. oxycephalus, Z. koreanus, and S. microdorsalis. Mountain streams (Gucheondongcheon and Bukchangcheon) contained fewer species, whereas Wondangcheon and Myeongcheon streams in the upper reaches of the river contained more species. In addition, fish communities varied across streams (PERMANOVA; Pseudo-F = 11.029, p = 0.001). Separate groups were observed in the Gucheondongcheon and Wondangcheon streams, whereas fish converged into a single group in the Bukchangcheon and Myeongcheon streams (Figure 2, Table 5).
The dominant and subdominant species in most streams were R. oxycephalus and Z. koreanus. Still, the dominant species in the Gucheondongcheon Stream was R. kumgangensis (49.28% relative abundance), and the subdominant species in the Wondangcheon Stream was P. herzi (14.42% relative abundance) (Table 6).
3.3. Fish Community Indices
Among the investigated streams, the dominance indices ranged from 0.839 to 0.991. Bukchangcheon Stream exhibited the highest dominance index at 0.991, whereas Wondangcheon Stream had the lowest (0.839). The diversity indices ranged from 0.414 to 1.163. The diversity index was highest in Wondangcheon Stream (1.163) and lowest in Bukchangcheon Stream (0.414). The evenness indices ranged from 0.377 to 0.828. The evenness index was highest in the Gucheondongcheon Stream (0.828) and lowest in the Wondangcheon Stream (0.454). The species richness indices ranged from 0.375 to 1.984. The species richness index was the highest in Wondangcheon (1.984) and lowest in Gucheondongcheon (0.375) (Table 7). The Gucheondongcheon, Bukchangcheon, and Myeongcheon mountain streams exhibited fewer inhabiting species with a higher level of dominance but lower levels of diversity and species richness. In contrast, the Wondangcheon Stream, which joins the Gucheondongcheon Stream, showed relatively low dominance but high species richness as an upstream river reach. The average community indices of Deogyusan National Park consisted of the following values: dominance index: 0.923; diversity index: 0.815; evenness index: 0.535; and species richness index: 0.876.
3.4. Distribution of R. kumgangensis
This study investigated the distribution of R. kumgangensis in the Deogyusan National Park. Sites 1–4, corresponding to the Gucheondongcheon Stream, were inhabited by this species (Figure 3). The R. kumgangensis habitat environment in the Hangang River water system has repeating riffle-pool sequences, and the substrate consists of large cobbles and pebbles with an average annual water temperature of 2.0–19.2 °C and an average dissolved oxygen of 9.2–14.0 mg/L. The Gucheondong Valley of the Deogyusan National Park was found to have an annual water temperature of −0.1–18.4 °C and dissolved oxygen of 8.4–13.6 mg/L in the R. kumgangensis habitat; but in this study, there was a difference in the results with water temperature (11–16.5 °C) and dissolved oxygen (6.84–12.04 mg/L).
At site 1 (upstream reaches of the Gucheondongcheon Stream), 17 individuals were detected. In contrast, at site 4 (downstream), 29 individuals were found, suggesting that R. kumgangensis is more widespread and abundant in the lower reaches of the Gucheondongcheon Stream. The highest number of R. kumgangensis was observed at site 3. This seems to be due to the collection of a greater number of individuals at site 3, with increased water width and depth in the pools, compared with sites 1 and 2, with narrower water and a lack of areas with greater depth. At site 4, there is a small concrete weir, but no fishway, which impedes the movement of water and fish. R. kumgangensis was not detected in the Wondangcheon Stream, which joins the Gucheondongcheon Stream. Compared with the Gucheondongcheon Stream, the substrate structure in the Wondangcheon Stream had fewer parent rocks, although no statistical significance was found (PERMANOVA, Pseudo-F = 4.784, p = 0.055). Dissolved oxygen was similar (PERMANOVA, pseudo-F = 7.259, p = 0.069), but there was a statistically significant difference in water temperature (PERMANOVA, pseudo-F = 27.062, p = 0.027).
