This study was conducted by selecting 10 village forest sites in the southern coast of Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. The chosen sites deserve to be studied as they are well-preserved, thanks to the on going interest in saving endangered coastal village forests under threat from seascape damage and coastal disasters. This study’s objective is to inform people of the value and identity of coastal village forests and present ways to preserve its environment by carefully investigating the characteristics of cultural scenery in the coastal village forest, which have not been studied in-depth in previous studies. The forest’s physical environment, characteristics of its surrounding scenery, traditional culture and a variety of functions were confirmed through bibliographical and on-the-spot survey, as well as interviews with local villagers.
The important factors for analyzing cultural scenery related to village forest were drawn out from the preceding survey, thereby deducting the characteristics of cultural scenery in coastal forest differentiating from that of inland village forest by classifying characteristics of traditional culture, functional characteristics and scenic characteristics. The following points are the characteristics of cultural scenery in coastal forest verified through the study.
(1) Coastal village forest is a space complementing the village structure for disaster prevention.
The coastal village forest, which has various functions like inland village forest, is characterized by its priority of prevention of disasters to lessen coastal damage from regular sea breeze, storm waves and typhoon. Coastal forest plays a key role in minimizing damage by providing a neutral zone, such as that consisting of sponges. In addition, it filters out salt mixed with wind and deters evaporation. It mainly consists of multiple layers of foliage and trees, such as broad-leafed trees like nettle and zelkkova. Such trees are characterized by climatic zone and strong resistance from damage from sea wind. There are also evergreen trees, like pine trees such as the Japanese black pine, which is effective in preventing disasters. The coastal village forest forms a stable scenic structure encircling the rear of mountains and provides a pleasant climate by being made higher than the coast, village and arable land through mounding.
(2) Coastal village forest is a reasonable space contriving economic efficiency by utilizing the natural environment.
The coastal village has a unique scenic structure, such as the sea→coast→forest→arable land→village and terracing for planting rice, compared to that of the inland village, which is easily determined through common characteristics such as the existence of arable land at the rear of coastal village forest in most target areas of the study. In addition, the space utilizing sea and forest, such as fish shelter forest appeared in Mulgun-ri and installation of fish pot made of stone considering high tide and wind direction is the result of promoting stability of life and increase in fishery yield. Species of trees, like broadleaf trees, were used for fishing ground for collecting fish by making a suitable living environment for fish through functional adjustments in terms of water temperature by providing fallen leaves in winter and shade in winter.
(3) Coastal village forest is ecological space that enables ocean and land ecosystems to coexist.
Coastal village forest is a transitional region of the ecosystem that features a rich biological diversity in which land and ocean ecosystems coexist. Adjacent coast and arable land provides wild birds and animals with prey and the coastal village forest consisting of multi-layer forests plays the role of an ecological forest consisting of various and plentiful ecosystems that provide habitat to many animals. The forest interior has temperature adjusting functions, providing cool shade in summer and transitional warm sunshine in winter.
(4) Coastal village forest is mental space for the local community affected by folk belief rather than Confucian backgrounds.
People living in fishing villages thrive on fishing or engage in ‘half-agricultural and half-fishing’ livelihood. Fishery, the primary industry, requires group fishing and sharing information with neighbors. Such is how the culture of the local community is created. Coastal village forest acted as open recreational space with multiple functions and space for working and discussing common things. In particular, religious faith depending on supernatural beings also required this kind of space as most of the work was done in the sea. Folk beliefs rather than Confucianism had an impact on the fishing village as there was no upper class in this community. In line with this, the village festival wishing for safety of fishery, big catch, good harvest of crops, welfare of community and good health and long life for villagers played an important role in the local community when coastal village forest came to be the place where people of all ages and sexes participated. The village festival in the southern coast starts with performance of folk music. Gosa rites were also performed in front of the shrine tree called a port tree. After the village festival, the villagers buried steamed rice in the rice grave and played instruments for folk music. This village festival, which strengthens the bond between neighbors in combination with ceremony meant to induce a big catch, is still practiced to this day around village forest.