ISSN : 1229-3857(Print)
ISSN : 2288-131X(Online)
ISSN : 2288-131X(Online)
Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology Vol.40 No.4 pp.318-331
DOI : https://doi.org/10.13047/KJEE.2026.40.4.318
DOI : https://doi.org/10.13047/KJEE.2026.40.4.318
Plants Social Network Analysis in Geumosan Provincial Park
Abstract
This study was conducted in Geumosan Provincial Park, located in Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, to analyze vegetation structure and interspecific co-occurrence patterns using Plants Social Network(PSN) analysis. A total of 100 plots (100㎡ each) were established, and woody species composition was recorded. Interspecific association and network analyses were performed for major species with an occurrence frequency of 5% or higher. The resulting network consisted of 47 nodes and 154 links and was divided into four groups through modularity analysis. Species such as Fraxinus sieboldiana, Robinia pseudoacacia, Lindera erythrocarpa, and Pinus densiflora showed relatively high betweenness centrality and appeared to function as connectors among groups. Styrax japonicus, Diospyros kaki, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Quercus serrata showed relatively high degree centrality, indicating that they were closely associated with multiple species in the network. Compared with previously reported PSN from other natural parks, the results in Geumosan Provincial Park showed a lower average degree and a relatively longer average path length. These results suggest that the PSN of Geumosan Provincial Park has a comparatively low level of connectivity. This study provides basic ecological data for understanding vegetation structure and for establishing conservation and management strategies in provincial parks.






