• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2010

Because seagrass production significantly contributes to the biodiversity and production of coastal and estuarine ecosystems, accurate estimation of seagrass productivity is a critical step toward understanding the ecological roles of seagrass in these ecosystems. To develop an accurate and effective method of measuring seagrass productivity, we estimated leaf productivity of eelgrass (Zostera marina) on the southern coast of Korea using three methods, the conventional leaf marking method, the elongation-mass method (Short '87 method), and the plastochrone method. In each season, shoots were pierced through the bundle sheath using a hypodermic needle and were collected after 2-4 weeks had elapsed to estimate their productivity. The leaf elongation and the leaf plastochrone intervals varied significantly among seasons. On an annual basis, the conventional leaf marking method showed the lowest leaf productivity estimates compared to the elongation-mass method and the plastochrone method, suggesting that the conventional leaf marking method underestimated leaf productivity as it ignored leaf maturation processes and new leaf growth within the sheath. Since the elongation-mass method considered leaf maturation processes, this method produced higher leaf productivity estimates than the conventional leaf marking method. On an annual basis, the plastochrone method produced the highest leaf productivity estimates. Below-ground productivity, which can be easily estimated using the plastochrone method, ranged between 3.29 and 5.73 (mg dry weight $shoot^{-1}\;day^{-1}$) and accounted for about 17.8% to 30.3% of total productivity. Because of the high contributions of below-ground productivity to total seagrass production, we suggest that the plastochrone method is an effective and simple technique for assessing both above- and below-ground productivities.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.149-153
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• 1999

Prediction of rice developmental stage is necessary for proper crop management and a prerequisite for growth simulation as well. The objectives of the present study were to find out the relationship between the plastochrone index(PI) and the developmental index(DVI) estimated by non-parametric phenology model which simulates the duration from seedling emergence(DVI=0) to heading(DVI=l) by employing daily mean air temperature and daylength as predictor variables, and to confirm the correspondency of developmental indice to panicle developmental stages based on this relationship. Four japonica rice cultivars, Kwanakbyeo, Sangpungbyeo, Dongjinbyeo, and Palgumbyeo which range from very early to very late in maturity, were grown by sowing directly in dry paddy field five times at an interval of two weeks. Data for seedling emergence, leaf appearance, differentiation stage of primary rachis branch and heading were collected. The non-parametric phenology model predicted well the duration from seedling emergence to heading with errors of less than three days in all sowings and cultivars. PI was calculated for every leaf appearance and related to the developmental index estimated for corresponding PI. The stepwise polynomial analysis produced highly significant square-rooted cubic or biquadratic equations depending on cultivars, and highly significant square-rooted biquadratic equation for pooled data across cultivars without any considerable reduction in accuracy compared to that for each cultivar. To confirm the applicability of this equation in predicting the panicle developmental stage, DVI at differentiation stage of primary rachis branch primordium was calculated by substituting PI with 82 corresponding to this stage, and the duration reaching this DVI from seedling emergence was estimated. The estimated duration revealed a good agreement with that observed in all sowings and cultivars. The deviations between the estimated and the observed were not greater than three days, and significant difference in accuracy was not found for predicting this developmental stage between those equations derived for each cultivar and for pooled data across all cultivars tested.

• ALGAE
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2004

Production dynamics of eelgrass, Zostera marina was examined in Jindong Bay on the south of the Korea peninsula. Eelgrass leaf productivities and environmental factors such as underwater photon flux density, water temperature, and nutrient availabilities in the water column and sediments were monitored from March 2002 to December 2003. While water temperature exhibited a distinct seasonal trend, underwater irradiance and nutrient availabilities exhibited high degree of fluctuation, and did not show a seasonal trend throughout the experimental periods. Eelgrass leaf elongation and production rates showed significant seasonal variations. Leaf productivity was highest in May (30.0 mg dry wt sht$^{-1}$ d$^{-1}$ or 3.7g dry wt m$^{-2}$d$^{-1}$) and lowest in November (3.2 mg dry wt sht$^{-1}$ d$^{-1}$ or 0.12 g dry wt m $^{-2}$ d$^{-1}$). Eelgrass leaf productivities did not show a strong correlation with underwater irradiance or environmental nutrient availabilities. The production rates, however, were positively correlated with water temperature during spring periods, and were correlated negatively at high water temperature exceeded 20℃ during summer months. While relative growth rates were highest in spring and lowest in high water temperature periods, plastochrone interval was longest during summer and shortest during spring. These results imply that seasonal growth dynamics of eelgrass, Z. marina was mainly controlled by water temperature.