Biodiversity encompasses species diversity, which includes species richness and species evenness. High species diversity is known to contribute to community stability and the potential for maintaining healthy ecosystem functioning. However, the most commonly used species diversity indices have some limitations, as they require species-specific abundance data for each community. In contrast, phylogenetic diversity measures the evolutionary distances between species within a community, reflecting ecological and/or evolutionary divergences and niche differences, without requiring abundance data. This study assessed biodiversity by calculating phylogenetic diversity indices for freshwater fishes (19 species) and aquatic insects (49 species) at three sites within Seoraksan and Odaesan National Parks. The aquatic insects studied belong to the EPT group (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera), which are widely used as bioindicators of aquatic ecosystems. Two mitochondrial DNA genes were used as molecular markers: COI and cyt b for fish, and COI and 16S rRNA for the EPT - group. Overall, Odaesan National Park exhibited higher phylogenetic diversity in both fishes and aquatic insects compared to Seoraksan National Park, although this difference was not statistically significant. The highest phylogenetic and species diversity were observed for fish at the OD2 site (Woljeong District) and for the EPT group at the OD1 (Gyebangsan) and SA2 (Jangsudae) sites. Correlation analysis revealed that phylogenetic diversity indices were more positively associated with species richness than species diversity indices. This study serves as a pilot project for establishing standardized methods for assessing biodiversity in national park habitats using phylogenetic diversity. It also aims to inform various policies, such as the development of biodiversity assessment systems and the prioritization of protected areas within national parks.

River estuaries are dynamic and productive ecosystems with high regional biodiversity. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has become a useful approach to assessing biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems. This study was conducted to investigate fish community characteristics and species diversity in two river estuary ecosystems, the Taehwa River and Changwon Stream. We further compared conventional and eDNA metabarcoding analyses of the fish communities. The conventional survey was performed in May, July, and October 2022, while the eDNA analysis was conducted only in May. We observed various fish species with different life histories, including carp, goby, and marine fish. We also found that migratory fish, such as dace Tribolodon hakonensis, sweetfish Plecoglossus altivelis, and eel Auguilla japonica, occurred in the Taehwa River, suggesting high river connectivity. Marine fish species were predominant in the Changwon Stream, as this river is located close to the sea. The diversity indices showed that the Taehwa River generally had higher species richness, evenness, and diversity values than the Changwon Stream. A total of 9-19 species were detected in the conventional survey for the three sites, whereas 11-18 species were found from eDNA analysis. The findings indicate that the sensitivity of eDNA was similar to or higher than that of the conventional method. Our study findings suggest the efficiency and efficacy of eDNA-based fish community monitoring, although with some shortcomings in applying the genetic marker to Korean fish, including no clear-cut distinction for Korean endemic species and/or genetically closely related species groups.