Abstract
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The purpose of this study is to identify growth pattern and ecology characteristics of sub-alpine coniferous forests in Jirisan National Park through species diversity analysis, vegetation structure and annual ring growth analysis, to provide basic materials for climate change studies and to help to...
The purpose of this study is to identify growth pattern and ecology characteristics of sub-alpine coniferous forests in Jirisan National Park through species diversity analysis, vegetation structure and annual ring growth analysis, to provide basic materials for climate change studies and to help to establish sustainable preservation and maintenance measures for subalpine coniferous forests.
1. Diversity of Plant in Surveyed Area
67 families, 200 genuses, 288 species, 52 variants, 2 breeds or 342 taxons in total were identified as vascular plants in subalpine coniferous forests. Major plants are Abies koreana, Picea jezoensis, Betula ermani, Rhododendron tschonoskii, Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum, Ligularia fischeri, Vaccinium koreanum, Streptopus ovalis and etc. By surveyed area, 67 families, 198 genuses, 282 species 52 variants, 2 breeds or 336 taxons in total were found in Seseok, 56 families, 148 genuses, 207 species, 33 variants, 2 breeds, 242 taxons in total were found in Cheonwangbong, and 61 families, 171 genuses, 238 species, 41 variants, 2 breeds, 281 taxons in total were found in Banyabong. As naturalized plants, 6 families, 6 genuses, 6 species, 1 variant, 7 taxons in total Larix kaempferi, Rumex crispus and Phytolacca americana were found. As Korea endemic species, 13 families, 15 genuses, 13 species, 3 variants, 16 taxons in total including Abies koreana, Carex okamotoi, Smilacina davurical, Aconitum chiisanense and Filipendula formosa were found. 31 families, 57 genuses, 65 species, 7 variants, or 72 taxons in total floristic special plants were found and they were confirmed as 5.7% of total floristic indicator plants. Additionally, rare plants were 17 families, 24 genuses, 25 species, 2 variants or 27 taxons in total.
2. Vegetation Structure and Dynamics
In tree layer, importance value of Abies koreana was 57.4 in the south slope of Seseok, 56.9 in the north slope of Seseok, 34.8 in the south slope of Cheonwangbong, 27.6 in the north slope of Cheonwangbong, and 34.0 in Banyabong. Importance value of Picea jezoensis was 2.4 in the south slope of Seseok, 10.3 in the north slope of Seseok, 37.5 in the south slope of Cheonwangbong, 49.6 in the north slope of Cheonwangbong, and 42.7 in Banyabong. In subtree layer, importance value of A. koreana and P. jezoensis was 43.5 in the south slope of Seseok, 38.5 in the north slope of Seseok, 33.1 in the south slope of Cheonwangbong, 40.3 in the north slope of Cheonwangbong and 12.0 in Banyabong. In shrub layer, importance value of A. koreana was 5.1～12.7 and that of P. jezoensis was 0.6～7.3. Rhododendron schlippenbachii was dominant in shrub layer (11.2～43.9). In herbaceous layer, importance value of A. koreana was 0.5～1.5 and that of P. jezoensis was 0.5～1.1. In herbaceous layer importance value of A. koreana and P. jezoensis was as low as 1.0～2.3. In the analysis of species diversity of subalpine coniferous forests by surveyed area, 5～13 species were found in tree layer, 7～20 species in subtree layer and 10～28 species in shrub layer. Species diversity ranged 0.360 to 1.215. Evenness and dominance ranged 0.371 to 0.968, and 0.106 to 0.629, respectively. Similarity index showed 0.288～0.671 among surveyed area. In the analysis of Morisita's index of subalpine coniferous forests, regular distribution was found in the south and the north slope of Seseok and the south and the north slope of Cheonwangbong and Banyabong. In DBH analysis, random distribution was shown in P. jezoensis forest in Banyabong and regular distribution was shown in the south and the north slope of Seseok and the south and the north slope of Cheonwangbong.
In DBH class distribution, A. koreana showed reverse J shape and P. jezoensis showed higher ratio of small diameter tree. In the analysis of tree height and DBH, distribution curve of A. koreana was high in Seseok followed by in Cheonwangbong and Banyabong. P. jezoensis showed higher distribution in Banyabong followed by in Seseok and Cheonwangbong.
In the analysis of dead tree type among 197 individual, 87 A. koreana were dead standing (48.3%) and 52 were dead uprooted (28.9%). 19 were dead because trunk was broken (10.6%), 13 were dead because large branches were broken (7.2%), and 9 because small branches were broken (5%). In case of P. jezoensis, 9 standing (52.9%), 5 uprooted (29.4%) and 2 broken trunk (11.8%), 1 were dead because large branches were broken (5.9%).
3. Soil Properties
Soil pH, organic matter, total N, available phosphorus of subalpine coniferous forest in Mt. Jiri National Park was 4.20～4.27, 11.3～14.2%, 0.43～0.89%, and 6.00～10.36 ppm, respectively. CEC was 13.79～17.38 cmol+/kg. The exchangeable cation content was in the order of Ca2+> Mg2+>K+>Na+. When analyzing soil chemical characteristics in healthy land and dead land, pH was 4.26 in healthy land while it was 4.22 in dead land in the south slope of Seseok. pH in the south slope of Cheonwangbong was 4.25 in healthy land and 4.20 in dead land. In the north slope of Seseok, the north slope of Cheonwangbong and Banyabong area, soil pH in dead land was higher than that in sound land. Additionally, exchangeable cation content was in the order of Ca2+>Mg2+>K+>Na+. Overall values of soil chemical characteristics in healthy land and dead land were similar.
4. Annual Ring Growth of A. koreana and P. jezoensis
In the analysis of outgrowth pattern of A. koreana and P. jezoensis collected in each subject area, it was found that average current annual growth of A. koreana was 0.91 mm, average diameter 21cm and average age 60 years. In case of P .jezoensis, average current annual growth was 0.61 mm, average diameter 26 cm and average age 94 years. Reduction of outgrowth pattern of A. koreana and P. jezoensis outgrowth pattern seemed to proceed from late 1985 to early 1990. Mean increment of A. koreana in Seseok was 1.21 mm/yr in the south slope and 1.39 mm/yr in the north slope and that of P. jezoensis in Seseok was 1.08 mm/yr in the north slope. In Cheonwangbong area A. koreana showed growth of slope 0.95 mm/yr in the south slope and 0.88 mm/yr in the north slope. In Cheonwangbong area, P. jezoensis showed increment of 0.70 mm/yr in the south slope and 0.47 mm/yr in the north slope. In Banyabong area A. koreana showed increment of 1.51 mm/yr and P. jezoensis showed increment of 1.18 mm/yr. It is found that mean increment of A. koreana is higher than that of P. jezoensis.
