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Sharing Korea’s Development Experience in Sustainable Forest Management: Focusing on Experimental Forests in Jeju Island

UNDP

February 2017

Sustainable Development Goals

Policy Brief Series NO. 2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

LEAD AUTHORS Mr. Jusub Kim, Ms. Heejae Jo, Mr. Hyungsub Kim, Mr. Seongjun Kim,

Dr. Sarwat Chowdhury and Dr. Yowhan Son

CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Balazs Horvath, UNDP Seoul Policy Centre

SUPPORT TEAM Ms. Haeun Kim, Ms. Songyun Lee, Ms. Desiree Arriola

DONER PARTNER This publication has been possible because of the generous support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

Republic of Korea, to the UNDP Seoul Policy Centre.

DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent

those of the United Nations, including UNDP, or their Member States. UNDP partners with people at

all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of

growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in more than 170 countries and

territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient na-

tions.

Copyright © UNDP 2017

All rights reserved

Manufactured in the Republic of Korea

Sustainable Development Goals

Policy Brief Series No.2

Sharing Korea’s Development Experience in Sustainable Forest Management:

Focusing on Experimental Forests in Jeju Island

Executive Summary ·············································································································

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1. Introduction ·····················································································································

2

2. Sustainable Forest Management of Experimental Forests in Jeju island ···························

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3. Current Status of Jeju Experimental Forests ·····································································

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4. Management Implications for Developing Countries ························································

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5. References ·······················································································································

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TABLE OF CONTENTS


1

Executive Summary

Despite the fact that forests play a significant role for human society as well as natural environment,

deforestation and forest degradation problems have remained unsolved. In developing countries,

deforestation and forest degradation have been accelerating because of severe poverty and poor

management practices. Meanwhile, the Republic of Korea experienced both rapid economic growth

and successful forest rehabilitation after the mid-1950s; therefore, the experience of the Republic of

Korea could be helpful in aiding forest rehabilitation projects for developing countries. In this con-

text, this paper reviews sustainable forest management practices in the Republic of Korea, specifical-

ly the sustainable forest management of experimental forests in Jeju island.

Jeju experimental forests, consisting of Hannam, Seogwipo and Gotjawal experimental forests, are

located in Jeju island, in the southernmost part of the Republic of Korea, characterized by a subtropi-

cal climate. These forests have been approved for the Forest Management Certification of the Inter-

national Forest Stewardship Council since 2006. The management objectives of Jeju experimental

forests are to protect natural forest ecosystems, to promote forest productivity, to enhance benefits

from forests, and to increase public participation in forest management.

From 2006 to 2015, Jeju experimental forests had implemented the 1st Long Term Management

Plan, in which priority was given to protecting natural forests and management practices aimed at

sustainability. Under the 1st Long Term Management Plan, 64.3 ha of forests had been newly estab-

lished, mostly with local tree species in order to avoid potential disturbance due to non-native spe-

cies. Also, forest management practices including replanting, fertilization, weeding, and thinning had

been implemented in 894.9 ha of forests to enhance their value. The total amount of tree harvesting

was 6,298.3 m3, which was lower than the allowable amount for tree harvesting estimated by tree

growth. Local people had participated in these management practices by being hired for timber pro-

duction and non-timber production industries as well as organizing advisory committees regarding

sustainable forest management. As a result of these management practices, Jeju experimental for-

ests have provided not only economic benefits such as timber production, recreation and ecotour-

ism, and employment of local people but also improved ecosystem services such as water storage,

water and air purification, climate control, and soil erosion control.

The case of Jeju demonstrated that experimental forests could contribute to improving forest man-

agement practices and sustaining forest ecosystems by providing opportunity for testing experi-

mental management practices and guidelines. In addition, the management of Jeju experimental

forests provided several lessons that are potentially useful for developing countries. First, the way of

managing and using forests should be selected depending on the management purposes. Second,

the amount of tree harvesting should be lower than the allowable amount of tree harvesting based

on tree growth. Third, the use of local species for forest management should be recommended to

minimize potential negative impacts due to non-native species. Fourth, forest resources as well as

social and economic environments should be accurately and periodically assessed to ensure sustain-

ability of management systems. Fifth, infrastructure for managing forests should be improved. Final-

ly, participation of local society should be encouraged for forest management practices to best align

with social and economic objectives.

2

1. Introduction

1.1 Forest Degradation in Developing Countries

Forests play an important role in the carbon cycle, biodiversity, water storage, air cleaning, preven-

tion of soil erosion and degradation, and climate control (IPCC, 2007). Also, forests provide many

social and economic benefits, such as timber, food, and site for education and tourism. Because of

these benefits, forests have been considered to be one of the most important resources for human

society. However, construction-oriented economic policies have threatened forests in many coun-

tries because deforestation and forest degradation in one country are not limited to an individual

region but directly or indirectly affect the forests in neighboring regions. Therefore, sustaining global

forests have become a crucial challenge.

Especially in developing countries, deforestation and forest degradation have been accelerating due

to poverty and poor management practices (Hoffman and Todd, 2000; Margono et al., 2012). Defor-

estation and forest degradation in developing countries have mainly resulted from agricultural activi-

ties, which have contributed to approximately 73% of deforestation (commercial agriculture: 40%,

local and livelihood agriculture: 33%; Hosonuma et al., 2012). Other anthropogenic disturbances,

such as infrastructure, urban expansion and mining, have also contributed to forest degradation

(Hosonuma et al., 2012). Firewood collection and charcoal have been other major causes of forest

degradation in southeastern Asian and African countries (Hosonuma et al., 2012). As these anthro-

pogenic disturbances are closely related to the problems of local society, guidelines for forest reha-

bilitation in developing countries should include collaboration with local society as well as reforesta-

tion strategy itself.

