• Title/Summary/Keyword: ecological disturbance species

Search Result 194, Processing Time 0.033 seconds

Coexistence of plant species under harsh environmental conditions: an evaluation of niche differentiation and stochasticity along salt marsh creeks

  • Kim, Daehyun;Ohr, Sewon
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
    • /
    • v.44 no.3
    • /
    • pp.162-177
    • /
    • 2020
  • Background: Ecologists have achieved much progress in the study of mechanisms that maintain species coexistence and diversity. In this paper, we reviewed a wide range of past research related to these topics, focusing on five theoretical bodies: (1) coexistence by niche differentiation, (2) coexistence without niche differentiation, (3) coexistence along environmental stress gradients, (4) coexistence under non-equilibrium versus equilibrium conditions, and (5) modern perspectives. Results: From the review, we identified that there are few models that can be generally and confidently applicable to different ecological systems. This problem arises mainly because most theories have not been substantiated by enough empirical research based on field data to test various coexistence hypotheses at different spatial scales. We also found that little is still known about the mechanisms of species coexistence under harsh environmental conditions. This is because most previous models treat disturbance as a key factor shaping community structure, but they do not explicitly deal with stressful systems with non-lethal conditions. We evaluated the mainstream ideas of niche differentiation and stochasticity for the coexistence of plant species across salt marsh creeks in southwestern Denmark. The results showed that diversity indices, such as Shannon-Wiener diversity, richness, and evenness, decreased with increasing surface elevation and increased with increasing niche overlap and niche breadth. The two niche parameters linearly decreased with increasing elevation. These findings imply a substantial influence of an equalizing mechanism that reduces differences in relative fitness among species in the highly stressful environments of the marsh. We propose that species evenness increases under very harsh conditions if the associated stress is not lethal. Finally, we present a conceptual model of patterns related to the level of environmental stress and niche characteristics along a microhabitat gradient (i.e., surface elevation). Conclusions: The ecology of stressful systems with non-lethal conditions will be increasingly important as ongoing global-scale climate change extends the period of chronic stresses that are not necessarily fatal to inhabiting plants. We recommend that more ecologists continue this line of research.

Environmental Impacts of Stone Quarry Exploitation - Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Community and Quarry Locality (수생태계에 미치는 석산개발의 영향 - 생물군집과 입지유형을 중심으로)

  • Lee, Sung Jin;Kim, Myoung Chul;Kim, Ji Young;Ro, Tae Ho
    • Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
    • /
    • v.21 no.4
    • /
    • pp.368-378
    • /
    • 2005
  • Inorganic matters originated from stone quarries and manufacturing plants could alter the ecological characteristics of adjacent aquatic systems, especially the structure and function of benthic macroinvertebrate community. In such situation, the locality of stone quarry and the quantity of inorganic matters would be important factors that determined the disturbing strength to the benthic macroinvertebrate community. Locality patterns of stone quarries were classified into 3 types in relation to the stream ecosystem; stream-proximity, upstream-inclusion and tributary-inclusion type. In the result of species:abundance analysis, stone quarry B (upstream-inclusion type) showed geometric distribution, while others showed broken-stick distribution pattern. The benthic macroinvertebrate communities closer to stone quarries showed smaller species numbers and standing crops among all types of stone quarries. However the values of species evenness index were not seriously different between controls and directly affected sites. These results indicated that the effect of inorganic disturbance would differ from those of organic pollution that induced the highly dominant state occupied by tolerant species. Number of occurred species, standing crops, community indices and biotic indices indicated that the community of upstream-inclusion type was the most seriously damaged from the inorganic disturbance, and the community would be very simple and unstable. Tributary-inclusion stone quarry heavily damaged to tributary system in biologically, but influence to the main stream seemed to be depended on the scale of main stream. Among 3 types of stone quarry localities, stream-proximity type induced the least damages to benthic macroinvertebrate community, though the degrees of damage were different along with distances between stream and stone quarry.

