title: Identification of suitable sites for mountain ginseng cultivation using GIS and geo-temperature.
abstract: This study was conducted to explore an accurate site identification technique using a geographic information system (GIS) and geo-temperature (gT) for locating suitable sites for growing cultivated mountain ginseng (CMG; Panax ginseng), which is highly sensitive to the environmental conditions in which it grows. The study site was Jinan-gun, South Korea. The spatial resolution for geographic data was set at 10 m × 10 m, and the temperatures for various climatic factors influencing CMG growth were calculated by averaging the 3-year temperatures obtained from the automatic weather stations of the Korea Meteorological Administration. Identification of suitable sites for CMG cultivation was undertaken using both a conventional method and a new method, in which the gT was added as one of the most important factors for crop cultivation. The results yielded by the 2 methods were then compared. When the gT was added as an additional factor (new method), the proportion of suitable sites identified decreased by 0.4 % compared with the conventional method. However, the proportion matching real CMG cultivation sites increased by 3.5 %. Moreover, only 68.2 % corresponded with suitable sites identified using the conventional factors; i.e., 31.8 % were newly detected suitable sites. The accuracy of GIS-based identification of suitable CMG cultivation sites improved by applying the temperature factor (i.e., gT) in addition to the conventionally used factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forest Environmental Science, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 South Korea.
authors.forename: Hag Mo
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Forest Resources, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, 57922 South Korea.
authors.forename: Soo Im
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Jeollabuk-do Forest Environment Research Institute, Jinan, 55454 South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Automatic weather station (AWS); Cultivated mountain ginseng (CMG); Geographic information system (GIS); Panax ginseng