Plant Community Types and Spatial Distribution of Forest Vegetation in 1st-grade Area of Ecology and Nature Map of Jeju Island, Korea

This study aimed to classify forest vegetation communities and quantitatively analyze the spatial distribution of vegetation types and their administrative patterns within grade 1 Ecological and Nature Map zones in Jeju Island. Using 1:5,000 scale high-resolution vegetation data from the 5th National Natural Environment Survey, four forest vegetation types were identified: evergreen broad-leaved forest (EBF), deciduous broad-leaved forest (DBF), evergreen coniferous forest (ECF), and valley forest (VF), comprising a total of 85 plant communities. Among these, VFs accounted for the largest area (55.88%), with the <i>Carpinus laxiflora-Quercus serrata</i> and <i>Carpinus laxiflora</i> communities as dominant types. EBFs were primarily distributed in the southern coastal lowlands of Seogwipo-si, dominated by subtropical evergreen species such as <i>Quercus glauca</i> and <i>Castanopsis cuspidata</i>. ECFs and DBFs appeared in a limited and mixed form across the island. By administrative region, Seogwipo-si encompassed 68.03% of the total area and supported 64 vegetation communities, demonstrating higher vegetation diversity. In contrast, Jeju-si covered 31.97% of the area with 45 identified communities, characterized by moisture-adapted DBFs in higher elevations. The findings provide foundational ecological information for biodiversity conservation, environmental impact assessments, ecological restoration, and sustainable landuse planning in Jeju Island and similar island ecosystems.