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The Central Korea deciduous forests is a
temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest is a temperate climate terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature, with broadleaf tree ecoregions, and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions. These f ...
ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...
on the
Korean Peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic of ...
, covering portions of
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its ea ...
and
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
.


Geography

The Central Korean deciduous forests occupy the central portion of the Korean Peninsula. They are bounded on the south by the
Southern Korea evergreen forests The Southern Korea evergreen forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion at the southern end of the Korean Peninsula. Geography The Southern Korea evergreen forests occupy an area of in South Korea, at the southern margin of th ...
, and on the north by the
Manchurian mixed forests The Manchurian mixed forests ecoregion (WWF ID: PA0426) covers the forested hills surrounding the river plains of northern China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea. The ecoregion supports a number of rare species due to the relative isolation ...
. Low mountains and rolling hills cover much of the peninsula, seldom exceeding 1200 meters elevation. The Baekdu-daegan mountain range runs along the eastern side of the peninsula, and the peninsula's main rivers generally flow westwards or southwards from mountain headwaters. But sometimes not.


Climate

The climate of the ecoregion temperate and generally humid. Average annual rainfall exceeds 1000 mm. Summers are humid, and two-thirds of annual rainfall comes between June and September. Winter months are generally drier, and cold continental air from the Asian continent brings below-freezing temperatures. The climate is warmer and winters milder to the south, with colder winter temperatures to the north and at higher elevations.


Flora

The natural vegetation is deciduous broadleaf forest. Conifers predominate in recently-disturbed areas and at higher elevations. The predominant trees vary from south to north. In the warmer south, common broadleaf trees include
hornbeam Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the flowering plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The 30–40 species occur across much of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Origin of names The common English name ''hornbeam ...
s ('' Carpinus tschonoskii'' and ''
Carpinus laxiflora Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the flowering plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The 30–40 species occur across much of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Origin of names The common English name ''hornbeam' ...
''), maples ('' Acer formosum'' and ''
Acer palmatum ''Acer palmatum'', commonly known as Japanese maple, palmate maple, or smooth Japanese maple (Japanese: ''irohamomiji'', , or ''momiji'', (栴), is a species of woody plant native to Japan, Korea, China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russia ...
''), and the oak ''
Quercus acutissima ''Quercus acutissima'', the sawtooth oak, is an Asian species of oak native to China, Tibet, Korea, Japan, Indochina (Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia) and the Himalayas (Nepal, Bhutan, northeastern India). It is widely planted in many lands ...
'', with the pine ''
Pinus thunbergii ''Pinus thunbergii'' (syn: ''Pinus thunbergiana''), also called black pine, Japanese black pine, and Japanese pine, is a pine tree native to coastal areas of Japan (Kyūshū, Shikoku and Honshū) and South Korea. It is called () in Korean, () ...
'' and the bamboo ''
Phyllostachys ''Phyllostachys'' () is a genus of Asian bamboo in the grass family. Many of the species are found in central and southern China, with a few species in northern Indochina and in the Himalayas. Some of the species have become naturalized in part ...
''. Pine and bamboo are common in formerly-cleared areas. In the northern portion of the ecoregion, common trees include the oaks ''
Quercus mongolica ''Quercus mongolica'', commonly known as Mongolian oak, is a species of oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The co ...
'' and ''
Quercus serrata ''Quercus serrata'', the jolcham oak, (, ) is an East Asian species of tree in the beech family. It is native to China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. Description ''Quercus serrata'' is a deciduous oak tree reaching a height of occupying elevation ...
'', along with '' Acer mono'', birch (''
Betula A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 to ...
''),
hornbeam Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the flowering plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The 30–40 species occur across much of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Origin of names The common English name ''hornbeam ...
(''Carpinus''), ''
Celtis sinensis ''Celtis sinensis'' (English: Chinese hackberry; Chinese: ; Japanese: ) is a species of flowering plant in the hemp family, Cannabaceae, that is native to slopes in East Asia. Description It is a tree that grows to 20 m tall, with deciduou ...
'', Korean ash (''Fraxinus chinensis'' var. ''rhynchophylla''), walnut ('' Juglans mandshurica''), ''
Maackia amurensis ''Maackia amurensis'', commonly known as the Amur maackia, is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae that can grow 15 metres (49 ft) tall. The species epithet and common names are from the Amur River region, where the tree originated; it o ...
'', ''
Platycarya strobilacea ''Platycarya strobilacea'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Juglandaceae, formerly treated as comprising the single living species in ''Platycarya'', though a second living species '' Platycarya longzhouensis'' is now recognized. It ...
,
Prunus padus ''Prunus padus'', known as bird cherry, hackberry, hagberry, or Mayday tree, is a flowering plant in the rose family. It is a species of cherry, a deciduous small tree or large shrub up to tall. It is the type species of the subgenus '' Padus' ...
,
Pyrus ussuriensis ''Pyrus ussuriensis'', also known as the Ussurian pear, Harbin pear, and Manchurian pear, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae. It is native to Korea, Japan, and the Ussuri River area of far eastern Russia. It has flowers in ...
'', willows (''
Salix Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...
''), and elm (''
Ulmus Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the flowering plant genus ''Ulmus'' in the plant family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of North ...
''), along with the fir ''
Abies holophylla ''Abies holophylla'', also called needle fir or Manchurian fir, is a species of fir native to mountainous regions of northern Korea, southern Ussuriland, and China in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning. It is an evergreen coni ...
''.


