• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.388-404
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• 2024

The focus of conserving plant diversity at the national level includes endemic species restricted to specific regions. This study thus aimed to investigate and evaluate the current distribution status of the Pulsatilla tongkangensis Y.N. Lee & T.C. Lee, one of Korea's endemic plants. The study also examined the vegetation environment of its habitat and assessed the structure of each population. Furthermore, the performance variable of each population was comparatively evaluated, and its annual growth characteristics were also observed. The distribution area of the P. tongkangensis is largely divided into limestone cliffs, ridge rocks, mountain peaks in limestone regions, and sandy soil areas resulting from weathering. Plants in the same distribution area were categorized based on their geographical location, which reflected their respective habitats. According to the population structure evaluated using the number of measured leaves numbers, the plants were categorized into stable and relatively unstable populations. A relatively young population was observed at the top of mountains and rocky ridges of limestone areas and sandy soil areas resulting from weathering. The number of mature individuals was the highest in the population observed around limestone cliffs. In contrast, the population near the top of the limestone mountain range had more leaves , but the plants were of short stature and had the fewest inflorescences. The individuals distributed in limestone cliffs grew, produced, and dispersed seeds for an extended period following establishment. The growth of individuals was limited due to environmental factors in the habitat of distribution areas, including ridges, mountain tops in limestone regions, and sandy soil areas resulting from weathering. It was assessed to have a comparatively brief life cycle compared to that of the plants found on limestone cliffs. P. tongkangensis began flowering in early spring, and both fruit maturation and seed dispersal were completed before the onset of summer. The habitats were determined to receive around seven hours of sunlight per day during the summer, which was considered suitable for establishing a life cycle for the P. tongkangensis, a species requiring strong sunlight for growth to establish and success in a dry environment. Considering the status data gathered from this study, the P. tongkangensis was classified as an endangered species (EN). In addition, the collected data are expected to provide important information for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Therefore, we proposed that the P. tongkangensis holds significant value as a core distribution site, given the observation of species with diverse characteristics on limestone cliffs in Pyeongchang-gun and Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.241-252
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• 2013

This study investigated plant community structure of Dongbaekdongsan(Mt.) in Jeju-do to identify character as evergreen broad-leaved forest. 20 plots(size is $20m{\times}20m$) were set up and plant communities were divided into 5 communities of Quercus glauca-Castanopsis cuspidata var. sievoldii-Ilex integra(Camellia japonica), Quercus glauca-Castanopsis cuspidata var. sievoldii-Camellia japonica, Quercus glauca-Camellia japonica, Quercus glauca-Camellia japonica-Pinus thunbergii and Pinus thunbergii-Quercus glauca by using TWINSPAN, DCA ordination, mean importance value and environmental condition. Area of Evergreen broad-leaved forest with stonny ground is covered with Quercus glauca and Castanopsis cuspidata var. sievoldii in canopy layer and Camellia japonica in the subordinate layer. Area of remaining soil's depth is covered with Pinus thunbergii. It has been alleged that Pinus thunbergii planted by human when Dongbaekdongsan(Mt.) is not selected local monuments. All of communities is predicted success to community of Quercus glauca-Camellia japonica. Shannon's diversity ranged from 1.0268 to 1.0717 in area of Evergreen broad-leaved forest and 1.2102 in area of Pinus thunbergii. 10 species of broad-leaved tree's constancy ratio is over the 80%. In future, Castanopsis cuspidata var. sievoldii and Cinnamomum japonicum can cover canopy layer, but it has low importance value. Specially high aged Camellia japonica is appeared everywhere. It has been alleged that it was touched by divinity since past. Dongbaekdongsan(Mt.) has different plant structure with another evergreen broad-leaved forest. It is hard that knowing its successional sere because it was damaged when it isn't degignate local monument. Accordingly continuous monitoring was required, successional direction and community's character is identified after forest become steady.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.56-71
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• 1980

