Typical Coastal Vegetation of Korea

Abstract

It was found that 14 coastal habitats in South Korea have comparetively natural vegetation. The habitats were classified into three types - intertidal flats, sand dunes, and estuaries. There were four inter-tidal flats, five sand dunes and five estuaries. Except for Cynodon dactylon and Tetragonia tetragonoides, all of the main halophytes and sand dune plants were found in the habitats. These two species were mainly distributed on the southern coast. This study identified coastal vegetation, such as pure stands of Suaeda japonica on intertidal flats, mixed halophyte communities around the high-water mark, pure stands of Vitex rotundifolia on stable sand dunes, mixed communities dominated by Carex kobomugi on unstable sand dunes, and pure stands of Phragmites communis in estuaries. The types of coastal vegetation may depend on sediment types, the inundation time of seawater and the stability of sediments.