2024-03-24 19:43:40
A Geumgang pine tree that I found in Sogwangcheon Forest, Geumgangsong-myeon, Uljin, Gyeongsangbuk-do. I fell down in the middle of the road. Reporter Ryu Seok-woo
The straight Geumgang pine tree was uprooted and flowed down the slope. There are still green leaves densely attached to the branches, but only the roots are unable to hold onto where they should be. Pine trees that had been uprooted and fell out of place, pine trees that had been uprooted but leaning against a tree next to them, and pine trees that had fallen on the road caught my eye every time I walked. The telephone pole that was hit directly by the tree fell and broke like a toothpick. Downed pine trees were also hanging here and there on the power lines. There was also a pine tree hanging precariously right above the road where cars and people passed by. This is a picture of a Geumgang pine tree that suffered damage from falling due to heavy snow that fell in Uljin, Gyeongsangbuk-do in February 2024. There has been damage from branches being broken or bent due to heavy snow, but this is the first time damage has been caused by roots being uprooted on such a large scale.
Geumgang pine tree fell helplessly due to heavy snow
<한겨레21>visited the area of Sogwang-ri, Geumgangsong-myeon, Uljin-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do on March 18-19, 2024. As I passed Socheon-myeon, Bonghwa-gun and entered National Highway 36, I saw Geumgang pine trees that had fallen here and there on the side of the road. As we exited the national highway and entered Sogwang-ri, the damage became more serious. The remains of fallen trees that had been cut down were piled up along the valley. The front of the ‘Uljin Sogwang-ri Hwangjangbonggye marker’, which was erected during the reign of King Sukjong of the Joseon Dynasty to announce that this area was a protected area, was no exception. The Geumgang pine trees on the slope of the valley in front of the marker had fallen down helplessly.
A Geumgang pine tree discovered in Sip2ryeong-ro, Sogwang-ri, Uljin, Gyeongsangbuk-do. It was uprooted and flowed down the slope. Reporter Ryu Seok-woo
“Although pine trees are a shallow rooting species (the roots are distributed shallowly near the ground), branches usually break and are not uprooted like this even when there is a lot of snow. I think it fell over because the roots were weak. “I have been going to the mountains since the 1990s, and except for some high mountain areas, this is the first time I have seen damage caused by roots being uprooted like this.” Seo Jae-cheol, an expert from the Green Federation, who accompanied the report, said.
Geumgang pine, commonly called ‘Geumgang pine’, is a tree species that grows straight in the Yeongdong region, including Uljin, Bonghwa, and Yeongdeok in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Because the stem is straight and strong, it has been used as wood to build palaces since the Joseon Dynasty. It is also called Hwangjangmok because the material is strong and the inside of the wood is dark yellow brown. When making Jaegung, the official residence of the king and queen, very large and old Geumgang pine was used. Thanks to this use, it was first designated as Hwangjangbong Mountain and began to be protected in 1680, during the reign of King Sukjong of the Joseon Dynasty. However, during the Japanese colonial period, Geumgang pine trees in places such as Chunyang-myeon and Socheon-myeon in Bonghwa-gun were cut down on a large scale. Only Geumgang pine trees in areas with relatively inconvenient transportation, such as Sogwang-ri, survived.
Since liberation, the government has steadily managed Geumgang pine habitat. In 1959, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry designated it as a breeding forest, and in 1982, it was designated as a natural protected forest. Currently, 3,705 ha of the Sogwang-ri area (about 13 times the area of Yeouido, Seoul) is designated as a forest genetic resource protection area and natural ecosystem conservation area. Because it is the most important protected area, not a single tree can be easily cut down. There are several pine tree movement control posts just on the road leading to Sogwang-ri. Geumgang pine trees, which were so precious, fell down in various places.
The Korea Forest Service investigated the damage immediately after the heavy snowfall, focusing on the Sogwang-ri access road, hiking trails, and forest slopes, and announced that 262 trees were damaged. The damaged Geumgang pine trees ranged from young trees to old trees. Near the Sogwang-ri Geumgang Pine Ecorium, a 200-year-old Geumgang pine tree was uprooted and fell on the road. It is said that the most famous ‘500-year-old pine tree’ in Geumgang Pine Forest Trail almost fell. Kim Young-hoon, director of the Uljin National Forest Management Office of the Korea Forest Service, said, “If we hadn’t installed a pull rope for the 500-year-old pine tree, it would have fallen this time.” He added, “The tree was a little lean, so we installed a pull rope last winter, and thanks to that, it fell easily without causing any damage.” “I went,” he said.
A collapsed trail in Sogwang-ri, Uljin, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Geumgang pine trees on the slope were uprooted and hit the trail. Provided by Green Union
However, because the Forest Service investigation was conducted only on accessible roadsides, the actual damage is expected to be greater. <한겨레21>On the morning of March 19, I went about 5km from Daegwangcheon Sogwang-ri Forest Ecological Management Center along the family trail, one of the Geumgang pine forest trails. It was a place that no one had been able to enter since the heavy snowfall, and the management center said that this was the first time they had entered it. Fallen Geumgang pine trees were seen every 5 to 10 meters along the valley next to the trail. When I flew the drone from the ridge, I saw that Geumgang pine trees well over 20m tall had fallen in various places.