Disturbance of University Campus Ecosystems by Alien Plants (외래식물에 의한 대학 교정 생태계의 교란)

  • Kim, Seeun;Lee, Hyohyemi;Cha, Hyeon-Cheol
    • Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
    • /
    • v.2 no.1
    • /
    • pp.80-92
    • /
    • 2015
  • Some of alien plants, which were introduced from foreign countries, have caused problems in Korea. Invasion of these alien plants in the ecosystem threatens the habitat of endemic species, reducing biodiversity, and causing a disturbance in the ecological system. In urbanized areas of campus universities, a diverse range of organisms were found and a comparison between the sites, near roads or housing sites were made because the campuses provided a large biotope. Although the campus had been exposed to interferences like gardening, it was also a place for most organisms to live in an active floating population due to free access. This research investigated the flora of alien plants that appeared in Beakseok University, Sangmyung University, Hoseo University and Dankook University, and relationship between the distribution of alien plants and the campus and green areas and distance from the highway. The total number of plant species and naturalized species found in the four universities was 189 and 43 species. Those of Dankook University were 136 and 35 species, Hoseo 108 and 25 species, Sangmyung 103 and 31 species, and Baekseok 97 and 26 species, respectively. The abundance of natural plants for each respective university tended to be higher as it became closer to the highway. Also, the closer the walking distance to the university, the greater the tendency for the degree of similarity to be higher. As a result, we may conclude that the distribution of alien plants and anthropogenic activities may be closely related.

Follow-up Monitoring & Adaptive Management after Ecological Restoration for the Stream - Focused the Hakui Stream in Anyang City - (생태하천 복원 후 모니터링과 적응관리 - 안양시 학의천을 중심으로 -)

  • Choi, jungkwon;Choi, mikyoung;Choi, cheolbin
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
    • /
    • v.18 no.6
    • /
    • pp.85-95
    • /
    • 2015
  • Recent years, nationwide projects for ecological restoration are implemented with emerging issues on the stream ecosystem. In order to enhance effectiveness of the ecosystem restoration and reduce negative impact, the appraisal of effectiveness through the follow-up monitoring and the adaptive management process are executed in consecutive phase. In this study, planning phase, monitoring and adaptive management in Hakui stream which is part of An Yang stream restoration project is introduced as representative ongoing case of effective adaptive management. The aim of this study is to verify the adaptive management process and suggest direction of effective restoration. Restoration project of Hakui stream resulted in increasing number and diversity of species (vegetation, fish, bird, invertbrates, amphibian and reptilia) according to monitoring from 2004 to 2013, and enhancing natural river landscape by evaluation of river naturalness among 2001(before restoration), 2007 (after), 2015 (recent). However, excessive vegetation expansion or sediment deposition on channel over time caused unexpected results such as terrestrialization or degradation of habitats. Adaptive management action such as removing disturbance species (Humulus japonicus)(2007), coppicing willow (2007), release of march snail (2007), creation of wetland (2014) were implemented based on monitoring results. And then appraisal of management action was discussed.

Ecological Studies on the Vegetation of Abandoned Salt field in Gasado (가사도 폐염전의 식생 현황에 관한 생태학적 연구)

  • 김하송;임병선;이점숙;박송의
    • Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
    • /
    • v.17 no.2
    • /
    • pp.123-132
    • /
    • 2003
  • This ecological study investigated the vegetation changes of abandoned salt field, 21 plots(1${\times}$lm, 1${\times}$2m) set up by the methods of Braun-Blanquet and Elenberg in a coastal island, Gasado, Jindogun, from July to September,2002. The vascular plants of abandoned salt field in the surveyed site identified 17 families and 48 species. Of these species, halophytes and mesophytes were 20(42%) and 28(58%) species. In addition, the disturbance to this habitat led to the change of halophytes in abandoned sald field, exotic plants was distributed 23 species, which included Dactylis glomerata, Conyza canadensis, Oenothera odorata, Cosmos bipinnatus, etc., in the group of, mesophytes were 20(71%) species, vegetation communities were classified into 3 community types, i.e. the halophyte grassland community(Limonium tetragonum community, Suaeda japonica community, Spergularia marina community), the wetland grassland community(Phragmites communis community, Carex scabrifolia community, Phaceturus latifolius var. angustifolius community), and the mesophyte grassland community(Erigeron bonariensis community, Daucus littoralis var. koreana community). Each communities was described the structual, distribution and changes of the vegetation in the abandoned salt field, the vegetation table and actual vegetation map were prepared.