4. Discussion
R. kumgangensis and R. oxycephalus are characterized by their inhabitation of stream waters rich in dissolved oxygen and low temperatures [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Rhynchocypris kumgangensis primarily inhabits the uppermost reaches of mountain streams, with a decrease in habitat density towards the lower reaches [21]. Similarly, R. kumgangensis habitats in the Deogyusan National Park were limited to the Gucheondongcheon Stream, whereas R. oxycephalus inhabited the Gucheondongcheon and Wondangcheon streams. Generally, species sharing similar ecological statuses separate their space and food to use limited resources [22,23,24] efficiently. Rhynchocypris kumgangensis and R. oxycephalus inhabiting the Bangdongcheon Stream in Inje-gun, Gangwon-do, were shown to inhabit different tributaries for spatial separation [10]. In the Gucheondong Valley, the main feed of R. kumgangensis is mayflies, and that of R. oxycephalus includes caddisflies and terrestrial insects to reduce competition for food [10]. Although the two species shared similar habitats, R. kumgangensis was not found in the Wondangcheon Stream, inhabited by R. oxycephalus.
Using water temperature, dissolved oxygen (mg/L), pH results from to 2014–2018, fish fauna of Deogyusan National Park [12], and the results of this study, CCA analysis showed that R. kumgangensis had a larger population size when water temperature was lower (Figure 4). The comparison of the annual maximum temperature and R. kumgangensis population by year also confirmed that the population size tended to increase when the temperature was lower (Figure 5). These results are consistent with those of previous studies [8,10,11], and it is necessary to monitor the water temperature of the Gucheondongcheon Stream annually because the temperature will increase with climate change. In 2019, data were not included because they could not be directly compared because monitoring was not conducted.
R. kumgangensis has been declared an indicator species of climate change by the Ministry of Environment in South Korea; this species is highly sensitive to climate change, and even small changes can significantly reduce its population size and habitat radius. This species was also reported to have the most significant influence on water temperature during spawning [8]. The reported spawning period of R. kumgangensis is April–May, with a required water temperature of 11–14 °C [21]. The spawning period of R. oxycephalus is similar to that of R. kumgangensis from May to June, but the mean water temperature is 19 ± 0.5 °C [25]. Thus, the distribution of R. kumgangensis was conjectured to be limited to hydrospheres with water temperatures lower than R. oxycephalus. Although it is estimated that R. oxycephalus has better environmental adaptability than R. kumgangensis, no studies have compared their ecological characteristics. Further ecological studies are required to determine why R. oxycephalus has a broader habitat.
A total of 11 endemic species occurred in the Deogyusan National Park, with a relative abundance of 64.71%. This was higher than the relative abundance of endemic species in rivers nationwide, which was 25.9% [26]. In Korea, the relative abundance of endemic species in National parks is higher than other rivers, streams, and reservoirs [5]. In this study, the Deogyusan National Park showed a higher level of endemic speciation than the Odaesan National Park (30.77%) [27], Mudeungsan National Park (35%) [28], Seoraksan National Park (37%) [29], and Sokrisan National Park (53.8%) [30]. The Geumgang River contained approximately 26 endemic species [31]. This finding is thought to be due to the appropriate levels of fish habitat diversity and conservation in the Deogyusan National Park, which facilitate the settlement of endemic species.
In comparing the fish community indices for each stream, the Gucheondongcheon, Bukchangcheon, and Myeongcheon mountain streams, exhibited fewer inhabiting species with a higher level of dominance but lower levels of diversity and species richness. In contrast, the Wondangcheon Stream, which joins the Gucheondongcheon Stream, showed relatively low dominance but high species richness as an upstream river reach. This feature is common in the upstream (which has a lower number of fish species) and downstream reaches (which has an increased number of fish species) [32]. Furthermore, these changes in fish species depend on habitat diversity, with downstream streams having higher habitat diversity than upstream streams, on average, leading to higher fish diversity and abundance.
