식물사회학적 이론에 의한 생태모델숲 조성기법

Abstract

Abstract Native Plant Community Restoration Based on Phytosociology This study aims to suggest strategies for constructing naturalized parks in heavily populated areas, particularly the design of native plant communities based on phytosociology in broader areas damaged by development projects. In Korea, non-native and exotic species have been planted in parks and small remnant areas that have been fragmented by road construction and development projects. These artificial parks are partially in conflict with the original structure and function of native forest ecosystems. To identify naturalized plant communities, we reviewed the concept of ecologically sound vegetation units developed through plant sociology studies and suggest processes and plans for the construction of such vegetation units. The term 'eco-model forest' introduced here for the first time, refers to a constructed forest consisting of native plant species and original ecosystems. Sapling pots of all seedling mixtures with a variety of tree, sub-tree, and shrub plants were used to construct the eco-model forest. At the germination and plantation stage, we planted more seedling pots in the soil in order to get a high success rate and to assure rapid growth. After planting, we expect the constructed eco-model forests to be similar with natural vegetation communities in about 10 years. The constructed eco-model forests provide wildlife habitats, control extreme weather conditions at a micro-scale, provide clean air and water, prevent soil erosion, flooding, and global warming, and provide recreation opportunities. To construct an eco-model forest, we looked at the actual conditions and identified reference vegetation community in the area. The potential vegetation structure should be estimated in terms of the area's climate and soil conditions, as well as the community's potential plant species composition. The selected plants should be planted with spatial distribution in mind (i.e., direction and distance between seedlings). During the treatment, appropriate soil is accumulated to establish native plant species. The planted area should be maintained and continuously monitored to assure the development of ecologically sound vegetation in damaged areas. This study hopes to suggest ecologically sound and economically efficient ways to construct semi-natural parks in urban areas. The experimental design of the eco-model forest proved to be more successful than the ones used before. Furthermore, the eco-model forest can be applied to large areas, providing the most efficient way to develop ecologically friendly wildlife habitats. So far, aesthetic approaches are dominant in Korea to construct human-made parks in urban areas, but, in this study, the eco-model forest is proposed to develop an ecologically integrated system based on the theory of plant sociology. This study is theoretical, and the construction design, planting processes, and plant species selection have not been assessed in the field. We plan to apply the eco-model forest design obtained using plant sociology to pilot areas and to experiment with different combinations of plant species. Finally, monitoring of the constructed parks is essential to achieve ecological sound parks in urban areas.