Since the designation of Bamseom in 1999, Seoul has established and managed 18 Ecological Landscape Conservation Areas (ELCAs) covering 5.24 km², representing the largest number among Korean municipalities despite accounting for only 13.7% of the total national designated area. While periodic detailed and general monitoring has generated a substantial body of ecological data, the information has remained fragmented in individual reports, limiting comprehensive analysis. To address this, a biodiversity database (DB) was constructed from 54 monitoring reports, covering seven taxonomic groups—plants, birds, amphibians and reptiles, mammals, insects, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish. The standardized DB corrects taxonomic inconsistencies, assigns codes to species, and enables filtering by taxon, ecosystem type, site, and year, providing a foundation for integrated analysis and management.
Analysis confirmed 3,395 species within the ELCAs, representing 53.3% of Seoul’s recorded biodiversity within just 0.87% of the city’s land area. Notably, 54.7% of nationally endangered species and 74.5% of Seoul-designated protected species occur in these areas, underscoring their role as critical refugia for conservation. Ecosystem-specific patterns were evident: riverine areas supported rich aquatic and avian assemblages, wetlands exhibited the highest species density relative to area, and forests hosted the greatest overall species richness, especially terrestrial taxa. These findings highlight that biodiversity conservation value is determined less by area than by habitat characteristics, emphasizing the need to prioritize small but species-dense sites.
Indicator species such as woodpeckers, shrikes, and cold-water frogs reflected ecosystem health, while the emergence of southern and subtropical species, including Paederia foetida, Solanum lyratum, Hierodula patellifera, and the Pycnonotus sinensis, demonstrated northward range shifts under climate warming. Meteorological data confirm this trend, with Seoul’s mean temperature rising from 11.8 °C in the 1980s to 13.8 °C in the 2020s, and winter minima increasing across all decades, contributing to altered phenology, range expansion, and insect outbreaks.
At the same time, invasive alien species are widespread, with 20 of 23 documented taxa found in the ELCAs. Major invaders include Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Sicyos angulatus, and Trachemys scripta, as well as recent records of Pseudemys concinna and Ocadia sinensis. Invasive insects such as the Lycorma delicatula, Pochazia shantungensis, and Lymantria dispar present both ecological and public health risks, underscoring the need for early eradication and continuous surveillance. Mass outbreaks of insects such as Ephemera orientalis and Ramulus mikado insects have also intensified, linked to milder winters and increased overwinter survival, requiring systematic monitoring and adaptive response strategies.
A public perception survey (n=2,072) revealed strong recognition of ELCAs’ multifunctional value, including urban nature-based recreation (52.8%), biodiversity conservation (43.1%), and climate resilience (30.6%). Most respondents (87.3%) supported further expansion, citing worsening urban environmental problems and the need for ecological spaces. Citizens identified pollution management (51.2%) and access control (35.1%) as top priorities, while also emphasizing education and volunteer participation. Nearly 90% recognized citizens as essential actors in ELCA management, reinforcing the value of participatory conservation approaches.
To enhance management, this study recommends: (1) building an integrated biodiversity DB system for efficient storage, analysis, and public access; (2) adopting standardized digital field survey tools to improve monitoring reliability; (3) linking biodiversity and environmental monitoring programs into a unified management framework to maximize policy relevance; and (4) expanding citizen participation in general monitoring to increase data coverage and strengthen public stewardship.
Overall, the study consolidates monitoring results, biodiversity analyses, and citizen perceptions to provide an evidence-based management framework for Seoul’s ELCAs, emphasizing adaptive strategies that integrate climate change responses, indicator species monitoring, and invasive species control.