Biodiversity in Korea and in East Asia
LEE Byung-Hoon
Abstract:
1 Introduction The Korean peninsula covers 221,125 km2 in area. mostly alpine, more
than 70% of the land occupied by mountains. It extends roughly 1,000 km long and
216 km wide at its narrowest point, harboring mountain ranges, watersheds, valleys,
lakes and rivers throughout the country. In South Korea forests comprise 6,456,000
hectares, almost 65% of 996,000 Km of the area. Continental shelf including tidal
zones, in addition, as large as 360,000 ha, is almost three times the area of South
Korea, surrounded by the seas in East, West and South [1].
The Korean biota, however, consists of only 28,462 species on record, including
4,662 higher plants, 3,609 lower plants and about 16,663 animal species in 20 phyla
including 736 protozoan species (Table 1)[2]. As for insects 11,853 species have been
known so far from the territory [1]. According to a recent estimation obtained from
comparing this with U.K., which is similar in area, these listings represent, at best,
only a quarter of the species actually inhabiting the peninsula, yet to be described [3].
With increasing extent of pollution and deforestation both in the land and sea coast
a number of wildlife are endangered or on the verge of extinction. Forest area had
been decreasing 8,000 hectares per year during 1967 to 1990, primarily due to road
and industrial plant construction, leisure facilities developments like golf courses, ski
resorts, condominiums etc.
Table 1. Number of Recorded Plants and Animals Species from Korea[2].
Texa
No. of Species
I. Vertebrates
1.1 Mammals
100
1.2 Fishes
905
1.3 Amphibians and Reptiles
41
1.4 Birds
313
Sum
II. Invertebrates 1
2.1 Cnidaria
127
2.2 Rotifera
157
2.3 Mollusca
1,009
2.4 Annelida
360
2.5 Arthropoda
656
2.6 Tardigrada
52
Sum
III. Invertebrates 2
2,361
3.1 Insects
11,853
3.2 Spiders
1,090
Sum
4.1 Monocotyledons
4.2 Dicotyledons
IV. Higher Plants
1,359
12,943
842
2,815
4.3 Ferns and Gymnosperms
314
4.4 Bryophytes
691
Sum
4,662
1,512
5.1 Diatoms
316
5.2 Flagellates
V. Lower Plants
5.3 Freshwater green algae
5.4 Charophytes
27
5.5 Marine algae
690
Sum
497
6.2 Lichens
Sum
VII. Protista
VIII. Prokaryotes
Total
3,609
1,128
6.1 Fungi
VI. Fungi
1,064
1,625
736
Microorganisms
1,167
28,462
A recent survey has revealed that about 18 % of land vertebrates are endangered or
extinct, the same with 19% of freshwater fishes, 60% of amphibians, 45% of reptiles,
13% of birds [4]. 25% of with mammals are known to be gone or endangered.
Since the independence of the nation in 1945 after the Japanese rule for 36 years
nature surveys were mainly undertaken under the civilian initiative. The Korean
Association for Conservation of Nature, founded in 1963, started field surveys from
1970 up to the present time producing more than forty reports covering about fifty
different locations in South Korea. The Korean Central Council for Nature
Conservation, in addition, set up in 1977, initiated another biological survey program
in 1982 and has issued a dozen reports on more than twelve places, mainly island
areas.
From the governmental side, the Ministry of Environment launched in 1986 the
National Ecosystem Survey Project lasting five years to provide basic data to be used
in nature conservation policy development. The second 5-year project started in 1997
under the provision of the Law of Natural Environment Conservation that the nature
survey should be implemented every ten years. The Office of Forestry also has been
conducting the Wildlife Status Survey every ten years, publishing annual reports
mainly dealing with mammals and birds. The Ministry of Culture and Sports is
carrying out surveys searching species candidate for Natural Monuments.
The current policy of biodiversity conservation of Korea originates from the "Basic
Plan of Natural Environmental Conservation" [5] and the national plan of "Biotech
2000"[6] announced in 1994 by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of
Science Technology respectively. Both of them are incorporating biodiversity
conservation elements into the plans although not in detail and concrete terms.