1.2 Forest Rehabilitation in the Republic of Korea

Forests in the Republic of Korea had been severely decimated with almost half of the forest area in

the Republic of Korea deforested by the mid-1950s. During Japanese colonization, many forests

were devastated owing to timber production, and the situation worsened further during the Korean

War (Korea Forest Service, 2014). As deforestation accelerated, secondary problems such as land-

slide and flooding emerged. The Korean government had tried to restore the forests from the mid-

1950s. Nevertheless, early reforestation programs in the Republic of Korea had not succeeded be-

cause of severe poverty, which had led to illegal logging for firewood and slash-and-fire agriculture

for food.

Since 1970s, forests in the Republic of Korea have successfully recovered because of industrialization

and urbanization, sound governmental policies, and active participation of citizens (Korea Forest Re-

search Institute, 2010). Rapid industrialization and urbanization forced the rural population to move

to the urban area; thus, illegal logging and timber harvesting in rural areas were reduced. Moreover,

the Korean government began to extensively monitor illegal logging, and support the substitution of

energy sources from firewood to fossil fuels. Rapid economic growth enabled the Korean Govern-


3

ment to raise the effectiveness of such monitoring and the participation of citizens also contributed

to successful forest rehabilitation. While the government led through policy making and financial

support, local citizens participated voluntarily in managing nurseries, planting seedlings, and pro-

tecting plantations. In sum, successful forest rehabilitation in Korea was the result of mutually rein-

forcing technical and social factors, and offers important management implications for developing

countries

1.3 Objective

The objective of this paper is to convey information about sustainable forest management in the

Republic of Korea, focusing on the management of the subtropical experimental forests in Jeju is-

land. By studying these experimental forests, we identify potential management implications to help

protect forests in developing countries.

4

2. Sustainable Forest Management of Experimental

Forests in Jeju island

2.1 Experimental Forests in Jeju island

Jeju experimental forests (EFs) are located in Jeju island of the southernmost part of the Republic of

Korea, and the model forests for various experiments regarding forestry (Figure 1). The Jeju EFs are

comprised of three forests, Hannam, Seogwipo and Gotjawal experimental forests. Hannam experi-

mental forests (HEF) and Seogwipo experimental forests (SEF) were designated as national forests in

1922, to protect subtropical forests in Jeju island and develop sustainable forest management prac-

tices. Gotjawal experimental forests (GEF), consisting of Seonhul, Cheongsu, and Jeoji experimental

forests, were designated recently, in 2015. The area of each EF is 1,231.4 ha, 1,550.4 ha, and 576.7

ha for HEF, SEF and GEF, respectively (Figure 1)*.

Figure 1. Location of Jeju experimental forests. Seonhul, Cheongsu, and Jeoji experimental forests

are currently incorporated in Gotjawal experimental forest (a: Hannam experimental forest, b: Seog-

wipo experimental forest; NIFoS, 2017)


5

Jeju EFs had received the forest management plan “Jeju Indispensable National Forest Management

Plan Area” from 1973 to 2005 (Table 1). In 2006, Jeju EFs have been approved for the Forest Man-

agement Certification from International Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as means to implement

the Sustainable Forest Management. In order to reflect the FCS forest certification standard, the

name of the management plan changed to “Jeju Experimental Forest Management Plan Area”, and

new management plan, the 1st Long Term Forest Management Plan, had been applied to Jeju EFs

from 2006 to 2015 (Table 1).

Table 1. History of Forest Management in Jeju EFs (Korea Forest Research Instuitute, 2014)

2.2 Management Objectives and Methods of Jeju EFs

Jeju EFs aim to demonstrate sustainable forest management practice by maintaining the Forest

Management Certification of FSC. Therefore, Jeju EFs currently aim not only to improve standard

management practices for planning, project implementation, monitoring and evaluation, but also to

develop detailed guidelines and policies for sustainable forest management in Jeju island.

2.2.1 Management Objectives

The first management objective of Jeju EFs is to conserve and protect natural forest ecosystems. Es-

pecially, Jeju EFs focus on forest classification and optimization of management practices given that

protection of forest ecosystem should be a top priority. As the forest is a habitat for wildlife, prohibi-

Name of Management Plan Area Forest survey Period of Plan

Jeju Indispensable National Forest Management Plan Area

1972 (1st) 1973-1977


1977 (2nd) 1978-1982


1982 (3rd) 1983-1987


1987 (4th) 1988-1992


1992 (5th) 1993-2002


2001 (6th) 2003-2012

Jeju Experimental Forest Management Plan Area

2005 (1st) 2006-2015

Jeju Experimental Forest Management Plan Area

2014 (2nd) 2016-2025

Reference for this data is homepage of NIFoS (http://english.forest.go.kr/newkfsweb/html/EngHtmlPage.do?pg=/

esh/org_kfri/UI_KFS_1104_02_06.html&mn=ENG_11_04_02_06). The data regarding the area of Jeju experimental

forests has been substituted to the latest data provided by WTSFRC in the revised paper

6

tion of the activities destroying habitats and reducing food sources is the top management priority.

Protection of the areas where rare species live is the other management priority.

The second management objective is to maintain and promote forest productivity. To establish infra-

structure for sustainable forest industries, environmentally friendly forest road construction, work-

related network expansion, and process mechanization are encouraged in Jeju EFs. In addition, opti-

mization of management practices depending on forest type and management purpose is also one of

the management priorities.

The third management objective is to enhance benefit of forests. By using high biodiversity and vol-

canic landscape in Jeju island, promoting recreational and educational uses of forests is one of the

top management priorities. For example, well-preserved forests are used for ecotourism, whereas

poorly grown forests are harvested and regenerated with local and economically valuable tree spe-

cies.

