Ecosystem services and multifunctionality are co-regulated by biotic and abiotic factors along with forest types in a temperate forest of South Korea

Given global issues such as large-scale deforestation and increasing habitat loss, promoting forest ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) is essential for the successful implementation of global sustainable development. This study aims to quantify the four ecosystem service categories (i.e., provisioni...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Min-Ki Lee, Yong-Ju Lee, Jung-Hwa Chun, A-Reum Kim, Chang-Bae Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Global Ecology and Conservation
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425002847
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849473571315777536
author Min-Ki Lee
Yong-Ju Lee
Jung-Hwa Chun
A-Reum Kim
Chang-Bae Lee
author_facet Min-Ki Lee
Yong-Ju Lee
Jung-Hwa Chun
A-Reum Kim
Chang-Bae Lee
author_sort Min-Ki Lee
collection DOAJ
description Given global issues such as large-scale deforestation and increasing habitat loss, promoting forest ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) is essential for the successful implementation of global sustainable development. This study aims to quantify the four ecosystem service categories (i.e., provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting) and the ability to comprehensively provide them, EMF, based on 18 ecosystem services-related variables. Additionally, we evaluated the influence of biotic (i.e., species diversity, functional dominance, stand structural diversity) and abiotic (i.e., topography, climate, and soil) factors, and stand age on EMF and each ecosystem service category. We collected data from 98 plots, each 20 × 20 m, across the seven major forest types of Mt. Gariwang, which is a representative temperate forest in South Korea. Multimodel averaging and piecewise structural equation modeling were used to identify key variables influencing EMF and ecosystem service categories and to assess their interrelationships. Our results show that higher plant species richness and older forest stands enhanced stand structural diversity, which directly and positively affected EMF. EMF is primarily driven by biotic factors, such as the community weighted mean of traits, rather than abiotic factors. The mechanisms influencing each ecosystem services differed. Variance partitioning analysis revealed that the relative contributions of the four ecosystem service categories to the EMF are similar, with supporting and regulating services categories showing significant negative and positive effects on EMF, respectively. These findings suggest that forest management should comprehensively consider stand age and structural diversity to enhance EMF and as well as individual ecosystem service category. Furthermore, management practices that promote functional traits, such as wood density and leaf nitrogen content, are essential for increasing EMF. Finally, the degree of control of ecosystem service categories over EMF varies across forest types, so a clear management plan must be developed for each forest type.
format Article
id doaj-art-dd019337e5d44b958fed441b5e9b5943
institution Kabale University
issn 2351-9894
language English
publishDate 2025-09-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Global Ecology and Conservation
spelling doaj-art-dd019337e5d44b958fed441b5e9b59432025-08-20T03:24:06ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942025-09-0161e0368310.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03683Ecosystem services and multifunctionality are co-regulated by biotic and abiotic factors along with forest types in a temperate forest of South KoreaMin-Ki Lee0Yong-Ju Lee1Jung-Hwa Chun2A-Reum Kim3Chang-Bae Lee4Department of Forest Resources, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; Forest Carbon Graduate School, Kookmin University, 77 Jeongneungro, Seongbukgu, Seoul 02707, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Climate Technology Convergence (Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning Major), Kookmin University, 77 Jeongneungro, Seongbukgu, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; Forest Carbon Graduate School, Kookmin University, 77 Jeongneungro, Seongbukgu, Seoul 02707, Republic of KoreaForest Ecology Division, National Institute of Forest Science, Seoul 02455, Republic of KoreaForest Ecology Division, National Institute of Forest Science, Seoul 02455, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Forest Resources, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; Department of Climate Technology Convergence (Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning Major), Kookmin University, 77 Jeongneungro, Seongbukgu, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; Forest