• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.89-101
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• 2018

In Mt. Halla, an arctic-alpine plant Diapensia lapponica var. obovata largely clings to rock surfaces. We observed the rock-surface temperatures of a rocky ridge on the summit area of the mountain from late April 2009 to early May 2010 in order to examine the diurnal and annual temperature variations and the thermal amplitude. We also investigated temperature regimes such as the frequency of freeze-thaw cycles and the temperature change, which might endanger the habitat through frost weathering. For comparison of slope aspects, temperature monitoring was carried out on the north and south faces of the same rocky ridge. The south face experiences the high daily maximum rock-surface temperatures and the high thermal amplitudes during the unfreezing season of May to November 2009. The temperature regimes are considered to exert physiological stress to the arctic-alpine plant. In addition, the south face shows the high frequency of freeze-thaw cycles during the seasonal freezing period of December 2009 to April 2010. This indicates that the south face is susceptible the exfoliation and granular disintegration of rock surfaces, which results in habitat destruction. As a consequence, the south face is believed to be less favorable for the establishment and growth of the arctic-alpine plant than the north face on the summit area of Mt. Halla.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.383-387
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• 1998

the geoecology of the alpine and subalpine belts of the Korean Peninsula, its component plant group, its environmental history, and climatic amplitudes of the arctic-alpine and alpine plants has reviewed and discussed. The present-day alpine and subalpine landscapes are likely to have been formed during the post-glacial warming phase. The disjunctive distribution of many alpine and subalpine plants, however, suggests a former continuous distribution of these both locally and on a broader, and the subsequent breakdown of a former continuous range into fragments as the climate ameliorated during the post-glacial warming phase. The presences of numerous arctic-alpine and alpine plants on the alpine and subalpine belts of the Korean Peninsula, are mainly their relative degree of sensitivity to high summer temperatures. The continued survivals of alpine species and landscape in Korea is in danger if global warming associated the greenhouse effect takes place.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.495-510
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• 2008

Vaccinium vitis-idaea or lingonberry, a typical arctic-alpine plant, is common on the circumpolar regions and alpine belts of the Northern Hemisphere, and also occurs on the alpine and subalpine belts of the Korean Peninsula, including Mt. Sorak and Hongchon. Vaccinium vitis-idaea at the elevation of c. 350m a.s.l. of Hongchon is found on the wind hole area with cool summer, and mild winter. Vaccinium vitis-idaea at Hongchon is regarded as the glacial relict of the Pleistocene period, and shows a disjunctive distribution, along with the alpine and subalpine belts of the northern and central Korea since the Holocene period. Present vertical range of Vaccinium vitis-idaea between Mt. Sorak and Hongchon might indicates that the temperatures during the glacial epoch was colder than today, down to -6 to $-7^{\circ}C$ Vaccinium vitis-idaea at this fragile wind hole site could be endanger if current global warming trends continues, and anthropogenic activities become serious.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.59-59
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• 2005

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.157-172
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• 2002

This work aims to collect a biogeographic informations on the biota, alpine ecosystem, nature reserves, forest ecosystem of North Korea, and also to accumulate a basic data on the current situation and problem of the natural ecosystem of North Korea for the preparation of future cooperation and exchange between South and North Koreas. The obtained findings are as follow. First, North Korean biota contains 18,013 species, and consists of 6,710 plant species, including 3,860 species of vascular plants. Secondly, urgent investigation on the biogeographically important arctic-alpine and alpine plants and ecosystem, those are known to be endangered due to environmental change and global warming, is required. Thirdly, the conservations of diverse nature in North Korea are conducted by the introduction of various systems, such as nature preservation region, reserves for plant, animal and sea bird, and natural monuments. Fourthly, out of 9.5 million hectares of forest, one million hectares have already faced forest denudation, thus caused lots of damages for forest ecosystem. Sharp decline of North Korean forest land are due mainly to the expansion of terraced dry-field farming and deforestation. Recovery of denudated forest land should be approached by both South and North Korean sides to solve the problem of shortage of foods and restoration of natural ecosystem of North Korea.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2021

