Spatial Habitat Structure Research Articles

Spatial phenotypic variability is higher between island populations than between mainland populations worldwide

Spatial isolation is a key driver of population‐level variability in traits and genotypes worldwide. Geographical distance between populations typically increases isolation, but organisms face additional environmental barriers when dispersing between suitable habitat patches. Despite the predicted universal nature of the causes of isolation, global comparisons of isolation effects across taxa and geographic systems are few. We assessed the strength of isolation due to geographic and macroclimatic distance for paired marine island and paired mainland populations within the same species. Our meta‐analysis included published measurements of phenotypic traits and neutral genetic diversity from 1608 populations of 108 plant and animal species at a global scale. As expected, phenotypic differentiation was higher between marine islands than between populations on the mainland, but we found no consistent signal for differences in spatial patterns of neutral genetic diversity between the two systems. Geographic distance had comparatively weak effects on the spatial patterns of phenotypes and neutral genetic diversity. These results suggest that spatial patterns of phenotypic variation are determined by eco‐evolutionary pressures that differ more between islands than between mainland populations, while the spatial variability of neutral genetic diversity might be shaped by rather similar processes in the two systems. Our approach demonstrates that global biodiversity models that include island biology studies may progress our understanding of the interacting effects of spatial habitat structure, geographic‐ and environmental distances on biological processes underlying spatial population variability. We formulate future research directions for empirical tests and global syntheses in the field.

Biodiversity measures providing food and nesting habitat increase the number of bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) colonies in modelled agricultural landscapes

Individual biodiversity measures in agricultural landscapes such as flower strips are reported to promote the diversity and abundance of pollinating insects. Those biodiversity measures can be important food sources increasing the amount and continuity of pollen and nectar supply besides sometimes also offering nesting and hibernation sites. Still little is known about combined effects of biodiversity measures at the landscape scale and their long-term impact on pollinator population development. We used the agent-based simulation model BumbleBEEHAVE to investigate, if biodiversity measures have a positive effect on bumblebee populations at landscape scale in terms of the number of colonies per hectare. For this purpose, we chose Bombus terrestris, the most common bumblebee species in Germany, as target species. We used three real landscapes located in different regions of Germany as landscape settings for the simulations. The landscapes had strongly different farming systems regarding crop diversity and rotations and, consequently, different spatial structure and areal proportions of land-use types and semi-natural habitats. Between 2017 and 2020, distinct combinations of biodiversity measures, such as flower strips, flowering headland and fallows, were established by farmers on different areal proportions of the three landscapes. The biodiversity measures differed in plant-seed mixtures and, thus, the pollen and nectar supply by plants. We simulated the development of bumblebee colonies in the landscapes with and without the implemented biodiversity measures over eight years (four years in a twice repetition). We found that the implementation of biodiversity measures had a significant positive effect on the number of colonies. Further analysis showed that the pollen and nectar supplied by biodiversity measures had positive effects in all three landscapes, while the effect of additional nesting habitat differed among landscapes. Mass-flowering crops had little to no significant effect on the number of bumblebee colonies, whereas semi-natural habitats had a markedly positive effect. Our study underlines that not only biodiversity measures are likely to affect the bumblebee population, but that the overall landscape composition, particularly proportion of semi-natural habitats, is also important. So, to achieve high effectiveness of biodiversity measures, landscape context may be taken into account.

Spatial Habitat Structure Assembles Willow-Dependent Communities across the Primary Successional Watersheds of Mount St. Helens, USA

The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 resulted in a cataclysmic restructuring of its surrounding landscapes. The Pumice Plain is one of these landscapes, where tree species such as Sitka willow (Salix sitchensis) and their dependent communities have been established along newly-formed streams. Thus, the study of these dependent communities provides a unique and rare opportunity to investigate factors influencing metacommunity assembly during true primary succession. We analyzed the influence of landscape connectivity on metacommunity assembly through a novel application of circuit theory, alongside the effects of other factors such as stream locations, willow leaf chemistry, and leaf area. We found that landscape connectivity structures community composition on willows across the Pumice Plain, where the least connected willows favored active flyers such as the western tent caterpillar (Malacosoma fragilis) or the Pacific willow leaf beetle (Pyrrhalta decora carbo). We also found that multiple levels of spatial habitat structure linked via landscape connectivity can predict the presence of organisms lacking high rates of dispersal, such as the invasive stem-boring poplar weevil (Cryptorhynchus lapathi). This is critical for management as we show that the maintenance of a heterogeneous mixture of landscape connectivity and resource locations can facilitate metacommunity dynamics to promote ecosystem function and mitigate the influences of invasive species.

