• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.5
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• pp.520-527
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• 2007

Biomass and species diversity of understory vegetation after fertilization were studied for 28-year-old Quercus acutissima plantation (MQA), 29-year-old Pinus densiflora plantation (MPD), 8-year-old Betula platyphylla var. japonica plantation after coal reclamation (YBP), and 4-year-old Pinus densiflora plantation after forest fire (YPD) in central Korea. Nitrogen + phosphorus + potassium (6:4:1) fertilizer was applied for 3 years from 2004. Thereafter photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and understory species richness and diversity were measured in late July-early August 2006. PAR (${\mu}mol\;m^{-2}S^{-1}$) was higher at the fertilization treatment (100.9) than at the control (67.0) for MQA while was lower at the fertilization treatment (156.5) than at the control (268.7) for MPD. Total understory biomass (t $ha^{-1}$) was lower at the fertilization plot (1.8) than at the control plot (3.0) for YPD, however, there were no differences in biomass between fertilization and control plots for MQA, MPD and YBP. Total species number of understory vegetation was higher for fertilization than for control at MPD (47 vs. 45) and YPD (21 vs. 13), and was higher for mature plantations (33 vs. 37 for MQA and 47 vs. 45 for MPD) than for young plantations (16 vs. 16 for YBP and 21 vs. 13 for YPD). Species richness and diversity were higher at the fertilization treatment than at the control for MQA, YBP, and YPD while were lower at the fertilization treatment than at the control for MPD, however, the differences were not statistically significant. Our results indicate that there were no consistent patterns in light conditions, biomass and species richness and diversity of understory vegetation following fertilization. More detailed long-term studies with different fertilizer applications would be necessary to conclude the influence of fertilization on understory vegetation in the region.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.103 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2014

Open- to closed canopy stage and it's ecological characteristics in vegetation succession are commonly described, but poorly understood in Korea. Vegetation development on structure, environment and understory abundance were studied for 16 yr in post-clearcut Pinus densiflora forests in the southern Gangwon-do province by applying space-for-time approach. We sampled 210 plots (10 for structure and 200 for understory) for four seral stages (1yr, 3yr, 10yr and 16yr). After clear-cut, mean stem density increased gradually to $5,714{\pm}645$ stems/ha after 16 years and mean basal area was also from $5.5{\pm}0.7m^2/ha$ after 10 years and doubled at $10.0{\pm}1.6m^2/ha$ in 16 years. Woody debris and bared soil on the forest floor peaked at 11--- after 10 years and at 10.3--- after 3 years, respectively. In understory mean cover declined with all growth form groups following succession, but in richness, forb specie increased with structural development during 16 years. Our study suggested that overstory development did not suppressed whole understory properties especially in richness, thus appeared to act as a filter selectively constraining the understory characteristics. However only long-term studies are essential for elucidating patterns and processes that cannot be inferred form short-term or space-for-time researches. Strong negative relationship between overstory and understory characteristics in conventional models surely reexamined.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.27 no.6 s.122
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• pp.363-367
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• 2004

Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) beneath the forest canopy, understory species richness and diversity, and biomass were measured in a Larix leptolepis plantation seven years after thinning in Yangpyeong. Four different thinning intensities (control, $10\%,\;20\%\;and\;40\%$ stocking reduction) were applied in 1997. The current PAR values were lower than those measured four years after thinning, and PAR at the heavy thinning plots was significantly higher than that of other thinning intensities. A total of 23 species including 9 tall-trees and 14 shrubs were found for the high layer while a total of 82 species including 10 tall-trees, 29 shrubs, and 43 herbs for the low layer. Species richness and diversity generally increased with thinning intensities, and the trends were more evident for the low layer. Aboveground biomass significantly differed among thinning intensities for both shrubs and herbs. Also there was a negative correlation between biomass and the current number of stems per hectare. The current study suggested that the effects of thinning on light conditions at the forest floor, species richness and diversity and production of understory vegetation continued seven years after the treatment.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2017