Background: Abandoned coal piles after the closure of mines have a potential negative influence on the environment, such as soil acidification and heavy metal contamination. Therefore, revegetation by efficient species is required. For this, we wanted to identify the role of Silene acaulis in the succession of coal piles as a pioneer and a nurse plant. S. acaulis is a well-studied cushion plant living in the Arctic and alpine environments in the northern hemisphere. It has a highly compact cushion-like form and hosts more plant species under its canopy by ameliorating stressful microhabitats. In this research, we surveyed vegetation cover on open plots and co-occurring species within S. acaulis cushions in coal piles with different slope aspects and a control site where no coal was found. The plant cover and the similarity of communities among sites were compared. Also, the interaction effects of S. acaulis were assessed by rarefaction curves. Results: S. acaulis was a dominant species with the highest cover (6.7%) on the coal piles and occurred with other well-known pioneer species. Plant communities on the coal piles were significantly different from the control site. We found that the pioneer species S. acaulis showed facilitation, neutral, and competition effect in the north-east facing slope, the south-east facing slope, and the flat ground, respectively. This result was consistent with the stress gradient hypothesis because the facilitation only occurred on the north-east facing slope, which was the most stressed condition, although all the interactions observed were not statistically significant. Conclusions: S. acaulis was a dominant pioneer plant in the succession of coal piles. The interaction effect of S. acaulis on other species depended on the slope and its direction on the coal piles. Overall, it plays an important role in the succession of coal piles in the High Arctic, Svalbard.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.363-386
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• 2007

Endemic element of the Russian Far East (RFE) flora includes 497 species of 150 genera and 46 families. The level of endemism in structure of regional natural flora reaches 11.1% as a whole, and in structure of its native fraction - 13.1%. As a result of chorologic and ecocenotic analysis of RFE flora endemic element it is revealed that it consists of 8 main geographical groups and 7 main floristic complexes. The largest number of endemic species is concentrated in Arctic - Alpine & Montane (140, 28.2%), Forest (107, 21.5%) and Maritime (88, 17.7%) floristic complexes as well as in Russian Far East - West-Pacific (136, 27.4%), Japan Sea (88, 17.7%) and North-East-Asian - Beringian (69, 13.9%) geographical groups. It's possible to distinguish three main areas with similar eco-geographical differentiation of endemics on RFE as follows: (1) North-East Asia sector of RFE which North-East-Asian - Beringian and Maritime Okhotia - Beringian geographical groups approximately correspond to, (2) Continental part of East Asia sector of RFE (West - Okhotian, Amur - Okhotian, Amur - Ussirian, Okhotsk Sea and Japan Sea groups) and (3) Oceanic part of East Asia sector (Russian Far East - West Pacific group). Taxonomical variety of RFE endemics on these territories makes up accordingly (1) - 99 species (19.9%), (2) - 259 (52.8%) and (3) - 136 (27.4%).

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1992

The reconstruction of the vegetational and environmental history of the Korean peninsula by the use of various fossil floral data from the Carboniferous period to the Pre-Holocene is reviewed. Though the oldest plant fossil in Korea (Neuropteris) dates back to the Carboniferous period, the first appearance of many of the present-day floristic genera indeed dates back to the Oligocene (c. 40 to 20 million years B.P.), and includes many thermophilous genera. The presence of thermophilous genera in the Oligocene at up to four degrees north of their present distributional limits implies that the climate of the Oligocene was warmer than that of today. The occurrence of similar thermophilous floristic element at up to six degrees north of their present range during the Middle Miocene suggests a maximum northward expansion of warmth-loving evergreen broadleaved vegetation for, recent Korean vegetation history. The continued occurrence of numerous present-day genera since the Oligocene period indicates a long-term stability of Korean vegetation, along with minor fluctuations within it. The admixture of evergreen coniferous plants and deciduous breadleaved plants, however, indicates a probable temperate climate for much of the Middle Pleistocene. There are couple of evidences which are indicative of an early-stage anthropogenic disturbance of natural vegetation during the Middle Pleistocene of Korea. The presence of cold-episodes during the Upper Pleistocene caused a general expansion of deciduous plants and cryophilous evergreen coniferous, plants. It is likely that the maximum southward expansion of cryophilous arctic-alpine and alpine floras in Korea occured during the penultimate glacial period. The disappearance of some cryophilous genera from 10,000 years B.P. marks the continued climatic amelioration since then, along with minor climatic fluctuations during the Holocene period.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.530-536
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• 2006