Direct and Spillover Effects of Urban Land Expansion on Habitat Quality in Chengdu-Chongqing Urban Agglomeration

Urban land expansion has dramatically changed the spatial distribution patterns and functional structure of habitats. Previous studies on the spatial externality effect of urban land expansion on the habitat quality of urban agglomerations are still insufficient. With the use of remote sensing and statistical data from 2000 to 2018, this study explored the evolutionary relationship between urban land expansion and habitat quality in the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration (CUA) using the bivariate local autocorrelation method and spatial Durbin model. Partial differential equation decomposition of the local and spatial spillover effects was implemented to investigate the marginal effects of the influencing factors. The highlights of the results are as follows: CUA’s urban land increased by 2890.42 km2 from 2000 to 2018, mainly caused by urban encroachment over farmland and grassland. New urban lands were situated primarily in the main urban districts of Chengdu and Chongqing; urban expansion intensity slowed to 7.64% in 2010–2018, declining by 53.95% from 2000 to 2010. The average habitat quality decreased to 0.905, and two “ring-shaped decline areas” were formed around the main urban areas of Chengdu and Chongqing. “Low-High” and “Low-Low” clusters were the main associations between urban land expansion and habitat quality changes. The impact of urban land expansion on local habitat quality changed from insignificant to negative, while its spatial spillover effects over adjacent areas have increased the negative environmental externalities to habitat quality in adjacent areas through spatial spillovers. Our findings provide evidence for urban agglomerations such as CUA that are still being cultivated to carry out cross-city joint protection strategies of habitat quality, also proving that habitat quality protection should be an integration of urban expansion regulation, natural adaptation and socioeconomic adjustment.

Community phylogeny and spatial scale affect phylogenetic diversity metrics in a species-rich rainforest in Borneo.

Community phylogenetic analysis is an effective approach to understanding the process of community formation. The phylogenetic tree of the species pool is reconstructed in the first step, and the phylogenetic tree obtained in the second step is used to analyze phylogenetic diversity. Sythetic trees have often been used in the construction of phylogenentic trees; however, in tropical rainforests with many closely related species, synthetic trees contain many unresolved nodes, which may affect the results of phylogenetic structure analysis. Here, we constructed a phylogenetic tree using DNA barcode sequences (rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA) for 737 tree species from the rainforests of Borneo, which have a high-species diversity and many closely related species. The phylogenetic tree had fewer polytomies and more branch length variations than the Phylocom synthetic trees. Comparison of community phylogenetic analyses indicated that values of the standardized effect size of mean pairwise distance (SES-MPD) were highly correlated between Phylocom and DNA barcode trees, but less so for the standardized effect size of mean nearest taxon distance (SES-MNTD), suggesting that caution is needed when using synthetic trees for communities containing many congeneric species, especially when using SES-MNTD. Simulation analysis suggested that spatial dependence on phylogenetic diversity is related to the phylogenetic signal of the species' habitat niche and the spatial structure of habitat, indicating the importance of detailed phylogeny in understanding community assembly processes.