2.2.2 Management Methods

Target species are selected according to current and previous forest types, function of each forest

type, site condition, and optimal tree species for each site condition. For example, local species, such

as Cryptomeria japonica, Chamaecyparis obtusa, Carpinus laxiflora, and Quercus spp., are priorities

for forest regeneration given previous forest type and site condition. Meanwhile, practices of large

scale clearcutting have been substituted to small scale clearcutting or selective cutting to minimize

environmental impacts. Also, management practices are optimized depending on the management

purposes, and the amount of tree harvesting is regulated in accordance with the annual allowable

volume for tree harvesting, which can be estimated with annual tree growth (Korea Forest Research

Institute, 2014).

2.3 Recent Management Plan: 1st Long Term Management Plan (2006-2015)

Based on the new National Forestry Plan and the Guidelines for Sustainable Forest Resource Man-

agement, the 1st long term management plan was developed to achieve the functional management

objectives. Considering the current forest type and establishing the management base, a priority is

given to protecting natural forests and sustaining management practices rather than harvesting or

thinning (Korea Forest Research Institute, 2011).

2.3.1 Afforestation and Reforestation

During the 1st Long Term Management Plan, 6.4 ha of afforestation and reforestation was initially

planned; however, actual afforestation and reforestation area from 2006 to 2015 was 64.3 ha in to-

tal (6.4 ha/year), corresponding to 1004.7% of the planned area (Figure 2). Most of the forests were

afforested and reforested with local species of Jeju island, including Quercus acuta, Quercus glauca,

Quercus gilva, Quercus salicina, Chamaecyparis obtusa, Castanopsis cuspidata var. sieboldii, Machi-

lus thunbergii, Camellia japonica, Pinus thunbergii, Cinnamomum camphora, Prunus yedoensis,

Prunus leveilleana, and Prunus pendula; thus, this might have contributed to the stability and


7

productivity of the forest ecosystems (WTSFRC, 2016). Afforestation and reforestation have de-

creased from 2012, because it was difficult to find target sites for planting within the EFs; however, it

does not imply that forest area in Jeju EFs has been decreasing as afforestation and reforestation in

the Jeju EFs have been primarily performed for forest regeneration following the final cutting. In or-

der to maintain the amount of afforestation and reforestation, it is important to expand the area of

EFs themselves or to perform final cutting for producing timber, which could provide new sites for

planting (WTSFRC, 2016). Afforestation and reforestation in Jeju EFs have primarily focused on the

forest regeneration following the final cutting. Therefore, total forest area of Jeju EFs remains the

same regardless of the afforested and reforested area.

Figure 2. Afforested or reforested area in Jeju experimental forests from 2006 to 2015

(WTSFRC, 2016)

2.3.2. Forest Management

During the 1st Long term management plans, 942.6ha of forests within Jeju EFs were planned to be

managed, and actually total 894.9 ha of forests, which corresponded to 94.9% of the plan, have been

managed from 2006 to 2015 (Figure 3). Replanting, fertilization, weeding, and thinning were the ma-

jor forest management practices performed during the period. Especially, thinning of deformed

trees in natural forests has been performed widely, in order to reduce competition among remaining

trees and build infrastructures for further sustainable forest management. For densely mixed decid-

uous forests with poor growth rate, cutting and reforestation with other tree species were planned

(Korea Forest Research Institute, 2011). As the 1st Long Term Management Plan has focused on the

management of 11-50-year-old forests, management of 51-60-year-old forests, which are close to

the final harvesting age, remains the further management challenge. Most of the forests older than

51 years remain unmanaged because financial support for managing these forests has been scarce.

This is the reason we stated “management of 51-60-year-old forests” as “the further management

challenge” in this section.

8

Figure 3. Managed forest area in Jeju EFs from 2007 to 2015 (WTSFRC, 2016)

Although there were no plans for pest control in the 1st Long Term Management Plan, total

1,489.1ha* of forests within the EFs were managed for controlling pests. Management practices for

pest control included removing infected trees and injecting pesticides (WTSFRC, 2016). Meanwhile,

total 19km of forest roads were established from 2006 to 2015, which corresponded to 278.3% of

the original plan (WTSFRC, 2016).

2.3.3. Tree Harvesting

Most of harvested trees are Cryptomeria japonica for timber and Carpinus laxiflora for mushroom

cultivation (WTSFRC, 2016). Although the 1st Long Term Management Plan aimed to harvest

12,091.6 m3 of trees, only 6,298.3 m3 of trees were harvested from 2006 to 2015, which correspond-

ed to 52.1% of the original plan (WTSFRC, 2016). This results from the fact that most of the forests

did not reach the final harvesting age (Korea Forest Research Institute, 2011). This harvesting

amount is lower than the allowable amount for tree harvesting, and therefore can be sustainable

(Rainforest Alliance, 2015).

2.3.4. Participation of Local Society

During the 1st Long Term Management Plan, Jeju EFs hired 9,819 local people for both timber pro-

duction and non-timber forest industries in 2011 (Figure 4). Employments for timber production in-

dustry included workers and managers for tree planting and management practices, whereas those

for non-timber forest industry production included workers for forest monitoring, facility construc-

This number showed the forest area where pest control practices including pesticide injection and removal of infect-

ed trees were applied. The under 1,000 ha figures on the previous page and Figure 2, indicated the areas forested

through planting or natural regeneration. Meanwhile, “2,700+ha” in Table 2 indicated the total area of forests in Jeju

EFs.


9

tion, equipment operation and management, and guides for field education and ecotourism

(WTSFRC, 2016).

Figure 4. Employment of local people for Jeju EFs from 2009 to 2013 (WTSFRC, 2016)

In addition, local people have established advisory committees to contribute to managing Jeju EFs.

