Functional Traits and Competitor-Stress-Tolerator- Ruderal Strategies of Phragmites australis in Southwestern Korean Estuaries
4 affiliations
- 1Ecological and Natural Map Team, National Institute of Ecology, Seocheon, Korea
- 2Invasive Alien Species Team, National Institute of Ecology, Seocheon, Korea
- 3Department of Biological Science, Mokpo National University, Muan, Korea
- 4Ecology Research Department, Korea National Park Research Institute, Korea National Park Service, Wonju, Korea
Abstract
Reed beds dominated by Phragmites australis have long supplied coastal societies with thatching materials, livestock fodder, and cultural symbolism, making them ideal sentinels for linking plant strategy theory to ecocultural value. We quantified functional trait differentiation among 14 plant communities spanning saline estuarine margins and adjacent freshwater marshes and interpreted the results through canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and Grime’s competitor-stress-tolerator-ruderal (CSR) framework. The CCA revealed that total organic carbon (TOC) strongly aligns with the positive side of CCA1, indicating it is a key driver distinguishing sites along this axis, whereas nitrite nitrogen (Nitri-N) shows a strong positive influence on CCA2. In the CSR space, most communities were clustered along the competitor–stress-tolerator (C–S) continuum, indicating the prevalence of competitive and stress-tolerant tactics in brackish settings. P. australis-rich stands epitomize the stress-tolerator–competitor (SC) strategy blend, thriving where fluctuating salinity imposes physiological stress, yet their dense culms facilitate space pre-emption. By embedding these patterns in an ecocultural context, our findings highlighted how the traditional reed uses coincide with habitats maximizing both cultural ecosystem services and ecological resilience. Recognizing the strategic underpinnings of reed communities can guide sustainable harvesting, habitat restoration, and cultural heritage conservation along dynamic coastlines.
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BibTeX
@article{son2026functional,
title = {{Functional Traits and Competitor-Stress-Tolerator- Ruderal Strategies of Phragmites australis in Southwestern Korean Estuaries}},
author = {Dong-Ho Son and Seok Yeoul Ko and Kyoung Hoon Yang and Min Jae Kim and Jong-Wook Kim and Hyeon-Ho Myeong},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.22920/pnie.2026.7.4.181},
url = {https://doi.org/10.22920/pnie.2026.7.4.181},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Functional Traits and Competitor-Stress-Tolerator- Ruderal Strategies of Phragmites australis in Southwestern Korean Estuaries
AU - Dong-Ho Son
AU - Seok Yeoul Ko
AU - Kyoung Hoon Yang
AU - Min Jae Kim
AU - Jong-Wook Kim
AU - Hyeon-Ho Myeong
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
DO - 10.22920/pnie.2026.7.4.181
UR - https://doi.org/10.22920/pnie.2026.7.4.181
AB - Reed beds dominated by Phragmites australis have long supplied coastal societies with thatching materials, livestock fodder, and cultural symbolism, making them ideal sentinels for linking plant strategy theory to ecocultural value. We quantified functional trait differentiation among 14 plant communities spanning saline estuarine margins and adjacent freshwater marshes and interpreted the results through canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and Grime’s competitor-stress-tolerator-ruderal (CSR) framework. The CCA revealed that total organic carbon (TOC) strongly aligns with the positive side of CCA1, indicating it is a key driver distinguishing sites along this axis, whereas nitrite nitrogen (Nitri-N) shows a strong positive influence on CCA2. In the CSR space, most communities were clustered along the competitor–stress-tolerator (C–S) continuum, indicating the prevalence of competitive and stress-tolerant tactics in brackish settings. P. australis-rich stands epitomize the stress-tolerator–competitor (SC) strategy blend, thriving where fluctuating salinity imposes physiological stress, yet their dense culms facilitate space pre-emption. By embedding these patterns in an ecocultural context, our findings highlighted how the traditional reed uses coincide with habitats maximizing both cultural ecosystem services and ecological resilience. Recognizing the strategic underpinnings of reed communities can guide sustainable harvesting, habitat restoration, and cultural heritage conservation along dynamic coastlines.
SN - 2765-2203
SN - 2765-2211
ER -