Nationwide Temporal Dynamics of Mammal Communities Across South Korea: Dominance Shifts and Predator—Prey Implications

Understanding long-term changes in mammal communities is essential for evaluating ecosystem dynamics under large-scale environmental transformation. This study analyzed nationwide data from the 3rd (2006-2013), 4th (2014-2018), and 5th (2019-2023) National Ecosystem Surveys to assess temporal shifts in the abundance and dominance structure of medium- and large-sized mammals across the Korean Peninsula. Using standardized survey data, we compared changes in detection frequency, dominance rank, and diversity indices among survey phases. Results revealed a significant restructuring of dominance from the 3rd to 4th survey, followed by stabilization in the 5th phase, indicating a gradual simplification of community structure. The water deer remained the most dominant species throughout all surveys, while the wild boar showed a consistent increase in relative frequency. In contrast, smaller or specialist species such as the Korean hare exhibited notable declines. These patterns correspond to ecological changes driven by forest recovery and the absence of apex predators, which have facilitated the proliferation of adaptable generalist species. The findings suggest that ongoing habitat recovery, though beneficial for biomass and productivity, may simultaneously reduce functional diversity and community balance. This study highlights the value of long-term, standardized monitoring for identifying structural transitions in wildlife communities and understanding their broader implications for biodiversity conservation on the Korean Peninsula.