Plant succession and interaction between soil and plants after land reclamation on the west coast of Korea

Abstract

Plant succession and the interaction between soil and plants after reclamation were investigated on the west coast of Korea. Our study included one natural tidal flat site (Namdong, 3 km²), and five sites that differed in the number of years since being reclaimed: Hyundai A, 6 km² (1 yr); Hyundai B, 5 km² (2 yr); Jangdeog, 5 km² (8 yr); Mado, 2.5 km² (12 yr); and Baegseog, 1 km² (30 yr). The number of plant species occurring at each site was 10, 9, 15, 30, 28, and 38, respectively. Based on distribution ranges of the plants along gradients of salt and moisture contents in the soil, and species associations and life forms, plant succession was divided into two sere groups, hydrarch and xerarch. The major species of the former werePhragmites communis andTypha angustata, but the sequence of the sere could not be identified. Species associated with the latter were [Suaeda japonica] → [Salicornia herbacea, S. japonica, Atriplex subcordata, Suaeda asparagoides] → [Aster tripolium, Carex scabrifolia, Zoysia sinica, Limonium tetragonum] → [Artemisia scoparia, Calamagrostis epigeios, andSetaria viridis] → [Imperata cylindrica var.koenigii, Sonchus brachyotus, S. viridis] → [Aeschynomene indica, Lotus corniculatus var.japonicus, Trifolium repens, and other non-halo-phytes]. In certain circumstances, the first and second stages replacedS. japonica withC. scabrifolia andZ sinica. The progression of interactions between soil and plants through succession was salt leaching → increase in species richness and biomass → increase in soil organic matter → increase in total nitrogen and decrease in bulk density of soil, and/or salt leaching → increase in phytomass → decrease in soil-available phosphorus.