Classification and Ordination Analyses of the Vegetation of Mt. Seondal, Korea

The forest vegetation of Mt. seondal was classified into eight communities and one afforestation by the phytosocialogical method (Z-M method). In general, Quercus mongolica trees occupied most of the area, while afforestation forest was distributed on the lower slope, cultivated land, and at the vicinity of village. The vegetation on the top part of Mt. Seondal was comparatively well preserved, but that in the lower areas has been disturbed heavily by human activity and some had mixed forests composed of pine trees, oaks, ashes, and Rhododendron micrantum shrub. By cluster analysis method. nine groups were identified as follows : Quercus mongolica group, Q. mongolica - Pinus densiflora group, Q. mongolica - Rhododendron schlipen - bachii group, Q. mongolica - Symplocos chinensis for. pilosa group, P. densiflora group, Juglans mandshurica group, Fraxinus mandshurica group, Betula costata group and Larix leptolepis group. These groups showed differences in species composition, but Quercus mongolica, Q. mongolica - P. densiflora, Q. mongolica - R. schlippenbachii and Q. mongolica - S. chinensis for. pilosa groups among them showed very similar floristic composition to each other. In the relationship between polar ordination axes and environmental variables, altitude was the environmental factor determining variation in species composition along axis X and soil moisture was the environmental along axis Y. They were the main factors in determining forest vegetation. The result of cluster analysis and polar ordination for the forest vegetation were corresponded to those of phytosocialogical classification in classifying vegetation.