Several governmental or federally supported NGOs are conducting the relevant
programs.
2. National Biodiversity Strategy Planning
The Republic of Korea joined the Convention on Biological Diversity on October 3rd,
1994, having been ratified by the General Assembly. For developing the national
strategy of biodiversity conservation scientific community including experts from
social sciences launched the project Biodiversity Korea 2000 in March 1994. A
national forum was held, prior to getting to work, on March 24, 1994 in Seoul. Three
months later, on June 15-16, the national conference "Biodiversity Conservation and
Development beyond Year 2000 was held to discuss the result of the basic studies
done by the 13 task-force groups of the project. Recommendations were adopted and
submitted to the related government agencies[1]. Thereafter, the national action
planning has been carried out by the Ministry of Environment and National
Biodiversity Committee was organized in June 1997, which plans to complete the
national strategy by the end of the year.
Even though accurate assessment of Korean biodiversity remains far from complete
the preliminary study revealed how serious the situation is in this country as
mentioned early in the present article. Rapid degradation of biodiversity, decreasing
forest area as well as park area per capita every year with increasing population and
urbanization require a drastic change in national development policy by incorporating
biodiversity conservation principle into the national development motivating not only
scientific principles but also socio-economic as well as political measures to be taken
all in combination. For this purpose the problems identified in the national forums and
discussions carried out so far in different social and scientific sectors should be
reviewed and properly adopted.
Rather a solid coordination system in terms of administration between different
government agencies handling affairs in climate change, environmental pollution,
national land development, population control and education at all levels as well as
NGO programs should be established so that the problems of biological diversity
could be properly incorporated into them and fairly respected in priority. Public
education should be emphasized to improve environmental awareness of the lay
public as well as high government officials, in particular, at decision-making levels.
This type of approach cannot be stressed too much in view of the current pressing
problems faced with local autonomy in Korea enacted since 1995. Each province is
vying for increasing its local income, calling for leisure facility development, for
instance, at the expense of wild habitats for commercial purpose. The Ministry of
Environment's plan of setting up the National Biodiversity Center, on the other hand,
remains an idea on paper, put in low priority of governmental investment.
Emphasis should be put on manpower training in conservation biology, supporting
biosystematic and ecological researches which will fill up the extreme lack of basic
information on national biota. This kind of policy supporting evolutionary biology
will not be realized without substantial awareness of biological diversity as lifesupporting system of nature.
3. Species Diversity and Status in East Asia
East Asia is one of the regions most endowed with natural heritage on the earth. Eight
of the 25 most plant-rich countries, that is, one third are from the East Asia [7]. China
is the third and Indonesia is the sixth in plant diversity of the world. In higher
vertebrate animals too East Asia embodies 8 of the 25 most endemic-rich countries as
in Indonesia (3rd), the Philippines (5th), China (8th) and so on. It is to be, furthermore,
noted that Indonesia is the top in mammal richness over the world. In temperate
countries in North East Asia too their species diversities highly outnumber those in
Europe and North America for their geohistorical reason. Korea and Japan, for
instance, recorded more than 3,200 and 5,500 higher plant species as compared to
only 1,400 and 2,600 in UK and Germany respectively which have similar land areas
with the former two Asian countries each [3,8]. In spite of the tremendous richness in
this part of the world these countries are now facing the greatest extinction rate of
biological diversity (Table 2).
1) Vietnam
The number of plant species in Vietnam is estimated to be 12,000 of which only 7000
were identified and a recent investigation enumerated 275 species of mammals, 800
species of birds, 180 species of reptiles, 80 species of amphibians, 2470 species of
fish, 5500 species of insects, etc. [9]. The rapid population growth and ensuing overexploitation of forest and other natural resources led to the fast degradation of
ecosystems resulting in that 28% of mammals, 105 of birds, 21% of reptiles and
amphibians are currently listed as endangered species.