Background: Though the biomass of floral vegetation in understory plant communities in a forested ecosystem only accounts for less than 1% of the total biomass of a forest, they contain most of the floral resources of a forest. The diversity of understory honey plants determines visitation rate of pollinators such as honey bee (Apis mellifera) as they provide rich food resources. Since the flower visitation and foraging activity of pollinators lead to the provision of pollination service, it also means the enhancement of plant-pollinator relationship. Therefore, an appropriate management scheme for understory vegetation is essential in order to conserve pollinator population that is decreasing due to habitat destruction and disease infection. This research examined the diversity of understory honey plant and studied how it is related to environmental variables such as (1) canopy density, (2) horizontal heterogeneity of canopy surface height, (3) slope gradient, and (4) distance from roads. Vegetation survey data of 39 plots of mixed forests in Chuncheon, Korea, were used, and possible management practices for understory vegetation were suggested. Results: This study found that 113 species among 141 species of honey plant of the forests were classified as understory vegetation. Also, the understory honey plant diversity is significantly positively correlated with distance from the nearest road and horizontal heterogeneity of canopy surface height and negatively correlated with canopy density. Conclusions: The diversity of understory honey plant vegetation is correlated to vegetation structure and human impact. In order to enhance the diversity of understory honey plant, management of density and height of canopy is necessary. This study suggests that improved diversity of canopy cover through thinning of overstory vegetation can increase the diversity of understory honey plant species.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.102 no.2
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• pp.239-246
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• 2013

This study observed changes of understory vegetation to evaluate the role of forest aggregate after 15% aggregated retention harvest in mature oak forest (> 100 years) in Gyungsangbukdo Bonghwagun in 2010 and 2011. Spontaneous responses of understory vegetation cover (%), species richness, abundance of plant growth forms (herbaceous and woody plants), and overall attributes (by Ordination analysis) were estimated in aggregate area (0.15 and n=36) and clear cut area (0.85 and n=192) in experimental site and control site (1 and n=300). Based on ordination analysis, overall change of species composition in aggregated sites were relatively lower than in harvest area. Right after treatment, total cover of cutted area slightly decreased from 15.6% to 14.7%, and species richness increased from 14 species to 22 species. Cover and richness in the both of aggregate and control sites increased. In plant growth forms, 15% aggregate harvest revealed positive effects on the abundance (cover and richness) of herbaceous plants than woody group. After retention treatment, overall, edge effect likely played major component of vegetation changes in aggregate forest and in harvested area, mechanical damage from harvest operation and change of forest structure by clear cutting were critical. As pre-treatment data, which are rare in ecological studies in Korea, were critical for interpretation between patterns that may have arisen from spatial distributions in the original forest, our experimental design have higher opportunity for long term monitoring on the effect of forest aggregate and vegetation regeneration in clear cutted area.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.87-96
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• 2009

Pinus thunbergii plantations in Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea, are of low ecological quality, with arrested succession and a high proportion of ruderal species. To improve the quality of the habitat, we created canopy gaps ($\sim42\;m^2$) and monitored changes in abiotic (light availability, canopy openness) and biotic (survival and growth of seedlings and understory communities) variables in 2007 and 2008 in plots that had received one of five types of treatment: cutting of canopy trees and removal of the understory (CU), cutting of canopy trees only (C), girdling of canopy trees and removal of the understory (GU), girdling of canopy trees (G) or control. Each treatment was applied to three replicate plots. Abiotic variables did not significantly differ among treatments. Survival rates of target species were slightly lower in the CU, G and control conditions. Based on logistic regression analysis, the only significant growth factor affecting survival was height growth. Positive effects of seedling height and leaf area growth on survival were also detected, but did not reach statistical significance. In treatment G, gradual improvement of overstory conditions and mitigation of competition by limitation of disturbance to the understory community were likely to have promoted seedling growth. There were no significant effects of gap treatments on changes in species abundance (cover and richness) and composition of understory between the study years. This result implies that the small gaps created in our study may be below the threshold size to affect understory growth. However, the results of this study are based on a short-term investigation of only two years. Long-term research is strongly recommended to clarify the effects of gap treatment on plant communities in afforested areas.

• ALGAE
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2017

In rocky intertidal habitats, abiotic stress due to desiccation and thermal extremes increases with elevation because of tides. A study in Atlantic Canada showed that, at low elevations where conditions are benign due to the brief low tides, fucoid algal canopies (Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus spp.) do not affect the structure of benthic communities. However, at middle and high elevations, where low tides last longer, fucoid canopies limit abiotic extremes and increase the richness (number of invertebrate and algal species, except fucoids) of benthic communities. Using the data from that study, this paper compares the intensity of facilitation and its importance (relative to all other sources of variation in richness) between middle and high elevations, which represent intermediate and high stress, respectively. Facilitation intensity was calculated as the percent increase in benthic richness between quadrats with low and high canopy cover, while the importance of facilitation was calculated as the percentage of variation in richness explained by canopy cover. Data for 689 quadrats spanning 350 km of coastline were used. Both the intensity and importance of facilitation were greater at middle elevations than at high elevations. As canopies do not affect benthic communities at low elevations, this study suggests that the facilitation-stress relationship at the community level is unimodal for this marine system. Such a pattern was found for some terrestrial systems dominated by canopy-forming plants. Thus, it might be ubiquitous in nature and, as further studies refine it, it might help to predict community-level facilitation depending on environmental stress.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.351-363
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• 2020

