To identify effective light spectra for increasing the productivity of Panax ginseng, we conducted experiments in a controlled environment using a hydroponic cultivation system in a plant factory. We investigated the effect of single LEDs (red, blue, and yellow) and mixed LEDs (red + blue and red + blue + white). The relationships between four light spectra (red, blue, yellow, and white) and physiological responses (net photosynthetic rate, stomata conductance, transpiration rate, and intercellular CO₂ partial pressure), as well as growth responses (shoot and root biomass), were analyzed using multivariate statistical analysis. Among the four physiological response variables, shoot biomass was not increased by any pathway, and root biomass was increased only by the intercellular CO₂ partial pressure. Red and yellow light increased shoot biomass, whereas white light promoted an increase in the net photosynthetic rate and enhanced root biomass. In contrast, blue light was less effective than the other light spectra in increasing both shoot and root biomass. Therefore, red and yellow light are the most effective light spectra for increasing shoot biomass and white light is effective for increasing root biomass in a plant factory that uses artificial LED lighting. Furthermore, the intercellular CO₂ partial pressure is an important physiological variable for increasing the root biomass of P. ginseng.

For the study on the relationships between the seed dispersal of exotic plants and bird population, flora, avifauna, vegetation patches, and the dynamics of seed banks were investigated in and around the exposed floodplains of the large rivers, and the causes of exotic vegetation development were determined with respect to plant life form, bird population characteristics, and landscape using multivariate analysis. The number of dominant exotic plant species observed in exposed areas was higher than that observed in an abandoned field and paddy field undergoing secondary succession. Additionally, the area occupied by exotic vegetation in exposed areas increased with the increase in number of vine plants and small terrestrial birds, whereas the relationship between vine and runner plants was inversely proportional. Therefore, to control exotic plants in exposed floodplains surrounding large rivers, it is necessary to remove vines and shrubs along the waterfront where small resident birds carrying plant seeds live and to maintain and manage runner plant populations. Furthermore, implementing an ecological landscape management strategy, such as afforestation through the planting of trees, may also be effective.

Ju-Seon Lee, Young-Han You*, Ji-Won Park, Yeo-Bin Park, Yoon-Seo Kim, Jung-Min Lee, Hae-In Yu, Bo-Yeon Jeon, Kyeong-Mi Cho and Eui-Joo Kim*. J Ecol Environ 2024;48:. https://doi.org/10.5141/jee.24.051

Restoration of brackish wetlands is important for recovering biodiversity and enhancing carbon sink function. This study evaluated the effects of tree introduction on early ecological stabilization and carbon uptake in a brackish wetland. Vegetation cover, species richness, plant community structure, and carbon budget were compared among a non-restored site, first- and second-year restored sites, and a reference ecosystem. Vegetation cover increased from 6.7% in the non-restored site to 36.4% and 50.5% in the first- and second-year restored sites, respectively. Species richness also increased with restoration age, reaching 8.1 species m⁻² in the second-year restored site, which exceeded that of the reference ecosystem. Plant community structure became increasingly similar to that of the reference ecosystem as restoration progressed, suggesting early vegetation establishment and community development after tree introduction. Carbon uptake increased from 1.78 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in the non-restored site to 4.74 and 6.88 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in the first- and second-year restored sites, respectively. However, carbon uptake in the second-year restored site had not yet reached the level expected for mature reference vegetation, indicating that carbon uptake recovery may require more time than initial biodiversity recovery. These findings suggest that tree introduction can promote early ecological stabilization, biodiversity enhancement, and carbon uptake in brackish wetlands. Long-term monitoring is needed to determine whether restored brackish wetlands develop into stable carbon sinks with mature ecosystem structure and function.

Managed plantation forests are important for timber production and carbon sequestration, but their biodiversity value compared with unmanaged secondary forests remains debated. We compared vascular plant diversity between a managed Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi) planted forest (MPF) and a nearby unmanaged secondary Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica) forest (USF) in the Garisan Leading Forest Management Complex, Hongcheon-gun, Republic of Korea, where stand age and site conditions were broadly comparable. Using Modified-Whittaker plots across 1–1,000 m² at five sites per forest type, we analyzed pooled species richness of total vascular plants, spring-active herbs, native species, and alien species, and estimated species accumulation using species–area slopes. We also examined taxonomic structure with hierarchical diversity partitioning and dominance patterns using rank–abundance curves. Total species richness was significantly higher in the MPF across all plot sizes, and species accumulated more rapidly with area than in the USF (b = 14.14 vs. 4.48). Spring-active herbs and native species were also richer in the MPF, with steeper species–area slopes. Alien species occurred slightly more often in the MPF but remained scarce in both forest types. The MPF had significantly higher within-family genus diversity, whereas within-genus species diversity did not differ. These results suggest that early understory control, periodic thinning, microsite heterogeneity, and the spring light window under deciduous larch can promote understory plant diversity in mid-aged managed plantations.

Tidal flats contain large sediment carbon reservoirs, but blue-carbon accounting has generally focused on soil organic carbon (SOC), whereas shell-derived particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) has rarely been quantified in unvegetated tidal flats. Here, we quantified SOC, PIC, and total carbon (TC) stocks in 0-50 cm sediment cores collected from three sediment facies (mud, mixed, and sand flats) in the Shinan tidal flats along the southwestern coast of Korea. Sediment facies strongly controlled carbon storage, with mean SOC stocks of 159.84, 72.06, and 28.31 Mg C ha−1 and mean PIC stocks of 26.46, 9.10, and 4.53 Mg C ha−1 in mud, mixed, and sand flats, respectively. PIC contributed 11-14% of TC across all facies. Factorial ANOVA showed significant sediment-facies effects on SOC, PIC, and TC, whereas depth (0-50 cm) was not significant. The sediment facies x depth interaction was significant for SOC and TC but not for PIC, suggesting that the vertical distribution of organic carbon varied among sediment types. These results demonstrate strong spatial heterogeneity in sediment carbon storage across tidal-flat facies and indicate that PIC can represent a durable, non-negligible component of sediment carbon inventories. In this study, PIC is interpreted as a sediment carbon stock rather than a net atmospheric CO2 sequestration flux.