earticle

영어

Forests in Korea’s island regions cover more than 60% of inhabited islands and over 90% of uninhabited islands, serving critical ecological and socio-cultural functions. However, the current nationwide forest function evaluation system does not adequately reflect the unique environmental characteristics of these island areas. This study aims to improve the classification and evaluation framework for forest functions by integrating spatial data with indicators tailored to island-specific conditions. Using the island areas of Jeollanam-do Province as a case study, the analysis was conducted on more than 2,300 watershed units. Revised evaluation criteria were applied to assess six major forest functions: timber production, water conservation, disaster prevention, living environment preservation, forest recreation, and environmental conservation. The accuracy of forest function classification was enhanced by incorporating data on legally designated protection zones, tourism and cultural heritage sites, and updated land cover information. The results reveal that while the conventional system disproportionately emphasized disaster prevention-assigning this function to approximately 93% of the watersheds-the improved model identified environmental conservation as the dominant function, with increased representation of recreational and community-related roles. Stakeholder consultations and field survey confirmed the practicality and applicability of the revised system, suggesting its potential for supporting sustainable forest use and ecosystem service planning in both inhabited and uninhabited island contexts.