SEF, HEF, and GEF had their own advisory committees focusing on value and importance of Gotja-

wal* as a future environmental resource as well as management of each EF. Thus, the goal of these

advisory committees was to collect and demonstrate opinions from various social classes regarding

the management of Gotjawal and Jeju EFs. Currently, all these advisory committees have been incor-

porated into a single committee consisting of approximately 20 participants, including experts, jour-

nalists, residents, and NGO groups and gives opinions on various activities such as management

practices, research, and pest control. By collecting and demonstrating the various opinions, this advi-

sory committee has been participating in establishing policies for conservation of Gotjawal and sus-

tainable forest management of Jeju EFs (WTSFRC, 2016).

2.4. Future Management Strategy of Jeju EFs

Future Long term management strategies of Jeju EFs consists of securing of EFs area, promoting for-

est management practices, establishing infrastructure, and researching on climate change mitigation

and adaptation (WTSFRC, 2016). By maintaining these strategies, Jeju EFs will contribute to ecosys-

tem service preservation and economy of local society. Specifically, there are six projects (increase of

forest management area, establishment of forest ecology education center, establishment of sub-

tropical forest resource conservation reserve, improvement of ecotourism and forest education con-

tents, expansion of information center for visitors, and development of international model for sus-

tainable forest management) in the future management strategy of Jeju EFs. There were no projects

The term “Gotjawal” indicates natural forest ecosystems in Jeju island featuring their unique landscape and species

composition. Gotjawal experimental forest (GEF) is a part of the Gotjawal.

10

so far for the international collaboration, because Warm Temperate and Subtropical Forest Research

Center, which manages Jeju EFs, has no authority for cooperating with other countries (Korea Forest

Service currently has this authority).

By combining these strategies, the 2nd Long Term Management Plan was developed in 2016

(WTSFRC, 2016). Similar to the 1st Long Term Management Plan, the plan includs afforestation and

reforestation, forest management, infrastructure construction, and participation of local society.

Moreover, the 2nd plan also includes controlling pests, especially pine wilt disease.


11

3. Current Status of Jeju Experimental Forests

Sustainable forest management of Jeju EFs has significantly improved the structure and function of

the forests. Following information shows the current status of Jeju EFs, which could reflect the effect

of sustainable forest management and 1st Long Term Management Plan.

3.1. Forest Resources

3.1.1. Forest Area and Volume

Due to both natural condition and the long term management plan which focused on planting local

tree species, more than half of the forest area in Jeju EFs are broadleaf forests, dominated by

Carpinus laxiflora, Quercus acuta, Camellia japonica, Quercus glauca, Styrax japonicus, Neolitsea

aciculata, Daphniphyllum macropodum, and Quercus serrata (Table 2; Figure 5). These broadleaf

forests account for 56.1% of tree volume of Jeju EFs (Table 2). In contrast, needleleaf forests, includ-

ing Pinus densiflora, Cryptomeria japonica, and Chamaecyparis obtusa, generally have lower forest

area and tree volume than broadleaf forests (Table 2; Figure 5). Volume per unit area, however,

tends to be higher in needleleaf forests especially in Cryptomeria japonica and Chamaecyparis ob-

tusa forests, because of greater growth rate and stand age (Table 2).

Table 2. Forest area and volume of Jeju EFs in 2013 (Korea Forest Research Institute, 2014)

Forest Area

(ha)

Proportion

(%) Volume (m3)

Proportion

(%)

Volume per

area (m3/

ha)

Pinus densiflora forest 4.0 (0.1) 532.5 (0.1) 133

Cryptomeria japonica forest 226.8 (8.3) 82,430.8 (20.5) 364

Chamaecyparis obtusa for-

est

8.8 (0.3) 3,621.5 (0.9) 411

Deciduous broadleaf forest 737.0 (27.2) 102,669.5 (25.6) 139

Evergreen broadleaf forest 37.0 (1.3) 6,754.9 (1.7) 182

Other broadleaf forests 935.9 (34.4) 115,434.5 (28.8) 123

Deciduous mixed forest 432.2 (15.8) 62,007.5 (15.5) 143

Evergreen mixed forest 49.4 (1.8) 8,187.9 (2.0) 167

Other mixed forest 119.3 (4.4) 19,505.7 (4.9) 163

Others 176.9 (6.4)

Total 2,727.3 (100) 401,144.8 (100) 147

12

Figure 5. Broadleaf (left) and needleleaf (right) forests in Jeju EFs, 2017

3.1.2. Function of Forests

Jeju EFs are also classified according to their function (Table 3). Approximately 924 ha, correspond-

ing to 34.0% of total forest area of Jeju EFs, are used for timber production. The second largest for-

est area (889 ha, 32.7% of total forest area) is used for natural environment conservation. In order to

sustain the natural forests with high biodiversity, endangered species, and cultural and scientific val-

ues, these forests are sheltered from intensive forest management practices, such as planting, fertili-

zation, thinning, and harvesting. Also, Jeju EFs include other forests aiming for various management

purposes, such as recreation, water conservation, and seed orchard.

Table 3. Functional classification of area of Jeju EFs in 2013 (Korea Forest Research Institute, 2014)

3.2. Biodiversity

3.2.1. Trees

Total 84 tree species were found in Jeju EFs (Table 4). Especially, 64.3% of the tree species were de-

ciduous broadleaf species, and 28.6% were evergreen broadleaf tree species. Only 7.1% of the tree

species were needleleaf species.

