Alpine and subalpine vegetation on Mt. Sorak

Abstract

The Mt. Sorak massif connects the northern Korean mountain ranges to those in the south, and contains a rich flora, with both northern and southern floristic elements present. Here, however, we are concerned particularly with an assessment of its alpine and subalpine vegetation, and this, it is hoped, will help in the understanding of past and present-day vegetation dynamics for many parts of Korea. The subalpine vegetation zone has been taken to refer to the transitional zone between the upper limit of tall shrubs or trees, and the continuous montane forest zone (p. 83). In the case of Mt. Sorak, evergreen coniferous and broadleaved plants and deciduous broadleaved plants, in either tree or shrub form, are found together in this zone. Within it, the occurrence of a local tree-line and krummholz also is discussed, and special interest has been placed on the presence of Pinus pumila, a classic northern alpine and subalpine species in East Asia, since Mt. Sorak is at the southernmost limit of its range in the Asian continent.