본 연구는 하천 내 하도 자연성이 어류 건강성에 미치는 영향을 알아보기 위하여, 2008~2016년 간 한강권역의 자연사행하천과 하도정비로 직강화된 하천의 수질환경요인과 FAI를 비교 분석하였다. 하도 자연성에 따른 우점종의 출현빈도를 분석한 결과, 자연사행하천에서 민감성 및 충식성 어종이 우세한 반면, 하도 직강화 하천에서는 내성 및 잡식성 어종이 우점하는 빈도가 높은 양상을 보였다. 하도 및 저수로의 직강화로 인해 하도 자연성이 감소함에 따라 FAI가 감소하는 경향을 보였으며, 특히 생태적 어류군집구조 특성이 반영된 메트릭인 민감종수 (M3) 및 충식종의 개체수 비율 (M6)의 감소와 잡식종의 개체수 비율 (M5)의 증가가 FAI 변화에 주요요인으로 나타났다. 하도 자연성 감소에 따른 연도별 FAI 하락은 BOD, TN, TP, 전기전도도, 탁도의 증가와 높은 상관관계를 보여, 하도 및 저수로의 직강화로 인한 수질변화는 물리적 서식환경의 교란과 함께 어류 건강성에 주요 영향요인으로 판단된다.
The purpose of this study is to investigate effect of stream channel naturalness on ecological health by using environmental factors and Fish Assessment Index (FAI) in the Han River of South Korea. These samples and data have been released from the research project titled Stream/River Ecosystem Survey and Health Assessment, which was conducted in 444 sites in the Han river watershed from 2008 to 2016. All samples were classified into five groups according to a degree of morphological changes of stream. Water chemistry analyses indicated a decline in water quality by decreasing stream channel naturalness, it is assumed that channelized stream was vulnerable to aquatic pollution compared to the natural meandering stream. In the result of frequency of dominant species, sensitive species and insectivore such as Zacco koreanus, Rhynchocypris kumgangensis and Pungtungia herzi were frequently dominated in the natural meandering stream while tolerant species and omnivores such as Carassius auratus and Cyprinus carpio were more dominated in the channelized streams. The FAI in the channelized stream shows decline to average of 46±25 compared with that of the natural meandering stream (80±20). The decrease in FAI was highly influenced by changes in matrixes of fish assemblage structure such as number of sensitive species (M3), portion of omnivores (M5) and insectivores (M6). Moreover, annual average FAIs from 2008 to 2016 were significantly correlated with water chemistry, especially TN, TP and BOD (r2=0.59, p<0.0001). Taken together, all the results suggest that the stream channelization could negatively impact on the water quality and fish assemblage structure, leading to degradation in aquatic ecosystem health.