Function

Timber

produc-

tion

Recrea-

tion

Water con-

servation

Natural

environ-

ment con-

servation

Seed

orchard Others Total

Area (ha) 924.09 36.97 477.76 889.63 386.84 1.56 2,716.8

5

Proportion

(%)

34.0 1.4 17.6 32.7 14.2 0.1 100.0


13

Table 4*. Number of tree species in Jeju EFs (WTSFRC, 2016)

3.2.2. Forest Dependent Species

In 2013, total 440 forest dependent plant species were found in Jeju EFs (Figure 2). Compared to the

previous measurement in 2004, 57 plant species were newly found. This implies that 57 plant spe-

cies, which had not been observed in 2004, were found in 2013. This might result from either omis-

sion in 2004 survey or migration Among these plant species, 20 species were vulnerable to extinction

(Korea Forest Research Institute, 2014). On the other hand, 139 forest dependent animal species

consisting of 15 mammals, 91 birds, 7 amphibian reptiles, and 26 aquatic invertebrates, were detect-

ed in Jeju EFs (Figure 6). Among these animal species, 19 species were vulnerable to extinction

(Korea Forest Research Institute, 2014).

Figure 6. Forest-dependent species in Jeju EFs (Korea Forest Research Institute, 2014)

3.2.3. Seed Orchard and Nursery System

The total area of seed orchard in Jeju EFs was 387 ha (Table 3). Among these area, approximately

Type Number of species Proportion(%)

Needleleaf tree species 6 7.1

Deciduous broadleaf tree species 54 64.3

Evergreen broadleaf tree species 24 28.6

Total 84 100

Table 4 shows the number of tree species observed in Jeju EFs, while Table 2 displays area and volume of each forest

type. Please note that the number of species in Table 4 is not necessarily same to that of forest type in Table 2, be-

cause a single forest type can be comprised of multiple tree species

14

60% were included in HEF and the others were included in SEF. As no seed orchard has been estab-

lished in GEF, data regarding the area of seed orchard in GEF is not available. These seed orchards in

Jeju EFs aimed to provide genetically improved seeds of major tree species in the southern part of

the Republic of Korea, such as Cryptomeria japonica, Chamaecyparis obtusa, Quercus acuta,

Carpinus laxiflora, and Pinus densiflora (Figure 7).

Jeju EFs also have nursery systems, which aim for conserving forest genetic resource and providing

local tree species seedlings of Jeju island (Korea Forest Research Institute, 2014). Especially, several

nursery systems focus on multiplying local tree species seedlings, such as Abies koreana and Prunus

yedoensis, by collecting seeds and grafting scion onto understock of other species seedling (Figure

8). To support these, total 69.33 million Korean won (57,775 USD) had been invested from 2010 to

2013 (Table 5).

Figure 7. A seed orchard in SEF, 2017

Figure 8. A nursery system for grafting Abies koreana scion onto Abies holophylla understock, 2017


15

Table 5. Budget for managing forests in Jeju EFs from 2010 to 2013 (Korea Forest Research Institute,

2014)

*1 USD is assumed to be equivalent to 1,200 Korean won

3.3. Economic Benefits

3.3.1. Timber production

From 2006 to 2013, total 302.4 million won (252,000 USD) of timber had been produced (Table 6).

Most of timbers are produced by thinning of needleleaf species, such as Cryptomeria japonica, and

used for plywood and pulps (Korea Forest Research Institute, 2014). On the other hand, timbers

from broadleaf species, such as Carpinus laxiflora and Quercus spp., are widely used for mushroom

cultivation (Korea Forest Research Institute, 2014).

On average, timber production accounts for less than 0.01% of annual gross production of Jeju island

(Korea Forest Research Institute, 2014). This indicates that timber production in Jeju EFs represent

only minor contribution to economy of Jeju island. Relatively low contribution of timber production

might result from numerous factors in the Republic of Korea including high labor cost, decreased

rural population due to the urbanization, and large number of wood imports from other countries.

This might also be a result of the fact that the amount of tree harvesting in Jeju EFs was controlled

on the basis of the annual tree growth and age composition, as primary management objective of

Jeju EFs is to sustain forest management system rather than to maximize timber production.

Table 6. Timber production in Jeju EFs from 2006 to 2013 (Korea Forest Research Institute, 2014)


Million won (USD*)

2010 2011 2012 2013

Nursery improvement 11.38 (9,483) 25.16 (20,967) 16.09 (13,408) 16.70 (13,917)

Site/machine prepara- 29.57 (24,642) 32.35 (26,958) 40.02 (33,350) 38.57 (32,142)

Afforestation/ 8.35 (6,958) 8.03 (6,692) 8.63 (7,192) 11.14 (9,283)

Weeding 6.78 (5,650) 25.35 (21,125) 14.91 (12,425) 13.52 (11,267)

Vine removal 6.78 (5,650) 23.28 (19,400) 12.95 (10,792) 15.11 (12,592)

Thinning 43.05 (35,875) 82.51 (68,758) 65.53 (54,608) 69.99 (58,325)

Natural forest tending 225.64

(188,033)

299.00

(249,167)

234.25

(195,208)

232.64

(193,867)

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Million won 6.6 17.3 45.3 61.2 92.4 45.1 20.4 14.1

(USD*) (5,500) (14,416) (37,750) (51,000) (77,000) (37,583) (17,000) (11,750)

16

3.3.2. Recreation and Ecotourism

As population and income levels increase and many rural population moves to the cities, demands

for recreational forests and ecotourism have increased. Currently, the total area of recreational for-

ests is 36.97 ha (Table 3), which corresponds to 1.36% of the total forest area in Jeju EFs. All of the

recreational forests are located in HEF, and SEF (Figure 9), and GEF does not include forests for rec-

reational purposes (Korea Forest research Institute, 2014); therefore, further consideration for rec-

reational forests should be necessary.

Figure 9. A recreational forest in HEF, 2017

3.3.3. Contribution to Local Society

As mentioned above, sustainable forest management of Jeju EFs has stimulated employment of local

people (Figure 4). Most of the timber production industry requires large manpower; thus, total 6,841

of local people have been hired for timber production in 2011 (Korea Forest Research Institute,

2014). On the other hand, total 2,978 of local people have been hired for the non-timber forest in-

dustry such as monitoring, facility installation, equipment operation and management, and ecotour-

ism in 2011 (Korea Forest Research Institute, 2014). The number of employed workers was lower

than that in 2010 because the government subsidies for hiring were decreased.

