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ISSN : 1229-3857(Print)
ISSN : 2288-131X(Online)
Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology Vol.40 No.3 pp.262-272
DOI : https://doi.org/10.13047/KJEE.2026.40.3.262

Assessment of Potential Movement Pathways and Connectivity of the Long-tailed Goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) in Seoul and Northern Gyeonggi

Gee-Hoon Shin2, Eui-Jung Ham3*
2Namwon-ro 1-gil, Dongmyeong-myeon, Chilgok-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea
3200 Wangsan-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

This study evaluated the potential movement pathways and functional connectivity of the long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) in Seoul and northern Gyeonggi Province based on recent occurrence records from urban forests in Seoul. Habitat Suitability Index (HSI), Least-Cost Path (LCP), and Least-Cost Corridor (LCC) analyses were applied to identify potential movement routes and assess landscape connectivity. The HSI analysis indicated generally low habitat suitability throughout the study area. The proportions of areas classified as Most Suitable and Suitable were 2.63% and 3.76%, respectively. Suitable feeding habitats were also limited (1.16%), while disturbance factors associated with roads and urbanized areas were widely distributed, suggesting that most urban landscapes provide unfavorable conditions for long-term habitation by the species. The LCP analysis identified potential movement pathways connecting the forested regions of northern Gyeonggi Province to urban forests in northeastern Seoul. Major pathways followed the Mangwoo–Yongma– Acha Mountain axis and the Suraksan–Bulamsan–Byeollae forest axis. The LCC analysis showed that movement corridors gradually narrowed toward urbanized areas, and bottleneck sections were identified near Dong-Byeollae IC and the Armed Forces Hospital. Field verification revealed a high degree of spatial agreement between predicted pathways and existing forest structures. Ridge lines, riparian buffer zones, and remnant forest patches were found to play important roles in maintaining landscape connectivity. Overall, urban forests in Seoul appear to function not as independent habitats but as potential movement spaces connected to the broader forest network of northern Gyeonggi Province. The occurrence of long-tailed gorals in Yongmasan and Inwangsan may reflect the existence of such landscape connectivity. This study provides a spatially explicit assessment of potential movement pathways and connectivity for N. caudatus in an urbanized landscape and may serve as a scientific basis for future ecological corridor management and biodiversity conservation in the Seoul metropolitan region.

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