Integrative taxonomy tests possible hybridisation between Central Asian cerambycids (Coleoptera)

AbstractHybridisation can lead to the formation of new evolutionary lineages and some described insect species may in fact be first‐generation hybrids of their parental species. Anoplistes forticornis and A. galusoi are two closely related cerambycid taxa endemic to Central Asia that exhibit a peculiar geographical distribution. Although the common diagnostic elytral pattern makes these beetles superficially easily distinguishable, there are marked resemblances in their morphology. By applying an integrative taxonomy approach, we verify the taxonomic status of A. forticornis and A. galusoi and test the possibility of hybridisation. The results of our comprehensive morphological examination and molecular analyses targeting mitochondrial (COI, 16S rRNA) and nuclear (arginine kinase, CAD, 28S rRNA) genes support the specific status of these taxa. In mtDNA, the putative hybrid specimen is more closely related to A. forticornis, which indicates that a female of this species bred with a male of A. galusoi. The supposed ecotypic variability (manifested in elytral pattern) is apparently not related to the topography or spatial structure of habitat. The phylogenetic hypothesis supports a peripatric scenario in which populations of the common ancestor had been separated for a significant period of time, first by the mountain ranges of Dzungarian Alatau (~11–10 Ma) and ultimately by the Ili River. The diverged taxa came into recent secondary contact following these isolation events. The methodology presented herein can be widely applied to identify first‐generation hybridisation in Coleoptera.

The role of habitat fragmentation in Pleistocene megafauna extinction in Eurasia

The idea that several small, rather than a single large, habitat areas should hold the highest total species richness (the so‐called SLOSS debate) brings into question the importance of habitat fragmentation to extinction risk. SLOSS studies are generally addressed over a short time scale, potentially ignoring the long‐term dimension of extinction risk. Here, we provide the first long‐term evaluation of the role of habitat fragmentation in species extinction, focusing on 22 large mammal species that lived in Eurasia during the last 200 000 years. By combining species distribution models and landscape pattern analysis, we compared temporal dynamics of habitat spatial structure between extinct and extant species, estimating the size, number and degree of the geographical isolation of their suitable habitat patches. Our results evidenced that extinct mammals went through considerable habitat fragmentation during the last glacial period and started to fare worse than extant species from about 50 ka. In particular, our modelling effort constrains the fragmentation of habitats into a narrow time window, from 46 to 36 ka ago, surprisingly coinciding with known extinction dates of several megafauna species. Landscape spatial structure was the second most important driver affecting megafauna extinction risk (ca 38% importance), after body mass (ca 39%) and followed by dietary preferences (ca 20%). Our results indicate a major role played by landscape fragmentation on extinction. Such evidence provides insights on what might likely happen in the future, with climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation acting as the main forces exerting their negative effects on biodiversity.

Importance of human capital, field knowledge and experience to improve pest locust management.

A poorly organised risk management system may dysfunction when used. The consequences can be dramatic for those supposed to be protected. Since the 1960s, preventive control strategies, with field officers as living memory, have been developed to monitor locusts. Preserving their experience of past plagues is consequently essential. Wrong use of their knowledge can disrupt the whole management chain. We explored these conditions using a multi-agent model representing a preventive system. We simulated how the field teams' tendency to repeatedly visit past outbreak areas (hotspots) by allocating them an attraction weight can help in preventing plagues. When field teams' attention remained constant over time, there was dramatic decrease in the number of plagues, with increasing interest in hotspots, as long as interest was less than 2.5 times more than elsewhere. When the field teams were only attentive during recession times, plagues were better controlled using a low weight for hotspots. The spatial structure of hotspot distribution had an effect: the more frequent and the bigger the hotspots, the lower the optimal hotspot weighting needed to reduce plagues. Orienting surveys towards hotspots particularly during recession times reduces plagues. The spatial structure of locust habitats may influence the way they are managed. Habitats located outside the multiple hotspots of species such as the desert locust should be visited more frequently than those with only one hotspot, such as the South American locust. The decline/loss of the field officers' experience highlights the need to save, capitalise and disseminate this knowledge. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Old tricks-new opportunities: combining telemetry ellipses and landscape metrics to assess habitat spatial structure

