Lingonberry, featured in Korea’s first ecological guide to alpine plants / Courtesy of Korea National Park Service
As rising global temperatures reshape high-altitude environments, Korea has launched its first comprehensive ecological ledger of the peninsula’s alpine plants, cataloging species that scientists warn are vulnerable to climate change.
The National Park Service, an agency under the Ministry of Environment, announced the publication of the "Ecological Guide to Alpine Plants of the Korean Peninsula." The guide marks the culmination of a four-year joint research initiative with the Korean Society of Plant Taxonomists.
Researchers systematically surveyed nine mountain-type national parks with peaks exceeding 1,000 meters — including Mount Seorak, Mount Jiri and Mount Halla — along with Mount Baekdu.
The study classified 195 distinct species. Among them, 68 are strictly alpine plants thriving above the tree line, while 127 are subalpine species situated between the forest and tree lines. To aid public conservation efforts, the guide features high-resolution photography, distribution maps and ecological profiles for 151 core species, including the rare Arctous alpina (red bearberry) and Anemone narcissiflora (narcissus-flowered anemone).
The baseline data arrives amid mounting anxieties over subalpine die-offs. In Korea, high-altitude flora are largely comprised of glacial relics that migrated south during the last Ice Age and became isolated on cold mountain peaks. Coniferous subalpine species, such as the Manchurian fir (Abies nephrolepis), are already showing signs of severe climate stress due to winter droughts and early spring warming.
"Alpine plants are vital ecological indicator species that mirror the immediate effects of climate change," said Joo Dae-young, chairman of the National Park Service. "This guide establishes a baseline to strengthen systematic research and expand public-participatory conservation programs to protect these vulnerable alpine ecosystems."
The park service said the publication aims to bridge the gap between academic research and public awareness, offering accessible explanations on how climate shifts disrupt unique high-altitude habitats. The complete digital guide will be available to the public on the National Park Research Institute website starting on Friday.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
Source: Korea Times News