Characteristics and Management of Complementary Pond of Village - in Case of Dalmaji Village in Gangjin-gun - (마을의 비보연못 특성 및 관리 - 강진 달마지 마을을 사례로 -)

  • Park, Jae Chul;Han, Sang Yub;Kim, Do Gyun
    • Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
    • /
    • v.21 no.4
    • /
    • pp.157-165
    • /
    • 2015
  • The purpose of this study is on identifying charactreistics and management direction of complementary pond of Dalmaji village in Gangjin. Accordingly, this village was indicated as Experience and Resort village by Korean government. This study describes the construction background and characteristics and identifies species diversity and characteristics through field survey. For this, literature and field survey was performed. In field survey, vegetational survey was performed in Aug. of 2015. D(Dominant degree) and S(Sociability degree) was measured by Brown-Blanquet's method. The answer was searched from Myungsanron(明山論), a textbook of Fengsui(風水) in Joseon dynasty. Of these causes, it was considered that the representative one is a protection of fire and infectious disease because the Wolgak mountain is a fire mountain(火山) as a stone mountain in Fengsui. The results demonstrate decline of aquatic ecosystem because of neglect management. The total number of species was 24. Of the species, Zelkova serrata is a natural vegetation of this complementary forest. This is nominated as Lagerstroemia indica and Camellia japonica community. Species composition demonstrate the characteristics of Korean southern region as mixed forest of evergreen trees and deciduous ones which are indigenous plants. It was considered Juniperus chinensis KaizukaVariega in central round island was planted in Japanese colonial period and it have to be removed. It was considered that name of moon pond and moon island etc. projects the mind of village ancestors which are going to reach an ideal condition of moon. And management of quantity and depth of pond water was critical for restoration of disappearing lotus from related literature. Periodic management was needed for ecological structure and function improvement because of ecological disturbance by the invasive plants like Humulus japonicus.

Analysis of Fish Compositions and Ecological Indicator Characteristic in Masan Reservoir. (마산저수지의 어류 종조성 및 생태 지표 특성 분석)

  • Han, Jung-Ho;Lee, Eui-Haeng;An, Kwang-Guk
    • Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
    • /
    • v.42 no.2
    • /
    • pp.212-220
    • /
    • 2009
  • In this study, we analyzed fish compositions and ecological characteristics such as trophic guilds and tolerance guilds in association with water quality characteristics in Masan Reservoir during November 2008. Total number of species were 12 species (6 families) and the dominant species were Zacco platypus, Hemiculter eigenmanni, and Pseudorasbora parva. We found three Korean endemic species and one exotic species, Carassius cuvieri. According to the analysis of ecological indicator characteristics, relative proportion of tolerant and omnivore species was 98% of the total indicating that probably, the fauna was influenced by physical habitat disturbance and physicochemical degradations. Fish distribution analysis along with littoral zone showed that the most fishes (${\sim}$95%) were observed in the littoral zone where emerged macrophytes were well developed. Also, substrate analysis indicated that the most species were found near silt area (11 species, 91.7%), so that the significant differences were found between the substrate types. Analysis of water quality indicated that concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and chlorophyll-a (ChI-a) as a lake trophic indicator were judged as eutrophic states, respectively and COD as an indicator of organic matter pollution averaged 10.9 mg $L^{-1}$. Based on the water quality, this system were influenced by the nutrient enrichments and organic matter. The degradations of water quality in Masan Reservoir resulted in trophic compositions of fish (increase of omnivore species) and the dominance of tolerant fish. This Monitoring data may contribute changes of fish fauna and compositions in relation to habitat modifications and chemical water quality degradations in the future.