Confidence ellipses are areas derived from telemetry data that can be used to assess daily habitat use when integrated with land cover spatial structure. Our goal was to assess the feasibility of using confidence ellipses derived from telemetry data to assess landscape structure. Our objectives were (1) to identify the geometry of confidence ellipses that can be used in landscape level studies; and (2) to quantify landscape structure within confidence ellipses derived from telemetry data. We used Rio Grande wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia) as our model species. We simulated landscapes and clipped them using known confidence ellipse shapes. We then compared the clipped areas with values measured for our simulated landscapes using landscape metrics that describe landscape structure. We used these results to select ellipse derived from telemetry data to evaluate landscape structure used by wild turkeys during the breeding and wintering seasons in South Texas. Ellipses with a low x/y ratio (< 0.38) had significant differences from simulated landscape measurements. This information was used to remove wild turkey ellipses that did not meet the simulation criteria. Our results suggest that wild turkeys in South Texas used larger, more aggregated and interconnected patches of woody cover during the wintering season than during the breeding season. Landscape simulations facilitate the understanding of how landscape sampling strategies may be affected by sampling shape models. The integration of wildlife telemetry data with landscape ecology approaches and remote sensing were important in identifying spatial patterns used by wildlife.

Feeding habitats of juvenile reef fishes in a tropical mangrove–seagrass continuum along a Malaysian shallow-water coastal lagoon

We conducted stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) and gut content analyses to understand habitat use of juvenile reef fishes (Lethrinus lentjan, Lutjanus russellii, and Epinephelus coioides), particularly the influence of spatial habitat structure along seagrass–mangrove continua. Sampling was conducted in Setiu Lagoon, located in the southern waters of the South China Sea (Malaysia). Gut content analysis indicated that the focal fishes preyed mainly on benthic invertebrates and other smaller fishes; these were used as potential prey items for isotopic tracers to track fish habitat use. Stable isotope analyses highlighted that the juvenile reef fishes were highly associated with seagrass beds as feeding grounds; however, site-specific analyses suggest differences in fish feeding habitats. The juvenile fishes, particularly large juveniles, preyed in both mangrove and seagrass areas from the central lagoon, whereas all juveniles showed preferential foraging within seagrass meadows in the nearby lagoon mouth. Furthermore, the mean stable isotope values of muscle tissue differed among fish size classes, indicating their ontogenetic habitat/diet shifts, especially for L. lentjan and E. coioides. This study provides important information to support current efforts in protecting and preserving mangroves and seagrasses as crucial nursery habitats for juvenile reef fishes from the anthropogenic activities influencing Setiu Lagoon.

Modified hydrogeomorphic approach for estimating quantitative change of riverine wetland functions

HydroGeoMorphic (HGM) approach could examine relatively more details for wetland functions. However, HGM cannot be utilized in assessing the functional improvement of wetlands because it is limited to evaluating the similarity between the reference and the target wetlands. Therefore, this study proposes the Modified HydroGeoMorphic (MHGM) approach for considering better functions of target wetlands. The values of Index of Function (FCI) and variables in HGM are in the range of 0.0 to 1.0 and so, in MHGM, we redefine the values of variables in 0.0 to 2.0 to find a better function for the target wetland. Based on the monitored variables, FCIs for the wetland functions were estimated and the functions of dynamic surface and subsurface water storage, spatial structure of habitat, and maintaining the distribution and abundance of vertebrates in Imjin riverine wetland as a target wetland showed better FCIs than those of Hwapo which is a reference. This means that MHGM reflects an actual change in FCI, leading to a more favorable evaluation of the target compared to the reference wetland. This indicates that MHGM considers actual functional progress of wetlands by improving HGM's limitations in assessing change.

Bacteria-in-paper, a versatile platform to study bacterial ecology.

Habitat spatial structure has a profound influence on bacterial life, yet there currently are no low‐cost equipment‐free laboratory techniques to reproduce the intricate structure of natural bacterial habitats. Here, we demonstrate the use of paper scaffolds to create landscapes spatially structured at the scales relevant to bacterial ecology. In paper scaffolds, planktonic bacteria migrate through liquid‐filled pores, while the paper’s cellulose fibres serve as anchor points for sessile colonies (biofilms). Using this novel approach, we explore bacterial colonisation dynamics in different landscape topographies and characterise the community composition of Escherichia coli strains undergoing centimetre‐scale range expansions in habitats structured at the micrometre scale. The bacteria‐in‐paper platform enables quantitative assessment of bacterial community dynamics in complex environments using everyday materials.

