• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.199-204
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• 2012

This study was conducted to estimate climax index by eco-morphology for major 36 tree and sub-tree species in natural deciduous forests so as to interpret seral position of each species in the forest community. Fourteen eco-morphological characters which were considered to be associated with successional gradient in the forest were selected for the study. Four levels per character for each species were given on a standardized scale of increasing climax, and the index was computed by the proportion of the sum of total scores, expressed by percent values. With calculated mean value of 54.8 for all indices, Carpinus cordata had the highest index value of 90.5, and Populus davidiana recorded the lowest of 13.2. The most climax group, greater than 70 of the index, contained only 8 species, intermediate group, between 41 to 70 of the index, had 23 species, and the most pioneer group, less than 40 of the index comprised 5 species. The result has noticed that the large number of species would take advantage of most diverse resource and niche in the intermediate stage of the sere in the forest. By cluster analysis all 36 species were subjected to be classified into several species groups which had common similar eco-morphological characteristics. The indices were additionally plotted on the two dimensional graph to recognize the positions related to the light absorption factor and reproduction factor. The climax index of tree and sub-tree species developed by this study could be applied to understand the present status of successional stage on the basis of species composition by the method of summing up the indices. And comparison of forest successional stage among various forest communities could be done by summing up the climax indices of composed species in each community. However, this kind of applied methodology should be limited to the forest of similar species composition and site condition.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.77-96
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• 2018

We investigated and analyzed three Korean island sites (Bijin-do, Ae-do, and Bogil-do) and one Japanese site (Tachibanayama) of sword-leaf litsea (Actinodaphne lancifolia) forests, known as the climax forest, to discuss the vegetation succession sere of warm-temperature evergreen broad-leaved forests. We then reviewed the literature in Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan to consider the distribution characteristics of evergreen broad-leaved forests, vegetation succession sere, and climax tree species. Although Mt. Tachibana and Ae-do showed the most advanced vegetation structure, the soil and ordination (CCA) analysis indicated that it was not enough to consider that the sword-leaf litsea forest was at the climax stage in the warm-temperature region. The Actinodaphne lancifolia forest is sparsely distributed in Korea and Japan while the common types of vegetation in the warm temperate zone region in East Asia are Machilus spp., Castanopsis spp., and Cyclobalanopsis spp. The vegetation succession sere of the Korean warm-temperature region is thought to have a secondary succession such as Pinus thunbergii, P. densiflora, Q. serrata (early stage) through Machilus thunbergii, innamomum yabunikkei, Neolitsea sericea, Actinodaphne lancifolia (middle stage) to Castanopsis sieboldii, Q. acuta, Q. salicina (climax stage). However, Machilus thunbergii will be the climax species as an edaphic climax in places where there is a strong influence of the sea wind, or it is difficult to supply the seeds of Castanopsis spp. and Cyclobalanopsis spp.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.145-152
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• 1988

The potential natural vegetation of Naejangsan national park area, southwestern Korea, was inferred from the actual vegetation. With the phytosociological classification, ordinatins and field surveys, the actual vegetation map of the area was made in scale 1:25, 000, including ten communities of Pinus densiflora, quercus mongolica, Quercus variabilis, Carpinus laxiflora, Daphnipyllum macropodum, Carpinus tschonoskii, Quercus aliena-Carpinus tschonoskii, Cornus controversa-Lindera erythrocarpa, Torreya mucifera-Zelkova serrate and Acer mono-Zelkova serrata community. The analyses of species richness, age structure and various informations on vegetation changes suggest the three pathways of late stage succession from P. densiflora forest to climatic climax. The first of them is through Q. variabilis forest to Q. monogolica forest in the upper parts of the mountain, the second through Q. variabilis and Q. serrata forest to C. laxiflora forest in the middle parts and the third through Q. aliena forest to C. tschonoskii forest in lower parts. Considering the actual vegetation and informations on the vegetation changes including human activities, the potential natural vegetation of the mountain mainly composed of Q. monogolica, C. laxiflora, C. tschonoskii, P. densiflora and Z. serrata forest as climatic climax and/or edaphic climax was inferred. The present situration of nature conservation in the area was estimated by the examination on the actual vegetation and potential natural vegetation map.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.499-506
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• 1996

Forest stand development in Kwangnung Experimental Forest, Korea, was simulated with a forest succession gap model of the JABOWA/FORET type, in order to predict climax species and characterime the trend of community structure along the succession. The model runs for a period or 1, 000 yr and is based on the averaged successional characteristics of 50 forest plote with an individual size or 1/12 ha gap consisted of the 15 major tree species. The total bimass and leafarea index have arrived at a steady state since about 200 yr and these values are smaller than that or field survey. Carpinus cordata, C. laxiflora, Quercus mongolica and Q. serrata were epected to be climax species that represent about 86% or total biomass in later stage and these results coincided with the previous succession studies from field survey in the area.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.111-125
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• 1997

To investigate the climax forest structure and to construct the ecological basic data, forty nine plots were set up and surveyed in Mt. Minjuji, Chungchongpukdo. According to the analysis of classification by TWINSPAN, the community was divided by seven groups of Pinus densiflora-Carpinus laxiflora-Quercus serrata(community I), Q. mongolica-Q. serrata-Platycarya strobilacea(community II), Q. mongolica(community III), Fraxinus mandshurica-Acer mono(community IV), Cornus controversa-F. mandshurica(community V), F. mandshurica-Carpinus cordata(community VI), and F. mandshurica-C. laxiflora(community VII). In the results of the analysis of species structure, similarity, diversity and DBH, except for community I~III, it was founede out broadleaves-mixed-climax forest. Constructed basic data will be applied to sustainable development such as ecotourism, nature trail etc.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.185-202
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• 2018

