Earticle

This study was carried out to introduce the forest cover types of the Baekdudaegan inhabiting the number of native tree species. In order to understand the vegetation distribution characteristics of the Baekdudaegan, a vegetation survey was conducted on the major 20 mountains of the Baekdudaegan. The vegetation data were collected from 3,959 sample points by the point-centered quarter method. Each mountain was classified into 4-7 forests by using various multivariate statistical methods such as cluster analysis, indicator species analysis, multiple discriminant analysis, and species composition analysis. The forests were classified mainly according to the relative abundance of Quercus mongolica. There was a total of 111 classified forests and these forests were integrated into the following nine forest cover types using the percentage similarity index and by clustering according to vegetation type: 1) Mongolian oak, 2) Mongolian oak and other deciduous, 3) Oaks (Mixed Quercus spp.), 4) Korean red pine, 5) Korean red pine and oaks, 6) ash, 7) mixed mesophytic, 8) subalpine zone coniferous, and 9) miscellaneous forest. Forests grouped within the subalpine zone coniferous and miscellaneous classifications were characterized by similar environmental conditions and those forests that did not fit in any other category, respectively.

The study examined the influence of climate and soil dynamics on vegetation health across the ecological zones in Rivers State, Nigeria. MODIS imagery was used to assess the vegetation health through NDVI and point grid pattern of meteorological data for total precipitation (TP), air temperature (AT), soil moisture (SM) and soil temperature (ST) of 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2015 were used for the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Findings showed that NDVI ranged between 0.420 and 0.612 in the freshwater swamp (FWS) while between 0.465 and 0.611 in the rainforest and the NDVI in the mangrove was generally low. The highest mean AT was experienced in the mangrove ecological zone and the least was experienced in the rainforest. The mean SM was generally highest in the rainforest with highest value in 2000 (774.44 m3/m3). The ST was highest in the mangrove and the least was experienced in the rainforest while the TP was highest in the mangrove. NDVI correlated significantly with SM (r=0.720; p＜0.05) and ST (r= -0.493; p＜0.05). NDVI, SM, TP and ST significantly varied among the ecological zones. Regression analysis showed that vegetation health was significantly related to the combination of soil temperature and soil moisture (R2=0.641; p=0.000). Thus, monitoring the factors that affect vegetation health in a changing climate and soil environments is highly required.

Studies that relate the structure of tropical regrowth vegetation to soil properties are generally lacking in the literature. This study proposes three indices for assessing the structural regeneration of secondary forests. They are: (1) the tree diameter class, (2) the plant life form and (3) the woody/herbaceous plants ratio indices. They were applied to assess the regeneration status of forest regrowth vegetation (aged 1-10 years), derived savanna regrowth vegetation in south western Nigeria, and to secondary forests in different stages of succession in Columbia and Venezuela, Bolivia, Mexico in South and Central America and semi-arid savanna in Ethiopia and seasonal deciduous forest successional stages in India. In all the cases, the indices increased with increasing age of regrowth vegetation and hence, with increasing structural complexity of regenerating vegetation. The tree diameter class index increased from 32.1% in a 9-year secondary forest to 69.0% in an 80-year-old secondary forest in Columbia and Venezuela and from 0.4% in a 1-year fallow to 20.9% in 10-year regrowth vegetation in southwestern Nigeria. In semi-arid savanna in northern Ethiopia, the woody/herbaceous plants ratio index increased from 18.1% in a 5-year protected grazing enclosure to 75.1% in 15-year protected enclosure, relative to the status of 20-year enclosure. The indices generally had correlations of 0.6-0.90 with species richness and Simpson’s/Margalef’s species diversity, implying that they are appropriate measures of ecosystem development over time. The proposed indices also had strong and positive correlations with soil organic carbon and nutrients. They are therefore, significant indicators of fertility status.

Iris koreana (Iridaceae) is an endangered plant native to Korea. In order to develop an in vitro propagation method, we investigated the effect of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) and a-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on callus induction in different I. koreana tissues. In addition, we also investigated the effect of 2,4-D and Benzyl aminopurine (BA) treatments on adventitious shoot induction in viable calli and the effect of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) on root formation in viable shoots. We found that callus production was highest with 1.0 mg/L NAA (94.4% cultured rhizome explants), and adding low concentrations of 2,4-D to BA containing media significantly increased the frequency of shoot primordial formation. The best rooting results were obtained with 1.0 mg/L IBA, on which 98% of regenerated shoots developed roots and produced an average of 7.4 roots within 45 days. This in vitro propagation protocol will be useful for conservation, as well as for mass propagation.

This study aimed to enhance seed productivity and secure genetic resources for Pinus densiflora for. multicaulis. We analyzed the characteristics of cone and seed generated by control pollination between Pinus densiflora (PD) and Pinus densiflora for. multicaulis (PDM). The highest number of cone scales (63.0) was obtained from the self-pollinated (sp) PDM clone B (PDM-sp-B), whereas the lowest number of cone scales (44.7) was obtained from two combinations designated as PDM-A×PD-075 and PDM-A×PD-0111. Both female parents of the hybrids were PDM-A. The highest seed production capacity (80.8) was obtained from the open-pollinated (op) PDM clone B (PDM-op-B). The seed potentials of PDM-B×PD-0111, PDM-op-A, and PDM-sp-B were 67.4, 66.5, and 63.1, respectively. The highest number of fertile scales (41.5) was obtained from PDM-op-B, and the lowest number of fertile scales (28.8) was obtained from PDM-A× PD-075. The total number of aborted ovules and 1st aborted ovules was not statistically significant in the mating design. The cross combination of PDM-B×PD-0111 had the highest number (34.8) of filled seeds and the lowest number of 2nd aborted ovules (5.2) and empty seeds (9). PDM-op-B had the highest number of developed seeds (47.6), although the number of empty seeds was the highest (41.2). Therefore, we conclude that the mating design of PDM-B×PD-0111 is useful for future breeding programs to improve seed yield of PDM. Our results showed that there was a strong correlation between the following two parameter pairs: number of scales and number of fertile scales, and the number of fertility scales and seeds potential (r=0.89 and r=0.84, respectively; both p＜0.01).

