Inclusive landscape governance: Forest welfare services and forest value orientation in the National Luxury Forest, South Korea

Abstract

Abstract This study explores a case of inclusive landscape governance by employing forest welfare services and forest value orientation in the National Luxury Forest, South Korea. Among the multifaceted attributes of landscape approaches, forest recreation as a cultural ecosystem service focuses on opening a discourse about forest welfare approaches. Forest value orientation from end-user perspectives in inclusive governance is measured semi-quantitatively using web-content-based text data. Three level dimensions of forest recreation services – basic, expanded, and special – are confirmed through official documentaries; bifurcated value orientation – ecology and sentiment – is elicited from text data analysis. Canonical correlation from the text data manipulation indicates that forest recreation services and forest value orientation are related to the association of forest cultural ecosystems promoted by inclusive landscape governance. This study satisfies the future criteria of integrated landscape approaches in which assessing inclusive governance under empiricism is required. Moreover, the study can provide insights into building an ideal link between policy and management in the state forests.