갯벌의 생태계서비스 잠재력 지표로서 에머지 유입 특성 평가

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the applicability of using renewable emergy inflow to tidal flat ecosystems of Korea for a rapid assessment tool for the potential of ecosystems services provision. Renewable emergy inflow, fishery production and primary production were calculated or estimated, and macrofaunal community structures and ecological indices were analyzed. Statistical analyzes were carried out to understand relationships between renewable emergy inflow and selected ecosystem services (fishery production and primary production), and between renewable emergy inflow and community structures and ecological indices. A total of thirteen tidal flats in the western and the southern coast of Korea were selected for emergy evaluations based on data availability, geomorphology, river input, and tidal regime. Annual renewable emergy inflow per unit area of tidal flats decreased from southern Ganghwa tidal flat (4.25E+16 sej/ha/yr) in the western coast to Nakdong River estuary tidal flat (2.75E+15 sej/ha/yr) in the southeastern coast. Emergy of annual fishery production per unit area showed a higher average value in tidal flats of the western coast (2.14E+16 sej/ha/yr) than those of the southern coast (2.35E+15 sej/ha/yr). Emergy of annual gross primary production per unit area increased from southern Ganghwa tidal flat (1.50E+16 sej/ha/yr) to Nakdong River estuary tidal flat (2.10E+16 sej/ha/yr). Results of T-test indicated significantly higher values in tidal flats of the western coast than those of the southern coast, in terms of total number of species (t=2.385, p=0.036), number of species per unit area (t=2.097, p=0.060), density (t=2.230, p=0.048), and biomass (t=2.324, p=0.040). Ecological indices (Margalef richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity, Pielou evenness, Simpson diversity) did not show significant differences in average between tidal flats of the western coast and those of the southern coast. Annual renewable emergy inflow per unit area showed a significant positive correlation with annual fishery production per unit area in the tidal flats selected for this study (r=0.763, p=0.002), and a significant negative correlation with annual gross primary production per unit area (r=-0.576, p=0.040). Emergy inflow and macrofauna were not significantly correlated each other. In summary, renewable emergy inflow provides a potential utility in rapid assessment for the potential of ecosystems services provision in tidal flats of Korea.