• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.11-22
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• 1994

The understory vegetation of a Chamaecyparis obtusa plantation is relatively sparse at a valley in Sangkwan-my6n, Wanju-gun, Chiinbuk, Korea, and that of the pure C. obtusa plantation is more sparse than in the C, obtusa-Larix leptolepis plantation. In order to investigate the causes of this difference, this study was carried out both in the field and in the laboratory. Total of 109 taxa, comprising 90 genera and 53 families, were identified in the plantation. But the average number of species above 10% frequency was only 27, and both the number of species and plants per quadrat in the pure C. obtusa plantation were lower than those in the C, obtusa-L. leptolepis plantation. Light intensity, soil pH, and the difference of soil minerals were supposed to be parts of the causes. Soils, litter extracts of C. obtusa and L. leptolepis, and leachates collected by vermiculite beneath C. obtusa canopy for 1 year were tested for the effect on germination and seedling growth of both inside species and outside species in the laboratory. Germination and seedling growth of outside species were more suppressed than those of inside species. Therefore it was found that allelopathic effect of C. obtusa would be responsible for the sparse understory vegetation in the C. oblusa plantation.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.97-104
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• 2021

Background: Asarum sieboldii Miq., a species of forest understory vegetation, is an herbaceous perennial belonging to the family Aristolochiaceae. The metapopulation of A. sieboldii is distributed sparsely and has a short seed dispersal distance by ants as their seed distributor. It is known that many flowers of A. sieboldii depend on self-fertilization. Because these characteristics can affect negatively in genetic structure, investigating habitat structure and assessment of genetic structure is needed. A total of 27 individuals in a valley were sampled for measuring genetic diversity, genetic distance, and genetic differentiation by RAPDPCR. Results: The habitat areas of A. sieboldii metapopulation were relatively small (3.78~33.60 m²) and population density was very low (five to seven individuals in 20×20 m quadrat). The habitat of A. sieboldii was a very shady (relative light intensity = 0.9%) and mature forest with a high evenness value (J = 0.81~0.99) and a low dominance value (D = 0.19~0.28). The total genetic diversity of A. sieboldii was quite high (h = 0.338, I = 0.506). A total of 33 band loci were observed in five selected primers, and 31 band loci (94%) were polymorphic. However, genetic differentiation along the valley was highly progressed (G_st = 0.548, N_m = 0.412). The average genetic distance between subpopulations was 0.387. The results of AMOVA showed 52.77% of variance occurs among populations, which is evidence of population structuring. Conclusions: It is expected that a small-scale founder effect had occurred, an individual spread far from the original subpopulation formed a new subpopulation. However, geographical distance between individuals would have been far and genetic flow occurred only within each subpopulation because of the low density of population. This made significant genetic distance between the original and new population by distance. Although genetic diversity of A. sieboldii metapopulation is not as low as concerned, the subpopulation of A. sieboldii can disappear by stochastic events due to small subpopulation size and low density of population. To prevent genetic isolation and to enhance the stable population size, conservative efforts such as increasing the size of each subpopulation or the connection between subpopulations are needed.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.785-790
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• 2015

As an alternative to large-scale clear cutting silviculture, strip clear cutting (SC) is being considered as a system compatible with ecological conservation and forest regeneration. In South Korea, application and effectiveness of SCC in varying forest types were rarely found. In this study, under the subject of strip clear cutting lands of pinus densiflora forest at Samcheok, Gangwon-do Province, the developmental aspect of low vegetation prior to and after deforestation and the correlation between environmental factor and pine regeneration were analyzed. The cover rate of understory vegetation was appeared to be increased after deforestation and rapidly increased two years after deforestation, and it was evaluated to be affected by vigorous tree species and photophilic species. From the perspective of relative importance value, Quercus mongolica, Artemisia keiskeana, and Rubus crataegifolius that influence the cover rate showed the inclination of continuous growth. The diversity of species showed increment inclination as well due to introduction and settlement of early transient species. As a result of analyzing the correlation between vegetation and environmental factor and generation of pine tree size, the soil exposure rate, intensity of light, and canopy openness showed positive relationship, and the understory vegetation cover and woody debris cover rate showed negative relationship.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.131-136
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• 2001

