Sonamu [소나무] (Pinus densiflora) is the national tree of South Korea. These red pine trees are the natural and cultural treasures that thrive in the central and northern regions of the Korean Peninsula. The red pines symbolise longevity, integrity, and resilience. From traditional Korean arts such as paintings or poetry, these pines beautify the arts; moreover, with their high-quality wood, they are used to make traditional crafts and furniture. The historical sites and the temples are adorned with red pines for the spiritual and scenic values. The red pine forest has become a significant attraction for tourism and attracts visitors. The red pines, the national treasure, are now at a great loss due to a change in the weather patterns. A recently published article in The Korea Times shreds the evidence based on the latest study of the Korea National Park Research Institute, which revealed recorded loss of red pine trees in national parks.
Pine trees cover around 36.9% of the forest land, spread over 62,981 square kilometres. The survey was conducted using different methods, such as patrolling the national parks or taking aerial photographs or satellite images, which helped comprehensively highlight the threat. Using variable models such as sea level, slope direction, topographic wetness index, and topographic location index, the survey was done in Taebaek, Sobaek, Chiak, Seorak, and Odae regions national parks to highlight the withering death of the red pines, where 26 areas in Mount Seorak and 37 points in Mount Taebaek, in Mount Odae at 192 points, 79 points in Mount Sobaek, and Mount Chiak at 33 points were the predicted death points in the survey areas.
The study declares the death of 480 pine trees in Mount Taebaek, whereas in Mount Sobaek 34 pines were withered; 11 dead trees were found at Mount Odae, 41 dead at Mount Seorak, and 4 at Mount Chiak. In the case of Mount Seorak, 52.2% of the total pine forest area was predicted to remain, while 47.8% were withered to death.
Red pine trees in Korea play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity. Their roots not only prevent soil erosion but stabilise the ecosystem. Pest disease, habitat loss, and climate change are the main challenges red pines face, and researchers believe that the withering of the red pines is occurring due to the stress that appears during pine growth. The high rates of withering of red pines are a great concern, as red pines help in climate mitigation and absorb carbon dioxide from the environment. Therefore, it is crucial to find the facts behind the death of the Red Pines, the National Icon of South Korea.
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