Trait-based evaluation of plant assemblages in traditional farm ponds in Korea: Ecological and management implications

Abstract

The Korean traditional farm pond called dumbeong is an important rural landscape element that supports local biodiversity and is useful in irrigating agricultural fields during dry periods. This study assesses how plant communities in dumbeongs respond to adjacent land use, water depth, open-water surface, and nutrient levels and irrigation usage. Plant functional and species groups, based on trait and species data respectively from 20 dumbeongs in Seocheon-gun, South Korea, were classified by hierarchical analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling. Relationships between the plant community composition and explanatory variables at both the species and functional group levels were tested through redundancy analysis. The results showed that irrigation usage prevented nutrient accumulation and water depth reduction of the ponds, and we found water depth was the only significant factor that determined plant composition at both species and functional group levels. The plant functional groups were more useful than plant species in predicting plant composition in dumbeongs, owing to their collective response to water depth and open-water surface. Our results demonstrate that management practices of dumbeong, such as periodic drainage, sediment removal and control of dominant plant species, alter its plant communities and thus need to be considered for biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes.

Effect of initial planting on vegetation establishment in different depth zones of constructed farm ponds

“…Although fertile conditions of ponds can contribute to the rapid vegetation establishment, they can also reduce plant diversity (Akasaka et al 2010). Periodic management including the removal of vegetation and sediment is necessary to maintain ecological functions and biodiversity of fertile ponds (Yoon et al 2019). Although the effect of management was not examined in this study, management was considered to be necessary for the following reasons: (1) Woody plants gradually invaded the inner area of the ponds as part of the terrestrialization process.…”

“…Two experimental farm ponds with a surface area of 950 m 2 each were constructed at rice paddies in Korea University Farm, Namyangju City, Republic of Korea (37 35 0 01 00 N, 127 14 0 16 00 E) in March 2009. Each pond had a maximum depth of 90 cm, corresponding to the average depth of general farm ponds (Usio et al 2013;Yoon et al 2019). These ponds were designed to have diverse depth zones (Fig.…”

“…About 89% of rice paddies relied on these ponds for water (Kim et al 2011). However, many farm ponds in Korea were abandoned or destroyed due to expansion of mechanized irrigation like in other countries (Yoon et al 2019).…”