To study the changes of vegetational composition of each plant successional stage of Pinus densiflora forest caused by pine gall midge damage, Thecodiplosis japonensis, located in Kyonggi-do area, the middle part of Korea, four districts, Anseong, Yongin, Gwangju, and Gapyeong, were selected according to the length of insect damage duration. The forest in the Anseong district was the noninfested one selected as the check. And forests in Yongin, Gwangju, and Gapyeong were the recent]y damaged, severely damaged, and damage prolonged ones in sequence. It was considered that this order could be in concord with the gradual transition of plant successional stage. In view of temperature, precipitation and soil factors, these four districts were sited within the same environment. Four survey plots were selected from each district and the distance between them was 3~4 km. Then again four subplots were set within a plot. Through needle accumulation after insect infestation, light intensity, soil moisture content, and the amount of soil organic matter were increased and these conditions could create a favorable environment enabling the new species invasion and their growth. These were naturally closely related with the increase in quantity of Pinus densiflora defoliation. After considerable time lapse, the quantities of above mentioned factors decreased with the development of the new substitute tree species. It was found that Quercus mongolica was an excellently substitute tree species come first in this studied area. Species diversity increased to a degree at the early stage of the duration of pine gall midge damage and decreased thereafter. As the same manner, similarity index value between plots in the same district decreased to a degree and increased thereafter. This was linked admittedly with the increase and decrease of tree species and evenness. Synthesizing above mentioned results, the process of plant succession studied quantitatively by changes of relative density and relative importance value, it can be concluded that Pinus densiflora forest gives way to Genus Quercus forest in which Genus Lespedeza and Genus Rhododendron species become as subdominance species after removal of the Pinus densiflora trees damaged by pine gall midge.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.66-80
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• 2011

This study investigated the environmental factors and conducted a RAPD analysis for a better understanding of the environmental characteristics and regional genetic variation in samples from 18 different areas of Viola diamantiaca. The habitats are mostly located on the slopes of mountains facing north at an altitude ranging from 614 m to 1,462 m above sea level with angles of inclination ranging from 3 degrees to 30 degrees. A total of 268 vascular plant taxa are identified in 35 quadrates of 18 habitats. The importance value of V. diamantiaca is 11.58%, and four highly ranked species, Sasa borealis (5.61%), Meehania urticifolia (5.21%), Ainsliaea acerifolia (3.62%), Pseudostellaria palibiniana (3.60%) are considered to have an affinity with V. diamantiaca in their habitats. The degree of their average species diversity is 1.36, while this metric for their evenness and dominance are 0.89 and 0.07, respectively. The average field capacity of the soil is 25.99%, with organic matter at 17.47%, and the pH is 5.19. The soil texture was confirmed as sandy loam of eleven and loam of seven. The result of the RAPD analysis, among 78 bands amplified with a primer, 64 (84.6%) showed polymorphism. Eighteen populations could be classified into five groups with similarity coefficient values ranging from 0.53 to 0.86. The Mt. Jiri population, which is geographically segregated, shows basal branching within the 18 populations. Five populations, including two in the southern district in Gangwon-do and three in Chungcheongbuk-do, form a distinct clade. Four populations in the central district of Gangwon-do and Mt. Bohyeon in the Gyeongsangbuk-do clade form a sister to the clade containing two populations in Gyeonggi-do and five populations of the northern district in Gangwon-do. The Mt. Gariwang population is placed between the southern district and the central district in the Gangwon-do clades.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.235-248
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• 2010

