We investigated the growth response and population regeneration of four halophyte species: Suaeda japonica, Salicornia europaea, Suaeda maritima and Suaeda glauca, when climate change proceeds caused by increased CO2 concentration and temperature. The plants collected from habitat in 2018 were transplanted into Wagner pots, and cultivated for two years in greenhouse divided into a control (ambient condition) and a treatment (elevated CO2+elevated temperature). The shoot length of halophytes was measured in July of each year, and the population regeneration rate was measured in October 2019. The shoot lengths of S. japonica and S. glauca had no difference between control and treatment for two years. Those of S. europaea were longer in control than treatment for two years. Those of S. maritima had no difference between control and treatment in 2018 but were longer in control than treatment in 2019. In control, the shoot lengths of S. japonica, S. europaea and S. glauca had no difference between years while those of S. maritima were longer in 2018 than in 2019. In treatment, those of S. japonica, S. europaea and S. maritima were shorter in 2019 than 2018 but S. glauca had no difference between years. The regeneration rates of S. japonica, S. europaea and S. glauca were lower treatment than control, and there was no difference in the regeneration rate of S. maritima. In conclusion, if climate change progresses caused by the increase of CO2 concentration and temperature, the shoot lengths of S. japonica, S. europaea and S. maritima will be shortened, and the regeneration rate of population will be increased only in the S. maritima.

Suaeda asparagoides (Miq.) is a salt marsh plant, long been prescribed in traditional medicine for the treatment of hypertension and liver toxification in Asian countries. The powder of S. asparagoides was added at the ratio of 0, 5, and 10%, respectively, of grain-type Meju to manufacture Doenjang in brine according to the salt concentration (8 and 12%). After 24 weeks of fermentation, the Doenjang samples were determined to have an anti-inflammatory effect on RAW 264.7 cells. Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory effect of Doenjang added S. asparagoides powder extracted using 80% EtOH, was performed to study the inhibition of pro-inflammatory factors such as NF-κB (nuclar factor κB), NO (nitric oxide), TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor alpha), IL-6 (interleukin-6), iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase), and COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. The results showed that the Doenjang extracts reduced the production of NO, IL-6, COX-2, and iNOS increased in the LPS-stimulated RAW cell without cytotoxicity. In the case of the NF-κB and TNF-α there was no significant difference between the control and samples. In conclusion, these results suggest that Doenjang added with the S. asparagoides powder acts as functional fermented food with anti-inflammation effect.

Factors affecting spatial distribution of halophytes were analyzed in June 2012 at the Goraebul coastal dunes. In the Goraebul sand dune, distribution of halophytes was divided into three groups. The first group belonging to Elymus mollis, Carex kobomugi, Calystegia soldanella, Ixeris repens and Glehnia littoralis was distributed in the ridge of primary sand dune and dune slack. The second group belonging to Lathyrus japonicus and Zoysia macrostachya was distributed in the dune slack. The third group belonging to Pinus thunbergii, Vitex rotundifolia and Linaria japonicus was distributed in the pine forest of the secondary sand dune. E. mollis, C. kobomugi, C. soldanella, I. repens and G. littoralis was distributed in relatively unstable habitat of sand dunes due to the large amount of sand movement. V. rotundifolia was distributed in a relatively stable habitat. Factors that have the greatest influence on distribution of halophytes in the Goraebul sand dunes are distance from the seashore, topography, and the pine forest. The Goraebul sand dune is a relatively well-preserved area with minimal human intervention. Therefore, different distribution of physico-chemical factors by natural processes is essential to spatial distribution of halophytes than other sand dunes in Korea. Significant natural processes in the Goraebul sand dunes were advance and retreat of coastlines from waves, erosion and sedimentation of sand due to wind and waves, and dispersal of seawater.

만경강 하구역 염습지에 우점 분포하는 5종 염생식물의 개체군 형성 전략에 대하여 유묘 출현율, 생물량, 뿌리 줄기길이생장, 교차이식 생존율, 토양환경 요인 등을 2005년 2월에서 10월까지 조사하였다. 유묘 출현 시기는 칠면초가 가장 빨랐으며 그다음으로 가는갯능쟁이, 퉁퉁마디, 갯개미취, 나문재 순으로 나타났다. 염생식물의 수분상태와 염도에 따른 발아율은 칠면초가 침수구 상태의 고온과 저염도에서, 퉁퉁마디가 고염도에서, 가는갯능쟁이와 갯개미취가 건조구와 침수구에서, 나문재가 건조상태의 고염도에서도 발아가 잘 되었다. 5종 염생식물의 교차이식 생존율은 저위염습지에 칠면초, 중위염습지에 퉁퉁마디, 가는갯능쟁이, 갯개미취, 고위염습지에 나문재가 높았다. 토양환경요인은 비슷하였으나 토성은 점토, 모래, 미사 순으로 높게 나타났다. 따라서 본 연구결과 5종 염생식물의 개체군 형성 전략은 칠면초는 저위염습지에, 퉁퉁마디, 가는갯능쟁이 그리고 갯개미취는 중위염습지에, 나문재는 고위염습지에 분포하여 이루어진다고 여겨진다.

