A wind corridor forest is defined as an urban forest for utilizing the functions of a wind corridor that allow “cool and fresh air (cold air)” generated in forests at night to flow to urban development areas. This study aims to provide planning strategies for implementing a wind corridor forest by analyzing current conditions in Haengbok City (HBC region), Sejong, South Korea. The HBC region had many wind-generating forests (WGF), wind-spreading forests (WSF), and wind-connecting forests (WCF), and secured the connections among the target areas of each wind corridor forest. Despite the favorable conditions for a wind corridor forest, cold air flow showed that there are regions with unfavorable wind conditions in the HBC region. In order to strengthen the functions of a wind corridor forests in the HBC region, four zones were distinguished according to the functional characteristics. Additionally, the planning strategies of a wind corridor forests suitable for each zone were provided, and the strategies for establishing a wind corridor forest were proposed. The results of this study can be used as the fundamental data for establishing guidelines for a wind corridor forest and utilized as resources for selecting regions suitable for a wind corridor forest.
Urban forests provide various ecosystem services. Although the function of reducing particulate matter (PM) in the city is known, research into the reduction of PM according to the type and structure of various forests is still needed. It is essential to study the characteristics of PM concentration in urban riparian forests, which are frequently used for outdoor walks in the COVID-19 era. In this study, the diurnal and seasonal changes in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were analyzed in urban forests with different structures in the riparian forests located in central Seoul. The PM concentration was found to be high regardless of the time of the day in forests with a developed canopy layer. Similar results were found before and after leaf emergence compared with the seasonal PM concentration. The results of this study highlight the need for planned and periodic management of the canopy layer and underground vegetation to prevent the PM trapping effect to ensure the safe use of riparian forests in cities.
30 December 2015 in Korean Journal of Nature Conservation