This study was carried out to the actual conditions and improvement of the eco-forests master plan in South Korea, and suggested its problems and improvement direction. Results from survey and analysis of limiting factors or constraints in the construction plans of eco-forests in Korea revealed that there were highly frequent problems involving site feasibility, topographic aspect, and existing vegetation. The results of survey on the status of land use indicated that the average ratio of the use of private estate was 29.7%, so then it was estimated that a great amount of investment in purchase of eco-forest site would be required. Results from survey on major introduced facilities showed that there was high frequency of introduction of infrastructure, building facility, recreational facility, convenience facility, and information facility, and that there was low frequency of introduction of plant culture system, ecological facility, structural symbol and sculpture, and the likes. There was just one eco-forest park where more than 500 species of plants grew, and the result of investigation indicated that the diversity of plant species in 11 eco-forest parks was lower than the standards for construction of eco-forest. Results from analysis of the projects costs revealed that investment cost in facilities was higher than planting costs, and that a large amount of investment was made in the initial stage of the project. There was no planned budget for the purpose of cultivating and maintaining the plants and vegetation after construction of eco-forest. The basic concepts in construction of eco-forests were established according to the guidelines presented by the Korea Forest Service; however, the detailed work of the project was planned with its user-oriented approach. Then the construction of eco-forest was being planned following the directions, which would lead to development of a plant garden similar to arboretum or botanical garden. Therefore, it is required that the architect who designs eco-forest as well as the public officer concerned firmly establish the concepts of eco-forest, and that, through close analysis of development conditions, a candidate site to fit the purpose of constructing eco-forest be selected, and also a substantive management plan be established upon completion of construction of eco-forest.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.147-156
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate natural distribution of aquatic plane and to find out natural aquatic plants which highly absorb nutrient N and P. We surveyed vegetation within ${\pm}2m$ from streamside in 12 tributaries of the West Nakdong river watershed during May to October in 2003. Hydrophytes surveyed in tributaries of the West Nakdong river watershed were 27 families, 61 genera, 76 species, 3 varieties. Major dominance species of aquatic plants were Z. latifolia, P. communis, P. thunbergii, P. arundinacea, P. japonica, and P. distichum var. indutum. Aquatic plants having high production ability of biomass were Z. latifolia, P. communis, P. arundinacea, P. japonica, and E. crus-galli var. echinata. In the vertical distribution of hydrophytes within streams, dominant species were P. thunbergii and P. japonica in the upper stream, but dominant species in the downstream were P. communis and Z. latifolia. Species diversity or aquatic, plants was reduced, but their biomass and nutrient (T-N and T-P) content per the natural area unit $(m^2)$ were increased in the downsteaam. Nutrient N and P content of aquatic plants per the natural area unit were high at Joman river, Pyeonggangcheon, Bulam drainage canal, and Hogyecheon. Fifty-seven species of aquatic plants having high biomass were grounped into 4 categories $(I{\sim}IV)$ according to their nutrient content per dry weight unit. I group $(T-N,\;\geqq20gkg^{-1}\;&\;P_2O_5,\;\geqq7gkg^{-1})$ was comprised of 3 submerged plants (H. verticillata, P. crispus, and C. demersum), e emergent plants (O. javanica, P. distichum var. indutum, and R. sceleratus), 1 suspended plant (T. japonica), and 1 riparian plant (A. lobatum). Otherwise, in classification of natural hydrophytes according to their nutrient content per natural area unit, Z. latifolia, P. communis, P. longiseta, P. arundinacea, and P. distichum var. indutum possessing great biomass productivity as emergent plants were included in I group $(T-N,\;\geqq1gm^{-2}\;&\;P_2O_5,\;\geqq0.7gm^{-2})$.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.15-32
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• 2003

The ecological study on seven wetlands of Haman area in Kyungsangnamdo, Korea, was carried out. In especial, the biological data of the sites were unknown. In this study, water quality including water temperature, pH, DO, COD, T-N, T-P, SS were tested. On the survey of plants and animals, vegetation and flora were investigated and the fauna of insects, fish, and amphibians were studied on each wetland. Water of wetland Oksu was heavily polluted and wetlands Pyungy and Dodulyangy were relatively clean. The water pollution was most severe in winter at all of the wetlands. Plant communities were classified into 9 natural communities and 1 artificial community. On the vegetation, wetland Sugok showed the highest plant taxa, and 41 families, 78 species and 16 varieties were classified. There was remarkable difference in number of plant taxa. The difference may be caused by the variances of wetland sizes, the influence from terrestrial environment. Wetland Sugok showed most rich insect fauna, and 10 orders, 76 families 224 species and 1082 individuals were identified. The species diversity was 2.05 and the species richness was 73.49. Wetland Ddun showed poor insect fauna, and 6 orders, 23 families, 29 species and 81 individuals were identified. Total collected fish were 4 orders, 7 families and 11 species. The fish fauna was most rich in wetlands Oksu and Pyungy, but poor in wetland Unan. Total collected amphibians were 2 orders, 3 families and 4 species.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.312-323
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• 1999

