• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.209-214
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• 2003

In order to clarify the successional trend and its characteristics of plant community in abandoned field in Cheju Island, we investigated the seral changes of vegetation height, coverage, growth form, species richness, diversity and dominance index along with the time lapse, and then compared with those of mainland researches. And in order to seek the overall trend of vegetation changes, we used cluster, TWINSPAN and PCA ordination techniques. The succession was characterized by the lower species number, lower vegetation height, longer period of herb dominant and later invasion of tree species. These results may come from that ecological traits of Cheju Island itself, and ecosystem fragmented influences that block a seed (propagule) transport. Sere of the dominant species was shown as follows: Mazus japonicus(0.5∼1 years)→Conyza sumatrensis (2 years)→Artemisia princeps var. orientalis(4 years)→Artemisia princeps var. orientalis, indigofera pseudotinctoria(5 years)→Rosa multiflora, Miscanthus sinensis, etc.(8 years)→Miscanthus sinensis(12 years)→Boehmeria nivea, Pueraria thunbergiana etc.(15 years)→Mallotus japonicus(20 years)→Litsea japonica, Machilus thunbergii (20 years<). Abandoned fields were classified into three groups according to time lapse; earlier stage(0∼1 years), middle stage(2∼8 years) and later stage(8∼20 years).

• Journal of Korea Foresty Energy
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 2003

The successional status and potential natural vegetation were examined in the natural deciduous forest in Mt. Chombong area. The examination was based on the subsequent process of generation replacement by understory saplings for the dominant canopy trees within 106 20mx20m square sample plots. The transition matrix model, which was modified from mathematical theory of Markov chain, was employed to analyze the successional status of the study forest. The model suggests that study forest is still seral, and it is considered to be more than 500 years away from the steady state or climax in terms of species composition. The simulations predict a remarkable decrease in the proportion of species composition of the present dominant Quercus mongolica and Kalopanax pictus from current 42.6% and 8.1% to less than 13.3% and 0.5%, respectively, at the steady state. On the contrary, the proportions of Abies holophylla, Acer mono, Fraxinus mandshurica, Tilia amurensis, and Acer pseudo-sieboldianum will increase at the steady state. The change of predicted composition ratio was generally coincide with the result of tolerance index to be compared with the study model. The hypothesis and sensitivity of the model were also discussed to evaluate the applicability to the real situation. The overall results indicated that the present dynamics of the forest must reflect the seral state due to previous disturbance mainly by human related interference.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.126-142
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• 2020

Background: Most of the Pinus densiflora forests, occupying the largest area, have been restored in South Korea since the 1970s. As young pioneer forests, the succession process is under way. Since the forests are distributed nationwide and are vulnerable to disturbances, the process may differ depending on the geography and/or site conditions. Therefore, we reviewed the direction, the seral communities, and the late-successional species of progressive and disturbance-driven succession nationwide in the cool-temperate zone through meta-analysis and empirical observations. Main text: As a result of a meta-analysis of the direct succession and vertical structure, we found that the P. densiflora forest is in a directionally progressive succession, changing to the broadleaved forest after forming a mixed forest with its overwhelming successor, Quercus species (particularly Q. mongolica and Q. serrata). In dry stands in a relative sense, the Quercus species was favored occupying over 80% of the abundance of the succeeding species. Therefore, in dry stands, it is presumed that Quercus-dominated stage would last for a long time due to the current dominance and long life span, and eventually, it settles as Quercus-broadleaved forest with a site change. Contrary to this, it is presumed that in mesic stands where Quercus species do not occur or have low abundance, the late-successional broadleaved species settle early to form a co-dominant forest with multiple species. Due to geographical limits, the species composition of the two late-successional forests is different. Disturbances such as insect pests and fire retrogressed vulnerable P. densiflora forest for a while. However, it was mostly restored to the Quercus forest and is expected to be incorporated in the pathway of the dry stand. Conclusions: We revealed the succession process of P. densiflora forests according to geography and moisture and found that stand moisture had a decisive effect on the species and abundance of the successor. Although the P. densiflora forest is undergoing structural changes, the forest is still young; so within a few decades, physiognomy is not likely to change. Therefore, the decrease in the forest area may be due to other causes such as disturbances and forest conversion rather than due to succession.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.29-41
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• 2015

Abandoned paddy field provides an excellent opportunity to improve the species diversity and habitat quality. Ecological characteristic on the changing of plant communities at different seral stages is a major basis data for ecological restoration. In this study, we investigated changes of the species composition and community indices on the plant community associated with abandonment of cultivated rice paddies. The ecological stability of the habitat was evaluated by using eco-floristic characters(Di; Disturbance index, AUI; Actual urbanization index). Survey sites were grouped into six stages(stageI (${\leq}3years$), stageII(3-5years), stageIII(5-7years), stageIV(7-10years), stageV(10-15years), stageVI(${\geq}20years$). Vegetation investigation was done from May 2009 to October 2012 and carried out phytosociological approach. The total flora were summarized as 176 taxa including 58 families, 127 genera, 157 species, 3 subspecies, 15 varieties and 1 forms. At each of successional stages, 64 taxa in stage I, 34 taxa in stage II, 84 taxa in stage III, 83 taxa in stage IV, 92 taxa in stage V, 23 taxa in stage VI were identified. Of the occurrence plants, the species with the highest r-NCD value were Alopecurus aequalis, Juncus effuusus var. decipiens, Persicaria thunbergii, Artemisia princeps, Salix koreensis and Alnus japonica at each stages. Herbaceous annual plants were dominated in the early stage, but its r-NCD value declined in the middle stage and the late stage. On the other hand, herbaceous perennial plants and Persicaria thunbergii, annual hydrophytes, increases in the middle stage. Woody plant and herbaceous plant which appeared in the forest edge increases in the late stage. Community indices correlate with successional stages. Richness and diversity index increase along the successional gradient. But dominance index decrease along the successional gradient. Evenness index was correlated with lower. In the ecological stability analysis of the habitat that evaluated by eco-floristic characters, stage I was the most unstable habitat. And the stability of the habitat has improved according to the successional stage.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.103 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2014

Open- to closed canopy stage and it's ecological characteristics in vegetation succession are commonly described, but poorly understood in Korea. Vegetation development on structure, environment and understory abundance were studied for 16 yr in post-clearcut Pinus densiflora forests in the southern Gangwon-do province by applying space-for-time approach. We sampled 210 plots (10 for structure and 200 for understory) for four seral stages (1yr, 3yr, 10yr and 16yr). After clear-cut, mean stem density increased gradually to $5,714{\pm}645$ stems/ha after 16 years and mean basal area was also from $5.5{\pm}0.7m^2/ha$ after 10 years and doubled at $10.0{\pm}1.6m^2/ha$ in 16 years. Woody debris and bared soil on the forest floor peaked at 11--- after 10 years and at 10.3--- after 3 years, respectively. In understory mean cover declined with all growth form groups following succession, but in richness, forb specie increased with structural development during 16 years. Our study suggested that overstory development did not suppressed whole understory properties especially in richness, thus appeared to act as a filter selectively constraining the understory characteristics. However only long-term studies are essential for elucidating patterns and processes that cannot be inferred form short-term or space-for-time researches. Strong negative relationship between overstory and understory characteristics in conventional models surely reexamined.