Population Structure, and Emergence and Growth Dynamics of Seedling, and Spatial Distribution of Dendropanax morbifera Lev.(Araliaceae)
A Korean endemic and evergreen small tree ' Dendropanax morbifera LEV.(Araliaceae)' is a component of evergreen forest and mainly idstributein sourthern region and islands in Korea. A local population of D. morbifera which is located between evergreen and deciduous forest within 50m x 50m quadrate was investigated to ascertain the change of population structure, emergence and growth dynamics of seedlings and saplings, and pattern of spatial distribution by the temproal and spatial expansion of population . The result of analysis of population structure by Importnace Value(IV), evergreen forest showed a high species diversity of evergreen tree species such as Cinnamomum japonicum, Machilus japonica, Neolitsea serica, Daphniphyllum macropodum, Ligustrum japonicum, and etc, in middle and under story than in upper story where Camelia japonica and Quercus acuta were dominant. And in conterminous deciduous fores, the major component of evergreen forest in this region, Camellia japonica, Quercus acuta, evergreen tree of Lauraceae and etc. were abundant in only under story. IV of D. morbifera differed from among three story. In comparative analysis of emergence and growth dynamics of D. morbifera seedlings and saplings between evergreen and deciduous forest, emergece and density of seedlings were significantly greater in evergreen than in deciduous forest, and growth of height and basal diameter of seedlings and saplings were slightly larger in evergreen than in deciduous forest. The spatial distribution patterns by Moristia's index mapping of indivuduals using a lattice method of XY axis within this population showed that seedlings(age up to 2 years) and saplings (age〉2 years and height〈1m) both evergreen and deciduous forest were more or less aggregated apart from mature trees, and thougth intermediate trees(height〉1m and dbh〈10cm) had a aggregated distribution pattern, mature trees(dbh〉10cm were uniform. In conclusion , the expansion of D. morbfera population from evergreen to deciduous forest accompanied with a mumber of evergreen woody species, and also, emergence and recruitment, and growth of seedlings were greatly influenced moisture and canopy by around community structure.