• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.65-70
• /
• 2003

Shihwa tidal freshwater marsh was constructed recently to treat pollutants entering Shihwa lake. In this study, we examined the spatial and temporal patterns of heavy metal accumulation in soils of Shihwa marsh and sought correlations between several soil variables (pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, and acid ammonium oxalate-extractable Fe and Al contents) and the heavy metal concentration of soils. Surface soil samples (0∼20 cm) were collected in June 2000, November 2000, and July 2001, and were analyzed for heavy metals (Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, As, and Hg) and soil chemical properties. The neutral pH and water-saturated conditions of Shihwa marsh appeared to favor immobilization of heavy metal through adsorption onto soils. The concentrations of heavy metal (especially Zn, Cu, and Cr) in soils of Shihwa marsh increased along the sampling occasions, suggesting that soils of Shihwa marsh serve as a sink of heavy metal. Among the sub-marshes, metal concentrations were highest in Banweol high marshes and lowest in Samhwa marshes. The temporal and spatial variations in the heavy metal concentrations of soils were correlated positively with organic matter and oxalate extractable Fe and Al contents, but negatively with electrical conductivity. These results suggest that organic matter and hydrous oxide of Fe/Al may playa key role in removing heavy metals in soils of Shihwa marsh, and that heavy metal removing capacity would increase with desalinization. However, the removal patterns of heavy metal by reeds warrant further studies to evaluate the total removal capacity of heavy metals by Shihwa marsh.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.359-364
• /
• 2002

This study was conducted to examine the seasonal pattern of N and P uptake by reeds (Phragmites australis) planted in newly constructed Shihwa tidal freshwater marshes. Reed and soil samples were collected from the wetland periodically from June 2000 to May 2002. Reed samples were analyzed for dry weight and content of N and P Soil organic matter content and salinity were also determined. Dry matter content of reed increased during the growing season but decreased in the fall and winter. However, this seasonal pattern was not so evident in the second year. In particular, throughout the measurement period, dry matter content of reed was lowest at a site showing high soil salinity. Regression analyses between dry matter content of reed and soil EC(1:5) suggested that dry matter content per unit square meter would decrease by 1.5 kg with every 1 dS m/sup -1/ increase in soil EC(1:5). The amount of N and P assimilated by reed significantly decreased from the fall and was lowest in the spring. Net decrease in N content from reed during the fall and next spring was calculated as 34.5 and 24.6 g m/sup -2/ in the first and second years, respectively, while the corresponding P loss was 4.0 and 1.8 g m/sup -2/. Soil organic mailer content increased in the fall and winter, but decreased in the spring and summer. The results of this study suggested that the removal of N and P by reed would be considerable during the growing season but the nutrients taken up by reeds would return as detritus to the marshes in the fall and winter. Based on the results of the study, therefore, the harvest of the reed at the latter part of the growth would be recommended to prevent further water quality degradation. However, the long-term effects of reed harvest needs further study.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.264-276
• /
• 2021

Background: Salt marshes provide a variety of ecosystem services; however, they are vulnerable to human activity, water level fluctuations, and climate change. Analyses of the relationships between plant communities and environmental conditions in salt marshes are expected to provide useful information for the prediction of changes during climate change. In this study, relationships between the current vegetation structure and environmental factors were evaluated in the tidal flat at the southern tip of Ganghwa, Korea, where salt marshes are well-developed. Results: The vegetation structure in Ganghwa salt marshes was divided into three groups by cluster analysis: group A, dominated by Phragmites communis; group B, dominated by Suaeda japonica; and group C, dominated by other taxa. As determined by PERMANOVA, the groups showed significant differences with respect to altitude, soil moisture, soil organic matter, salinity, sand, clay, and silt ratios. A canonical correspondence analysis based on the percent cover of each species in the quadrats showed that the proportion of sand increased as the altitude increased and S. japonica appeared in soil with a relatively high silt proportion, while P. communis was distributed in soil with low salinity. Conclusions: The distributions of three halophyte groups differed depending on the altitude, soil moisture, salinity, and soil organic matter, sand, silt, and clay contents. Pioneer species, such as S. japonica, appeared in soil with a relatively high silt content. The P. communis community survived under a wider range of soil textures than previously reported in the literature; the species was distributed in soils with relatively low salinity, with a range expansion toward the sea in areas with freshwater influx. The observed spatial distribution patterns may provide a basis for conservation under declining salt marshes.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.78-89
• /
• 2024

Estuarine provides unique environmental conditions in terms of salinity concentration and sediment change patterns as freshwater and seawater mix. These conditions allow it to possess biodiversity that cannot be found in other ecosystems. This study was conducted to investigate and analyze distribution characteristics and biota of vegetation in the Gonyangcheon Estuarine Wetland, a brackish area, to prepare basic data for the conservation and sustainable use of estuarine wetlands. The vegetation in the Gonyangcheon Estuarine Wetland was classified into 23 plant communities across a total of six physiognomic vegetation types, including lentic herbaceous vegetation, lotic herbaceous vegetation, salt marsh vegetation, segetal vegetation, and substitutional vegetation. In particular, the Zoysia sinica community was widely distributed in the lower reaches, showing typical characteristics of tidal wetland and increasing its conservation value. From a biodiversity perspective, a total of 1,067 species were identified (an increase of 53 species compared to 2012) and 15 species of endangered wildlife were identified. Gonyangcheon Estuarine Wetland is an open estuary with excellent ecological connectivity. Various topography and landscapes such as rice paddies, forests, and salt marshes were organically developed and distributed, playing a positive role in promoting biodiversity, including brackish water organisms. Therefore, systematic conservation of the Gonyangcheon Estuarine Wetland will contribute to protecting migration routes of organisms and promoting ecological stability by securing a wetland ecological axis connected to the coast.