Korean Journal of Agricultural Science (농업과학연구)

Institute of Agricultural Science, CNU (충남대학교 농업과학연구소)
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Analysis of optimal activities according to thermal comfort in the forest: focusing on a program for the elderly at the National Forest Therapy Center

  • Tae-Gyu Khil (Department of Forest Therapy, Graduate School of Chungbuk National University) ;
  • Ah-Young Jung (Department of Forest Therapy, Graduate School of Chungbuk National University) ;
  • Kun-Woo Park (College of Medicine, Korea University) ;
  • Yang-Soon Oh (College of Medicine, Korea University) ;
  • Beom Lee (Forest Welfare Research Center, Korea Forest Welfare Institute) ;
  • Dawou Joung (Institute of Agricultural Science, Chungnam National University) ;
  • Hyelim Lee (Department of Environment and Forest Resources, Chungnam National University) ;
  • Bum-Jin Park (Department of Environment and Forest Resources, Chungnam National University)
  • Received : 2023.07.27
  • Accepted : 2023.09.25
  • Published : 2023.12.01
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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to scientifically activate the forest healing program activities for the elderly. The predicted mean vote (PMV) and predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD), which are indices of thermal comfort in the thermal environment, and degree of canopy closure were compared and analyzed. Based on this information, the study objective was to present the appropriate conditions for maintaining the best comfort for the elderly. Six deck road shelters, which are the most active locations in forest healing programs among the National Center for Forest Therapy, were selected as the study sites. The results indicated that in the case of the conditions of 1 clo (clothing insulation value) and 1 met (metabolic rate) at an air temperature of 19 to 21 degrees in September on the measurement date, the PMV values ranged between -1.85 and -0.98 at all sites, and PPD values ranged between 25.60% and 68.68%. On the other hand, in the case of 1.3 clo and 1.6 met conditions, the PMV values ranged between -0.08 and 0.23 for all sites and PPD values ranged between 5.40 and 6.18. As shown above, the difference in thermal environment comfort and satisfaction according to the condition of the amount of metabolism and the amount of clothing could be confirmed. In addition, an analysis of the relation between PPD and canopy closure suggested a significantly positive correlation between them, and it was found that canopy closure was a factor affecting thermal comfort. Studies on effects of forest thermal environmental comfort and canopy closure on forest healing program areas should be conducted extensively according to seasonal conditions to provide information that can be used for more effective forest healing programs.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

본 연구는 미래창조과학부 한국연구재단(National Research Foundation of Korea)의 기초연구사업지원(NRF-2015M3B6A5022473)으로 수행되었습니다.

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