Landscape Analysis to Assess the Impact of Development Projects on Forests

Abstract

The consistent demand for development of forest lands in South Korea has resulted in the need for a new approach to estimate environmental impacts in order to sustainably manage forests. In this study, two types of development were selected: golf courses and industrial complexes. Using FRAGSTATS ver. 4.2 (University of Massachussetts, Amherst, MA, USA), the fragmentation effects of each development type were analyzed based on forest area within project sites and buffer zones ranging up to 2000 m. Each type had representative landscape metrics reflecting the average impact ranges by forest area: "Number of Patches", "Patch Density" and "Total Edge Length" for golf courses; "Number of Patches", "Patch Density" and "Connectance Index" for industrial complexes. Golf courses with the smallest forest area had a larger impact range than those with larger forest areas. For industrial complexes, the impact range increased with forest area. Although individual sites exhibited some variation in impact range, they were generally consistent with the overall patterns observed. Investigating tree growth by buffer zone showed the ecological effect of development. To comprehensively manage development of forest lands, further research on other development types is needed. These results could be useful for creating a decision-making system with regard to development on forest lands.