• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.254-259
• /
• 2012

Peeling damage of trees is usually caused by Cervidae such as deer, roe deer because of the lack of food in forests. However, it happens as part of the developing of antlers in Jeju Island when the roe deer try to remove the Velvet-the skin of the antlers. The research area is the Hannam experimental forest (400 m up to 500 m above sea level) of Korea Forest Research Institute in Jeju Island, and the survey was carried out along the 6 km long of forest road with 5 m width on both sides. Twenty five tree species (total 267 stands) are damaged by peeling; 18 (134 stands) deciduous broad-leaved species, 5 (71 stands) in evergreen broad-leaved species, 2 (62 stands) coniferous species. The most common damaged species are in order of Daphniphyllum macropodum, Cryptomeria japonica, Lindera erythrocarpa, Clerodendrum trichotomum, Zanthoxylum schinifolium. Mainly damaged trees are approximately 3~4 years old saplings, and they show the mean height $120.7{\pm}42.4cm$, diameter measured at 5 cm height $1.5{\pm}0.5cm$. The Lowest peeling beginning height is $22.1{\pm}10.1cm$, and the mean length of peeling is $27.5{\pm}10.6cm$. Once the peeling damage happens, the saplings are infected by fungi secondly, and are distorted or dead, therefore the future structure of warm-temperate forests could be in influenced in species. Warm-temperate forest landscape and species change related to the climate change is a rising issue in Jeju Island. However the changes caused by peeling damage also could be an important issue in the natural process of forest environment, afforestation, local nursery and sustainable forest management of Jeju Island.