The forest at the Changdeokgung Rear Garden is under ecological threat from factors such as soil acidification due to the growing influence of nearby metropolitan Seoul. It is difficult to maintain biodiversity in forests without first setting a clear direction for ecosystem management. Conservation and management should be based on the history and natural ecological succession of the Rear Garden forest. This study classified the ecology of the Rear Garden at Changdeokgung, a world cultural heritage site, based on soil characteristics, actual vegetation, and plant community structure and identified ecological changes over time (1986–2018) through the analysis of past survey data. The soil pH in the forest of the Changdeokgung’s Rear Garden has decreased over time, and the organic matter content has also decreased. Changdeokgung`s Rear Garden was first created and managed as a Pinus densiflora forest, and subsequently as a Quercus aliena forest. It includes a series of Quercus spp., predominantly Q. serrate. The plant community in the forest is unstable due to the absence of deciduous broad-leaved trees in the understory layer in most of the regions of the garden. Therefore, vegetation management is required in areas with high densities of Acer pseudosieboldianum, Acer palmatum, and Sorbus alnifolia to ensure stability of the ecosystem.

中文翻译：

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世界文化遗产昌德宫后花园森林生态特征及变化

由于附近大都市首尔的影响越来越大，昌德宫后花园的森林正受到土壤酸化等因素的生态威胁。如果不首先为生态系统管理设定明确的方向，就很难维持森林中的生物多样性。保护和管理应基于后园林的历史和自然生态演替。本研究根据土壤特征、实际植被和植物群落结构对世界文化遗产昌德宫后花园的生态进行了分类，并通过分析过去的调查数据确定了生态随时间的变化（1986-2018）。昌德宫后花园森林的土壤酸碱度随着时间的推移而下降，有机质含量也随之下降。Pinus densiflora森林，随后成为Quercus Aliena森林。它包括一系列Quercus spp.，主要是Q. serrate。由于园内大部分区域林下层没有落叶阔叶树，森林中的植物群落不稳定。因此，在槭树、掌槭和花楸树密度较高的地区需要进行植被管理，以确保生态系统的稳定。