Plant species distribution was studied on five reclaimed lands and one intertidal fiat (control) on the western coast of Korea. Nineteen soil properties were analyzed. Of these, soil moisture, el@ condu~, and levels of Na and CI had the 8reatest effect on plant distribution. The plant species were divided into four Moulps, accordin 8 to the amount of soil moisture found at their habitats. ~hin maritlmum and Typha angustah were found on the wettest sites; PhrAgmiles cornmunis, Carex scabrifolia, Suaeda japon/ca, Zoys/a s/n/ca, and 5a#com/a herbacea in places with relatively high moisture; Aster tripolium and Phacelurus latifofius in areas with medium levels of moisture; and Atriplex subco~ata, Chenopodium virgatum, and Trifolium repens in the driest areas. The species also were divided into four groups, according to the degree of soil electrical conductivity: H~hest, $. herbacea, Limonium tetragonum, Suaeda asparagoides, and $. japonica; Relatively high, A. tripolium, C. scabrifolia, R communis, Artemisia scoparia, and 7_. sinica; Relatively low, Setaria viridis, C. virgatum, Sonchus brachyotus, ,4. subcordata, Calamagrostis epigeios, and T. angustata; and Lowest, Imperata cylindrica var. koenigii, Aeschynomene indica, Lotus corniculatus var. japonicus, and T. repens. On reclaimed land, plant species were found in zones, accordin 8 to the degree of desalinization (i.e., levels of Na and CI).

To clarify the vesetation muctu~e o~ salty areas, species distribution was surva~ed accordi~ ~o t~aphy, species association, community ordination, and community dasl~icullkm. We studied one natural ticld Pat and ~te redaimed lands on the western coast of Korea. Species composition and ve~lalJem proliles changed cemspicnoudy over lime and by toflo~aphical regiom. Re~udleu ot the lime that ~ after reclamation, ~ and gb/cophytes coexisted on the sites where the leaching o~ soil salts was dow. Species a~mciation was weak amon 8 plants in the early stages on reclaimed lands. With time, however, the strenBth of species aMoci~ increased amon 8 haiophytes and glycophytes, and the two groups were linked by salt.tolerant gl,/cophytes. This resulted in a series of species associations on old reclaimed lands. In the study of plant community ordination, halophytJc communities were located on one side of axis I, glycophytic communities on the other. Several communities of salt-tolerant ~)hytes were located between the two groups. When key species were used to classify communities, we found that halophytlc and glycophytlc communities were intermixed.