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