Abstract
Species composition and the amount of nutrients absorbed by regenerating plants on a pine forest in the immediate postfire year were compared with those in an unburned pine forest in Kosung, Kangwon Province. Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum, Cyperus amuricus, Lespedeza biolor, Quercus serrata, Lysimachia clethroides were the most abundant species in burned area. In unburned area. Quercus mongolica, Rhododendron mucronulatum, Carex humilis, Rhododendron schlippenbachii, Spodiopogon sibiricus were the most abundant species. Standing biomass of understory vegetation in burned and unburned area was 170.2 g $D.W/m^2$ and 171.3g $D.W/m^2$, respectively. Nutrient concentrations of plants in burned area, especially for phosphorus and potassium, were higher than those in unburned area. The amounts of nutrients absorbed by understory plants in burned and unburned area were 37.4 and 33.6 kg/ha for N, 0.36 and 0.19 kg/ha for P, 30.6 and 18.8 kg/ha for K, 8.5 and 7.8 kg/ha Ca, 5.2 and 5.7 kg/ha for Mg, respectively. This suggests that regenerating vegetation can hold the significant amount of nutrients, although there may be considerable losses of nutrients from ecosystem after fire.
