The changes in flora and distribution and structure of vegetation were monitored for seven years at a
restored reach of an urban stream, the Yangjae Stream, southeast of Seoul, Korea. In the restored reach, diverse kinds
of the close-to-nature stream restoration techniques were adapted and implemented in the winter of 1998-1999. The
species numbers and diversity indices of riparian plants at the restored reach were higher than those at the unrestored
reach seven years after the restoration implementation. But plant diversity was decreased from the early restoration
stage of 1999 - 2001 to seven years after the implementation. The dominant species changed from a ruderal annual,
Humulus japonicus, to a perennial, Phragmites australis. The floral structure was distinctly different between in the
early stage and seven years later on the results of principal component analysis (PCA) because of decreasing in
numbers of exotic or ruderal species and planted or introduced plants in newly disturbed habitats. The distribution
areas of communities of Humulus japonicus and Erigeron annuus were decreased and those of communities
Phragmites australis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus were increased after the restoration implementation. The results of
detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) of plant communities revealed that the community structure were changed
from the disturbed vegetations to the stable and natural vegetation after the restoration implementation. Total seven
species of willows were found at the restored reach, of which two species were planted and the others were naturally
introduced. The monitoring results showed that the stream ecosystem of the study reach were successfully recovered in
flora and vegetation and could be used as a model site for the stream restoration in urban streams.