Many ecological studies regarding forest succession, which is the process of arriving at climax forest through ecological changes, have suggested that Carpinus laxiflora is the leading tree type of the climax forest of temperate zone in South Korea. However, most of these studies on C. laxiflora forest have focused on vegetation structure and succession process in specific areas or regional physiognomical forest communities, and thus some may question whether it is rational to consider C. laxiflora forest as the climax forest in South Korea's temperate forest zone. The purpose of this study was to analyze the vegetation classification, species composition, and stratum structure and to investigate the succession tendency with the vegetation data collected from C. laxiflora forests in 75 quadrates in 17 mountains between 2014 and 2017. We used the phytosociological method to analyze the vegetation structure and the importance value to analyze the stratum structure. The results showed the floristic composition of 6 vegetation units and 9 species groups. The hierarchy of the C. laxiflora community group was represented by the Ulmus laciniata community, Corylus heterophylla community (subdivided Quercus aliena group and Corylus heterophylla typical group), and Rhododendron schlippenbachii community (subdivided Fraxinus chiisanensis group, Carpinus tschonoskii group, and Rhododendron schlippenbachii typical group). Successional tendency of C. laxiflora forest based on the importance of each layer is predicted to be the total of three types such as to maintain the stand (vegetation units 2, 3, and 6), to success the Carpinus cordata forest (vegetation units 1 and 4), and to success Quercus acuta forest (vegetation unit 5).

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.82 no.2
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• pp.176-187
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• 1993

Based on the analysis of ecomorphological characters for 84 tree and shrub species, climax indices were estimated so as to interpret the position of the successional sere for the species in the natural deciduous forest. Nineteen ecomorphological characters, considered to be associated with successional gradient in the forest, were selected for the study. One of 2 to 4 steps per character for each species was given on a standardized scale of increasing climaxness, and the index was computed by percent of the sum of the scoring values for total score. Calculated mean value of 54.2 for all indices. Carpinus laxiflora had the highest index value of 83.3, and Populus davidiana recorded the lowest of 18.8. The most climax group, greater than 70 of the index, contained only 9 species, intermediate group, between 40 to 70 of the index, had 58 species, and the most pioneer group, less than 40 of the index comprised 17 species. The result has noticed that the large number of species would take advantage of most diverse resource and niche in the intermediate stage of the sere in the forest. The three components, i.e., light absorption, reproduction, and wood quality were used as axes for a 3-dimensional projection of the relative position for 44 species by principal component analysis. Along the similar ecomorphological characters, four recognized species group were classified by cluster analysis. The distribution pattern of plant families on the index gradient showed that the Betulaceae and Aceraceae had the widest seral amplitude, and the Salicaceae was a family typified as pioneer. There were no families specializing entirely with climax niche.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.156-165
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• 1996

To investigate the forest structure and to suggest the management of vegetation landscape in Noinbong area, Pdaesan National Pa, twelve plots were set up and surveyed. According to the acalysis of classification by TWINSPAN, the community was divided by two groups of Carpinus laxiflora - Quercus mongolica community and the other is Betula costata - schmidtii - C. laxiflora community. It was found out that the successional stage of Noinbong forests was climax and introduced-climax by the analysis of species structure, similarity index and species diversity. The number of individuals was about 120~130 and species was 17 per 100m$^{2}$. Through the analysis of basal area and DBH class distribution, it was estimated that C. laxiflora, B. costata, and B. schmidtii will be clmax species instead of Q. mongolica in tree layer, and in the subtree layer, Acer pseudo-sieboldianum will be dominant species.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.439-450
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• 1997

The potential natural vegtation of the Pukhansan National Park area, mid-western Korea, was inferred from the actual vegetation. With the phytosociological classification and field surveys, the actual vegetation map of the park area was made on a scale of 1:25, 000, including fourteen communities. By the analyses of the species diversity, the age structure, the human interferences and various informations on vegetation changes, two pathways of late stage succession from Pinus densiflora forests to the climatic climax were suggested. One is from Quercus serrata forests to Q. mongolica forests throughout the mountain and the other, from Q. variabilis or Q. acutissima forests to Carpinus laxiflora forests in lower parts. Considering the vegetation changes, the potential natural vegetation of the park area mainly composed of Q. mongolica, C. laxiflora, P. densiflora and Zelkova serrata forest as the climatic and/or edaphic climax was inferred.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.81 no.4
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• pp.325-336
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• 1992

The successional status and potential natural vegetation were examined in a mixed broadleaved-Abies forest located at Mt, Odae National Park. The examination was based on the subsequent process of generation replacement by understory saplings for the dominant canopy trees within 88 $5m{\times}50m$ belt transects. 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 the study forest is still seral, and it is considered to be more than 700 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 Tilia amurensi.s from current 28% and 13% to less than 3% and 5%, respectively, at the steady state. On the contrary, the proportions of Abies holophylla, Acer pseudo-sieboldianum, Carpinus cordata, and Pinus koraiensis will increase at the steady state. The ratio of mixture between deciduous and coniferous trees will be gradually changed from current 6.5 : 3.5 to 5.0 : 5.0 at equilibrium. Discussion for the problems of Quercus mongolica in successional status noted that the species behaved as a mid-successional dominant, not a climax species in the study forest. The hypothesis and sensitivity of the transition matrix 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 hyman related interference.