• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2021

Background: Montane wetlands are unique wetland ecosystems with distinct physicochemical characteristics, and Molinia japonica often makes dominant communities in montane wetlands in South Korea. In order to figure out the environmental characteristics of M. japonica habitats and the major factors for the growth of M. japonica, field surveys were conducted in five wetlands from September to October 2019. Also, soil was collected at every quadrats installed in surveyed wetlands to analyze the physicochemical features. Results: The relative coverage of M. japonica was higher in low latitude wetlands than in high latitude. Redundancy analysis showed that soil water content had the strongest effect on the growth of M. japonica (F = 23.0, p < 0.001). Soil water content, loss on ignition, and relative light intensity showed a high correlation with the density (R = 0.568, 0.550, 0.547, respectively, p < 0.01) and the coverage of M. japonica (R = 0.495, 0.385, 0.514, respectively, p < 0.01). Soil water content, loss on ignition, and pH were highly correlated with each other. Conclusions: Molinia japonica lives in acidic wetlands at high altitude in temperate zone of low latitude, with peat layer placed on the floor. Also, M. japonica prefers open spaces to secure enough light for photosynthesis. High shoot production of M. japonica resulted in adding new peat material in every year, and this layer enforces the environmental characteristics of M. japonica habitats. This study may provide insights for further understanding of the method how wetlands maintain acidic condition by itself in montane wetlands in temperate zone.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.33-42
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• 2005

Wetlands often function as a nutrient sink. It is well known that increased input of nutrient increases the primary productivity but it is not well understood what is the fate of produced biomass in wetland ecosystem. Water and sediment quality, decomposition rate of cellulose, and sediment accumulation rate in 11 montane marshes in northern Sierra Nevada, California were analyzed to trace the effect of nitrogen and phosphorus content in water on nutrient dynamics. Concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) in water were in the range of 27 to 607, 8 to 73, and 6 to 109 ppb, respectively. Concentrations of ammonium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium in water were the highest in Markleeville, which has been impacted by animal farming. Nitrate and SRP concentrations in water were the highest in Snow Creek, which has been impacted by human residence and a golf course. Cellulose decomposition rates ranged from 4 to 75 % per 90 days and the highest values were measured in Snow Creek. Concentrations of total carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in sediment ranged from 8.0 to 42.8, 0.5 to 3.0, and 0.076 to 0.162 %, respectively. Accumulation rates of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus fluctuated between 32.7 to 97.1, 2.4 to 9.0, and 0.08 to $1.14gm^{-2}yr{-1}$, respectively. Accumulation rates of carbon and nitrogen were highest in Markleeville and that of phosphorus was highest in Lake Van Norden. Correlation analysis showed that decay rate is correlated with ammonium, nitrate, and SRP in water. There was no correlation between element content in sediment and water quality. Nitrogen accumulation rate was correlated with ammonium in water. These results showed that element accumulation rates in montane wetland ecosystems are determined by decomposition rate rather than nutrient input. This study stresses a need for eco-physiological researches on the response of microbial community to increased nutrient input and environmental change because the microbial community is responsible for the decomposition process.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.262-266
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• 2016

We investigated the characteristic demographics for visitors to Mujechi bog on Mt. Jungjok, with the purpose of developing a management strategy for the conservation and wise use of the montane wetland. Using daily visitor data from 2007, 2011, and 2015 we extracted and analyzed; visitation date, age, residential areas, purpose of visitation and the time allotted for the visit. The largest age cohort was the decade of the fifties(36.8%/total number of visitors) and followed by the decade of the forties(30.4%). The majority of visitors were from Ulsan(67%), Busan(16.6%), and Yangsan(10.8%). The visitors' primary objectives were to hike Mt. Jungjok(39-64.4%) or view Mujechi bog(18.7-51.8%) during the weekend. People visited more during the weekend than weekdays(F=6.19, p<0.002). In addition, there was a clear seasonality obvious in the monthly visits. The proportion of visitors were present in spring and fall, the month with the highest visitation rate was May at $15.6{\pm}2.8%$($mean{\pm}S.D.$). This increase in May was partly due to the desire to see the Korean azalea in bloom in the spring. Montane bog, like Mujechi, could be highly affected by disturbance(e.g. stamping, sediment inflow) caused by visitors. Therefore, it is suggested, based on the level of visitation that to reduce possible human disturbance effects, that either a seasonal restriction or a yearly alternation of trails be established. Visitors to the wetland should be restricted access to certain areas of the wetland, or be required to go in the accompaniment of a ranger or warden.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.70-78
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• 2017

The Hwasan wetland vegetation is observed at mountain basin (644~780 m a.s.l.) where had become a potential land for indigenous people since prehistoric period. We phytosociologically investigated old-growth alder (Alnus japonica) forests using the $Z\ddot{u}rich$-Montpellier School's method and analyzed their spatial distribution pattern by actual vegetation map. Species performance was determined by using coverage and r-NCD. Viburnum opulus var. calvescens-Alnus japonica community syntaxonomically belonging to the Alnetea japonicae was first described and composed of three subunits: Salix koreensis subcommunity, typical subcommunity, and Pyrus ussuriensis subcommunity. Present plant community was compared with vicariant syntaxa such as Molinia japonica-Alnus japonica community, Rhamno nipponicae-Alnetum japonicae, and Aceri-Salicetum koreensis. Hwasan's alder forest, an alluvial terrace vegetation type on valley fan in the montane zone, is evaluated as vegetation class [I], which is a sort of benchmark plant community potentially on mountain wetlands in southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. Simultaneously we suggested an establishment of the national strategy for habitat conservation free from hydrologically radical transform due to military utilization.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.126-137
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• 2011

Although Sumunmulbangdui wetland at the Halla Mountain in Jeju Island, a kind of montane wetlands, has been considered to bear high biodiversity, no study has been reported on the bacterial diversity. In this study, soil and water samples were collected from the wetland in order to isolate novel bacterial species. Bacterial strains belonging to the phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria were isolated after spreading soil and water samples onto solid agar media. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of the strains assigned to the three phyla were compared to those of type strains of the species in the phyla. The strains that showed less than 98.7% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to the validly published species were considered to be novel species candidates. A total of 32 strains were regarded as novel species candidates in the phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. Diversity of novel species candidates was very low; the candidates were confined to only few genera. In the Bacteroidetes, 13 novel candidate species were affiliated with the genera Mucilaginibacter, Sphingobacterium, Pedobacter, Flavobacterium, and Chryseobacterium. A total of 13 novel candidate species that assigned to the genera Paenibacillus Lysinibacillus, and Bacillus were identified in the phylum Firmicutes. Only two candidate species that belonged to the genera Mycobacterium and Nocardia were excavated in the Actinobacteria. Cultural, physiological, and chemotaxonomic characteristics have been determined for the novel species candidates, and the characteristics are described in this study.