Salinity stress severely affects plant growth and development causing crop loss worldwide. Suaeda asparagoides is a salt-marsh euhalophyte widely distributed in southwestern foreshore of Korea. To isolate salt tolerance genes from S. asparagoides, we constructed a cDNA library from leaf tissues of S. asparagoides that was treated with 200 mM NaCl. A total of 1,056 clones were randomly selected for EST sequencing, and 932 of them produced readable sequence. By sequence analysis, we identified 538 unigenes and registered each in National Center for Biotechnology Information. The 80 salt stress related genes were selected to study their differential expression. Reverse Transcriptase-PCR and Northern blot analysis revealed that 23 genes were differentially expressed under the high salinity stress conditions in S. asparagoides. They are functionally diverse including transport, signal transduction, transcription factor, metabolism and stress associated protein, and unknown function. Among them dehydrin (SaDhn) and RNA binding protein (SaRBP1) were examined for their abiotic stress tolerance in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Yeast overexpressing SaDhn and SaRBP1 showed enhanced tolerance to osmotic, freezing and heat shock stresses. This study provides the evidence that SaRBP1 and SaDhn from S.asparagoides exert abiotic stress tolerance in yeast. Information of salt stress related genes from S. asparagoides will contribute for the accumulating genetic resources to improve osmotic tolerance in plants.

Salinity stress severely affects plant growth and development causing crop loss worldwide. Suaeda asparagoides is a salt-marsh euhalophyte widely distributed in southwestern foreshore of Korea. To isolate salt tolerance genes from S. asparagoides, we constructed a cDNA library from leaf tissues of S. asparagoides that was treated with 200 mM NaCl. A total of 1,056 clones were randomly selected for EST sequencing, and 932 of them produced readable sequence. By sequence analysis, we identified 538 unigenes and registered each in National Center for Biotechnology Information. The 80 salt stress related genes were selected to study their differential expression. Reverse Transcriptase-PCR and Northern blot analysis revealed that 23 genes were differentially expressed under the high salinity stress conditions in S. asparagoides. They are functionally diverse including transport, signal transduction, transcription factor, metabolism and stress associated protein, and unknown function. Among them dehydrin (SaDhn) and RNA binding protein (SaRBP1) were examined for their abiotic stress tolerance in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Yeast overexpressing SaDhn and SaRBP1 showed enhanced tolerance to osmotic, freezing and heat shock stresses. This study provides the evidence that SaRBP1 and SaDhn from S.asparagoides exert abiotic stress tolerance in yeast. Information of salt stress related genes from S. asparagoides will contribute for the accumulating genetic resources to improve osmotic tolerance in plants.

A study on vegetation in the Mangyeong River and Dongjin River basins and the surrounding regions of the Saemangeum Reclaimed Land was conducted in a series of efforts to determine the expected ecological changes in the salt marshes, to restore their vegetation, to explore the restoring force of halophyte, to examine the community mechanism and, ultimately, to rehabilitate marshy land vegetation along the lakeside, coastal dune and salt marshes of the Saemangeum Project Area. The findings of the study may be summed up as follows: Five species such as Suaeda japonica, Salicornia herbacea, Atriplex gmelini, Aster tripolium and Suaeda asparagoides that are mostly distributed in the estuary of the Saemangeum Reclaimed Land were analyzed to examine the mechanism of halophyte to maintain their community. To find out the strategies of plants for survival and the cause of forming community structure, a research was made as for appearance ratio of biomass, root lengths and germination. With regard to biomasses of halophyte, the biomass of Suaeda japonica increases rapidly, while Salicornia herbacea adopts a strategy of unstable growth pattern by which the biomass increases slowly in parallel with its slow speed of growth since initial appearance of young sapling. In contrast, Suaeda asparagoides, Atriplex gmelini and Aster tripolium choose to adapt themselves to environment promptly by being transformed into life form of annual or biennial plant, a pattern that is presumed to be favorable and stable for survival in the later stage of growth. In short, there is a sharp distinction among the 5 species: i.e. Suaeda japonica that begins to grow fast in the length of surface and underground section but slows down from the mid-stage on; Salicornia herbacea that grows slowly in the beginning step but starts to step up from the middle onward; Atriplex gmelini and Aster tripolium growing slowly in the initial stage but fast later on; and Suaeda asparagoides that turns from the constant growth in the beginning to rapid growth in the later period. The outcomes of the analysis into status of growth and influencing factors of Suaeda japonica in the sowing field that is most widely prevalent in the Saemangeum Reclaimed Land as a sort of ecological pioneer in the salt marshes showed that the average size of grass lands, density and number of individuals increase in the natural sowing field as well as in the plowing field regardless of their physical as well as physico-chemical features of the soil as the season progresses from June to October of a year.

A study on vegetation in the Mangyeong River and Dongjin River basins and the surrounding regions of the Saemangeum Reclaimed Land was conducted in a series of efforts to determine the expected ecological changes in the salt marshes, to restore their vegetation, to explore the restoring force of halophyte, to examine the community mechanism and, ultimately, to rehabilitate marshy land vegetation along the lakeside, coastal dune and salt marshes of the Saemangeum Project Area. The findings of the study may be summed up as follows: Five species such as Suaeda japonica, Salicornia herbacea, Atriplex gmelini, Aster tripolium and Suaeda asparagoides that are mostly distributed in the estuary of the Saemangeum Reclaimed Land were analyzed to examine the mechanism of halophyte to maintain their community. To find out the strategies of plants for survival and the cause of forming community structure, a research was made as for appearance ratio of young sapling. From the results of laboratory analysis into dynamics of the saplings of halophyte, it was revealed that the germination ratio of the dry area and submerged area decreases in the order of Suaeda asparagoides, Suaeda japonica, Salicornia herbacea, Atriplex gmelini and Aster tripolium.