Abstract
Recently there have been increasing demands and desire for the urban open space due to urban development or environmental deterioration. Urban natural parks in Seoul provide citizens with comfortable open space and thus play an important role as learning spaces to experience nature and understand the environment. Accordingly, this study aims to analyze existing vegetation and provide basic data for the conservation and management plans of urban natural parks and education programs. The contents of the study encompass natural environment such as topography, altitude, slope and aspect and botanical ecosystem including the structure of plant communities and tree growth. According to the result of topography analysis, the overall altitude was not high but the slope was relative steep. Vegetation of Seoo Royal Tomb, a urban natural park has been classified into 12 types, and they include; Quercus acutissima community(lowland type), Quercus acutissima community(valley type), quercus variabilis community, Quercus mongolica community, Castanea crenata community, Capinus laxiflora community, Pinus densiflora community(lowland type), Pinus densiflora community(slope type), Robinia pseudo-acacia community, Populos$\times$albaglandulosa community, Pinus rigida community, and Pinus koraiensis community. Based on the survey and analysis results, we have classified the study area into conservation, buffer, and utilization zones for the effective management. This study provides basic data to support the establishment of master plans for urban natural parks by analyzing vegetation conditions at Seoo Royal Tomb, an urban natural park, Based on the results presented in the study, consistent monitoring work needs to be conducted, and elaborate management plans also should be prepared.
