Climate Change

[Anchor Lead]

Climate change has completely transformed the ecological environment of forests in the Korean Peninsula. Coniferous trees in Hallasan and Jirisan Mountains and other high altitude regions are dying in droves from so-called "water stress."

[Pkg]

This is Balwangsan Mountain in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province. Blackened trees are spotted on the summit at 1,458 meters above sea level. Khingan fir trees, an evergreen coniferous species of fir.

[Soundbite] (Green Union Inspector) : "The branches are snapping off, because they're already dead."

Water shortage is the cause of this problem. Trees absorb moisture from the winter snow and retain it until late spring. But the declining snowfall has caused the trees to suffer so-called "water stress." Some of the desiccated trees have been uprooted and have fallen over sideways. These trees are mostly taller than 10 meters and more than 20 or 30 years old. The largest colony of Korean fir trees found only in Korea is located in Hallasan Mountain. Patches of gray, dried trees are spotted here and there. Coniferous trees near Banyabong Peak of Jirisan Mountain have also died from dehydration. Dead trees have caused a mud slide here. An increasingly warmer Korean Peninsula and the subsequent dehydration in the high mountain areas are serious threats to the ecological system of coniferous trees in the nation.

[Soundbite] Seo Jae-cheol(Expert Adviser, Green Union) : "Coniferous trees may disappear from the mountainous areas around the Baekdudaegan Mountain Range in the next 10 or 20 years."

Experts say the coniferous tree withering situation should be accurately assessed and the endangered Korean fir trees should be placed under special supervision.