Abstract
The clarify the ecological properties, and to predict change of understory vegetation of mt. Nam Park, population dynamics and interspecific competition of D. smilacinum and D. viridescens, which grow in understory of deciduous broad-leaved forest and pseudo-annuals, were studied from May 20 to May 30 1998. The depth of litter layer, soil moisture content, soil organic matter and soil texture were surveyed in 18 populations (15 D. smilacinum populations and 3 D. viridescens populations). Mean litter layer of d. smilacimum population was thinner than that of D. viridescens populations). Mean litter layer of D. smilacnum population was thinner than that of D. viridescens population. The contents of soil moisture and organic matter of D. smilacinum population were lower than that of D. viridescens population. The D. smilacinum growed in broad range of soil texture but D. viridescens in loamy soil. Because D. smilacinum could tolerate more broad range of soil moisture and soil texture than D. viridescens, the former covered the herb layer in earlier stage and the latter introduced in later stage when rhizome could grow easily. The numbers of individual in two marginal parts were smaller than that in center in same D. smilacinum patch. And the total numbers of individuals grown in (10 ${\times}$ 10)cm were from 0 to 12. The rhizome (subterranean runner) weight, rhizome length, root weight, shoot weight, lea weight and leaf number per subquadrat (cell) increased along the number of individual, that is, increased from marginal part to center. But rhizome weight and rhizome length per individual were vice versa. Therefore, the individuals in marginal part reproduced longer and stronger asexual propagules than that in center. The distribution pattern of D. smilacinum was contageous and that of D. viridescens was random or regular. Therefore, population growth of former was independent on density and that of latter was dependent on density. The distributions of size-class showed normal curves in two population, but the curves based on data of total dry weight showed positive skewness and those of leaf number showed negative skewness The correlation coefficient (CC) values between the properties of each organ were high in two population and significant at 0.1% level. The CC values of D. viridescens were higher of the two. Therefore, the former allocated the energy to each organ stable. The rhizome depth of d. viridescens was 2 times deeper than that of D. smilacinum. And rhizome length and weight of D. viridescens were longer (2 times) or heavier (4 times) than those of D. smilacinum. The patch size of D. viridescens increased 60 cm per year and that of D. smilacinum 30 cm. On this results, the intrinsic increase velocity of d. viridescens patch was 2 times faster than that of d. smilacinum, therefore, on the competition, the former had an advantage over D. smilacinum. The reason why d. viridescens defeated D. smilacinum resulted from that the leaf area of former was 4 times broader than that of latter. in Mt. Nam Park, it was thought that two disporum Population would change with the 3 thpes of environmental change as followings. First, no human impact and increase of soil moisture content resulted in increase of D. viridescens population. Second, mild human impact and similar condition of soil moisture content resulted in slow increase or no changes of D. smilacinum and d. viridescens population. Third, severe human impact and dry condition resulted in decrease or vanishment of two disporum populations.
