In order to clarify the successional trend and its characteristics of plant community in abandoned field in Cheju Island, we investigated the seral changes of vegetation height, coverage, growth form, species richness, diversity and dominance index al...
In order to clarify the successional trend and its characteristics of plant community in abandoned field in Cheju Island, we investigated the seral changes of vegetation height, coverage, growth form, species richness, diversity and dominance index along with the time lapse, and then compared with those of mainland researches. And in order to seek the overall trend of vegetation changes, we used cluster, TWINSPAN and PCA ordination techniques. The succession was characterized by the lower species number, lower vegetation height, longer period of herb dominant and later invasion of tree species. These results may come from that ecological traits of Cheju Island itself, and ecosystem fragmented influences that block a seed (propagule) transport. Sere of the dominant species was shown as follows: Mazus japonicus(0.5∼1 years)→Conyza sumatrensis (2 years)→Artemisia princeps var. orientalis(4 years)→Artemisia princeps var. orientalis, indigofera pseudotinctoria(5 years)→Rosa multiflora, Miscanthus sinensis, etc.(8 years)→Miscanthus sinensis(12 years)→Boehmeria nivea, Pueraria thunbergiana etc.(15 years)→Mallotus japonicus(20 years)→Litsea japonica, Machilus thunbergii (20 years<). Abandoned fields were classified into three groups according to time lapse; earlier stage(0∼1 years), middle stage(2∼8 years) and later stage(8∼20 years).