• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.17-32
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• 1983

The aboveground production, nutrient distribution and nutrient cyclings were compared between two Phragmites communis communities growing in the different salt contents of soil in a coastal salt marsh. Inorganic nutrient contents of soil for plant growth were greater at the low salt stand than at the high salt stand except for sodium(Na). Maximum aboveground biomass of the plant at the low and the high salt stands were 2,533 and 1,719 g dw/$m^2$, respectively, in August. Seasonal changes of nutrient content of biomass in dry weight decreased with growth except for Na. Nutrient contents in biomass per unit land area increased continuously as biomass increases, although the amount of potassium(K) reached the maximum content in July and thereafter decreased. Vertical distributions of total nitrogen(T-N) and phosphorus(P) increased with plant height, but Na showed the reverse trend. That of K was similar to the patterns for T-N and P in the leaves, and to the pattern of Na in the stems. The Na was greatly accumulated in underground biomass but transported scarcely to aboveground. At the low and the high salt stands, the ratios of the inorganic nutrients contained in the plant were 100 : 66 for T-N, 100 : 61 for P, 100 : 62 for K and 100 : 97 for Na. the ratios of the amounts of nutrients retrieved to soil were 100 : 242 for T-N, 100 : 408 for P, 100 : 127 for K and 100 : 269 for Na, respectively. Turnover times of the T-N, P, K and Na in the communities were 56, 1, 15 and 174 years at the low salt stand, and 75, 2, 24 and 323 years at the high salt stand, respectively. In nutrient cyclings, all of the nutrients retrieving to soil were less than uptake by plant. Among the nutrient, especially P is expected to be exhausted from soil, sooner or later, because of the harvest by men.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.717-724
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• 2012

Salt accumulated soil should be reclaimed to lower salt level for crop production. This study was carried out to investigate the characteristics of water flow and transport of mono and divalent solutes on salt accumulated soils with different head pressures. Saturated hydraulic conductivity was measured by constant and falling head methods with maintaining different head pressures. Saturated hydraulic conductivity was influenced by bulk density and organic matter contents in soils, but it had different elusion patterns between saline and sodic soil. While the quantity of water necessary for reclamation could be varies with soil type, it was considered that the supply of one pore volume of water was affordable and economic. Additional head pressure significantly increased the volume of leachate at a given time and it was more effective at low organic matter soils. The results indicate that additional head pressure would be one of the best irrigation practices on desalination method for salt accumulated soils.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.85-93
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• 1988

This laboratory study was carried out in order to produce fundamental data for analyzing salt movement and desalinization effects, using samples of silt loam soil collected in Gyehwado and Daeho reclaimed tidelans, and samples of silty clay loam soil collected in Kimie tideland. Desalinization experiments with gypsum treatment were performed to analyze changes of the hydraulicc conductivity with changes of the soil property and the salt concentration during the desalinization of reclaimed tideland soils by leaching through the subsufface drainage, and correlations between factors infl uencing the reclamation of salt affected soils were analyzed by the statistical method. The results were summarized as follows: 1. The reclaimed tideland soils used in this study were saline-sodic soils with the high exchangeable sodium percentage and the high electrical conductivity. 2. Changes of the hydraulic conductivity with the amount of leaching water and the leaching time elapsed were affected by the amount of gypsum except exchangeable sodium and clay contents. The regression equation between the depth of water leached per unit depth of soil (Dw / Ds : X) or the square root of the leaching time elapsed (T $^1$ $^2$ : X) and the relative hydraulic conductivity (HCr:Y) could be expressed in Y=a . bx. 3. The more exchangeable sodium and clay contents regardless of the amount of gypsum, the more the leaching time was required until a given volume of water was leached through the soil profile. The regression analysis showed that the relationship between the depth of water leached per unit depth of soil(Dw /Ds:X) and the square root of the leaching time elapsed(T$^1$$^2$ :Y) could be described by Y=a . Xb. 4. The hydraulic conductivity was influenced to a major degree by the salt concentration provided that the electrical conductivity was below 10 mmhos / cm during the desalinization of reclaimed tideland soils. The regression equation between the relative electrical conductivity ( ECr : X) and the relative hydraulic conductivity (HCr:Y) could be expressed in Y=a + b . X-$^1$. 5. In conclusion, the hydraulic conductivity, leaching requirements and the leaching time elapsed can be estimated when the salt concentration decreases to a certain level during the desalinization of reclaimed tidelands, and the results may be applied to the analysis of salt movement and desalinization effects.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2009