3.4. Public Benefits: Ecosystem Services

In addition to economic benefits, well-protected forest ecosystems in Jeju EFs have provided numer-

ous public benefits, ecosystem services including water storage, water purification, air purification,

climate control*, and landslide control. Recently, WTSFCR (2016) assessed ecosystem services of Jeju

EFs with GIS based maps and several equations (Table 7).

The climate control service consists of CO2 sequestration and O2 production, according to WTSFCR (2016). This has

been indicated in Table 7 and subsections “3.4.4. Climate control” and “3.4.6. Ecosystem services from Jeju EFs.”


17

Table 7. Evaluation methods for ecosystem services of Jeju EFs (WTSFCR, 2016)

3.4.1. Water Storage

Water storage service of Jeju EFs is estimated as 8,007 million won (6,672 thousand USD) in total,

and 2,479,186 won/ha (2,066 USD/ha)(WTSFCR, 2016). SEF represents the largest contribution to

water storage service, followed by HEF and GEF. SEF, HEF, and GEF store 2,068.1 ton/ha, 2,236.0

ton/ha, and 3,420.4 ton/ha of water, respectively. Given the area of each EF, these values for SEF,

HEF, and GEF correspond to 3,686 million won (3,072 thousand USD), 3,019 million won (2,515 thou-

sand USD), and 1,302 million won (1,085 thousand USD), respectively (Table 8).

3.4.2. Water Purification

Water purification service of Jeju EFs is estimated as 2,296 million won (1,913 thousand USD) in to-

tal, and 711,056 won/ha (592 USD/ha)(WTSFCR, 2016). Water purification service is highest in SEF

and lowest in GEF. SEF, HEF, GEF purifies 469.9 kg/ha, 471.5 kg/ha, and 365.2 kg/ha of water. These

values for SEF, HEF, and GEF are equivalent to 1,057 million won (881 thousand USD), 866 million

won (722 thousand USD), and 373 million won (310 thousand USD), respectively (Table 8).

3.4.3. Air Purification

Total air purification service of Jeju EFs is estimated as 312 million won (260 thousand USD), which is

equivalent to 97,931 won/ha (82 USD/ha)(WTSFCR, 2016). In terms of SO2, SEF shows greater air

purification service, than HEF and GEF. SEF, HEF, and GEF remove 7.2 kg/ha, 6.7 kg/ha, and 6.3 kg/ha

of SO2. These values for SEF, HEF, and GEF correspond to 23 million won (19 thousand USD), 19 mil-

lion won (16 thousand USD), and 5 million won (4 thousand USD), respectively. Similar to SO2, largest

amount of NO2 is purified by SEF compared to HEF and GEF. SEF, HEF, and GEF removes 8.7 kg/ha,

9.6 kg/ha, and 8.8 kg/ha of NO2, respectively. These values for SEF, HEF, and GEF correspond to 122

million won (102 thousand USD), 100 million won (83 thousand USD), and 43 million won (36 thou-

sand USD), respectively (Table 8).

Type Evaluation method

Water storage Forest water storage x (dam depreciation cost + dam maintenance cost)

Water purifica-

tion

Sludge removal cost / forest area + water purification cost / forest area

+ cohesive agent cost

Air purification (SO2 absorbance x SO2 removal cost) + (NO2 absorbance x NO2 removal cost)

Climate control (forest CO2 sequestration x CO2 removal cost) + (forest O2 production

x price of liquid O2)

Landslide control Forest area controlling landslide x cost for landslide control per area

18

3.4.4. Climate Control

The total climate control service of Jeju EFs is estimated as 9,813 million won (8,177 thousand USD),

which is equivalent to 3,037,428 won/ha (2,531 USD/ha)(WTSFCR, 2016). In terms of CO2 sequestra-

tion, SEF shows higher climate control service than the other EFs. CO2 sequestration of each EF is 8.1

ton/ha in SEF, 8.2 ton/ha in HEF, and 7.8 ton/ha in GEF, respectively (Figure 10). These CO2 seques-

tration values for SEF, HEF, and GEF are equivalent to 729 million won (608 thousand USD), 597 mil-

lion won (498 thousand USD), and 258 million won (215 thousand USD), respectively, (Table 8).

Meanwhile, SEF provides larger amount of O2 than HEF and GEF. O2 production of SEF, HEF, and GEF

is 5.9 ton/ha, 5.9 ton/ha, and 5.7 ton/ha, respectively. These values for SEF, HEF, and GEF corre-

spond to 3,788 million won (3,157 thousand USD), 3,103 million won (2,586 thousand USD), and

1,338 million won (1,115 thousand USD), respectively (Table 8).

Figure 10. The oldest forest in Jeju EFs, sequestering large amounts of CO2, 2017

3.4.5. Landslide control

Landslide control service of Jeju EFs is estimated as 2,928 million won (2,440 thousand USD) in total,

which is equivalent to 906,699 won/ha (756 USD/ha)(Figure 11)(WTSFCR, 2016). Similar to the other

ecosystem services, SEF represent higher landslide control service than the other EFs. SEF, HEF, and

GEF prevent 77.7 m3/ha, 76.1 m3/ha, and 76.1 m3/ha of landslide, respectively. These values for SEF,

HEF, and GEF correspond to 1,348 million won (1,123 thousand USD), 1,104 million won (920 thou-

sand USD), and 476 million won (397 thousand USD), respectively (Table 8).

