Database Report

Korean Forest Database

Tomas Cerny, Jiri Dolezal, Miroslav Srutek, Petr Petrik, Jong-Suk Song & Milan Valachovic

GIVD Database ID: AS-00-001	Last update: 2019-12-19
Korean Forest Database	Web address:
Database manager(s): Tomas Cerny (cernyt@fld.czu.cz); Jiri Dolezal (jiri.dolezal@ibot.cas.cz)
Owner: Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences
Scope: Relevés of natural forest vegetation mostly from Korean peninsula, recorded by use of Braun-Blanquet scales and Zürich-Montpellier methodology and published in local ecological journals and monographs by various authors. A minor portion of original relevés of the same quality is included, being recorded in national parks with well-preserved forests.
Abstract: A database with 2207 relevés covers main gradients and composition of forests (partly non-forest vegetation) from the sealevel to highest peaks (Paektusan, Hallasan) of the Korean peninsula and neighbouring areas (Russia, China). Altogether, 44 principal studies published in Korean journals and monographs in the last 30 years were recherched. The occurrence of natural or semi-natural forest stand was a selection criterion to include a record into the database. The relevés were sampled using the standard Zürich-Montpellier methodology, with the Braun-Blanquet semiquantitative scale. The mean species richness is ca 30 species per a relevé (moss layer excluded). The relevé area over 100 m2 occurs in 36.5 % of them and the size of 400 m2 in 20.6 %, respectively. The vertical distribution of the relevés mirrors the land geomorphology, so 39.5 % was recorded below 500 m, 34.5 % was recorded in the belt 500-1000 m, 14.9 % was recorded in the belt 1000-1500 m and 6.1 % of relevés comes from the highest stands. The most frequent woody species presented are Quercus mongolica, Lindera obtusiloba, Acer pseudosieboldianum, Rhododendron schlippenbachii, R. mucronulatum, and Pinus densiflora. Among the most frequent herb species occur Carex siderosticta, Disporum smilacinum, Aster scaber, Carex lanceolata, Artemisia keiskeana, and Ainsliaea acerifolia. All relevés are georeferrenced in WGS84 coordinate system, more or less precise. The study was funded by research grant nr. 206/05/0119 of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, research grant nr. IAA600050802 of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. This work was supported as a long-term research development project no. RVO 67985939 and the International Research Cooperation Program (Nr. F01-2009-000-10022-0) funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea.
Availability: according to a specific agreement	Online upload: no	Online search: no
Database format(s): TURBOVEG	Export format(s): TURBOVEG, Excel, CSV file
Plot type(s): normal plots, nested plots	Plot-size range (m²): 1 to 2000
Non-overlapping plots: 4595	Estimate of existing plots: 10000	Completeness: 46%	Status: completed and continuing
Total no. of plot observations: 4745	Number of sources (biblioreferences, data collectors): 92	Valid taxa: 2177
Countries (%): KR: 97; RU: 1; CN: 2
Formations: Forest: 95% = Semi-aquatic: 0%; Terrestrial: 95%
Guilds: all vascular plants: 100%; bryophytes (terricolous or aquatic): 7%; non-terricolous taxa (epiphytic, saxicolous, lignicolous): 3%
Plot size categories (%): < 1 m2: 0%; 1-10 m2: 0.02%; 10-100 m2: 2,6%; 100-1000 m2: 97.15%; 1000-10000 m2: 0.23%; >= 10000 m2: 0%; unknowmn: 0%;
Environmental data (%): altitude: 97; slope aspect: 91; slope inclination: 96; microrelief: 0; surface cover other than plants (open soil, litter, bare rock etc.): 7; other soil attributes: 0; soil pH: 0; land use categories: 0; soil depth: 0
Performance measure(s): presence/absence only: 0%; cover: 100%; number of individuals: 0%; measurements like diameter or height of trees: 0%; biomass: 0%; other: 0%
Geographic localisation: GPS coordinates (precision 25 m or less): 11.3%; point coordinates less precise than GPS, up to 1 km: 34.5%; small grid (not coarser than 10 km): 52%; political units or only on a coarser scale ( above 10 km): 2.2%
Sampling periods: before 1920: 0%; 1920-1929: 0%; 1930-1939: 0%; 1940-1949: 0%; 1950-1959: 0%; 1960-1969: 0%; 1970-1979: 0%; 1980-1989: 18%; 1990-1999: 20%; 2000-2009: 29%; 2010-2019: 8%; unknown: 25%
Information as of 2026-06-04; further details and future updates available from http://www.givd.info/ID/AS-00-001

Tomas Cerny* (cernyt@fld.czu.cz)
Department of Forest Ecology, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 1176, 16521 Praha 6, CZECH REP.
Jiri Dolezal (jiri.dolezal@ibot.cas.cz)
Department of Functional Ecology, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelska 135, 37901 Trebon, CZECH REP.
Miroslav Srutek (miroslav@srutek.cz)
Department of Botany, University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Biology, Na Zlaté stoce, 37005 Pruhonice, CZECH REP.
Petr Petrik (petr.petrik@ibot.cas.cz)
Department of GIS and RS, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, 25243 Pruhonice, CZECH REP.
Jong-Suk Song (quersong@yahoo.co.kr)
Department of Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Andong National University, 1375 Gyeongdong-Ro, 760-749 Andong, S. KOREA
Milan Valachovic (milan.valachovic@savba.sk)
Department of Geobotany, Institute of Botany of the Slovak Academ, Dubravska cesta 9, 84523 Bratislava, SLOVAKIA
* corresponding author