Table 2. Species Diversity Status in Several East Asian Countries.
Country
Species on record
Estimation
Endagered, Vulnerable, Rare etc
Vietnam
7,000 sp.
(plant)
12,000 sp.
(plant)
28%(mammal) : endgd
21% (rept., amph) : endg’d
Thailand
1,570 sp.
(vasc. Pl.)
7,000 sp.
(insect)
15,000 sp.
(plant)
70,000 sp.
(insect)
400 sp. : endg’d
China
40,000 sp.
(insect)
160,000 sp.
(insect)
7.7 % vertebrate : endg’d
3.5 % higher pl. : rare, endg’d
Estimation :
15~20 %(4,000 ~5,000 sp.) : endg’d
or
vuln.
Japan
49,230 sp.
(total)
5,300 sp. (wild
plant)
30,000 sp.
(insect)
70,000
~100,000 sp.
(iinsect)
15% animal : endg 'd, vuln., rare
16.8 % wild pl. : endg’d, vuln.
Korea
28,462 sp.
(total)
100,000 sp.
(total)
18.5 % (verteb. Exc. Marine fish) :
endg’d
60 % (amph.) : endg’d
2) Laos
According to the preliminary survey the forest of Laos contains 9,000 to 10,000
species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, freshwater fishes, swallowtail
butterflies and vascular plants [10]. The country has been found to be home to
(endemic?) 25 species of mammals and birds that are endangered. Laos has not yet
joined the Convention on Biological Diversity but is preparing to become the party of
the convention in the near future.
3) Thailand
Approximately 1,570 species of Thailand's plants have been recorded in botanical
references which account for estimated 15% of total vascular plant species in
Thailand[11]. It is estimated, however, that there are approximately 15,000 plant
species in Thailand which include 3,000 species of mushroom and fungus species,
633 pterophyte and more than 1,000 species of orchid. Concerning animals there are
285 species of mammals in Thailand and six of them are endemic to the country. The
number of bird species on record is 915 of which two are endemic. Reptiles on record
amount to 313 and amphibians number 106 species whereas 545 freshwater fishes are
expected to be in Thailand and 70 species are considered endemic to the country. As
for insects 7,000 species have been known which account for only 10% of insect
collections at the Department of Agriculture, 90%, therefore, remaining to be
identified.
Currently, the endangered species in Thailand are 2 amphibians, 12 reptiles, 39
birds and 31 mammal species. An estimation tells there are currently about 107
endemic plant species, 400 endangered species and 600 rare species [11].
4) China
The number of plant and animal species on record in China reaches 88,644
including approximately 30,000 vascular plant species and 499 mammal species
whereas insect amounts to 40,000 species which, however, is one fourth of the total
estimation[12]. A rough estimation reveals that in China about 398 vertebrate species
are endangered amounting to 7.7% of the total vertebrate. In plants, the rare and
endangered species are 1,019 in number which is about 3.5% of the higher plants.
However, the estimated proportion of endangered or vulnerable plant species is
supposed to be about 15-20%, that is, 4,000-5,000 species of higher plants.
5) Japan
In Japan 49,230 living organisms including around 35,000 animal species and
14,200 plant species and varieties [3,13]. The animals include 188 mammals, 665
birds, 87 reptiles, 59 amphibians and 200 freshwater fishes in species number. Insects
are enumerated to be 28,720 while in a recent survey it turned out to be 30,399
species [14]. The Red Data Book of Japan, however, lists 110 endangered, 114
vulnerable and 415 rare species in animals in addition to 22 extinct ones from the
country [15]. The share of endangered, vulnerable and rare species in the total number
of species in each category exceeds 15% for all except Insects in which the number of
species is overwhelmingly large which, therefore, figures only 206 species or 0.7%.
On plant side, its number on record in Japan includes 8,118 species of vascular
plants, 1,850 algae, 535 moss, 2,295 lichens and about 1,000 fungi species [15].