In order to elucidate the mechanisms affecting plant distributions in the reclaimed dredging area in the Gwangyang steelworks, in the Gwangyang Bay, Korea, we examined soil characteristics and plant distributions in four study sites and a control site in the study area. Desalination occurring along a gradient with increasing elevation, resulting in decrease of soil pH, EC, P, K, Cl, Ca, Mg, and salt and an increase in soil T-N, silt, clay contents. From site 1 (the lowest-elevation site) to site 5 (the highest-elevation site), halophytes decreased in abundance and nonhalophytes increased. The dominant species in each site were: Phragmites communis, Limonium tetragonum, and 12 additional species at site 1, Carex pumila, Suaeda japonica, and 15 additional species at site 2, Spergularia marina, Scirpus planiculmis, and 22 additional species at site 3, Miscantus sinensis, Lespedeza bicolor, and 26 additional species at site 4 and Pinus thunberii, Rhododendron mucronulatum, and 39 additional species at site 5, which resembled a naturally-occurring P. thinbergii community. Cluster analysis of the vegetation data matrix grouped the 35 plots into 5 major groups, and cluster analysis using the soil environment data matrix revealed 4 major groups. CCA of the floristic and environmental data matrix showed a positive relationship of SAR, EC, Na, Cl, and Ca, which are related to salt, in the $1^{st}$ axis and $2^{nd}$ axis, but negative relationships for altitude, organic contents, silt, and clay contents. Notably, plant species in the reclaimed dredging area that were separated along the $1^{st}$ axis showed strong relationships with factors that related to salt. Long-term exposure to natural rainfall in the reclaimed dredging area changed the soil characteristics, such as salinity. This change in soil characteristics might alter the SAR, which affects plant survival strategies in a given habitat. These results strongly indicated that factors related to salt and elevation play important roles in determining the overall plant distribution in the reclaimed dredging area.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.264-276
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• 2021

Background: Salt marshes provide a variety of ecosystem services; however, they are vulnerable to human activity, water level fluctuations, and climate change. Analyses of the relationships between plant communities and environmental conditions in salt marshes are expected to provide useful information for the prediction of changes during climate change. In this study, relationships between the current vegetation structure and environmental factors were evaluated in the tidal flat at the southern tip of Ganghwa, Korea, where salt marshes are well-developed. Results: The vegetation structure in Ganghwa salt marshes was divided into three groups by cluster analysis: group A, dominated by Phragmites communis; group B, dominated by Suaeda japonica; and group C, dominated by other taxa. As determined by PERMANOVA, the groups showed significant differences with respect to altitude, soil moisture, soil organic matter, salinity, sand, clay, and silt ratios. A canonical correspondence analysis based on the percent cover of each species in the quadrats showed that the proportion of sand increased as the altitude increased and S. japonica appeared in soil with a relatively high silt proportion, while P. communis was distributed in soil with low salinity. Conclusions: The distributions of three halophyte groups differed depending on the altitude, soil moisture, salinity, and soil organic matter, sand, silt, and clay contents. Pioneer species, such as S. japonica, appeared in soil with a relatively high silt content. The P. communis community survived under a wider range of soil textures than previously reported in the literature; the species was distributed in soils with relatively low salinity, with a range expansion toward the sea in areas with freshwater influx. The observed spatial distribution patterns may provide a basis for conservation under declining salt marshes.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.135-142
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• 2012

Exchangeable cations are often overestimated especially in salt-affected soils due to the presence of high levels of soluble ions in soil solution. Thus, quantitative analysis of the soil exchangeable cation based on ammonium acetate extraction method {(Exch. Cation)$_{total}$} requires additional process to remove the free ions (pre-washing) in soil with distilled water or alcohol {(Exch. Cation)$_{pw}$} or subtraction of the soluble ion contents from the total exchangeable cations {(Exch. Cation)$_{ref}$}. In this research, we compared the three different methods for the determination of exchangeable cations in soils affected by different types of salt accumulation such as the soils from upland, plastic film house, and reclaimed tidal land. In upland soils, non-saline and non-sodic soils, the regular ammonium acetate extraction method did not have any problem to determine the content of exchangeable cations without any additional process such as the pre-washing method or the subtraction method. However, the contents of exchangeable cations in the salt-affected soils might be determined better with the pre-washing method for the plastic film house soils and with the subtraction method for the reclaimed tidal land soils containing high Na.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.12-19
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• 2018