Longitudinal and microhabitat distributions of fishes, amphibians, and reptiles and the environmental characteristics in the upper Yura River, Kyoto, Japan

AbstractQuantitative data on the distribution of aquatic vertebrate species along environmental gradients at multiple spatial scales are useful for assessing habitat quality, understanding habitat selection, and predicting the population structures of focal species. In addition, comparable datasets for multiple species enable the examination of the interspecific differences in habitat niches and their differentiation or aggregation patterns in a stream assemblage, as well as the theory of species coexistence. The distributions of aquatic vertebrates and environmental characteristics on longitudinal and microhabitat scales were investigated at 21 sites in a temperate stream, the Yura River, Kyoto, Japan, during the day and at night from August to September 2009. The sites were located from the headwaters to about 40 km downstream along the main channel of the river. Snorkeling observations were conducted using the line‐transect method following a standardized procedure at each sampling site with a detailed description of the spatial structure of aquatic vertebrate habitats. The microhabitat environments (water depth, current velocity, substratum characteristics, and presence/absence of vegetation cover) could be determined for all observed individuals. A total of 11,724 individuals belonging to 28 fish, 2 amphibian, and 1 reptile species were observed. The data can be used to examine the spatial patterns of focal aquatic vertebrate species and assemblages, and interspecific differences in habitat use among sympatric aquatic vertebrate species at multiple spatial scales.

Change detection in a Marine Protected Area (MPA) over three decades on Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean

AbstractThe island of Bonaire is a long-established Marine Protected Area (MPA), the reefs of which were extensively mapped in the early 1980s. Satellite remote sensing techniques were used to construct reef maps for 2008–2009. Metrics describing the spatial structure of coral habitat at the landscape scale – including coral cover, fragmentation, patch size and connectivity between patches – were calculated and compared between these two time periods. Changes were evaluated in and out of the MPAs and in areas exposed and sheltered from storm damage. Overall, coral cover has declined during the past three decades, being replaced by sand, but the decline has not been as drastic as elsewhere in the Caribbean. Fragmentation of the reef habitat has occurred, resulting in smaller and more disparate patches, but these changes were not associated with exposure along the coastline. However, total coral cover was maintained in sheltered areas, whereas it declined along exposed shorelines. Human protection of reefs by marine reserves had variable effects on coral cover and fragmentation. One of two no-diving marine reserves showed increases in coral cover accompanied by decreases in the number of patches of coral and an increase in the size of individual patches over the time period, while the second reserve exhibited the opposite trend. Advances in satellite remote sensing techniques allow for a more rapid assessment of changes in reefs at the landscape level, which can be used to identify spatial changes in the reef environment, including areas of coral decline.

Flight morphology corresponds to both surrounding landscape structure and local patch conditions in a highly specialized peatland butterfly (Lycaena epixanthe)

1. Movement mediates the response of populations and communities to landscape and habitat spatial structure, yet movement capability may itself be modified by selection pressures accompanying landscape change. Insect flight morphology can be affected by both the landscape surrounding habitat patches and the distribution of resources within habitat patches.2. This study investigated the relative influence of local habitat patch conditions and surrounding landscape structure on variation in morphological traits associated with flight in the bog copper (Lycaena epixanthe), a butterfly endemic to temperate Nearctic peatlands.3. Eight habitat patches were sampled to assess the influence of the surrounding landscape (connectivity of potential habitat and matrix composition) and patch size (an integrated proxy of resource density and spatial distribution) on investment into flight, measured by thorax and abdomen mass, and wing area.4. The results revealed an effect of both local habitat conditions and landscape structure on flight‐related morphological traits. Increasing forest cover in the surrounding landscape, indicative of increased habitat patch isolation, corresponded with less mobile phenotypes in both sexes. Surrounding landscapes with more water were also generally associated with less mobile phenotypes. Investment into flight was greater in smaller peatlands in which host plant density is higher and more homogeneously distributed.5. The present study highlights that morphological traits associated with mobility may be responding to both local habitat patch characteristics and surrounding landscape structure. It also supports the hypothesis that local habitat conditions contribute to morphological variation in butterflies.

