Reference Ecosystem Condition-Based Syntaxonomic Study for Ecological Restoration and Protection of Temperate Forests in South Korea

To identify the reference ecosystem conditions of a damaged forest, we developed a community development scenario using a syntaxonomic approach. To facilitate this choice, we sought to provide a framework based on ecological theory, specifically on the relationship between vegetation and environment...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Minsu Kim, Namin Koo, A Reum Kim, Kiwoong Lee, Soon Jin Yun
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Diversity
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/1/40
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:To identify the reference ecosystem conditions of a damaged forest, we developed a community development scenario using a syntaxonomic approach. To facilitate this choice, we sought to provide a framework based on ecological theory, specifically on the relationship between vegetation and environmental properties. We identified forest composition species in 216 sample plots from Mt. Gariwang, a representative temperate deciduous forest in South Korea, and divided them into 13 species groups, including the <i>Quercus mongolica</i> Fisch.-<i>Fraxinus rhynchophylla</i> Hance community and eight vegetation types. In addition, nine major environmental properties that explain community composition, including elevation, were identified through multivariate analysis. A physiognomy map enabled the identification that the area must be large and the habitat must be continuous to help determine the reference ecosystem. In conclusion, plant–environmental interaction analysis is a valuable tool for identifying reference communities or source locations for seed migration in relation to various habitats. These reference ecosystems provide insights into the restoration of damaged areas and an overview of important considerations for restoring the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem function.
ISSN:1424-2818