Hardwood cutting propagation and early growth characteristics were investigated in order to develop the method of cutting propagation and to find out growth characteristics in the low altitude for in situ and ex situ conservation of Empetrum nigrum var. japonicum K. Koch, which is typical arctic alpine plants on Mt. Halla. The growth of roots and shoots was different depending on hormone concentrations or soil conditions. The survival rate, rooting rate, root growth, number of root and shoot growth increased with treatment of 100 mg/l or 500 mg/l NAA. Consequently, optimum condition of hardwood cutting was at treatment with 100 mg/l or 500 mg/l NAA. When plantlets from hardwood cuttings were exposed to the field condition, after 7 months survival rate was 73.3% without shading while $91.1{\sim}94.4%$ at shading conditions. In the green house, however, survival rate of plantlets were $95.6{\sim}97.8%$ without shading. The growth of plantlets was different depending on sites and shading conditions. Particularly, the best growth was obtained when the plantlets were grown in shading conditions. It indicates that relative humidity and light intensity are correlated with the growth in the low altitude area.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.305-317
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• 1995

The bryophyte communities on the forest floor of the mixed coniferous, deciduous broad-leaf forest and the evergreen coniferous forest of cool temperate and subalpine zones in Chiri Mountains with the highest peak (Cheonwangbong 1915 m) in south-central part of the Korean Peninsula were investigated from the phytosociology viewpoint. As a result, five bryophyte communities were recognized, considering the species composition of vascular vegetation; A. Sasamorpha borealis-Abies koreana/Dicranum scoparium-Plagiothecium silvaticum community, B. Bosta minor-Abies koreana/Anomodon rugelii-Plagiomnium cuspidatum community, C. Abies koreana/Hylocomiopsis ovicarpa-Entodon rubicundus community, D. Abies koreana-Picea jezoensis/Hylocomiopsis ovicarpa-Thuidium kanedae community, E. Abies koreana-Pieea jezoensis/Hylocomium splendens-Pleurozium sehreberi community. Among these, the communities A, B, C and D were distributed in the mixed coniferous and deciduous broad-leaf forest of lower altitudes (1200 to 1700 m) and characterized by the elements of the cool temperate zone. They were confimled as synusies belonging to the Fraxino-Abietetum koreanae Song 1988. The community E was distributed in higher altitudes (1700 m to near the summit) and characterized by the species group of the holarctic elements, e.g. Hyloeomium splendens, Pleurozium sehreberi, Dieranum majus, etc. limited in subarctic; subalpine and arctic; alpine zones. The community E was confirmed as a synusie of the Abieti koreanae-Piceetum jezoensis Song 1991 belonging the Vaecinio-Pieeetea Br.-BI. 1939. Up to date many investigator have described the coniferous forest distibuted above 1200 m in Chiri mountauns as the forest vegetation of subalpine zone. However, from the results of the present study, the boundary of the mixed forest and the true subalpine coniferous forest was elucidated to be ca. 1700 m phytosociologically. Species richness was highest in the community E, and the other four communities showed a similar species richness. Among the species diversity indices, H' and D were high in the communities Band E, low in the communities A and C, and medium in the community D. The values of J' decreased with the increase in altitudes and the community E showed the lowest value. The result of Bray-Curtis ordination revealed that the diversity analysis and the division of the above two forest zones are justifiable. The taxa of the bryophyte communities were composed of 25 families, 46 genera, 73 species, 1 subspecies and 2 varieties.