Benthic meltwater fjord habitats formed by rapid glacier recession on King George Island, Antarctica.

The coasts of the West Antarctic Peninsula are strongly influenced by glacier meltwater discharge. The spatial structure and biogeochemical composition of inshore habitats are shaped by large quantities of terrigenous particulate material deposited in the vicinity of the coast, which impacts the pelagic and benthic ecosystems. We used a multitude of geochemical and environmental variables to identify the radius extension of the meltwater impact from the Fourcade Glacier into the fjord system of Potter Cove, King George Island. The k-means cluster algorithm, canonical correspondence analysis, variance analysis and Tukey's post hoc multiple comparison tests were applied to define and cluster coastal meltwater habitats. A minimum of 10 clusters were needed to classify the 8 km2 study area into meltwater fjord habitats (MFHs), fjord habitats and marine habitats. Strontium content in surface sediments is the main geochemical indicator for lithogenic creek discharge in Potter Cove. Furthermore, bathymetry, glacier distance and geomorphic positioning are the essential habitats explaining variables. The mean and maximum MFH extent amounted to 1 km and 2 km, respectively. Extrapolation of the identified meltwater impact ranges to King George Island coastlines, which are presently ice-covered bays and fjord areas, indicated an overall coverage of 200-400 km2 MFH, underpinning the importance of better understanding the biology and biogeochemistry in terrestrial marine transition zones.This article is part of the theme issue 'The marine system of the West Antarctic Peninsula: status and strategy for progress in a region of rapid change'.

Frugivore-Mediated Selection in A Habitat Transformation Scenario

Plant-animal interactions are strong drivers of phenotypic evolution. However, the extent to which anthropogenic habitat transformation creates new selective scenarios for plant-animal interactions is a little explored subject. We examined the effects of native forest replacement by exotic Eucalyptus trees on the frugivore-mediated phenotypic selection coefficients imposed by the relict marsupial Dromiciops gliroides upon traits involved in frugivore attraction and germination success of the mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus (Loranthaceae). We found significant gradients for seed weight and sugar content along the native - transformed habitat gradient. While selection for larger seed weight was more relevant in native habitats, fruits with intermediate sugar content were promoted in transformed habitats. The spatial habitat structure and microclimate features such as the degree of sunlight received influenced the natural selection processes, as they correlated with the phenotypic traits analysed. The response of this plant-frugivore interaction to human disturbance seemed to be context-dependent, in which extremely transformed habitats would offer new opportunities for natural selection on dispersal-related traits. Even in recent transformation events like this, human disturbance acts as a strong contemporary evolution driver.

Habitat structure determines spider diversity in highland ponds

AbstractWetlands (e.g. ponds, meadows) can be found in many landscapes, playing an important role in maintaining regional biodiversity and supporting heterogeneous communities. Spiders are diversified predators that are highly influenced by changes in plant community structure, heterogeneous habitats sustain high spider diversity and abundance. We investigated the characteristics of spider biodiversity in ponds with different habitat structures, by examining patterns across habitats of ponds with different vegetation levels. Sampling took place in four occasions over a year. We compared spider abundance, species richness and composition among ponds including distinct vegetation variables, related to life form, type of leaves, coverage and height. Overall 1174 individuals (194 adults) of 11 families and 37 morphospecies were sampled. We found mostly expected differences in the manner that communities were structured between different habitats. Thus, higher variability of abundance was explained for higher habitat structure of ponds. We also found differences in species composition between ponds with low emergent vegetation and higher habitat structures. Additionaly, spiders were consistently structured more by turnover than nestedness components, with a greater beta diversity of web‐builders. Our results suggest varying levels of habitat structures and species substitution shape pond spider communities, depending on habitat heterogeneity and spider guild. Those findings demonstrate the clear role of spatial habitat structure, with more spider species preferring to build webs or actively hunt at vegetated environments on ponds.

