This research has been surveyed to investigate the landscape importance for the conservation of the birds at the Nakdong River, Gumi from October 2006 to January 2011. And, it has been analyzed a using pattern of the sand bars in the river by the bird...
This research has been surveyed to investigate the landscape importance for the conservation of the birds at the Nakdong River, Gumi from October 2006 to January 2011. And, it has been analyzed a using pattern of the sand bars in the river by the birds, the impacts of river reform project to the birds, effects of the land use change to the birds by the landscape changes. And also, to select the core areas for the conservation of the targets species, just like Hooded Crane, White-naped Crane, Whooper Swan, and White-fronted Goose at the survey area.
197,198 individuals, 123 species were confirmed during the survey at the Nakdong River, Gumi. The most dominant species was White-fronted Goose during the survey with 51.69%. It was 33 species in the December, 2010 before 4 river restoration project but it was decreased about 40% into 22 species in January, 2011 after starting the construction at Gumi. As the target species, White-fronted Goose, Whooper Swan, White-naped Crane, and Hooded Crane were selected. And among them, White-fronted Goose, which is a regular wintering species and using a
sandbar, was very decreased in its individual numbers, however, Whooper Swan showed a low impact on the wintering habitat. The landscape and land use changes after the 4 river restoration project were concentrated on the excavation of sandbars in the river, expanding of water surface, and decreasing of farming areas etc. By the landscape change, the roosting and feeding areas were very decreased and the numbers of individuals and species has been decreased to about 40% in 2011. It has been extracted three core areas for the conservation of the target species with a feeding area in the rice paddy field and two sand bar in the river. The favorite areas for the target birds by the GIS analysis showed within 200m from the watershed, 800m away from the road, 30m below in altitude for the roost and rest of the target species.
However, although the landscape change occurred a lots of impacts after 4 river restoration project, it needs more long time survey in the future for the real effects of the landscape change to the birds.