Temporal Changes in Early Post-Fire Vegetation Communities Along a Restoration-Intensity Gradient in the Uljin Wildfire-Affected Area, Korea

This study examined short-term vegetation responses across operational restoration-intensity levels in areas affected by the 2022 Uljin wildfire, Korea. Using 104 vegetation relevés from 52 fixed plots surveyed in 2024 and 2025, we analyzed species- and community-level vegetation patterns based on phytosociological data. Species-level attributes were assessed using species richness, diversity, evenness, importance values, life-form composition, habitat-affinity composition, and alien plant occurrence, while community-level patterns were evaluated using Bray–Curtis-based multivariate analyses, SIMPER, and indicator species analysis. A total of 159 vascular plant species was recorded across the two survey years. Species richness generally increased or was maintained, whereas diversity, evenness, and dominance patterns varied among operational restoration-intensity levels. Annual and alien plant occurrence generally decreased, while perennial and some forest-associated species increased. Community composition differed among operational restoration-intensity levels, with species compositional and dominance changes tending to be more pronounced in levels involving greater restoration intervention. These findings indicate that short-term vegetation patterns differed among operational restoration-intensity levels, while temporal effects between the two survey years were comparatively limited.