The Optimal Environmental Ranges for Wetland Plants: II. Scirpus tabernaemontani and Typha latifolia

Abstract

We studied the optimal ranges of water and soil characteristics for wetland plants, particularly Scirpus tabernaemontani (softstem bulrush) and Typha latifolia (broadleaf cattail), which are dominant species with potential for restoration of Korean wetlands. We observed vegetation in S. tabernaemontani and T. latifolia communities from the mid to late June, 2005, and measured characteristics of water environments such as water depth (WD), temperature (WT), conductivity (WC), and concentration of several ions $(NO_3{^-}-N,\;Ca^{2+},\;Na^+,\;Mg^{2+},\;and\;K^+)$, and characteristics of soil environments such as soil texture, organic matter (loss on ignition, LOI), conductivity, and pH. The S. tabernaemontani community was accompanied by Zizania latifolia (Manchurian wildrice), Persicaria thunbergii (Korean persicary), Actinostemma lobatum (lobed actinostemma), and Beckmannia syzigachne (American slough grass), while the T. latifolia community was accompanied by P. thunbergii, T. angustifolia (narrowleaf cattail), and Glycine soja (wild soybean). We defined the optimal range for distribution (ORD) as the range that each plant was crowded. The optimal range of water characteristics for the S. tabernaemontani community was a $WD\;10{\sim}50cm,\;WT\;24.0{\sim}32.0^{\circ}C,\;WC\;100{\sim}500{\mu}S/cm,\;{NO_3}{^-}-N\;0{\sim}60ppb,\;K^+\;0.00{\sim}1.50ppm,\;Ca^{2+}\;7.50{\sim}17.50ppm,\; Na^+\;2.50{\sim}12.50ppm,\;and\;Mg^{2+}\;3.00{\sim}7.00ppm$. In addition, the optimal range of soil characteristics for the S. tabernaemontani community was a soil texture of loam, silty loam, and loamy sand, $LOI\;8.0{\sim}16.0%,\;pH\;5.25{\sim}6.25$, and conductivity $10{\sim}70{\mu}S/cm$. The optimal range of water characteristics for the T. latifolia community was a $WD\;10{\sim}30cm,\;WT\;22.5{\sim}27.5^{\circ}C,\;WC\;100{\sim}400{\mu}S/cm,\;{NO_3}{^-}-N\;0{\sim}60ppb,\;K^+\;0.00{\sim}1.50ppm,\;Ca^{2+}\;0.00{\sim}17.50ppm,\;Na^+\;0.00{\sim}12.50ppm,\;and\;Mg^{2+}\;0.00{\sim}5.00ppm$, and the optimal range of soil characteristics for the T. fatifolia community was a soil texture of loam, sandy loam, and silty loam, LOI $3.0{\sim}9.0%,\;pH\;5.25{\sim}7.25$, and conductivity $0{\sim}70{\mu}S/cm$.

Keywords

• Soil texture;
• Water depth;
• Wetland creation;
• Wetland plants;
• Wetland restoration