Study on the Diversity and Habitat status of Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Juwangsan National Park

This study aimed to understand the diversity and habitat status of benthic macroinvertebrates in Juwangsan National Park, Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. The survey was conducted twice between April and September 2023. A total of 10,495 in- dividuals belonging to 109 species, 58 families, 18 orders, six classes, and five phyla were collected. A comparison with previous studies indicated that species diversity remained relatively stable. The Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) group had the highest species richness and individual abundance within the community. Analysis of this group, which serves as an indicator of water quality, revealed that it comprised more than 60% of the total species and individuals. Pearson correlation analysis (PCA) of EPT species and individual ratio with various factors revealed statistically positive correlations with altitude, dissolved oxygen (DO), diversity (H'), evenness (E), richness index (RI) and total ecological score of benthic macroinvertebrate community (TESB). In con- trast, the EPT group showed statistically negative correlations with the water temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and the dominance index (DI). These findings indicate that the species and individuals in the EPT group tended to increase in areas with lower water temperatures, higher dissolved oxygen levels, and stable community structures. At most sites, the total ecological score of TESB index was assessed as good to very good, and the Benthic Macroinvertebrate Index (BMI) was assessed as Class A across all sites. Furthermore, a comparison with previous studies indicated that the species ratio of the EPT group remained above 60% in the 2008 survey. Therefore, this suggests that Juwangsan National Park has maintained stable species diversity and a healthy habitat environment to the present day.