Vegetation Changes before and after Wildfire in the Janggumegi Wetland

This study analyzed vegetation changes in the Janggumegi Wetland before and after a wildfire. Field surveys were conducted in September 2022 (pre-fire) and in July and September 2025 (post-fire) to compare species composition and community structure. Species richness (S), Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’), Pielou’s evenness (J’), and Simpson’s dominance index (DI) were calculated based on species occurrence and cover data. In 2022, a total of 78 species were recorded (H’=2.21, J’=0.76, DI=0.18). In July 2025, 85 species were observed (H’=2.05, J’=0.70, DI=0.22), and in September 2025, 82 species were recorded (H’=1.98, J’=0.68, DI=0.24). Although species richness increased slightly after the wildfire, diversity and evenness declined, while dominance rose, indicating stronger influence of particular species. In the understory, <i>Persicaria thunbergii</i> remained dominant, but alien and disturbance species became more frequent, suggesting potential threats to community stability. These findings suggest that wildfire did not reduce species numbers but altered community balance by weakening diversity and facilitating disturbance species. Despite limitations such as short-term monitoring, this study provides the first quantitative evidence of postfire vegetation changes in the Janggumegi Wetland and offers baseline data for future long-term monitoring.