Climate change could lead to a population decline in R. kumgangensis. The climate of the Korean Peninsula is projected to experience a significant increase in the maximum temperature (TMAX) with increasing warming levels, with a corresponding increase in precipitation reaching tropical temperatures. The SSP-8.5 scenario projects a further increase of 1.8 °C by 2040 and 3.3 °C by 2060 [33,34,35]. Therefore, an increase in water and air temperatures at the Deogyusan National Park, i.e., the southern range limit of R. kumgangensis, is inevitable, and it is thought that R. kumgangensis, a cold-water fish species, is at risk of localized extinction. Therefore, it is necessary to observe and track changes in biota through long-term monitoring.
We used Deogyusan National Park resource monitoring data (2014–2018) [12] and our results (2020) to assess stream health for each year, and the index value was performed using the fish assessment index (FAI), which is currently used by the Nationwide Aquatic Ecological Monitoring Program in South Korea [20]. As a result, minor changes in the population and species were observed, but the FAI index for all years was identified as A-grade. Currently, the FAI index is A, but it decreases with the decline in sensitive species (SS), the proportion of native insectivores (I), and domestic species (D). Deogyusan National Park, where most of the fishes, including the R. kumgangensis, are composed of sensitive species (SS), a proportion of native insectivores (I), and domestic species (D), is at risk of a decrease in FAI due to climate change. Therefore, along with climate change, stream/river ecosystem survey results and health assessments should be monitored annually to monitor changes in population status.
Although R. kumgangensis was identified as the dominant species of the Gucheondongcheon Stream in this study, and it appears to have a large population, the distribution range is the only one in the Geumgang watershed that has only been identified in some sections of the Gucheondongcheon Stream in the Deogyusan National Park, so its habitat is very limited, it is sensitive to changes in the surrounding environment, and its population size can change even with small environmental changes, so it is judged to have a high conservation value. The narrow distribution range also implies that this species requires protection. In South Korea, R. kumgangensis has been reported to inhabit certain regions of the Hangang and Geumgang rivers [1,2,3,4]. However, since Gucheondongcheon Stream is the only habitat of R. kumgangensis in the Gumegang River basin [6], if it leads to extinction in this area, it is expected that it will be difficult to identify the habitat of this species anywhere in the Geumgang watershed in the future. Thus, environmental fluctuations in R. kumgangensis habitats should be periodically monitored in preparation for climate change. The level of protection of the natural ecosystem of Deogyusan National Park should be increased to preserve biological species diversity in the Geumgang watershed.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, S.-H.Y., S.S., Y.-J.C., J.E.J. and J.-G.K.; methodology, S.-H.Y., S.S., Y.-J.C., J.E.J. and J.-G.K.; software, S.-H.Y., Y.-J.C. and J.-G.K.; validation, S.-H.Y., S.S., Y.-J.C., J.E.J. and J.-G.K.; formal analysis, S.S., Y.-J.C. and J.-G.K.; investigation, S.S., Y.-J.C., J.E.J. and J.-G.K.; resources, S.S., Y.-J.C., J.E.J. and J.-G.K.; data curation, S.S., Y.-J.C., S.-H.Y., J.E.J. and J.-G.K.; writing—original draft preparation, S.-H.Y., S.S., Y.-J.C., J.E.J. and J.-G.K.; writing—review and editing, Y.-J.C., S.S. and J.-G.K.; visualization, S.S. and J.-G.K.; supervision, J.-G.K.; project administration, J.-G.K. and S.S. funding acquisition J.-G.K. and S.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research was supported by grants from the Korea National Park Research Institute, grant number no. NPRI 2021-10.
Data Availability Statement
The data presented in this study are available upon request from the corresponding author.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank all researchers affiliated with the Alpha Ecology Institute for their cooperation in facilitating sample collection. Special thanks go to Jong-Wook Kim and Cheol-Woo Park.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Figure 1.
Map of the study location showing sampling sites in the Deogyusan National Park, Jeollabuk-do, Korea.
Figure 1.
Map of the study location showing sampling sites in the Deogyusan National Park, Jeollabuk-do, Korea.
Figure 2.
Non-metric multidimensional scaling of samples based on Bray–Curtis’s similarities. Site a, Gucheondongcheon Stream; Site b, Wondangcheon Stream; Site c, Bukchangcheon Stream; Site d, Myeongcheon Stream.
