본 연구는 온배수가 유입되는 대구시 달서천을 대상으로 나일틸라피아의 개체군 특성을 파악하기 위해 2019년 1월부터 11월까지 조사를 실시하였다. 물리적 서식환경 분석 결과 낮은 수심과 자갈, 모래/진흙의 비율이 높은 하상구조를 유지하고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 이화학적 서식 환경 분석 결과 달서천의 전기전도도 (EC)는 매우 높은 것으로 확인되었다. 기온 및 수온 분석 결과 달서천은 연중 10°C 이상의 수온을 지속적으로 유지하는 것으로 나타났으며, 금호강은 3월부터 10°C 이상의 수온을 유지하는 것으로 확인되었다. 어류상 조사결과 총 8과 20종 4,247개체가 출현하였다. 상대풍부도 분석 결과 나일틸라피아가 1,306개체 (30.75%)로 우점하고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 조사 시기별 나일틸라피아 개체수 분석 결과 6월 30일 조사시 급격한 개체수 증가를 보였다. 나일틸라피아 개체군의 길이-무게 분석 결과 회귀계수 b값은 3.1496으로 나타났으며, 비만도지수 (k) 기울기는 0.0025로 양의 기울기로 분석되었다. 조사시기별 달서천의 수온과 나일틸라피아 전장을 비교·분석한 결과 22°C 이상의 수온을 유지하는 5월 29일 조사시 당년생 개체가 출현하였다. 전장빈도 분포 분석 결과 당년생은 0~110 mm, 1년생~2년생은 120~210mm, 2년생 이상의 개체는 >210 mm의 범위로 추정되었다. 나일틸라피아 개체군 생식소중량지수 (GSI) 분석 결과 수컷과 암컷 모두 3월 11일 조사시 중앙값이 가장 높았으며, 3월 이후 중앙값은 감소하는 것으로 나타났다. 나일틸라피아의 개체 무게 (BW), 생식소중량 (GS), 생식소중량지수 (GSI) 간의 상관 분석 결과 개체 무게가 유사더라도 암컷 개체의 생식소중량과 생식소중량지수가 더 높은 것으로 분석되었다. 결과적으로 달서천에 서식하고 있는 나일틸라피아 개체군은 온배수로 인해 겨울철에도 생존이 가능하며, 안정적인 생활사를 유지하고 있는 것으로 판단된다. 또한 수온이 10°C 이상으로 상승하는 3월 이후부터는 달서천에서 금호강으로 서식처 이동이 가능할 것으로 예상된다. 따라서 금호강을 중심으로 나일틸라피아 개체군의 서식 분포 파악을 통해 나일틸라피아 개체군 관리 및 담수어류 종다양성 보존을 위한 하천관리 방안 마련이 필요할 것으로 판단된다.

Thermal effluent of the hot spring has long been a field of interest in the relationship between temperature gradient and freshwater algae in geology, limnology and aquatic ecology throughout the world. On the other hand, many artificial hot springs have been developed in Korea, but the research on them has not been still active. This study was performed every month from December 2015 to September 2016, to elucidate the spatiotemporal effects of thermal wastewater effluent (TWE) on the ecosystem of benthic algal assemblage in four stations (BSU (upstream), HSW (hot spring wastewater outlet), BSD1~2 (downstream)) of the upstream reach of the Buso Stream, a tributary located in the Hantan River basin. During the survey, the influencing distance of temperature on TWE was <1.0 km, and it was the main source of N·P nutrients at the same time. The effects of TWE were dominant at low temperature and dry season (December~March), but it was weak at high temperature and wet season (July~September), reflecting some seasonal characteristics. Under these circumstances, the attached algal communities were identified to 59 genera and 143 species. Of these, the major phylum included 21 genera 83 species of diatoms (58.0%), 9 genera 21 species of blue-green algae (14.7%) and 25 genera 32 species of green algae (22.4%), respectively. The spatiotemporal distribution of them was closely related to water temperature (5℃ and 15℃) and current (0.2 m s-1 and 0.8 m s-1). In the basic environment maintaining a high water temperature throughout the year round, the flora favoring high affinity to PO4 in the water body or preferring stream habitat of abundant NO3-PO4 was dominant. As a result, when compared with the outcomes of previous algal ecology studies conducted in Korea, the Buso Stream was evaluated as a serious polluted state due to persistent excess nutrient supply and high thermal pollution throughout the year round by TWE. It can be regarded as a dynamic ecosystem in which homogeneity (Summer~Autumn) and heterogeneity (Winter~Spring) are repeated between upstream and downstream.

Understanding effects of thermal pollution and acidification has long been a concern of aquatic ecologists, but it remains largely unknown in Korea. This study was performed to elucidate the effects of thermal wastewater effluent (TWE) and acid rain on water quality and attached algae in a small mountain stream, the Buso Stream, a tributary located in the Hantan River basin. A total of five study sites were selected in the upstream area including the inflowing point of hot-spring wastewater (HSW), one upstream site (BSU), and three sites below thermal effluent merged into the stream (1 m, 10 m and 300 m for BSD1, BSD2, and BSD3, respectively). Field surveys and laboratory analyses were carried out every month from December 2015 to September 2016. Water temperature ranged 1.7~28.8°C with a mean of 15.0°C among all sites. Due to the effect of thermal effluent, water temperature at HSW site was sustained at high level during the study period from 17.5°C (January) to 28.8°C (September) with a mean of 24.2±3.7°C, which was significantly higher than other sites. Thermal wastewater effluent also brought in high concentration of nutrients (N, P). The effect of TWE was particularly apparent during dry season and low temperature period (December~March). Temperature effect of TWE did not last toward downstream, while nutrient effect seemed to maintain in longer distance. pH ranged 5.1~8.4 with a mean of 6.9 among all sites during the study period. The pH decrease was attributed to seasonal acid rain and snow fall, and their effects was identified by acidophilic diatoms dominated mainly by Eunotia pectinalis and Tabellaria flocculosa during March and August. These findings indicated that water quality and periphyton assemblages in the upstream region of Buso Stream were affected by thermal pollution, eutrophication, and acidification, and their confounding effects were seasonally variable.