Vegetation recruitment on the ‘white’ sandbars on the N akdong R iver at the historical village of H ahoe, K orea

The construction of two upstream dams on the Nakdong River in Hahoe, Korea, led to significant vegetation recruitment on previously nonvegetated sandbars. The study found that decreased peak flows and aggradation of the sandbars resulted in lower shear stress across more of the area, facilitating vegetation colonization. Drought conditions further accelerated this process, with notable encroachment occurring within just three years after the second dam was operational. Numerical analysis revealed that dimensionless shear stress is a key predictor for vegetation recruitment. The findings suggest that optimizing dam operation rules to differentiate peak release flows between germination and flood seasons could sustainably manage riparian vegetation in regulated rivers.

Woo, H., Kim, J.-S., Cho, K.-H., & Cho, H.-J. (2013). Vegetation recruitment on the ‘white’ sandbars on the Nakdong River at the historical village of Hahoe, Korea. Water and Environment Journal, 28(4), 577–591. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/wej.12074