Among them are 147 species found to be on the verge of immediate extinction, 677
endangered and 36 in endangered state. They account for 16.8% of about 5,300 wild
plant species in Japan.
From the overview of species situation with six countries including Korea we could
easily state that the inventories are far from complete. They are often restricted to less
than one fourth (China, Korea, insects), to one third (Japan, insects), to 15% (Thailand,
vascular plants), to three fifths (Vietnam, plants) and even to almost one tenth
(Thailand, insects) of the total estimation of the species number in the respective
country. To make the matter worse many of them are facing extinction due mainly to
deforestation and environmental pollution. Fast population increase in the region
certainly will aggravate the situation making more exploitation of nature necessary for
routine consumption and local income increase as well.
In this context the risks of losing far more number of living species ranges from
7.7% of vertebrate endangered and 3.5% of higher plants in rare and endangered state
(China) to 15% of animals and 16.8% of wild plants in endangered or vulnerable state
(Japan). It also comes up to 28% of mammals and 21% of reptiles and amphibians
endangered in Vietnam. Still the worst is the case with Korea where the endangered
amphibian species rate soars up to 60% with average endangered or threatened
species rate of vertebrates except marine fishes reaching 18%.
In view of this deplorable situation as described above in the extent of poor
inventory and endangered species rate of fauna and flora in the region it should
become an absolute imperative to take measures for making up the gap of knowledge
as well as to lessen the extinction rate of wildlife. Poor expertise in most countries,
furthermore, requires cooperation not only for immediate inventory of the biota but
also for capacity building for biodiversity assessment of the countries concerned. Now
an overview is to be made concerning what kind of efforts are being made for saving
the imperiled state of wild-lives in both world and regional as well as institutional
dimensions.
3. Current International Co-operations
The Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) was signed and for promoting
international cooperation the Article 12 urges cooperation in the use of scientific
advances in biological diversity research in developing methods for conservation and
sustainable use of biological resources. The contracting parties are also requested to
facilitate the exchange of information, relevant to the conservation and sustainable use
of biological diversity (Article 17). In the same framework of need to interact among
countries the Convention stipulates that the contracting parties should promote
international technical and scientific cooperation to realize and achieve the goal of the
CBD concerning technical and scientific co-operation(Article 18).
The imperative of cooperation is addressed, furthermore, in the Article 15.7 of the
Agenda 21 by stating that governments should promote technical and scientific
cooperation in the field of conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use
of biological and genetic resources. It notes that special attention should be given to
the development of and strengthening of national capabilities, by means of human
resource development and institution-building.
Under this global demand of cooperation with the issue of biological diversity we
will make a simple overview of what are in operation currently as international efforts
to implement the cause of CBD and Agenda 21.
4.1. DIVERSITAS of the International Union of Biological Science (IUBS).
In the global dimension it was the International Union of Biological Science (IUBS)
which initiated the effort of exchange and cooperation among countries by adopting
the program "Ecosystem Function of Biodiversity" in 1991. It was developed in 1992
to the new name "DIVERSITAS", co-sponsored with the Scientific Committee on
Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) and UNESCO [16]. Still it was expanded later
in 1996 as a collaborative program joined by International Council of Scientific
Unions(ICSU), International Geosphere-Biosphere Program /Global Change and
Terrestrial Ecosystems (IGBP-GCTE) and International Union of Microbiological
Societies(IUMS) as additional sponsors [16] DIVERSITAS is concerned with all
living organisms on Earth, from the genetic to the ecosystem level. It aims to identify
the key scientific questions and to promote collaborative research to address them
through international cooperation. With the adoption of the Convention on Biological
Diversity in UNCED in June 1992 DIVERSITAS acquired more universally accepted
consensus as a global cooperative program.
The conceptual framework of the DIVERSITAS program has been designed to
address the main scientific issues necessary for a better understanding of the extent,
structure, function of ecosystem, and effects of environmental and climate change on
biodiversity. Five Core programs Elements represent the major DIVERSITAS
research effort:
The effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning





Origins, maintenance and change of biodiversity
Systematics: inventorying and classification.
