• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.87 no.2
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• pp.230-238
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• 1998

This study was conducted to compare the regeneration of the seedlings under different vegetation types and to identify the presence of allelopathy in Abies koreana(Ak) natural forest in Banyabong Peak(elevation, 1715m), of Mt. Chiri. Twenty quadrats($10m{\times}10m$) were placed in May, 1996 to classify vegetation structure using TWINSPAN. Water-soluble extracts from leaves and soil humus of different vegetation types were collected to test their effects on both seed germination of Ak and mycelial growth of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Phenolic compounds from soil humus were quantified using HPLC. Among the four vegetation types, Sasa borealis(Sb) was found in both Ak-Quercus mongolica(Qm) and Ak-Rhododendron schlippenbachii(Rs) communities. Natural seeding of Ak was $230,000{\pm}90,000seeds/ha$ in 1995 and their germination rate was 25% in an ideal laboratory condition. Density of Ak seedlings less than 5cm in height was 52,000/ha in 1996, while that of seedlings taller than 5cm in height was only 4,000/ha. In the case of Ak-Qm community, density of Ak seedlings with Sb understory was only 7% of the density of seedlings with Rs understary, suggesting the inhibitory effect of Sb. The germination rate of Ak seeds was significantly reduced by leaf extracts of Sb, and Rhododendron mucronulatum var. ciliatum(Rm) and Ak. Soil humus extract of Ak-Qm-Sb subcommunity reduced germination of Ak seeds by 81% and also reduced by 19% the respiration of mycelia of ectomycorrhizal fumgus, Lactarius sp. Among the seven phenolic compounds identified from the soil humus, extract, Ak-Qm-Sb subcommunity contained significantly high content of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, and syringic acid. Particularly, p-hydroxybenzoic acid was present at 4.2ppm in the Sb roots and at 16.5ppm in the Sb humus, suggesting that it could be the primary allelopathic compound in Abies koreana forests with Sasa borealis understory.