Fauna

Mammals native to the ecoregion include
Ussuri black bear The Ussuri black bear (''Ursus thibetanus ussuricus''), also known as the Manchurian black bear, is a large subspecies of the Asian black bear native to the Far East, including the Korean Peninsula.Heptner, V. G. & Naumov, N. P. (1998)White-chest ...
(''Ursus thibetanus ussuricus''),
Siberian roe deer The Siberian roe deer, eastern roe deer, or Asian roe (''Capreolus pygargus''), is a species of roe deer found in northeastern Asia. In addition to Siberia and Mongolia, it is found in Kazakhstan, the Tian Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan, easte ...
(''Capreolus pygargus''), Korean water deer (''Hydropotes inermis argyropus''),
Asian badger The Asian badger (''Meles leucurus''), also known as the sand badger, is a species of badger native to Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Korean Peninsula and Russia. Characteristics The Asian badger is mostly lighter in colour tha ...
(''Meles leucurus''),
leopard cat The leopard cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') is a small wild cat native to continental South, Southeast, and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List as it is widely distributed although threatened by ha ...
(''Prionailurus bengalensis''),
yellow-throated marten The yellow-throated marten (''Martes flavigula'') is a marten species native to Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution, evidently relatively stable population, occurrence in a number of protected are ...
(''Martes flavigula''),
Siberian weasel The Siberian weasel or kolonok (''Mustela sibirica''), is a medium-sized weasel native to Asia, where it is widely distributed and inhabits various forest habitats and open areas. It is therefore listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Desc ...
(''Mustela sibirica''), and mandarin vole (''Lasiopodomys mandarinus''). 379 bird species have been recorded in South Korea, of which 114 species are breeding species, and the others are vagrant, migrant or winter visitor species. Resident birds include the
Tristram's woodpecker Tristram's woodpecker (''Dryocopus javensis richardsi'') (, Japanese: ) is a Korean subspecies of the white-bellied woodpecker. It was firstly identified and described by English scholar and ornithologist Henry Baker Tristram in 1879. Descripti ...
(''Dryocopus javensis richardsi''),
fairy pitta The fairy pitta (''Pitta nympha'') is a small and brightly colored species of passerine bird in the family Pittidae. Its diet mainly consists of earthworms, spiders, insects, slugs, and snails. The fairy pitta breeds in East Asia and migrates so ...
(''Pitta nympha''), and
ring-necked pheasant The common pheasant (''Phasianus colchicus'') is a bird in the pheasant family (Phasianidae). The genus name comes from Latin ''phasianus'', "pheasant". The species name ''colchicus'' is Latin for "of Colchis" (modern day Georgia), a country ...
(''Phasianus colchicus torquatus''). The endangered
red-crowned crane The red-crowned crane (''Grus japonensis''), also called the Manchurian crane or Japanese crane (; the Chinese character '丹' means 'red', '頂/顶' means 'crown' and '鶴/鹤' means 'crane'), is a large East Asian crane among the rarest cran ...
(''Grus japonensis'') overwinter in coastal and freshwater wetlands and along rivers, and breeds in the ecoregion's deep freshwater marshes. The
white-naped crane The white-naped crane (''Antigone vipio'') is a bird of the crane family. It is a large bird, long, about tall, and weighing about , with pinkish legs, a grey-and-white-striped neck, and a red face patch. Distribution The white-naped crane b ...
(''Antigone vipio'') overwinters in the ecoregion. Both species now breed in the Demilitarized Zone.