Monitoring of biodiversity
Conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity
DIVERSITAS runs furthermore five Special Target Areas of Research (STARs)
 Soil and sediment biodiversity
 Marine biodiversity
 Microbial biodiversity
 Freshwater biodiversity
 Human dimensions
It is to be noted that DIVERSITAS is coordinating a broad research effort in the
biodiversity sciences within the international arena as examplified in the "regional
initiatives".
4-2. BioNET International
BioNET-International was initiated by the intergovernmental CAB-International in
1993 to help generate biosystematic self-reliance in the developing world [17]. It aims
to mobilize and pool existing biosystematic resources within developing countries and
to increase and sustain these through the transfer of skills, knowledge, scientific
expertise and other resources from developed country institutions. It is also envisaged
as a series of interlinked subregional Technical Co-operation Networks in developing
countries (known as Locally Organized and Operated Partnerships or LOOPS),
supported by a consortium of expert institutions from developed countries. Four
priority areas have been identified for the initial focus of the LOOPS:
 information and communication services
 training of personnel
 rehabilitation of collections and the establishment of new resources, and the
development and application of new resources.
In June 1994, the first LOOP was established in Europe (EuroLOOP), including 60
institutions representing 22 countries. The first sub-regional LOOP, an association of
seven Caribbean states known as CARINET, was formed in December 1993. It is
expected that four
other LOOPS in East Africa (EAFRINET), Southeast Asia (ASEANET) will be
developed in the near future [17].
4.3. Systematics Agenda 2000
Initiated in 1994 by the Consortium of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists,
the Society of Systematic Biologists, and the Willi Hennig Society, Systematics
Agenda 2000 was launched as a global program having as a major objective the
building of systematics infrastructure and human resources throughout the world [18].
The principal objective is to initiate three programs (1) inventorying the world's
species, (2) developing a phylogenetic understanding of life's diversity and (3)
organizing all forms of systematics information into an efficiently retrievable form
that best meets the needs of science and society.
These programs are expected to provide knowledge to conserve and sustainably use
the components of biodiversity. Systematics Agenda was recognized and adopted by
international community including IUBS as The Systematics Agenda 2000
International Program (SA2000/I). It held its first Steering Committee meeting in 1415 October 1997, in Crete, Greece.
4.4. SPECIES 2000
The Species 2000 objective is to enumerate all known species of plants, animals,
fungi and microbes on Earth as the baseline datasets for studies of global biodiversity.
The idea was first initiated by a biology team of the Southhampton University, U.K.
and proposed to IUBS General Assembly in September 1994 and later funded by
UNEP and GEF. The names as well as localities, synonyms, specimens and references
provide the crucial link both in communication of biodiversity information, and in
accessing the data of pure and applied biological disciplines. The overall goal is to
create a global species database (GSD) and to involve collaboration and link with
existing other databases to expand its utility.
The output will be an important information source needed by countries for the
implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, providing support for the
preparation of surveys and inventories of biodiversity, and a common medium for
global communication about biotic resources, their utility and conservation. The first
workshop was held on March 10-13, 1996 in Manila and was transformed to the
"Species 2000 Federation" recruiting 20 GSDs over the world.
5. Regional Initiatives
5.1. DIVERSITAS's Network in the West Pacific and Asia (DIWPA)
As a regional network for DIVERSITAS in Western Pacific and Asia area DIWPA
was founded in 1995 under the initiative of the Center for Ecological Research of the
Kyoto University, Japan, to promote studies and utilization of biological diversity in
this region. IWPA held its first meeting in Singapore in December 1995 to exchange
information and discuss unifying methodology on the study of biodiversity, and to
plan international network of field stations in the region[19]. Membership comprises
250 scientists from thirty five countries. It holds the DIWPA Second
Symposium/Workshop on Monitoring and Inventorying of Biodiversity in Western
Pacific and Asia during November 14-16, 1997 in Taipei.
