Guidebook Featuring Plant Photographs Published, Including Cypripedium macranthos and Iris koreana
The Jeonnam Forest Research Institute announced that it has confirmed the presence of endangered species such as Cypripedium macranthos and Iris koreana in Baegunsan Mountain, Gwangyang, and has published the "Plant Resources of Jeonnam Province: Baegunsan, Gwangyang City Guidebook."
This Baegunsan, Gwangyang City guidebook is the third publication in the series on the plant resources of Jeonnam Province, following the 2024 editions on Illimsan in Boseong County and Gamagol in Damyang County. The book features photographs taken directly during forest resource surveys, conveying the vividness of the field. Of the 645 plant species surveyed over the past three years, photographs of approximately 320 species are included. The collected plant specimens are stored and exhibited at the Baegunsan Forest Museum.
The forest resource survey of Baegunsan in Gwangyang City was conducted over three years through more than 30 field investigations, resulting in the collection of 645 species and 1,078 plant specimens.
This survey identified five endangered species, including Cimicifuga heracleifolia, Aconitum triphyllum, and Cypripedium japonicum, whose habitats had been previously confirmed, as well as Cypripedium macranthos and Iris koreana, whose habitats were newly confirmed. In addition, the habitats of over 30 endemic plant species, such as Abies koreana and Anemone koraiensis, and 18 rare plant species were confirmed.
Although Baegunsan has previously undergone multiple vegetation surveys by other organizations, resulting in the identification of approximately 1,131 plant species, the recent forest resource exploration by the Forest Research Institute has confirmed an additional 160 species.
According to the assessment and criteria for endangered plants presented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2008, 571 species of rare plants are native to Korea. Endemic plants, which are unique to specific regions, number 360 species as designated by the Korea Forest Service.
Oh Deuksil, Director of the Jeonnam Forest Research Institute, stated, "Through systematic plant resource surveys of major forests in the province, we aim to discover valuable forest resources, restore habitats through mass propagation, and contribute to the bioindustry by identifying useful material plants through bioactive compound exploration."
The Jeonnam Forest Research Institute has been conducting forest resource explorations since 2013 to discover valuable forest resources by surveying forest plants in major forests of the province. The publication of the Baegunsan, Gwangyang City guidebook was initiated as Gwangyang City pursued the establishment of the Baegunsan Forest Museum and requested the Forest Research Institute to carry out resource exploration and specimen preparation.
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