• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.365-380
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• 2017

Rapid changes in the flora of exotic species are ecological problems that cause the alteration of national and regional biota. The purpose of this study is to identify the reality of neophyte flora currently inhabiting in Korea. Having analyzed a total of 151 studies published up until 2016, we found the qualitative and quantitative gaps among the preceding studies due to the lack of rigorousness on the application of the spatial and temporal level of exotic species and academic terminology. In this study, the neophyte is defined as the flora introduced temporarily after the Enlightenment in Korea (late 19th century) and spatially in the Eastern Asiatic Province of the Takhtajan's floral region instead of a country boundary. A total of 326 taxa of 184 genera of 39 families were identified and analyzed for their distributional origin and habitat characteristics. Approximately 87% (285 taxa) was a component of the single-layered herb vegetation, and a total of 211 taxa originated from Europe and North America which are the same temperate biome as Korea. The wetland vegetation components were much fewer with 21 taxa, but they included a large number of invasive alien species that caused critical deterioration in the habitat structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. Ecological approaches to exotic species categories such as Ephemerophyten and Apophyten have emerged.