• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.409-419
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to compare the differences in aboveground flora and underground flora between a forest road and a forest edge and to clarify each characteristic through ecological approach to a forest road. The study site was the forest planted with Pinus koraiensis and Abies holophylla, and located at an altitude of 45m($36^{\circ}36'23''N127^{\circ}21'45''E$). The width of the forest road is 3.2m. This research set the forest edge within the areas 5m away from the forest road and also conducted a survey on vegetation 5 times from september 2006 to August 2007. In addition, it installed thirty six quadrats to make an analysis of reclaimed soil seed bank. Soil amounting to 600$cm^3$ was collected from each quadrat using soil samplers(100$cm^3$),which was preserved in low temperature refrigeration for a month. Soil was thinly strewed evenly on trays and watered every four or five days; then, this research did experiment for six months until no more germination took place. Through this process, this research identified species and counted the number of germinating individuals by using emerging seedlings. The research result showed that on the whole, the similarity index between aboveground flora and underground flora was low. The correlation coefficient between the aboveground flora vegetations both on the forest road and on its edge was found to be 0.36, showing a correlation with each other(p<0.05). On the other hand, the correlation coefficient between underground flora vegetations through the analysis of reclaimed soil seed bank was 0.20, showing no correlation with each other(p>0.05). As the survey result of naturalized plants, there existed 7 species of naturalized plants on the forest road in case woody plants were included, showing 11.11% naturalization rate and 2.61% urbanization index(UI). On the other hand in case woody plants were not included among the naturalized plants, the naturalization rate on the forest road was 12.50% while the naturalization rate on the edge of the forest was 9.09%.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.8-17
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• 2022

Background: Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae; hereafter Parthenium) is an invasive alien species of global significance because of its' negative ecological and socioeconomic impacts. This species is spreading rapidly from lowland Tarai to Middle Mountain regions in Nepal. In the present study, we analyzed the impacts of Parthenium on plant community composition including their soil seedbank in subtropical grasslands located in central Nepal. Data was collected in a 10 m long transects passing through areas of high (> 90% cover), medium (40%-60%) and low (< 10%) levels of Parthenium cover using a plot of 1 m². Altogether, we sampled 90 plots in 30 transects. Seedling emergence method was used to estimate soil seedbank density in the soil samples (0-10 cm depth) collected from the plots with high Parthenium cover. Results: There was no significant difference in the plant species richness at different levels of Parthenium invasion whereas there was a significant change in the species composition of above ground flora due to Parthenium invasion. There was also a significant difference in species composition between soil seedbank and aboveground flora in the highly invaded plots. Parthenium was the most dominant in soil seedbank, contributing 65% to the total soil seedbank. Conclusions: Our study suggests that Parthenium has considerable negative impact on the native grassland flora, and the dominance of Parthenium in the soil seedbank means there is a challenge for its management. It also suggests the need of monitoring the soil seedbank dynamics while managing Parthenium weed.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.10a
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• pp.20-20
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• 2019

Sedge family is second largest family in the Korean flora with more than 240 taxa, following Aster family (about 300 taxa). Although high species diversity, a very limited number of taxa has been utilized for ethnobotanical usages. In the study, previous researches on Cyperaceae ethnobotanical information are documented and analyzed for future research directions on the taxa. A total number of seven taxa has been used for medicinal, food, and material purposes: Carex boottiana Hook. & Arn., Cyperus amuricus Maxim., Cyperus esculentus L., Cyperus exaltatus Retz., Cyperus rotundus L., Eleocharis kuroguwai Ohwi, and Bolboschoenus maritimus (L.) Palla. Underground parts such as tubers are used with medicinal purpose, and aboveground portions such as leaves and stems provide materials for various tools and foods for people and animals. They are all native to Korea, except C. esculentus, which is introduced from Mediterranean areas for anti-erosion materials. The ethnobotanical value of C. esculentus has been well recognized from ancient times, for example, starch grains in USA (excavations at the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation) and Tiger nut milk (Horchata de chufa in Spain). Among material sources, C. exaltatus has a long history in the Korean peninsula from Three Kingdoms of Korea (57 BC~668 AD). C. rotundus is distributed widely in Asia, Africa, Europe, and America, and utilized for medicines, food, and materials. In addition, Eleocharis kuroguwai is only one taxon utilized for ethnobotanical uses among fifteen Eleocharis Korean native species. The number of species with ethnobotanical uses is small in sedge family, but the family has long been utilized accompanying long human history. Cyperus papyrus L., the source of papyrus paper (Egypt in the Nile Delta), is also a member of sedge family. Sedge family has contributed to human societies in various aspects but, the cultural, botanical, ecological values of family members have been underestimated.