Distribution of millipedes in relation to altitude and flora on mt. chiri (智異山의 植生과 標高에 따른 노래기類의 分布)

  • Lim, kil-young;Tae-heung kim;Joon-soo kwak
    • The Korean Journal of Ecology
    • /
    • v.15 no.4
    • /
    • pp.329-335
    • /
    • 1992
  • Bionomics of diplopodes was studid near chongyongchi in the chiri mountains from sept. 1990 to dec. 1991 by surveying 10 sample sites at 12 occasions. During this period 13 species of diplopodes from 11 genera, 8 families, and 6 orders were collected. Species were more diversed under quercus mongolica followed by quercus serrata and pinus densiflora sp. epenerchodus koreanus bifidus, and e. k. koreanus were found in all sample sites and these 6 species have been reported to be distributed throughout south korea. yamasinaium sp., riukiaria semicirculalis, parafontaria koreanus, and sicotanus eurygaster were found only under quercus mongolica community and postulated to be related to diet meanwhile other enviromental factors such as temperature, soil ph, and altitude should be taken into consideration. Species diversity index was higher at altitude 700m followed by at 900m, 1, 000m, 800m, 600m, 500m, 1, 100m, 400m, 300m, and 1, 200m in discending order likely due to the enviromental factors such as climatic and edaphic affects, disturbance by human, and degree of floral diversity. Species similarity index was highest 0.78 between altitude 500m and 600m sample sites could be grouped into 3, namely first 300m, 400m, second 500m, 600m, 700m, 1, 000m, 800m, 900m, and third 1, 100m, 1, 200m.

  • PDF

Ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblage in the urban landscape, Korea

  • Jung, Jong-Kook;Kim, Seung-Tae;Lee, Sue-Yeon;Park, Chang-Kyu;Lee, Eun-Heui;Lee, Joon-Ho
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
    • /
    • v.35 no.2
    • /
    • pp.79-89
    • /
    • 2012
  • This study was conducted with the intention of clarifying the effects of land-use types on a species of ground beetle's richness, abundance, and composition; the study focused on urban landscapes. We also selected the potential bioindicators classifying land-use types; eleven sites were selected from an urban landscape in Korea. Overall, land-use types in urban landscapes did not appear to cause significant decrease in species richness or the abundance of total ground beetle assemblage. According to habitat preferences, several land-use types and distances from the forest significantly affected the species richness and abundance, while the open-habitat species were not affected by these variables. Land-use types were classified into two major groups, forest and non-forest areas, based on ground beetle assemblage; several indicators, such as $Dolichus$ $halensis$ $halensis$ and subfamily Carabinae species, were of particular consideration. In conclusion, environmental change by anthropogenic disturbance can cause different effects on ground beetle assemblages, and forest specialists can be negatively affected.

Urban Thermo-profiles and Community Structure of Quercus mongolica Forests along an Urban-rural Land Use Gradient: Implications for Management and Restoration of Urban Ecosystems

  • Cho, Yong-Chan;Cho, Hyun-Je;Lee, Chang-Seok
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
    • /
    • v.32 no.3
    • /
    • pp.167-176
    • /
    • 2009
  • Land cover changes associated with urbanization have driven climate change and pollution, which alter properties of ecosystems at local, regional, and continental scales. Thus, the relationships among urban ecological variables such as community composition, structure, health, soil and functioning need to be better understood to restore and improve urban ecosystems. In this study, we discuss urban ecosystem management and research from a futuristic perspective based on analyses of vegetation structure, composition, and successional trends, as well as the chemical properties of soils and the distribution of heat along an urban-rural gradient. Urban thermo-profile analysis using satellite images showed an obvious mitigating effect of vegetation on the Seoul heat island. Community attributes of Quercus mongolica stands reflected the effects of urbanization, such as pronounced increases in disturbance-related and pollution-tolerant species, such as Styrax japonica and Sorbus alnifolia. Retrogressive successional trends were detected in urban sites relative to those in rural sites. Changes in the urban climate and biotic environment have the potential to significantly influence the practice and outcomes of ecological management, restoration and forecasting because of the associated changes in future bio-physical settings. Thus, for management (i.e., creation and restoration) of urban green spaces, forward-thinking perspectives supported by historical information are necessary.