Comparisons of understory vegetation between the burned and the unburned area, and effects of fire on seed germination of Melica onoei, which increased importance value in burned area, were investigated in the black pine forest. The number of plant species in burned and unburned area was 38 and 20, respectively. Melica onoei, indigofera kirilowii, Lespedeza bicolor Miscanthus sinensis were the most abundant species in burned area. A number of seedlings and sprouts of these species were found in burned area. Standing biomass of understory vegetation in burned and unburned area was 88.7g/㎡ and 299.8g/㎡, respectively, in the immediate postfire year. However, standing biomass in burned area increased to 537.2g/㎡ and relative standing biomass of Melica onoei was the highest with a value of 25.7% in the second year Seed germination of Melica onoei in control(C), dark (D), leaf (L), leaf extract (E) treatment was 92.5%, 86.0%, 45.5% and 39.0%, respectively. However, seed germination in L+E and D+L+E treatment was 10.5% and 4.0%, respectively. It is assumed that higher importance value of M. onoei in the postfire vegetation in this study area might be due to the removal of allelopathic inhibitors and the improvement of light condition after fire.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2011

Effects of forest thinning on community level properties have not been understood yet in Korea. We investigated regeneration patterns and trajectories after a disturbance by applying a chronosequence approach. Light availability, litter and woody debris cover, and species composition were determined for twenty 50 m line-transect samples representing a disturbance duration gradient (within 11 years). Environmental factors such as light availability and coverage of woody debris and litter changed abruptly after thinning and then returned to the pre-disturbance state. Although species richness was gained at shrub and ground layer in a limited way in both forests, cover of various functional types revealed diversity in their responses. Notably, Alnus firma stands exhibited a larger increment of cover in woody plants. Ordination analysis revealed different regeneration trajectories between natural and planted stands. Based on ordination analysis, rehabilitated stands showed movement to alternative states compared with natural ones, reflecting lower resilience to perturbation (i.e., lower stability). Our results suggest that community resilience to artificial thinning depends on properties of the dominant species. But to get more explanatory ecological information, longer-term static observations are required.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.75-82
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• 2005

The experimental study was carried out to evaluate the performance of underplanted Pinus koraiensis 2-2 seedlings in the closed canopy natural deciduous forest. Overstory density effects on seedling survival and growth were assessed 7 years after underplanting. Seedling survival rate was 80%, average height was 0.9m with minimum of 0.3m and maximum of 2.1m, and average diameter at butt end was 1.7cm with minimum of 1.4cm and maximum of 3.5cm. Compared with the growth rate of the pine plantation after clearcutting, the growth performance of underplanted pine seedlings was so poor that the height growth was less than 30% and diameter growth was less than 20%. Even though the Pinus koraiensis seedlings would be shade tolerant, the establishment and performance of underplanted Pinus koraiensis seedlings could be promoted by more than 50% of canopy regulation that provide adequate light at the forest floor and should exhibit a strong positive response following overstory removal by tending operation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.94 no.6
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• pp.387-396
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• 2005

Having employed the transitional probability model based on Markov chain, the study was carried out to examine successional trends for community types in the natural deciduous forest of Mt. Jumbong. The species composition of oncoming generation in overstory was estimated from that of mid-story, and the species composition in mid-story was based upon that of understory. Successional trend for each community was predicted from the reorganized probability matrix of tree replacement by the square of climax index, which was evaluated by the factors of light absorption, reproduction, and wood quality. As the result of analysis, following table shows the oncoming generation of steady state and dominant species in overstory and mid-story by community types. Even though Acer pseudo-sieboldianum and Carpinus cordata could hardly reach the canopy layer due to the intrinsic growth form, these species were predicted to maintain high compositional ratio so as to play an important ecological role in the study forest ecosystem.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.490-497
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• 2011