External morphology, principal component analysis, cluster analysis, and vegetation were investigated to understand the taxonomic relationships and native environmental characters of Megaleranthis saniculifolia populations in four different habitats. Morphological characters such as calyx length and width, calyx index, presence or absence of serrate in calyx lobe, length of peduncle, branch of peduncle and fruit characters were useful for the identification of four different habitats. But, characters of plant height, bract and seed in four habitats were similar. The results obtained based on the principal component(PC) analysis of treated 96 OTU were divided into two groups by PC 1, 2, 3, and the sums of contributions for the total variance were 66.79%(PC1 31.3%, PC2 20.7%, PC3 15.8%, respectively), and only Mt. Taeki population was distinctly different from populations of other three habitats. In cluster analysis based on average linkage cluster analysis and Ward's method, there were similarities in the composition of clustered taxa, and each populations were not identified. Importance value by relative coverage and frequency appeared in M. saniculifolia(50.81%), Aruncus dioicus(12.64%), Corydalus turtschanovii(11.62%), Veratrum oxysepalum(11.45%), Anemone koraiensis(8.96%), Meehania urticifolia(8.76%), Filipendula palmata(7.06%), Aconitum pseudo-laeve(5.66%), Pseudostellaria palibiniana(5.45%) and Smilacina japonica(5.25%), respectively. These species were considered to be highly similar with M. saniculifolia. The highest importance value in all investigated sites was M. saniculifolia, but specific composition of high level different from each habitat. Average diversity of species was 1.40, and the highest in Mt. Kwangdeok(1.31), lowest in Mt. Jumbong(1.17). Average soil pH was 5.25 and similar in each habitat. Although the lowest content of K ion, but the highest the EC, water capacity, organic compound, Ca content were found in soil of Mt. Sobaek. Soils in Mt. Kwangdeok had the lowest content of EC, organic compound, Ca. Soils of Mt. Jumbong showed the highest of Mg content, but the lowest of water capacity, $P_2O_5$, and K contents.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.346-361
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• 2021

The range of D. spathulata identified in this survey was between N 35° 24' 58" ~ N 35° 26' 35", E 129° 05' 43" ~ E 129° 07' 04". It is located at an altitude of 98~592 m. The soil pH was strongly acidic in the range of 4.2~4.9, with a canopy openness of 18.56% and a chlorophyll index of 36.74 ± 2.80. As a result of the TWINSPAN analysis, 20 plots of 100 m² each were divided in 4 communities: Pinus densiflora community, Quercus monglica-Diabelia spathulata community, Quercus serrata-Diabelia spathulata community and Carpinus tschonoskii subassociation. The result of species diversity was 0.7615, and evenness and dominance were found to be 0.6077 and 0.3923, respectively. The height of D. spathulata is up to 3.4 m, and the average height is 1.1 m, with most of the species distributed as shrubbery and herbaceous. The average population density of the 20 plots was 1.635 individuals/m², the height range of flowering was 1.0 ~ 1.8 (aver. 1.39 m) and the rate of flowering was 27.37%. It's propagation pattern was mainly formed by extending the rhizome to the side, creating a colony of ground stems.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.594-606
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• 2022

This study was conducted to figure out the environment factors including vegetation structure and soil characteristics in natural habitats of Sageretia thea, and offers the basic information for habitats conservation and proliferation. The natural habitats of Sageretia thea were located at altitudes between 0~370 m with inclinations ranged as 3~35°. Through the vegetation research, the dominant species of tree layers were found to be divided into four communities. Cornus macrophylla (Com. I), Pinus thunbergii - Cinnamomum camphora (Com. II), Machilus thunbergii (Com. III), and Pinus thunbergii (Com. IV). The Species diversity (H') was 1.397~1.455, evenness (J') was 0.972~0.986, and dominance (D) was found to be 0.014~0.028. As a result of the physicochemical characteristics of soils, habitats soil mainly consisted of sandy soil and sandy loam soil. The average soil pH was 5.28~5.98, electronic conductivity was 0.22~63 ds/m, soil organic matter was 13.33~19.33 cmol⁺/kg, Exchange cations were appeared in the order of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, and Na⁺. The Ordination result showed that Correlation coefficient between communities and environmental factors were significantly correlated with 4 main factors altitude, electronic conductivity, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable Na⁺. As expected, The result of this study will be helpful information on the preservation and mass production for use.