Human influence, regeneration, and conservation of the Gotjawal forests in Jeju Island, Korea

Gotjawal, a uniquely formed forest vegetation on the lava terrain located at eastern and western parts of Jeju Island, covers 6% of the island’s land surface. The Gotjawal forests play important roles in establishing the biological and cultural diversity while maintaining ecosystem services. Recently, with the recognition of the diverse ecological and cultural values of the Gotjawal forests, efforts to conserve the forests were conducted by adopting the resolutions of the Jeju World Conservation Congress of the IUCN held in 2012. Despite its precious values, the Gotjawal forest is being threatened by the developmental activities of large scale constructions projects. To understand the recent regeneration of the Gotjawal forests, ecological studies have been conducted at the Hankyeong-Andeok Gotjawal Terrain, which is located in the western part and occupies the largest area of the Gotjawal Terrain of Jeju Island. Major vegetation in the area includes the deciduous broad-leaved forests (Acer palmatum–Styrax japonicus community), mixed deciduous and evergreen broad-leaved forests (Neolitsea aciculata–Styrax japonicus community), and evergreen broad-leaved forests (Quercus glauca community). In addition, the Gotjawal forests are evaluated as secondary forests mainly developed from sprouts. Tree-ring studies have revealed that the Gotjawal forests were regenerated from mid- to late-1960s after the cessation of human activities for using woods for various resources.