Structural Characteristics and Maintenance Mechanism of Ulmus pumila Community at the Dong River, Gangwon-do, South Korea

To analyze ecological characteristics of the Ulmus pumila community, an on-the-spot survey was conducted in August, 1998 in the Dong River, Gangwon-do, South Korea. The Ulmus pumila community is partially distributed in Dong River's midstream and upper stream. Topographical characteristics of this community are significant in the point bar or sandbank of the river. The community is classified into two types, disturbed and non-disturbed types, by the effect of flooding. The Ulmus pumila community (bush forests of Siberian elms) is a representative community which forms riparian forests, but its distribution is rare in South Korea. Only in Dong River is the Ulmus pumila distributed enough to form a community, and none is known that is lager than this community in South Korea. The non-disturbance type progresses more homogeneously than the disturbance type because it is formed on riverside banks where it is affected less by flooding. We concluded that the Ulmus pumila community in this study area has characteristics of riparian forests. In South Korea, Ulmus pumila community can be regarded as important element of vegetation landscape constituting riparian forests. Specifically, these riparian forests are evaluated as high in conservation value due to their being formed spontaneously. Moreover, Dong River is regarded as the southern limit of Ulmus pumila, which has a northern origin. The species or community needs continuous interests and conservation countermeasures because there are limitations in its spread of distribution by natural or artificial efforts.