Long-term changes in benthic macroinvertebrate communities after the restoration of the Cheonggyecheon Stream
This study investigated long-term changes in benthic macroinvertebrate communities and the impact of water quality factors following the restoration of Cheonggyecheon Stream, a representative case of urban stream restoration in Seoul, Korea. Monitoring data collected from 2006 to 2024 were analyzed to evaluate relationships among species richness, abundance, community indices, functional group composition, and water quality variables. The results indicated that species richness and abundance experienced a temporary decline following the initial restoration phase, but increased once again by 2024, demonstrating a nonlinear recovery pattern throughout the urban stream restoration process. Community analyses revealed a decrease in dominance alongside an increase in diversity and evenness, suggesting that community structure gradually stabilized over time after restoration. The proportions of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera increased, highlighting the recovery potential of pollution-sensitive taxa associated with improvements in water quality. Concurrently, the prevalence of gathering collectors and clingers reflected the influence of organic matter accumulation and artificial substrate structures. nMDS and PERMANOVA results demonstrated statistically significant differences in community structure across years, providing evidence of progressive stabilization. GLMM results indicated a significant increase in species richness during the late restoration phase compared to the early phase, illustrating a clear recovery pattern. Additionally, suspended solids exhibited a negative relationship with species richness. These findings suggest that long-term community dynamics following urban stream restoration are primarily influenced by streambed stabilization and alterations in suspended solids, thereby providing essential baseline information for biodiversity conservation and habitat enhancement in Cheonggyecheon Stream.