Changed land management policy and the emergence of a novel forest ecosystem in South Korea: landscape dynamics in Pohang over 90 years

Abstract

Ecosystem management in South Korea dramatically changed in the early 1970s, shifting from historical utilization of natural resources to a strong management system that included forest promotion and restoration. The socio-economic and biological context underpinning this effort and the ecological consequences of this new policy have not been studied in South Korea. We analyzed landscape dynamics over a 90-year period , with particular attention to forest soil erosion, by using historical map and satellite images in Pohang. Our analysis revealed a dramatic increase in total vegetation cover (from 10,006.9 ha in 1918 to 17,868.7 ha in 2005) and an increase in the developed area. Meanwhile, the amount of barren mountainous area declined, shrub vegetation almost completely disappeared from the given area, and the salt marsh in the estuary completely disappeared. Mean soil loss declined from 12.6 ton ha À1 year À1 in 1973 to 0.2 ton ha À1 year À1 in 2005. A gradual landscape simplification occurred during the 90-year period. Socio-economic changes were the most important factor contributing to forest growth in South Korea. Various biological factors, including the absence of apex consumers due to their local extinction in the late 20th century, likely accounted for the rapid landscape transition. The new land management policy in South Korea resulted in the emergence of a forest ecosystem that is novel to this region and differs markedly from the historical environment, with a changed spatial arrangement of landscape elements and species assemblages.

Examining the Dynamics of Vegetation in South Korea: An Integrated Analysis Using Remote Sensing and In Situ Data

“…Although the country has seen a population growth of almost 10% during this period, its impact on land cover has been minimal. Cho et al [29] studied ecosystem management in the country from 1918-2005. The study found an increase of over 70% (~7000 ha) in the vegetation cover during this period alongside a simultaneous increase in infrastructure development.…”

“…The research area covered the entire country of South Korea (Figures 2 and 3), which has undergone major changes impacting vegetation cover and vegetation dynamics [29]. The region has experienced significant impacts due to climate change and to sustain urbanization and industrialization [30].…”

Redefining floristic zones in the Korean Peninsula using high‐resolution georeferenced specimen data and self‐organizing maps

“…There was a substantial loss of remnant forests, which were converted to grasslands and shrublands over approximately 600 years before the 20th century. Later, in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean Government implemented policies to promote forests from the 1970s, and consequently, most natural habitats are located in forests (Cho, Kim, & Koo, 2018). Currently, approximately 30.3% of the southern part of the Korean Peninsula is urbanized or used for agriculture and 63.8% is occupied by forests, with other land covers accounting for the remaining 5.9% (Ministry of Land Infrastructure & Transport, 2016).…”