Figure 2.
Non-metric multidimensional scaling of samples based on Bray–Curtis’s similarities. Site a, Gucheondongcheon Stream; Site b, Wondangcheon Stream; Site c, Bukchangcheon Stream; Site d, Myeongcheon Stream.
Figure 3.
Vertical distribution of Rhynchocypris kumgangensis along the Gucheondongcheon Stream.
Figure 4.
Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) results, using water temperature, dissolved oxygen (mg/L), pH, and Deogyusan National Park fish fauna from 2014 to 2018 and 2020. The square box indicates this study (2020).
Figure 4.
Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) results, using water temperature, dissolved oxygen (mg/L), pH, and Deogyusan National Park fish fauna from 2014 to 2018 and 2020. The square box indicates this study (2020).
Figure 5.
Changes in annual maximum temperature and individuals of R. kumgangensis Deogyusan National Park from 2014 to 2018.
Figure 5.
Changes in annual maximum temperature and individuals of R. kumgangensis Deogyusan National Park from 2014 to 2018.
Table 1.
Study locations in the Deogyusan National Park, Jeollabuk-do, Korea.
| Stream | Site | Locations (Jeonbuk-do, Korea) | GPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | E | |||
| Gucheondongcheon | st. 1 | Isokdae Seolcheon-myeon, Muju-gun | 35°51′40 | 127°46′09 |
| st. 2 | Geumpotan Valley Samggong-ri, Seolcheon-myeon, Muju-gun | 35°52′35 | 127°46′34 | |
| st. 3 | Bipadam Samggong-ri, Seolcheon-myeon, Muju-gun | 35°52′44 | 127°46′54 | |
| st. 4 | Inwolahm Valley Samggong-ri, Seolcheon-myeon, Muju-gun | 35°52′56 | 127°46′39 | |
| Wondangcheon | st. 5 | Samgong-ri, Seolcheon-myeon, Muju-gun | 35°54′12 | 127°47′5 |
| st. 6 | Sushimdae Shimgok-ri, Seolcheon-myeon, Muju-gun | 35°55′49 | 127°45′15 | |
| st. 7 | Dugil-ri, Seolcheon-myeon, Muju-gun | 35°56′40 | 127°45′21 | |
| st. 8 | Dugil Bridge Dugil-ri, Seolcheon-myeon, Muju-gun | 35°59′46 | 127°47′43 | |
| Buckchangcheon | st. 9 | Jeoksang-myeon, Muju-gun | 35°57′59 | 127°41′50 |
| st. 10 | Bukchang-ri, Jeoksang-myeon, Muju-gun | 35°58′53 | 127°41′23 | |
| Myeongcheon | st. 11 | Jukcheon-ri, Anseong-myeon, Muju-gun | 35°48′44 | 127°41′38 |
| st. 12 | Jukcheon-ri, Anseong-myeon, Muju-gun | 35°49′09 | 127°41′27 | |
| st. 13 | Jukcheon-ri, Anseong-myeon, Muju-gun | 35°49′56 | 127°40′49 | |
Table 2.
Physicochemical properties of study streams in the Deogyusan National Park from April to October 2020 (mean ± standard deviation).
Table 2.
Physicochemical properties of study streams in the Deogyusan National Park from April to October 2020 (mean ± standard deviation).
| Gucheondongcheon Stream | Wondangcheon Stream | Bukchangcheon Stream | Myeongcheon Stream | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water temperature (℃) | 13.9 ± 2.74 | 16.1 ± 2.39 | 16.8 ± 1.06 | 14.9 ± 3.46 |
| Dissolved oxygen (mg/L) | 9.38 ± 2.45 | 9.33 ± 1.74 | 8.34 ± 3.32 | 9.15 ± 2.48 |
| pH | 6.98 ± 0.34 | 7.49 ± 1.28 | 7.49 ± 1.02 | 6.45 ± 0.51 |
Table 3.
Environmental characteristics of the sampling sites in the Deogyusan National Park in 2020.