This study was carried out to identify environmental factor to influence fruiting of Vicia chosenensis populations distributed in Hongcheon-gun region, Korea. The populations was dominated by Quercus mongolica in the tree layer, and Lindera obtusiloba and Lespedeza maximowiczii in the shrub layer. Syneilesis palmata(21%) was abundant around reproductive state points and vegetative state points, and Artemisia stolonifera(13~18%) and Spodiopogon sibiricus(10~11%) show second high frequency in the both points. It was found that the soil moisture content in the Vicia chosenensis population was 20.4~21.9%; 8.6~14.9% for organic matter; 0.3~0.5% for the total N;12.7~16.9 ppm for available phosphorus; 22.5~28.5 $cmol_ckg^{-1}$ for CEC; 5.3~5.5 for soil pH, respectively. The microhabitat of individuals was restricted to areas high in understory light. Especially, reproductive individuals were more likely to be located than vegetative individuals in canopy gaps. Therefore, our results suggest that a proper forest management maintaining canopy gaps is needed for keeping natural Vicia chosenensis population.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1144-1149
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• 2011

The occurrence of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) advance growth has been noticed in the deciduous oak forest being adjacent to the mature Korean pine plantation. the korean pine seedlings in the forest were regenerated naturally from harvested and transported Korean pine seeds and cones by rodents, mainly red squirrels. Mongolian oak (Quercus bariabilis), which formed dominant overstory, had close-to-normal distributions of height, diameter and age classes. Korean pine, which dominated the understory, had the reverse J-shaped height, diameter and age distributions that are expected of a shade tolerant species. Growing in the summer shade of the oak, Korean pine seedling had slow, but steady height growth during the past four decades. Total biomass of Korean pine seedling ranged from $2,835-8,541kg\;ha^{-1}$ and biomass allocation of Korean pine seedling was follows : stem (with bark) > foliage > branches > roots. Korean pine seedlings allocated more biomass to foliage and branches compare to planted Korean pine. The smaller root/shoot ratio of Korean pine seedling in the site is to believed to be result of competition for light. Contents of N and K for Korean pine seedling were greatest in foliage follow by branches, stem ad roots, while content of P was greater in the order of foliage > roots > stem > branches.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.22-32
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• 2023

To investigate the effect of thinning intensity on environmental factors and ectomycorrhizal mushroom fruiting in forest ecosystems, we studied canopy closure, throughfall, soil temperature, soil moisture, light response of understory vegetation, and ectomycorrhizal mushroom fruiting in a 10-year-old pine forest after 34%, 45%, and 60% thinning. Canopy closure was significantly higher in the 34% treatment and control plots, ranging from 80-85% in April. However, in November, all thinning treatment plots showed a decrease of approximately 5-10% compared with the control plot. The 60% treatment plot had over 200 mm of additional throughfall compared with the control plot, and monthly throughfall was significantly higher by more than 100 mm in October. The soil temperature in each treatment plot increased significantly by up to 1℃ or more compared with the control plot as the thinning rate increased. The soil moisture increased by more than 5% in the thinning treatment plots during rainfall, particularly in the 34% treatment plot, where the rate of moisture decrease was slower. The photosynthetic rate of major tree species (excluding Pinus densiflora)was highest in Quercus mongolica, with a rate of 7 µmolCO₂·m^-2·s^-1. At a lightintensity of 800 μmol·m^-2·s^-1, Q. mongolica showed the highest photosynthetic level of 6 ± 0.3 μmolCO₂·m^-2·s^-1 in the 45% treatment. The photosynthetic rate of Fraxinus sieboldiana and Styrax japonicus increased as the thinning intensity increased. The Shannon-Wiener index of mycorrhizal mushrooms did not significantly differ among treatments, but the fresh weight of mushrooms was approximately 360-840 g higher in the 34% and 45% treatments than in the control. Additionally, the fresh weight of fungi in the 60% treatment was 860 g less than that in the control. There were more individuals of Amanita citrina in the control than in the thinning treatment, while Suillus bovinus numbers increased by more than 10 times in the 34% thinning treatment compared with the control.