The aim of this study was to investigate the sensitivity to environmental stress, and changes in the photosynthesis capacity in Abies koreana seedlings by age and to suggest the most effective age for restoration. To identify these physiological characteristics of A. koreana, the chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic capacity of 1-, 2-, 3-, 5- and 6-year-old A. koreana seedlings were observed from June 2020 to June 2021. The maximum quantum efficiency of Photosystem II (Fv/Fm), a chlorophyll fluorescence measurement parameter, was strongly positively correlated with the monthly average temperature (1-year-old seedling: r=0.8779, 2-year-old seedling: r=0.8605, 3-year-old seedling: r=0.8697, 5-year-old seedlings: r=0.8085, and 6-year-old seedlings: r=0.8316). The Fv/Fm values were the lowest in winter (November 2020-March 2021). In addition, the Fv/Fm values of 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old seedlings in winter were lower than that of 5- and 6-year-old seedlings, while the Fv/Fm values in summer were relatively higher than those in winter. Further, the Fv/Fm values of seedlings of all ages decreased in August 2020, when the monthly average temperature was the highest. In particular, 1-year-old to 3-year-old seedlings showed Fv/Fm values less than 0.8. Further, the photosynthetic capacity measured in August 2020 increased with increasing seedling age. The analysis of variance results for summer Fv/Fm values showed significant differences in age-specific averages (p＜0.05), and Duncan’s multiple range test showed significant differences between 5- and 6-year-old seedlings and 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old seedlings (p＜0.05). These results suggested that the 5- and 6-year-old seedlings were less sensitive to environmental stress and showed better photosynthetic capacity than the 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old seedlings. Therefore, 5-year-old or older A. koreana seedlings can be used as restoration materials because they can show increased adaptability and stable growth during transplantation due to their relatively high environmental resistance and photosynthetic capacity.

Zygotic embryo culture was performed to propagate evergreen oak, Quercus myrsinifolia, which has recalcitrant seeds and is difficult to propagate by cuttings. Zygotic embryos appeared in WPM medium after 14 days, and after 56 days, they developed into complete plants with cotyledons and roots. The medium suitable for zygotic embryo culture was 1/4 WPM medium, showing a shoot growth of 2.43 cm and root growth of 8.7 cm after 8 weeks of culture. As a result of investigating the effect of GA3 on the growth of plants germinated from zygotic embryos through GA3 treatment, the best growth was shown in 0.5 mg/l GA3 treatment. The in vitro rooting and growth of IBA-treated zygotic embryo-derived plants were good in the 0.5 mg/l IBA treatment and rooting and shoot growth were not observed at higher concentrations. And the callus induction rate also increased as the concentration of IBA increased. Plants grown in vitro were transferred to a plastic pot containing artificial soil and acclimatized in a greenhouse for about 4 weeks, resulting in more than 90% survival. As a result of this study, the zygotic embryo culture method was confirmed to be effective for mass propagation of Q. myrsinifolia. The results of this study are expected to contribute significantly to the mass propagation of elite Q. myrsinifolia.

This study is designed according to the fact that the feces presumed to be from a Prionailurus bengalensis was found in Ulleungdo Island, where Prionailurus bengalensis is not known to inhabit, and that visual observation of the feces may cause errors in species identification. The feces observed in Ulleungdo Island on October 21, 2019 and August 29, 2020, in Gyeongju on December 4, 2020, and in Jecheon on December 7, 2020 was found intactly on grass, not buried in the ground. Although it was difficult to distinguish and identify the feces of Felis catus and Prionailurus bengalensis with visual observation, the feces collected from Ulleungdo Island was closely related to the Felis catus according to the genetic analysis whereas the ones collected from Gyeongju and Jecheon was identified from Prionailurus bengalensis. Therefore through the gene analysis, this study proved that visual observation of feces with similar appearance, specifically the feces found in Ulleungdo Island, Gyeongju, and Jecheon, may cause errors in species identification. It is judged to be necessary to analyze fields signs and genes for the species identification when using the feces of Felis catus and Prionailurus bengalensis.

Morus alba, known as White Mulberry, is one of the most common species of mulberry found in South Korea, along with M. australis, known as Korean Mulberry. During a routine survey to investigate fungal diseases on deciduous broad-leaved trees in 2020, leaf spots were consistently observed on the White Mulberry in Sejong-si (36°30'12.8"N 127°17'34.5"E) and Wonju-si (37°15'29.6"N 128°11'37.9"E), South Korea, with a disease incidence of approximately 70 to 80%. Symptoms included circular, tan or necrotic lesions surrounded by a dark margin on leaves, which, in some cases, the lesions coalesced to form relatively large necrotic regions. The pathogen was successfully isolated from M. alba, and was identified as Cladosporium pseudocladosporioides based on the phylogenetic analysis and morphology. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot disease on M. alba caused by C. pseudocladosporioides in South Korea.