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between soil environmental factors and halophyte distribution in the west coast of South Korea. Soils of our study sites were categorized into two groups: salt marsh and estuary marsh. Results: Salinity was higher in the salt marsh group than that in the estuary marsh group. However, total nitrogen, silt, and clay contents were higher in the estuary marsh group than those in the salt marsh group. Although altitude had a wider range in the salt marsh group, the mean altitude was higher in the estuary marsh group than that in the salt marsh group. Annual halophytes of seed propagation species were distributed parallel to the coast line on salt marsh. Higher coverage of vegetation was found in the area closer to the coast line. Plant density was higher near dead parental plants in estuary marsh, showing less difference in area that was more distant from the coast line. Conclusions: Results of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) for vegetation distribution and sediment environmental factors and germination analysis in the coast line showed significant relationship with halophyte distribution. Therefore, they can be used as an indicator of coastal plant movement due to sea level rise.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1065-1072
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• 2012

Crop productivity decreases globally as a result of salinization. However, salinity impact on greenhouse-grown crops is much higher than on field-grown crops due to the overall concentrations of nutrients in greenhouse soils. Therefore, this study was performed to determine the short-term changes in growth, photosynthesis, and metabolites of tomato plants grown in greenhouse under heavily input of fertilizers evaluated by microbial activity and chemical properties of soils. The soils (< 3, 3.01~6, 6.01~10 and > 10.01 dS $m^{-1}$) from farmer's greenhouse fields having different fertilization practices were used. Results showed that the salt-accumulated soil affected adversely the growth of tomato plants. Tomato plants were seldom to complete their growth against > 10.0 dS $m^{-1}$ level of EC. The assimilation rate of $CO_2$ from the upper fully expanded leaves of tomato plants is reduced under increasing soil EC levels at 14 days, however; it was the highest in moderate or high EC-subjected (3.0 ~ 10.0 dS $m^{-1}$) at 28 days. In our experiment, soluble sugars and starch were sensitive markers for salt stress and thus might assume the status of crops against various salt conditions. Taken together, tomato plants found to have tolerance against moderate soil EC stress. Various EC levels (< 3.0 ~ 10.0 dS $m^{-1}$) led to a slight decrease in organic matter (OM) contents in soils at 28 days. Salinity stress led to higher microbial activity in soils, followed by a decomposition of OM in soils as indicated by the changes in soil chemical properties.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.189-203
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• 2019

Brine leakage is a common phenomenon during construction facilitated by artificial freezing technique, threatening the stability of frozen wall due to the continual thawing of already frozen domain. This paper takes the frequently encountered soft clay in Wujiang District as the study object, and remolded specimens were prepared by mixing calcium chloride solutions at five levels of concentration. Both the deformation and pore water pressure of frozen specimens during thawing were investigated by two-stage loading tests. Three sections were noted from the changes in the strain rate of specimens during thawing at the first-stage load, i.e., instantaneous, attenuated, and quasi-stable sections. During the second-stage loading, the deformation of post-thawed soils is closely correlated with the dissipation of pore water pressure. Two characteristic indexes were obtained including thaw-settlement coefficient and critical water content. The critical water content increases positively with salt content. The higher water content of soil leads to a larger thaw-settlement coefficient, especially at higher salt contents, based on which an empirical equation was proposed and verified. The normalized pore water pressure during thawing was found to dissipate slower at higher salt contents, with a longer duration to stabilize. Three physical indexes were experimentally determined such as freezing point, heat conductivity and water permeability. The freezing point decreases at higher salt contents, especially as more water is involved, like the changes in heat conductivity. The water permeability maintains within the same order at the considered range of salt contents, like the development of the coefficient of consolidation. The variation of the pore volume distribution also accounts for this.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.63-74
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• 1993

The ecotypic variation of Phragmites communis Trin. was studied from Aug. 1989 to March 1992 in three populations of salt marsh, estuary and fresh water areas of the western coastal regions in Korea. The length growth and aboveground total dry weight of Phragmites communis Trin. From three habitates were measured monthly and the seeds from them collected. Chlorophyll contents, bud number and width of Phragmites communis Trin. populations after their seeds were sown in seedbeds, and the growth of seedlings according to salt contents were also determined. The results lare summarized as follows: The height and basal diameter of shoot, leaf length and width, and total dry weight of Phragmites communis Trin. were very different from each other according to their natural habitats. The bud number of seeds was increased as sample sites moved from estuary to fresh water areas and salt marsh. The but the bud diameter turned out to be in reverse proportion to the bud number. The chlorophyll content of the population from fresh water was $8.6901{\mu}g/ml$, whereas that from estuary and salt marsh was $9.61801{\mu}g/ml$ and $10.3160{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The average length growth and total dry weight of seedlings grown at different salt contents were compared. Those of fresh water area decreased at salt contents lower than 0.5% in culture solution and those of estuary at higher than 0.5%, but the population of salt marsh was shown to be capable of sustaining itself at 1.0%. All of these results suggested that the populations of Phragmites communis Trin. in the western coastal regions of Korea have undergone ecotypic variations: fresh water type, estuary type and salt marsh type.