National Institute of Forest Science, Republic of Korea
Abstract: Korea's urban areas, covering only 16.7% of the total land area, are home to around 92% of the population. Urbanization fragments forests, decreasing biodiversity and quality of life. Therefore, preserving the urban forest's ecological integrity is necessary to promote a healthy urban environment, driving a growing demand for conservation efforts.
This study focused on Daegu, a major city in Korea, and examined landscape metrics and forest connectivity as indicators of ecological integrity. By calculating the Integral Index of Connectivity (IIC) and the Probability of Connectivity (PC), we analyzed the impact of small green spaces, such as artificial parks, on the connectivity with the peri-urban forests in a city. Prior to inclusion, the number of patches was 100 and the area was approximately 1504 ha, while after inclusion, the number of patches increased to 749, covering an area of approximately 2268 ha. When the threshold-distance was set to 1.5 km, the average number of links per patch statistically increased (p< 0.0005) by approximately 48%, from 5 to 7. The inclusion of small green spaces increased the number of patches and links, leading to an improvement in ecological integrity.
We also assessed the suitability of bird habitats by analyzing the connectivity of canopy-covered vegetation with varying threshold-distances. The results indicated a sharp increase in IIC up to 5 km, followed by a gradual increase, and a continuous increase in PC.
Finally, we analyzed the connectivity of green spaces that can be accessed within a 15-minute walk in two administrative districts (Bonri-dong and Suseong-dong) in the city. The total green area of Bonri-dong is approximately 247 ha, with 72 patches and an average of 14 links per patch. Suseong-dong has a total green area of about 131 ha, with 41 patches and approximately 9 links, which is less than Bonri-dong in terms of green area, number of patches, and links. The results showed that the district with a higher number of small green spaces had a greater green area, number of patches, and link number (p< 0.0005), indicating an improvement in the quality of life for urban residents.
In conclusion, to enhance urban residents’ quality of life, management implementation for specific habitats and placing green spaces to appropriate spatial scale are crucial in a highly expensive land price system in Korea. From a viewpoint of SLOSS (Single Large or Several Small), the socioeconomic factors could be deeply considered in the next research step.