Here, we investigated fungal microbiota in the understory root layer of representative well-conserved geographically segregated natural wetlands in the Korean Peninsula. We obtained 574,143 quality fungal sequences in total from soil samples in three wetlands, which were classified into 563 operational taxonomic units (OTU), 5 phyla, 84 genera. Soil texture, total nitrogen, organic carbon, pH, and electrical conductivity of soil were variable between geographical sites. We found significant differences in fungal phyla distribution and ratio, as well as genera variation and richness between the wetlands. Diversity was greater in the Jangdo islands wetland than in the other sites (Chao richness/Shannon/Simpson's for wetland of the Jangdo islands: 283/6.45/0.97 > wetland of the Mt. Gariwang primeval forest: 169/1.17/0.22 > wetland of the Hanbando geology: 145/4.85/0.91), and this variance corresponded to the confirmed number of fungal genera or OTUs (wetlands of Jangdo islands: 42/283> of Mt. Gariwang primeval forest: 32/169> of the Hanbando geology: 25/145). To assess the uniqueness of the understory root layer fungus taxa, we analyzed fungal genera distribution. We found that the percentage of fungal genera common to two or three wetland sites was relatively low at 32.3%, while fungal genera unique to each wetland site was 67.7% of the total number of identified fungal species. The Jangdo island wetland had higher fungal diversity than did the other sites and showed the highest level of uniqueness among fungal genera (Is. Jangdo wetland: 34.5% > wetland of Mt. Gariwang primeval forest: 28.6% > wetland of the Hanbando geology: 16.7%).

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.223-236
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• 2021

This study aims to provide basic data for the systematic conservation and efficient management of forest ecosystems by analyzing changes in understory vegetation of temperate broad-leaved deciduous forests. One-hectare permanent survey plot, consisting of 100 subplots sized 10 × 10 meters, was installed in Gwangneung forest in Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do in 2003. The state of stands and the understory vegetation in the permanent survey plot were examined at a 5-year interval from 2003 to 2018. The vascular plants found in the survey area were 56 families, 128 genera, 176 species, 18 variants, 4 varieties, and 1 subspecies, for a total of 199 taxa. The number of species in both the shrub layer and the herbaceous layer showed a tendency to decrease with time. The MRPP-tests showed a significantly differing species composition of the shrub layer in all years except 2008-2013, whereas significant differences were found in all years concerning the herbaceous layer. As for the average importance value, Euonymus oxyphyllus (18.23%), Acer pseudosieboldianum (16.48%), and Callicarpa japonica (13.85%) were dominant in the shrub layer, while Ainsliaea acerifolia (23.41%), Disporum smilacinum (9.45%), and Oplismenus undulatifolius (5.62%) were dominant in the herbaceous layer. In the shrub layer, the richness of Smilax china, Lonicera subsessilis, and Philadelphus schrenkii was high when the basal area and the stand density of an upper layer were high. By contrast, smaller basal area and stand density were associated with the richness of Acer pseudosieboldianum, Deutzia glabrata, Morus bombycis, and Cornus kousa. Furthermore, it was found out that the impact of the basal area and the stand density on the herbaceous layer decreased over time, while the herb layer's species composition was greatly affected by cover degrees of Euonymus oxyphyllus and Acer pseudosieboldianum in the shrub layer. In conclusion, the number of species in the understory vegetation in Gwangneung forest is continuously decreasing, thus implying that species diversity, basal area, and stand density of an upper layer can influence the species composition in understory vegetation.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2011

Effects of forest thinning on community level properties have not been understood yet in Korea. We investigated regeneration patterns and trajectories after a disturbance by applying a chronosequence approach. Light availability, litter and woody debris cover, and species composition were determined for twenty 50 m line-transect samples representing a disturbance duration gradient (within 11 years). Environmental factors such as light availability and coverage of woody debris and litter changed abruptly after thinning and then returned to the pre-disturbance state. Although species richness was gained at shrub and ground layer in a limited way in both forests, cover of various functional types revealed diversity in their responses. Notably, Alnus firma stands exhibited a larger increment of cover in woody plants. Ordination analysis revealed different regeneration trajectories between natural and planted stands. Based on ordination analysis, rehabilitated stands showed movement to alternative states compared with natural ones, reflecting lower resilience to perturbation (i.e., lower stability). Our results suggest that community resilience to artificial thinning depends on properties of the dominant species. But to get more explanatory ecological information, longer-term static observations are required.