Figure 11. A forest on steep slope, which prevents soil erosion and landslide, 2017


19

Table 8. Evaluated ecosystem services provided by Jeju EFs (WTSFCR, 2016)


3.4.6. Ecosystem services from Jeju EFs

In terms of ecosystem service, SEF generally has the highest value compared to HEF and GEF (Table

8). Especially, Jeju EFs play an important role in controlling climate, such as CO2 sequestration and O2

production, and storing water. This implies that forests in Jeju island might be crucial for conserving

water resource and improving local climatic condition. Also, Jeju EFs provides ecosystem services

through purifying water quality and preventing landslide. However, air purification service is the low-

est among the ecosystem services in Jeju EFs. The low air purification service might result from the

fact that air in Jeju island might remain relatively unpolluted, thus only small amount of pollutants

could be purified.

Million won (thousand USD*)

Seogwipo Hannam Gotjawal

Water storage 3,686 (3,072) 3,019 (2,515) 1,302 (1,085)

Water purification 1,057 (881) 866 (722) 373 (310)

Air purification 145 (121) 119 (99) 48 (40)

Climate control 4,517 (3,765) 3,700 (3,082) 1,596 (1,330)

Landslide control 1,348 (1,123) 1,104 (920) 476 (397)

20

4. Management Implications for Developing Countries

4.1. Significance of Experimental Forests

Forests aiming for industries in Jeju EFs provide economic benefits for local society. Considerable

amount of timber has been produced at Jeju EFs, which supply woody materials for construction and

agriculture sectors. Also, Jeju EFs include forests for recreational purposes, which are used for envi-

ronmental education and ecotourism. These forest industries based in Jeju EFs need a workforce,

including machinery operators, watchers and security officers of protected forests, and guides for

recreational forests. By employing local people in these forest industries as part of the workforce,

Jeju EFs act as the workplaces and provide economic benefits to local society.

Jeju EFs also demonstrate benefits from establishing and maintaining experimental forests. Several

forests managed for conserving natural environment in Jeju EFs have been sheltered from intensive

anthropogenic disturbances. Accordingly, many forests in Jeju EFs have remained well-preserved

and provided habitats to various forest dependent plants and animals, and various ecosystem ser-

vices to local society. Also, seeds and clones of valuable local tree species, such as Abies koreana and

Prunus yedoensis, have been collected, grown, and multiplied at seed orchards and nursery systems

in Jeju EFs to supply seedlings for afforestation and reforestation. These efforts for Jeju EFs play a

significant role in protecting ecosystem functioning, biodiversity, and genetic resources.

In terms of developing and improving forest management practices, Jeju EFs illustrate the im-

portance of the experimental forests as model forests. National Institute of Forest Science (NIFOS) of

the Republic of Korea has implemented various experimental management practices and guidelines

to Jeju EFs; thereby, Jeju EFs have provided information for foresters and managers to ascertain

whether the experimental management practices and guidelines are widely applicable for the other

forests. As using private forests for such experimental purposes is difficult, establishment of experi-

mental forests like Jeju EFs will be necessary for developing countries, which attempt to improve

their forest management systems.

Given these roles, Jeju EFs are reliable models for displaying sustainable forest management plans

and practices, and for developing international collaboration within the forestry sector. Forests for

timber production, conservation, and recreation, seed orchards, and nursery systems in Jeju EFs can

be used as the places for educating people about the importance of experimental forests and sus-

tainable management systems. Especially, education through experiencing management systems at

these places as well as explicitly introducing costs and benefits of experimental management practic-

es and guidelines should be applicable to fostering knowledge and experience of foresters, manag-

ers, and decision makers in developing countries.

4.2. Management Plans and Practices in Jeju Experimental Forests

Management plans and practices of Jeju EFs provide several implications for developing countries:

first, forests can be used for various purposes and the way of managing forests should be dependent


21

on the purposes at hand. In Jeju EFs, foresters and managers have classified and mapped the forests

according to management purposes, such as timber production, biodiversity conservation, and rec-

reation. They have also considered the social-economic values of tree species. On the basis of these

considerations, they have implemented different management practices for each type of forest. This

contributed to successful forest management in Jeju EFs. However, in developing countries, most

forests have been harvested haphazardly regardless of the management purposes and social-

economic values of trees; therefore, more considerations of the management purposes should be a

priority for rehabilitating the forests in developing countries.

Second, the amount of tree harvesting should be regulated. In Jeju EFs, tree harvesting has been

controlled on the basis of the allowable amount of tree harvesting, quantified with annual tree

growth (Korea Forest Research Institute, 2014), and therefore is considered to be sustainable

(Rainforest Alliance, 2015). Because unclear limits on the amount for tree harvesting have contribut-

ed to deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, regulation of tree harvesting

based on the allowable amount could be usefully considered.

Third, protection and utilization of local species should be encouraged. The Long Term Management

Plan of Jeju EFs recommends use of local tree species for afforestation and reforestation. Also, the

plan includes protection of seed orchards and improvement of nursery systems, which can provide

seedlings for afforestation and reforestation with local tree species. These strategies significantly

contribute to protecting important forest ecosystems, such as Gotjawal, by help minimize non-native

species. However, many afforestation and reforestation projects in developing countries have used

non-native species. Although such projects have also contributed to restoring forests, invasion of

non-native species might disturb local ecosystems in the long term. Accordingly, in the future, affor-

estation and reforestation projects should consider the use of local tree species.

Forth, forest resources should be accurately and periodically monitored. In Jeju EFs, biodiversity,

wood productivity, and carbon storage have been measured periodically. In addition, social and eco-

nomic factors are also involved in managing forests. To ensure sustainability of forest management

practices, the managers of Jeju EFs have surveyed social and economic factors including timber pro-

duction, ecotourism, investment and employment relating to forestry, forest management plan and

law, and infrastructure. This helped to understand actual management practice and improve future

management strategies. On the other hand, forest resources and related social and economic factors

are rarely monitored in developing countries. Thus, these factors should be addressed more in depth

in developing countries.