Conservation

A 2017 assessment found that 5,236 km², or 2%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Only 5% of the unprotected area is still forested. Supplemental material 2 table S1b. Protected areas include
Bukhansan National Park The Bukhansan National Park ( ko, 북한산국립공원, 北漢山國立公園) in Seoul and Gyeonggi covers an area of and was established on 2 April 1983. Bukhansan means "mountains north of the Han River." The park contains forested areas ...
, Byeonsan-bando National Park,
Chiaksan National Park Chiaksan National Park ( ko, 치악산국립공원, 雉岳山國立公園) is located in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea. It was designated as the 16th national park in 1984. The park is named after the mountain Chiaksan, which in turn ...
,
Deogyusan National Park Deogyusan National Park ( ko, 덕유산국립공원, 德裕山國立公園) is located in the provinces of Jeollabuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea. It was designated as the 10th national park in 1975. The park is home to a total of 1,067 pl ...
,
Gayasan National Park Gayasan National Park, also known as Gaya Mountain National Park ( ko, 가야산국립공원), is a large national park in the eastern part of South Korea. The park is named in honor of Gaya Mountain and became a National Park in 1972. The park ...
,
Gyeryongsan National Park Gyeryongsan National Park ( ko, 계룡산국립공원, 鷄龍山國立公園) is one of 20 national parks in South Korea. It was designated as a national park in 1968, as the second park in the country. It covers an area of . One part of Gyeryong ...
,
Jirisan National Park Jirisan National Park ( ko, 지리산국립공원, 智異山國立公園) is a national park in South Korea, located on the boundaries of Jeollanam-do, Jeollabuk-do, and Gyeongsangnam-do. It is also located bordering the towns of Namwon, Gurye, a ...
, Naejangsan National Park, Sobaeksan National Park, Songnisan National Park,
Woraksan National Park Woraksan National Park ( ko, 월악산국립공원, 月岳山國立公園) is located in the provinces of Chungcheongbuk-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. It was designated as the 17th national park in 1984. It is named after the mountain Wor ...
. The
Korean Demilitarized Zone The Korean Demilitarized Zone (Korean: ; Hanbando Bimujang Jidae) is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in ha ...
runs across the Korean Peninsula. It marks the 1953 armistice line that ended the
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{{ ...
, and since then as served as the ''de facto'' border between North Korea and South Korea. The demilitarized zone is approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) wide. The zone is mostly depopulated, and civilian access is restricted. Over the decades forests and wetlands within the zone have returned to their natural state, and it has become a refuge for wildlife, including resident and migratory birds.


External links


References

{{coord missing, South Korea Ecoregions of Asia Ecoregions of North Korea Ecoregions of South Korea Forests of South Korea Palearctic ecoregions Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests