(Daejeon=Yonhap News) Reporter Park Joo-young = A study has found that native habitats of Korean pine and spruce trees among domestic coniferous trees are expected to disappear by 2050.
The Korea Forest Service's National Institute of Forest Science announced on the 17th that the research results were presented at the '2025 Climate Crisis and Coniferous Forest Management International Conference' (CCCF 2025) held in Jeju since the 15th.
According to the climate impact monitoring research conducted by the Korea Forest Service in 140 survey areas across five major mountain ranges since 2015, the area of seven species of endangered alpine coniferous trees (Korean fir, silver fir, spruce, larch, Korean pine, Korean cypress, Korean hemlock) distributed in alpine regions was calculated to be 12,940 hectares (ha).
This is only 0.2% of the total forests in the Korean Peninsula.
However, it is expected that long-term survival will be difficult due to mass die-offs from high temperatures, droughts, and strong winds, as well as poor regeneration of young trees.
The National Institute of Forest Science has been conducting DNA-based genetic diversity restoration research since 2022 in response to such climate change.
The Korean fir created in the ex-situ conservation center in Muju County, North Jeolla Province, achieved an initial survival rate of 96.1%, and a Jeju ex-situ conservation center of 5 ha was created for the conservation of Hallasan Korean fir, according to the National Institute of Forest Science.
Kim Yong-kwan, Director of the National Institute of Forest Science, said, "It is urgent to establish a customized conservation strategy for alpine coniferous forests based on international cooperation and scientific diagnosis," and added, "We will strengthen joint research for the conservation of coniferous forests with the global research network."
jyoung@yna.co.kr