Spatial diffusion modelling of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) shows ontogenetic increase in movement rates

For organisms with extensive ontogenetic changes in phenotypes, knowledge of how movement of individuals changes throughout life is pivotal to understanding ecological processes. Here, we study the spatial distribution of a cohort of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from hatching to their third summer of juvenile life, during which they go through a fourfold change in body size. The fish originated from three distinct breeding sites, and their distribution was mapped using electrofishing throughout the river at 10 sampling periods. The spatial distribution throughout ontogeny was analysed using diffusion models. The distribution changed from three distinct nonoverlapping distributions centred on the individual breeding sites at the early first summer stage to a single continuous distribution at the end of the study. The diffusion coefficient increased throughout ontogeny, and spatial distributions were well-described using diffusion models, explaining 46%–89% of the variation. This highlights the utility of diffusion models when considering spatial habitat structure both in conservation and research.

HGM 적용을 통한 하도습지의 기능평가 제고 방안 연구

본 연구는 유수역에 적용 시 효율성을 높일 수 있는 HGM(Hydrogeomorphic) 기능 평가 틀을 제안 하였고, 이와 더불어 유수역에 적합한 기준습지를 습지보호지역 중 유수역에 해당되는 곳에 적용함으로써 기준습지의 활용성 제고를 목적으로 하였다. 기능평가는 기존의 HGM 평가 틀을 기반으로 하였으나, 유수역의 특성을 반영하여 수문학적, 생지화학적, 식물서식처, 동물서식처 기능에 따른 총 10개 항목의 기능지수(Functional Capacity Index, FCI)를 산정하였다. 유수역에 적합한 기능평가 틀의 각 항목별 지수를 하도 습지보호지역인 2개소의 습지에 적용해 본 결과 인공호안 하도습지인 담양하천습지는 제외지내 식생 분포 면적비율, 단위면적당 식물종수, 버드나무 분포 면적비율 등의 값이 높게 분석되었고, 이들 변수 값이 반영된 양분 순환(947,668.00), 식물종풍부도 및 특징적인 식생 군집 유지(6.39), 서식처의 공간구조적 유지(11.00) 등의 기능지수 값이 상대적으로 높게 분석되었다. 자연호안 하도습지인 한반도습지는 담양하천습지에 비해 하천 규모가 크고, 생물종다양성과 관련된 변수값이 높았으며, 이와 관련된 에너지 감쇄(17,805.16), 지표하 저류(0.54), 이입된 원소와 화합물 제거(103,052.73), 잔재생체량 유지(2.31), 산포 및 연결성 유지(6.50), 저서성무척추동물의 종다양성(1.60), 척추동물의 종다양성 및 종수(2.52/ 151.50) 등에서 기능지수 값이 상대적으로 높게 분석되었다. This study aims to suggest the framework of functional assessment on lotic area based on HGM(Hydrogeomorphic) approach targeting Wetland Protected Areas which are in the type of river channel, and to set up the fundamental data as a reference wetland. A total of 10 factors in terms of hydrology, biogeochemistry, plant habitat and animal habitat was analyzed based on the original approach of HGM and each Functional Capacity Index(FCI) of those factors was calculated. As the result of the modified FCI analysis, Damyang riverine wetland which is with artificial river bank had high values in the variables of area ratio of actual vegetation in the foreland, the number of plant per area and the area ratio of Salix spp., and those values were highly reflected on the factors of Nutrient Cycling(947,668.00), Species Richness and Maintain Characteristic Plant Communites(6.39) and Maintain Spatial Structure of Habitat(11.00). The Hanbando wetland which is keeping the natural bank had higher values in the variables of structural scale and species diversity, and the those values were highly reflected on the factors of Energy Dissipation(17,805.16), Subsurface Storage of Water(0.54), Removal of Imported Elements and Compounds(103,052.73), Maintain Characteristic Detrital Biomass(2.31), Maintenance of Interspersion and Connectivity (6.50), Species Diversity of Benthic macro-invertebrates(1.60) and Species Diversity of Vertebrate & Species Number of Other Animals(2.52/ 151.50), compared to the Damyang Riverine Wetland.