Floristic inventory and distribution characteristics of vascular plants in forest wetlands of South Korea

Abstract

This study surveyed the vascular flora present in 455 forest wetlands in South Korea to provide baseline data for conservation, management and monitoring and to support preparation for climate change. The survey period was from April 2015 to November 2019. The vascular flora of 455 forest wetlands were identified and were found to consist of 143 families, 582 genera, 1,246 species, 26 subsp., 104 var., 12 f. and 1,388 individual taxa. Eight taxa were identified as Grade II endangered wild plants, 220 taxa were identified as northern lineage plants of the Korean Peninsula, 66 taxa were endemic to the Korean Peninsula and 94 taxa were rare plants as designated by the Korea Forest Service. Amongst them, eight taxa were Critically Endangered species, 10 taxa were Endangered species, 31 taxa were Vulnerable species, 31 taxa were Least Concern species and 14 taxa were Data Deficient species. Further, 411 taxa were floristic target plants, of which 17 taxa were classified as grade V, 70 taxa as grade IV, 110 taxa as grade III, 90 taxa as grade II and 29 taxa as grade I. There were 64 invasive alien plant taxa. Eighteen of these species were classed as Widespread species, nine taxa were Serious Spread species, 13 taxa were Spread Risk species, 18 taxa were Spread Concern species and six taxa were Continuing Spread species. According to wetland preference, 152 taxa (11.0%) were obligate wetland plants, 138 taxa (9.9%) were facultative wetland plants and 177 (12.77%) taxa were facultative plants. Additionally, 198 taxa (14.3%) were facultative upland plants and 723 taxa (52.1%) were obligate upland plants.

Osmundastrum cinnamomeum population differences in three habitat types in South Korea

“…Emergent macrophytes with high heights reduce light availability for co-occurring species [ 62 ], thus weakening the development potential of O. cinnamomeum in low-elevation wetlands. However, small vascular plants, such as Persicaria thunbergia , Thelypteris palustris, and Juncus effusus occur frequently in high-elevation montane wetlands in Korea [ 63 ], and their average heights in our study were 23, 33, and 66 cm, respectively. The height of O. cinnamomeum in the montane wetlands was competitive, with sufficient light availability ( Fig.…”

Organellar phylogenomics of Ophioglossaceae fern genera

“…Photo credits by Li-Yaung Kuo (A, K) , Zhi-Xiang Chang (B, F, G) , Tian-Chuan Hsu (C) , Emily B. Sessa (D, L, N) , Pi-Fong Lu (E) , Christopher Whitehouse (I) , Ponpipat Limpanasitticha (M) , and Tassanai Jaruwattanaphan (O) . The photo of Mankyua chejuensis (H) is modified from Lee et al. (2022) .…”