Carbon Graduate School, Kookmin University, 77 Jeongneungro, Seongbukgu, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; Correspondence to: Department of Forest Resources, Kookmin University, 77 Jeongneungro, Seongbukgu, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea.Given global issues such as large-scale deforestation and increasing habitat loss, promoting forest ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) is essential for the successful implementation of global sustainable development. This study aims to quantify the four ecosystem service categories (i.e., provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting) and the ability to comprehensively provide them, EMF, based on 18 ecosystem services-related variables. Additionally, we evaluated the influence of biotic (i.e., species diversity, functional dominance, stand structural diversity) and abiotic (i.e., topography, climate, and soil) factors, and stand age on EMF and each ecosystem service category. We collected data from 98 plots, each 20 × 20 m, across the seven major forest types of Mt. Gariwang, which is a representative temperate forest in South Korea. Multimodel averaging and piecewise structural equation modeling were used to identify key variables influencing EMF and ecosystem service categories and to assess their interrelationships. Our results show that higher plant species richness and older forest stands enhanced stand structural diversity, which directly and positively affected EMF. EMF is primarily driven by biotic factors, such as the community weighted mean of traits, rather than abiotic factors. The mechanisms influencing each ecosystem services differed. Variance partitioning analysis revealed that the relative contributions of the four ecosystem service categories to the EMF are similar, with supporting and regulating services categories showing significant negative and positive effects on EMF, respectively. These findings suggest that forest management should comprehensively consider stand age and structural diversity to enhance EMF and as well as individual ecosystem service category. Furthermore, management practices that promote functional traits, such as wood density and leaf nitrogen content, are essential for increasing EMF. Finally, the degree of control of ecosystem service categories over EMF varies across forest types, so a clear management plan must be developed for each forest type.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425002847Biotic and abiotic driversEcosystem multifunctionalityEcosystem servicesForest typeStand age
spellingShingle Min-Ki Lee
Yong-Ju Lee
Jung-Hwa Chun
A-Reum Kim
Chang-Bae Lee
Ecosystem services and multifunctionality are co-regulated by biotic and abiotic factors along with forest types in a temperate forest of South Korea
Global Ecology and Conservation
Biotic and abiotic drivers
Ecosystem multifunctionality
Ecosystem services
Forest type
Stand age
title Ecosystem services and multifunctionality are co-regulated by biotic and abiotic factors along with forest types in a temperate forest of South Korea
title_full Ecosystem services and multifunctionality are co-regulated by biotic and abiotic factors along with forest types in a temperate forest of South Korea
title_fullStr Ecosystem services and multifunctionality are co-regulated by biotic and abiotic factors along with forest types in a temperate forest of South Korea
title_full_unstemmed Ecosystem services and multifunctionality are co-regulated by biotic and abiotic factors along with forest types in a temperate forest of South Korea
title_short Ecosystem services and multifunctionality are co-regulated by biotic and abiotic factors along with forest types in a temperate forest of South Korea
title_sort ecosystem services and multifunctionality are co regulated by biotic and abiotic factors along with forest types in a temperate forest of south korea
topic Biotic and abiotic drivers
Ecosystem multifunctionality
Ecosystem services
Forest type
Stand age
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425002847
work_keys_str_mv AT minkilee ecosystemservicesandmultifunctionalityarecoregulatedbybioticandabioticfactorsalongwithforesttypesinatemperateforestofsouthkorea
AT yongjulee ecosystemservicesandmultifunctionalityarecoregulatedbybioticandabioticfactorsalongwithforesttypesinatemperateforestofsouthkorea
AT junghwachun ecosystemservicesandmultifunctionalityarecoregulatedbybioticandabioticfactorsalongwithforesttypesinatemperateforestofsouthkorea
AT areumkim ecosystemservicesandmultifunctionalityarecoregulatedbybioticandabioticfactorsalongwithforesttypesinatemperateforestofsouthkorea
AT changbaelee ecosystemservicesandmultifunctionalityarecoregulatedbybioticandabioticfactorsalongwithforesttypesinatemperateforestofsouthkorea