PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 24: Agro-Ecology
Wednesday, August 10, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall 220 A-E, Level 2, Palais des congrès de Montréal

Vegetation dynamics with rural landscape changes in East Asia.

Kim, Jae-Eun^*,1, Hong, Sun-Kee², Nakagoshi, Nobukazu³, ¹ IDEC, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan² Forest Science Institute, Kookmin University, Seoul, Korea³ IDEC, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan

ABSTRACT- Pattern and process of rural landscape are mostly related to human activities that are affected by socio-economic factors. Since World War II, rural landscape changes in East Asia rapidly occurred due to rapid industrialization such as mechanized farming and urbanization. Landscape ecological researches are related to human impact is a major issue in conservation and management of endemic landscape and biodiversity in Asia. Research sites of Yanghwa-ri (YH, Kongju-gun, Chungcheongnam-Do) in Korea and Chiyoda-cho (CY, Hiroshima Prefecture) were set up for long-term landscape research. Spatio-temporal data from landscape map and vegetation survey of two areas were analyzed over decade. Human impact especially, had influenced vegetation succession and configuration of forest patch. Spatial pattern analysis using FRAGSTAT shown that different directions by vegetation dynamics influence landscape patches. Original patch of Pinus densiflora, deciduous oak and plantation was altered to different type of patch (e.g., isolation or abandoned types). Patch shape in CY decreased and irregular pattern due to increasing plantation. On the other hand, patch of YH has increased but irregular pattern. Ordination analysis (PCA) transformed species coverage data was introduced to clarify vegetation dynamics. Over a decade, the P. densiflora community shifted to deciduous oak and partly plantation in both areas. P. densiflora community in YH altered to deciduous oak forest and partly mixed community type such as pine-deciduous oak forest by natural succession. Man heavily disturbs P. densiflora forest near graveyard. But CY showed forest change into plantations such as Cryptomeria japonica and Chamaecyparis obtuse. As results of our research, we conclude that the type and intensity of human impacts on landscape heterogeneity have been differently concerned with vegetation succession. Moreover, those factors are reflected the cause and consequence of pattern and process during patch dynamics. Finally, we suggest new social-environmental solutions for sustainable landscape planning considering traditional management.

Key words: human impact, pattern and process, rural landscape, vegetation dynamics