Finally, infrastructure for forest management should be improved. Within the forest management

strategies in Jeju EFs, establishing environmentally friendly forest roads and expanding the work-

related road network have been considered to be principal. Specifically, the 1st and 2nd long term

management plan included the enhancing efficiency of management practices, establishing forest

roads, and constructing skid roads. This is due to the fact that insufficient infrastructure construction

might lead to inappropriate use of forest resources and increase management cost. In contrast, in-

frastructure for managing and using forests remains insufficient in developing countries, which has

increased abuse of forest resources and accelerated forest degradation. Although improving infra-

structure will require additional costs, this would be important to sustain forest productivity and to

22

reduce long term management cost in developing countries.

In addition to these implications, the sustainable forest management experience in Jeju EFs as well

as the forest rehabilitation history of the Republic of Korea indicate that participation of local people

is very important. In Jeju EFs, local people have been hired as staffs and workers participating in sus-

tainable forest management (WTSFCR, 2016). This has significantly contributed to both protecting

forests and enhancing the local economy. In contrast, local people in developing countries intensive-

ly use forests to collect firewood, timber, and food, and thereby contribute to destroying local for-

ests. To sustain local forests, developing countries should regulate such uses of forests, and allow

local people to work for maintaining forests and earn a decent living in the progress.

In order to sustain local people’s participation in developing countries, environmental knowledge of

local people should be reinforced. Especially, environmental education about the function and value

of forests is essential to minimize deforestation and forest degradation by local people. Also, forest-

ers, managers, and policy makers in developing countries should be trained in the sustainable forest

management concept and recent management systems of developed countries. Such education and

training will enable developing countries to progress towards new and improved management strat-

egies and practices.


23

5. References

Hoffman, M.T. & Todd, S. 2000. A national review of land degradation in South Africa: the influence

of biophysical and socio-economical factors. Journal of Southern African Studies. 26(4): 743-758.

Hosonuma, N., Herold, M., De Sy, V., De Fries, R. S., Brockhaus, M., Verchot, L., Angelsen, A., & Ro-

mijn, E. 2012. An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation drivers in developing coun-

tries. Environmental Research Letters 7(4): 044009.

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). 2007. Climate Change 2007: the physical sci-

ence basis. Cambridge University Press. pp. 996.

Korea Forest Service. 2014. Lessons learned from the republic of Korea's National Reforestation

Programme. Korea Forest Service. pp. 47.

Korea Forest Research Institute. 2011. 2011 SFM report on the Jeju experimental forests of Warm

Temperate Forest Research Center, Korea Forest Research Institute. Korea Forest Research Insti-

tute. pp. 159. (In Korean)

Korea Forest Research Institute. 2014. 10 years of sustainable forest management in Jeju experi-

mental forests and index monitoring. Korea Forest Research Institute. pp. 216. (In Korean)

Margono, B.A., Turubanova, S., Zhuravleva, I., Potapov, P., Tyukavina, A., Baccini, A., Goetz, S., Han-

sen, M.C. 2012. Mapping and monitoring deforestation and forest degradation in Sumatra

(Indonesia) using Landsat time series data sets from 1990 to 2010. Environmental Research Letters

7(3): 034010.

NIFoS (National Institute of Forest Science). 2017. http://english.forest.go.kr/newkfsweb/html/

EngHtmlPage.do?pg=/esh/org_kfri/UI_KFS_1104_02_06.html&mn=ENG_11_04_02_06

Rainforest Alliance. 2015. Forest Management Certification Assessment Report for Warm Temper-

ate and Sub-Tropical Forest Research Center. Rainforest Alliance. Richmond, USA. pp. 4-5.

WTSFRC (Warm Temperate and Subtropical Forest Research Center). 2016. Long term management

plan for Jeju experimental forests. WTSFRC. pp. 93. (In Korean)

24

2. Objective

This research study commissioned by the UNDP Seoul Policy Centre (USPC) aims to: develop a con-

solidated historical analysis of quantification of DRR (landslide, forest fire and flooding) and other

benefits/challenges resulting from forestation in the Republic of Korea in the last 50 years. Under

the limitation of available data, DRR, carbon sequestration, soil erosion control and water yield en-

hancement were included as ecosystem services in the current study. Although all the other eco-

system services were not studied, they would account for a large portion of benefits by forestation.

The research includes a combination of desk reviews, primary and secondary data collection, mod-

Reference for this data is homepage of NIFoS (http://english.forest.go.kr/newkfsweb/html/EngHtmlPage.do?pg=/esh/org_kfri/UI_KFS_1104_02_06.html&mn=ENG_11_04_02_06). The data regarding the area of Jeju experimental forests has been substituted to the latest data provided by WTSFRC in the revised paper

This number showed the forest area where pest control practices including pesticide injection and removal of infected trees were applied. The under 1,000 ha

figures on the previous page and Figure 2, indicated the areas forested through planting or natural regeneration. Meanwhile, “2,700+ha” in Table 2 indicated the

total area of forests in Jeju EFs.

The term “Gotjawal” indicates natural forest ecosystems in Jeju island featuring their unique landscape and species composition. Gotjawal experim

(GEF) is a part of the Gotjawal.

Table 4 shows the number of tree species observed in Jeju EFs, while Table 2 displays area and volume of each forest type. Please note that the number of species in Table 4 is not necessarily same to that of forest type in Table 2, because a

The climate control service consists of CO2 sequestration and O2 production, according to WTSFCR (2016). This has been indicated in Table 7 and subsections “3.4.4. Climate control” and “3.4.6. Ecosystem services from Jeju EFs.”

United Nations Development Programme

Seoul Policy Centre

Korean University 4F, International Studies Hall

145 Anam-Ro, Seongbuk-Gu,

Seoul, Republic of Korea

Telephone

Fax

Website

+82-2-3290-5202~9

+82-2-3290-5210

www.undp.org/uspc

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