This study aims at classifying and analyzing the vegetation structure of Castanopsis sieboldii forest, one of the evergreen broad-leaved forests found under the warm-temperate climate of Korea. It is also compared with the ones of the Castanopsis sieboldii forest in Japan where most similar such forest of Korea, to find unique vegetation structures of the only Korean forest. Vegetation structure of Korean Castanopsis sieboldii forest was divided into two units at the level of community units both of Ardisia japonica-Castanopsis sieboldii community and Ardisio-Castanopsietum sieboldii association. The association carries similar type with the vegetation system of Japan, but any subunits differentiated with the Japan were found vary much. Hierarchical cluster analysis brings in similar result with the analysis on the vegetation structure as well.

Osancheon creek is located in the southwest of the middle area in Korea. Weed community around the Osancheon creek, where various disturbances exert a bad influence directly on its community by human work or nature, was surveyed phytosocialogically. Our surveys have been accomplished from June, 2003 to September, 2003. Weed communities formed around the Osancheon creek were divided into several patterns and analysed. They have been divided into 8 communities. Community A: Humulus japonica community, B: Phragmites communiscommunity, C: Persicaria thunbergii community, D: Zizania latifolia community, E: Miscanthus saccharilflorus community, F: Echinochica crusgalli community, G: Typha orientalis community, H: Sataria viridis community. The flora surveyed in these communities was constituted of 19 families, 36 genera, 4 varieties, and 40 species. Wild plants such as Artemisia princeps var. orientalis, Erigeron annuus, Bidens frondosa, Aeschynomene indica and Oenothera odorata were mostly light loving plants and higher resistant plants against the disturbance. Our result from the ranking all surveyed areas by the Bray-Curtis ordination method was very similar to the results from phytosocialogical table work.

According to the survey map, the altitudes of up and down the Ansungchon were 242m and 49m accordingly. The width of the river was 4m at upperstream and became wider, 28m at midstream and 114m at downstream. Water pH of the Ansungchon was measured variously in the range of 6.0-7.9 according to the surveyed times and areas. The water pH measured during June through August decreased continually and suddenly increased at the end of October. Phragmites japonica, a major species of the fresh water emergent anchored hydrophytes, was surveyed mostly in the area of upperstream, Phragmites communis, Miscanthus sacchariflorus and Typha orientalis were surveyed in the areas of midstream and downstream, and Zizania latifolia was found in all areas of the river. The total of 101 taxa dividing into 32 families, 71 genera, 88 species, and 13 varieties have been inhabited in these areas. Among the inhabited plants, Poaceae was 21.8%, which appeared in the highest percent. Compositae was 20.8%, and Polygonaceae was 11.9%. In the surveyed areas, herbaceous plants were 95.1% and mostly occupied, and woody plants were 4.9%. Among the herbaceous plants, perennial plants were 52.5%, and annual and biannual plants were 28.7% and 13.9% accordingly. Naturalized plants dividing into 8 families and 18 genera have been found in the surveyed areas. The number of the naturalized plants increased from upperstream to downstream as the environmental disruption became worse. Only 2.5% of the total naturalized plants were appeared in up, 17.7% in midstream, and 28.6% in downstream. Shannon-Weiner's index for the degree of diversity was 2.898-3.666 in the area of upperstream, but 3.708-4.135 in downstream, which was little higher.

The effects on photosynthesis of NaCl(0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 or 1.0 M) were examined in etiolated barley seedlings. Chlorophyll(Chl) a, Chl b and carotenoid contents, Chl a fluorescence and quenching coefficients of Chl fluorescence have been determined in the primary leaves of etiolated barley seedlings cultivated under low light(60 μ㏖ m-2s-1). Chl a, b, and carotenoid contents were decreased remarkably in comparison with the control at 0.4 M NaCl. However, the value of Fo and Fv were decreased at 0.6 M NaCl and the ratio of Fv/Fm were deceased at 1.0 M NaCl. Chlorophyll synthesis was seriously inhibited from 0.4 M NaCl, and the photosynthetic electron transport system was inhibited from 0.6 M NaCl. Quantum of photosystem II reaction center was inhibited at 1.0 M NaCl. The effects of NaCl on the Chl content were raised in a 6 hrs, but the effects of NaCl on the value of Fo, Fv and Fv/Fm were raised in 30 hrs. The value of qP was decreased in comparison with the control at all concentrations, but there was a small change in the value qE. These results provide evidence that NaCl inhibited effects of various concentration of NaCl were inhibited quinone redox, however, proton gradient between thylakoid membranes was little damaged.

To investigate the effects of sulfite on the chloroplast development, etiolated barley seedlings were treated with 100 mM sulfite solution every 3 hour by spraying during 96 hours greening period. The effects were determined by chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids contents, photosynthetic electron transport activity, chlorophyll fluorescence yield and fluorescence quenching parameters. The contents of chlorophyll a and carotenoids were decreased than that of control by treatment of sulfite over 48 hours greening. PS Ⅱ is more sensitive to sulfite than PS I is. And by the addition of DPC to the chloroplasts of the barley seedling treated with sulfite, the photoreduction of DCPIP was not recovered. In greening with sulfite treated barley leaves, Fo, Fv and Fv/Fm ratio were decreased with little difference from that of control. But qP, qNP and qR were lowed in comparison with those of controls whereas qE was slightly higher than that of control. Especially, it is interesting that qR was decreased markedly compared to that of control. The results in the change of PS I activity, Fv/Fm and qP suggest that the site of inhibition by sulfite is carbon dioxide reduction cycle.

The effects of various intensity of UV-B on barley seedling were investigated by PS I and Ⅱ activities and chlorophyll fluorescence. The inhibitory effect of UV-B radiation on electron transport activity was increased as the intensity of UV-B irradiation was increased. Especially, PS Ⅱ is more sensitive to UV-B radiation than PS I is. By the addition of artificial electron donor, DPC, to the chloroplasts of the barley seedlings treated with UV-B, the photoreduction of DCPIP was recovered by only 11% on electron transport activity. However, the activity of PS Ⅱ was inhibited by 45% by the treatment with UV-B, but recovered it only 11% by the addition of DPC. These suggest that other sites besides the oxidation site of PS Ⅱ may be affected more by UV-B irradiation. As the intensity of UV-B was increased, Fo was increased while Fv was decreased, and thus Fv/Fm was decreased. This means that photochemical efficiency was reduced. With this parameters, it might be that UV-B radiation affected adversely to around PS Ⅱ.