5.2. East Asian Network for Taxonomy and Biodiversity Conservation (EANetTBC)
In the series of gatherings on biodiversity held during the last few years in the East
Asia it came out clear that the extreme lack of resource base of taxonomy in the
region made it extremely difficult for each country to properly implement what the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) requires. Since the shortage of
taxonomical experts has become a global issue, especially in developing countries, the
Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA)
meeting in September, 1996 in Montreal, made very strong recommendations for
"Capacity Building for Taxonomy" and it was endorsed afterwards in November by
the meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) in Buenos Aires, particularly with
regard to implementing the article 7 of CBD (assessment and monitoring).
It was in this context that "International Conference for Taxonomy and Biodiversity
Conservation in East Asia" was held in Seoul during June 12-14, 1997 inviting
delegates from twelve countries of the region, initiated by the Korean Biodiversity
Council and Korean Institute for Biodiversity Research of Chonbuk National
University of Korea[20] . As a result East Asian Network for Taxonomy and
Biodiversity Conservation was formed as co-operational body to enhance the capacity
building for systematics in the region. It published its initial issue of the newsletter
"TaxoNewSia" in October 1997. This regional effort was formally endorsed at Crete
meeting in October by DIVERSITAS-Systematics Agenda/International mentioned
above.
6. International Cooperation: An Imperative.
Such profound lack or shortage of even basic inventory data in the East Asia
countries prevents studies of populations of species and the monitoring of biodiversity
at the species level or below, not to mention conservation strategy development and
ecosystem function analysis.
The inventorying and monitoring should come first in any biodiversity conservation
efforts. The task, however, seems so huge and unending, and the economic benefits so
vague or apparently non-existent, few governments provide adequate resources. It is
clear, therefore, that the inventorying and monitoring of biological diversity requires
substantial systematic and ecological infrastructure, economic input and human
resources[17]. Such requirements exceed the capabilities of even the most
scientifically advanced nations. Thus, there is a need to share and co-ordinate
expertise and capacity.
The international co-ordination of effort is also essential because the processes and
patterns of biodiversity are not restricted by political, social or economic boundaries.
Integration is essential if resources are not to be wasted.
The third reason for international cooperation, specifically speaking, is the small
number of taxonomists and reference collections as well. Lack of adequate local,
regional and international resources for systematics is one of the greatest problems for
inventorying 17]. According to a survey estimating geographical fractions of the
world ecologists and insects taxonomists 78.3% and 78.5% of the respective groups
are distributed in Palearctic and Nearctic regions [21] which reveals a striking
population bias of the expertise to the northern and northern-temperate countries. This
was found to be the same also with reference collection. So far 2.5 billion natural
history collections have been known over the world but most are in Europe and North
America [22]. Europe is considered to preserve over half the world's reference
collections and probably as much as 90% of the world's type specimens [23].
Specifically, it is estimated that they contain nearly 80% of all the world's
cryptogamic plant types for instance.
This kind of tilting trend of systematics resources makes it an overall necessity to
cooperate with key European and North American institutes but it should justify the
absolute need of international cooperation among the states of East Asia for their
building taxonomic capacity of self-reliance as soon as possible.
Two recent initiatives, in this sense, Systematics Agenda 2000 and BioNETInternational among others may be worth mentioning, which seek to solve the
problems. In the regional dimension ASEAN Network of BioNET was set up under
the name ASEANET [17]. As another regional network DIWPA was launched as part
of DIVERSITAS covering west Pacific and east Asian region, followed by
EANetTBC for taxonomy in East Asia mentioned earlier.
The discussion of various topics on biodiversity in the region, in addition will help
to open the new horizon for the improvement of the situation through regional
cooperation, which is rigorously stressed throughout CBD and Agenda 21. This kind
of effort should be an imperative, therefore, not only for the immediate need in the
present day for biodiversity conservation but also for science and welfare of the future
generations of East Asian countries.
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