Plants at Risk of Extinction to Be Relocated

Plants at risk of extinction due to climate change will be relocated to other areas, the Korea Forest Service said yesterday.

The agency’s “Adaptation Project for Plants Vulnerable to Climate Change” seeks to preserve endangered plants due to climate change.

Growing conditions at nine preservation areas will be recreated to resemble the environment where vulnerable plants grow naturally. Preservation measures will also include establishing fences around relevant areas.

The agency said it can take systematic measures to preserve and manage rare plants from 2013 by gathering climate data on which endangered plants can survive. It will also provide a zone map that can predict when each species of flower and plant will bloom and shows areas where plants can live.

Korea’s average temperature has increased around 1.5 degrees Celsius over the past century, affecting the habitats of native plants. For example, camellias have recently made their way into Seoul because of warmer weather.

Also, the number of plants and trees usually in cold areas at high altitude has decreased. For example, the number of Korean firs on Mount Halla and Taxus caespitosa on Mount Seorak has fallen.

An official at the Korea Forest Service said, “If Korea’s average temperature increases 1.5 to 2.5 degrees Celsius, 20 to 30 percent of animals and plants face the risk of extinction. Accordingly, our preservation project to protect plants vulnerable to climate change will greatly help maintain plant diversity.”

firedy@donga.com