Table 3.
Environmental characteristics of the sampling sites in the Deogyusan National Park in 2020.
| Streams | Site | Water Width (m) | Water Depth (m) | Bottom Structure (%) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | C | P | G | S and M | ||||
| Gucheondongcheon | st. 1 | 5 | 0.1–0.5 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 10 |
| st. 2 | 5–10 | 0.5–0.1 | 20 | 30 | 20 | 30 | 10 | |
| st. 3 | 5–10 | 0.5–1.5 | 30 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 10 | |
| st. 4 | 3–8 | 0.1–0.8 | 30 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 20 | |
| Wondang cheon | st. 5 | 10–20 | 0.1–1 | - | 30 | 20 | 30 | 10 |
| st. 6 | 10–20 | 0.1–1 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 30 | 10 | |
| st. 7 | 10–20 | 0.1–1 | 10 | 10 | 30 | 30 | 20 | |
| st. 8 | 20–30 | 0.1–2 | - | 20 | 20 | 20 | 40 | |
| Bukchang cheon | st. 9 | 2–5 | 0.1–1 | - | 30 | 30 | 30 | 10 |
| st. 10 | 1–2 | 0.1–1 | - | 40 | 20 | 20 | 20 | |
| Myeong cheon | st. 11 | 5 | 0.1–1 | 40 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 10 |
| st. 12 | 5 | 0.1–0.5 | 30 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 | |
| st. 13 | 5 | 0.1–1 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 50 | |
Notes: B (boulder), >256 mm; C (cobble), 64–256 mm; P (pebble), 16–64 mm; G (gravel), 2–16 mm; S and M (sand and mud), <2 mm [13].
Table 4.
List and numbers of individuals collected at each site in the Deogyusan National Park from April to October 2020.
Table 4.
List and numbers of individuals collected at each site in the Deogyusan National Park from April to October 2020.
| Species | St. 1 | St. 2 | St. 3 | St. 4 | St. 5 | St. 6 | St. 7 | St. 8 | St. 9 | St. 10 | St. 11 | St. 12 | St. 13 | Total | RA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cypriniformes | |||||||||||||||
| Cyprinidae | |||||||||||||||
| Pungtungia herzi | 11 | 19 | 31 | 4 | 65 | 6.53 | |||||||||
| Pseudopungtungia nigra * ※ | 17 | 17 | 1.71 | ||||||||||||
| Coreoleuciscus splendidus * | 3 | 4 | 7 | 0.70 | |||||||||||
| Squalidus gracilis majimae | 1 | 1 | 0.10 | ||||||||||||
| Hemibarbus mylodon * ※ | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0.50 | |||||||||||
| Pseudogobio esocinus | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0.50 | |||||||||||
| Microphysogobio yaluensis * | 10 | 10 | 1.00 | ||||||||||||
| Rhynchocypris oxycephalus | 17 | 24 | 19 | 29 | 4 | 68 | 34 | 58 | 46 | 78 | 377 | 37.85 | |||
| Rhynchocypris kumgangensis * | 8 | 10 | 65 | 19 | 102 | 10.24 | |||||||||
| Zacco platypus | 3 | 3 | 0.30 | ||||||||||||
| Zacco koreanus * | 73 | 69 | 59 | 93 | 14 | 40 | 12 | 360 | 36.14 | ||||||
| Cobitidae | |||||||||||||||
| Iksookimia koreensis * | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0.30 | |||||||||||
| Siluriformes | |||||||||||||||
| Bagridae | |||||||||||||||
| Pseudobagrus koreanus * | 1 | 1 | 0.10 | ||||||||||||
| Siluridae | |||||||||||||||
| Silurus microdorsalis * | 1 | 1 | 0.10 | ||||||||||||
| Salmoniformes | |||||||||||||||
| Salmonidae | |||||||||||||||
| Oncorhynchus masou masou | 12 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 1.71 | ||||||||||
| Perciformes | |||||||||||||||
| Centropomidae | |||||||||||||||
| Coreoperca herzi * | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0.70 | |||||||||||
| Odontobutidae | |||||||||||||||
| Odontobutis platycephala * | 9 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 1.51 | ||||||||||
| Number of individuals | 25 | 34 | 96 | 52 | 81 | 89 | 91 | 162 | 68 | 49 | 113 | 46 | 90 | 996 | |
| Number of species | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 17 |
Notes: Total, total individuals; RA, relative abundance (%); *, Korean endemic species; ※, endangered species.
