Classification of the Vegetation of Pinus densiflora Forests Distributed in Baekdudaegan (From Hyangrobong to Cheonwangbong), South Korea

Pinus densiflora and Quercus mongolica are representative forest vegetation communities in Baekdudaegan, South Korea. Recently, signs of deterioration, such as natural succession, disease, and insect pests, have been detected. Therefore, this study aims to classify the vegetation types and elucidate the vegetation structure across the entire South Korean section of the Baekdudaegan, from Hyangrobong to Cheonwangbong, while also proposing strategies for vegetation conservation and management. A vegetation survey was conducted in 341 plots investigated from 2016 to 2020. Cluster analysis revealed nine community types, with a single indicator species, Rhododendron schlippenbachii, in Community 1 (C1); two, Fraxinus sieboldiana and Calamagrostis arundinacea, in C2; six, including Carex humilis var. nana, Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum, and Quercus variabilis, in C3; three, Sasa borealis, Q. mongolica, and Erigeron annuus, in C4; two, Rhododendron mucronulatum and Vaccinium koreanum, in C5; twelve, including Lespedeza maximowiczii, Tripterygium regelii, and Fraxinus rhynchophylla, in C6; two, Toxicodendron trichocarpum and P. densiflora, in C7; twenty, including Acer pseudosieboldianum, Acer pictum var. mono, Staphylea bumalda, and Carex pediformis, in C8; and thirteen species, including Oplismenus undulatifolius, Castanea crenata, and Smilax china, in C9. Our findings highlight the need for management plans that consider each vegetation type’s community structural characteristics.