Distribution and Habitat Chracteristics of Lonicerajaponica Thunb. in the Inland and the Seashore Areasof Korea

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the status of habitat distribution, environmental characteristics and plant species growing with Lonicera japonica in its habitats. In the distribution of plant coverage below 30%, it was 84.6% in the inland area and 80.7% in the seashore area. There was similar coverage in both inland and seashore areas. But the average relative coverage in the seashore area was 26.1%, which is a little higher than that of the inland area (22.5%). In the habitats, both inland and seashore areas showed a high distribution ratio below 10 degrees. But among them, inland areas showed a high distribution ratio (62.4%) below 10 degrees, which was about twice as much as the seashore areas (32.2%). Habitat distribution was most often found on the southern slopes in both inland and seashore areas. The average soil pH of Lonicera japonica habitat was 5.2 in the inland areas and 6.9 in the seashore areas. Also, the seashore areas showed little content of P2O5, but high content of K, Mg, Na on the other hand compared to the inland area. Miscanthus sinensis was the highest importance value (16.4) among plants growing with Lonicera japonica in their habitats in both inland and seashore areas. But in the inland areas, Artemisia princeps showed the highest importance value, and Miscanthus sinensis was the highest in the seashore areas.