Table 5.
Similarity percentage analysis for differences in fish assemblages in each stream.
| Streams | Average Similarity (%) | Species | Average Abundance | Average Similarity | Ratio Similarity/Standard Deviation | Species Contribution (%) | Cumulative Contribution (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gucheondoncheon | 74.94 | Rhynchocypris oxycephalus | 4.69 | 42.10 | 4.69 | 56.17 | 56.17 |
| Rhynchocypris kumgangensis | 4.60 | 30.43 | 6.66 | 40.61 | 96.78 | ||
| Wondangcheon | 59.18 | Zacco koreanus | 8.54 | 42.18 | 4.06 | 71.28 | 71.28 |
| Pungtungia herzi | 3.31 | 8.36 | 0.90 | 14.13 | 85.41 | ||
| Odontobutis platycephala | 1.62 | 4.02 | 0.89 | 6.79 | 92.2 | ||
| Bukchancheon | 59.37 | Rhynchocypris oxycephalus | 7.23 | 51.24 | 4.21 | 86.30 | 86.30 |
| Zacco koreanus | 3.36 | 8.13 | 0.58 | 13.70 | 100 | ||
| Myeongcheon | 71.10 | Rhynchocypris oxycephalus | 7.81 | 71.10 | - | 100 | 100 |
Table 6.
The most abundant species in each stream of the Deogyusan National Park.
| Streams | Dominant Species (RA, %) | Sub-Dominant Species (RA, %) |
|---|---|---|
| Gucheondongcheon | Rhynchocypris kumgangensis (49.28) | Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (43.00) |
| Wondangcheon | Zacco koreanus (69.50) | Pungtungia herzi (14.42) |
| Bukchangcheon | Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (87.18) | Zacco koreanus (11.97) |
| Myeongcheon | Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (73.09) | Zacco koreanus (20.88) |
Note: RA, relative abundance.
Table 7.
Biological indices of fish communities in the Deogyusan National Park.
| Gucheondongcheon | Wondangcheon | Bukchangcheon | Myeongcheon | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominance index | 0.923 | 0.839 | 0.991 | 0.940 | 0.923 |
| Diversity index | 0.910 | 1.163 | 0.414 | 0.774 | 0.815 |
| Evenness index | 0.828 | 0.454 | 0.377 | 0.481 | 0.535 |
| Species richness index | 0.375 | 1.984 | 0.420 | 0.725 | 0.876 |
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So, S.; Cho, Y.-J.; Jang, J.E.; Yoo, S.-H.; Kim, J.-G. Effects of Climate Change on the Fish Community, and Rhynchocypris kumgangensis (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) Distribution in Deogyusan National Park. Water 2024, 16, 3523. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16233523
AMA Style
So S, Cho Y-J, Jang JE, Yoo S-H, Kim J-G. Effects of Climate Change on the Fish Community, and Rhynchocypris kumgangensis (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) Distribution in Deogyusan National Park. Water. 2024; 16(23):3523. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16233523
Chicago/Turabian StyleSo, Soonku, Yun-Jeong Cho, Ji Eun Jang, Su-Hyang Yoo, and Jae-Goo Kim. 2024. "Effects of Climate Change on the Fish Community, and Rhynchocypris kumgangensis (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) Distribution in Deogyusan National Park" Water 16, no. 23: 3523. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16233523
APA StyleSo, S., Cho, Y. -J., Jang, J. E., Yoo, S. -H., & Kim, J. -G. (2024). Effects of Climate Change on the Fish Community, and Rhynchocypris kumgangensis (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) Distribution in Deogyusan National Park. Water, 16(23), 3523. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16233523
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