Changes in Forest Disturbance Patterns from 1976 to 2005 in South Korea

  • Park, Pil Sun (Department of Forest Sciences, Seoul National University) ;
  • Lee, Kyu Hwa (Department of Forest Sciences, Seoul National University) ;
  • Jung, Mun Ho (Department of Forest Sciences, Seoul National University) ;
  • Shin, Hanna (Department of Forest Sciences, Seoul National University) ;
  • Jang, Woongsoon (Department of Forest Sciences, Seoul National University) ;
  • Bae, Kikang (Department of Forest Sciences, Seoul National University) ;
  • Lee, Jongkoo (Department of Forest Sciences, Seoul National University) ;
  • Lee, Don Koo (Department of Forest Sciences, Seoul National University)
  • Received : 2009.08.12
  • Accepted : 2009.09.23
  • Published : 2009.10.30

Abstract

Forest disturbances including forest fire, insect pests and diseases, landslides, and forest conversion from 1976 to 2005 were investigated to trace the changes of major forest disturbance agents and their characteristics over time in accordance with changes in natural and social environment in South Korea. While the damaged area by insect pests and diseases continuously decreased for the past 30 years, damaged areas by forest fire and landslide were fluctuating through years. The interval of large forest fires has become shorter with increased tree volume. The precipitation between January and April were significantly correlated with large fire occurrences as Pearson's correlation coefficient -0.400 (P=0.029). The composition of major insect pests and diseases damaging Korean forests has been changed continuously, and become more diversified. While damages by pine caterpillar (Dendrolimus spectabilis) and pine needle gall midge (Thecodiplosis japonensis) decreased, damage by introduced pests has been more serious recently. The change of precipitation pattern that brought more localized heavy rain or powerful typhoon resulted in the recent increase in landslide areas. The major land uses to induce forest conversion have been changed, reflecting the changes in industrial structure in South Korea as agriculture and mining in 1970s, mining and golf ranges classified in pasture in 1980s, and road and housing construction in 1990s and 2000s. Changes in forest disturbance patterns in South Korea show that a country's industrial development is jointly working with global warming on forest stand dynamics. Altering energy structure and land use pattern induced by industrial development accumulates forest volume and reforms microenvironments on forest floor, interacting with climate change, inducing shorter interval of large forest fire and changes in major species composition of forest insect pests and diseases.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

Supported by : Korea Forest Service

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