Dead trees have increased over the past 10 years.
I came down from the pine forest road and entered the forest road towards Sogwangcheon Stream. The Forest Service was unable to conduct an investigation here as the snow did not melt after the heavy snowfall. Not even 100m after entering the Sogwangcheon Valley, a huge Geumgang pine tree blocked the path. It seemed to be well over 20 meters tall. It was so thick that I couldn’t wrap it around with one arm. Starting from this tree, every time I took a step, pine trees that had not yet been cleared were strewn across the road. The damage was more severe in the inner valley where there was no road. Uprooted trees remained throughout the valley.
On this day, while walking about 500m in the Sogwangcheon area, I could see with the naked eye that there were over 100 damaged trees. Commissioner Seo said, “If you include the areas and interior that have not yet been investigated, the amount of damage will reach thousands of units.” Damage to uniforms due to this heavy snow occurred throughout Geumgangsong-myeon, including Sogwang-ri and Wangpiri. Director Kim said, “Because of the snow, the investigation was conducted mainly on forest roads, forest roads, and trail trails. Once the snow all melts, more manpower will need to be invested in deep areas or inside to conduct a detailed investigation.”
An uprooted Geumgang pine tree discovered in a Geumgang pine colony around Sogwang-ri, Uljin, Gyeongsangbuk-do on the morning of March 19, 2024. Provided by Green Union
Sogwang-ri residents said that this was the first time a Geumgang pine tree had been uprooted. Sun-nyeo Lee (75), who lived in Sogwang-ri for over 50 years after her marriage, said, “It has snowed a lot before, but I have never been uprooted like this.” She said, “This time the snow was mixed with rain and it was just snow. This is because it sticks to the tree and accumulates. There have been a lot of typhoons, but trees don’t fall like this during typhoons. It would be okay if the snow was dry, but this time it was dry snow, so I don’t think I could win. “This is my first time falling this far.”
Why did this damage occur? Commissioner Seo believed that the damage was caused by the climate crisis. “Over the past 10 years, Geumgang pine trees near Uljin have been dying due to climate stress. I think the natural habitat of Geumgang pine trees, which suffered from climate stress, and the areas where Geumgang pine trees were uprooted this time are almost identical. The damage this time was centered on trees that were on slopes or were the weakest. “The climate crisis has continued to put stress on the trees in this area, and it appears that trees with roots that spread laterally, like pine trees, have begun to be uprooted.”
In fact, mass death of Geumgang pine trees began to be observed in Uljin in 2008. According to the ‘Analysis of topographical environmental characteristics of Geumgang pine tree dead areas in Sogwang-ri Forest Genetic Resources Protection Area in Uljin’ published by the Climate Change Research Center of the National Institute of Forest Science in 2017, the number of dead trees observed from 2008 to 2015 was 1,956. Dead wood was found to be concentrated in areas with relatively high temperature and dry conditions. The Green Korea Federation, which has been monitoring itself since the mid-2010s, also released data on the mortality of Geumgang pine trees in 2022, saying, “Not only has winter become warmer since around 2010, but there has been less snow,” and “In recent years, drought in winter, heat in spring, “Due to the summer heat wave, the death of pine trees continues, and the death is becoming more active in 2022,” he announced.
Damage to the Geumgang pine colony in Sogwang-ri, Uljin, Gyeongsangbuk-do. A dead tree that has turned white can be seen next to a Geumgang pine tree that has been uprooted. Provided by Green Union
Like being locked in a sauna for a long time
Experts pointed out that the damage to uniforms caused by this heavy snowfall was unusual and a new phenomenon. Lee Woo-gyun, a professor in the Department of Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Korea University who has been researching the impact of the climate crisis on pine trees, said, “It is common for branches to break even when there is a lot of snow, but this is the first time I have heard of damage like this (uprooting).” He added, “In general, Korea is affected by climate change. “It is true that pine trees are weakening and declining due to this.”
Professor Lee explained using ‘sauna’ as an example. “When we go into a sauna, it’s good at first, but if we stay for a long time, we can’t stand it and come out. Right now, Pine Tree needs to get out of the sauna, but she can’t. There is already a lot of damage to pine trees in low-lying areas, and the general consensus is that (pine trees) will gradually disappear from our country in the long term. I have been continuing my research, but even though the pine trees look healthy on the outside, they are weakened compared to their condition 10 or 20 years ago. Not only the branches and leaves but also the roots become weak. If that happens, the physical conditions are set for you to fall easily.”
A plant taxonomist said, “Coniferous tree species in alpine areas are often uprooted, but (the Uljin Geumgang pine being uprooted) is a ‘new phenomenon.’” He added, “In a situation where the trees are weakened or their roots are weakened, even snow can fall. “It can be assumed that many people came and suffered damage to their uniforms,” he said. He added, “However, it is still a hypothesis and a new phenomenon, so we need to observe it.” Professor Lee also said, “As pine trees gradually decline due to climate change, their roots may have weakened,” and added, “I think in-depth research (related to this damage) will be needed.”
A view of the valley next to the Geumgang Pine Forest Road in Sogwang-ri, Uljin, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Several Geumgang pine trees have been uprooted or broken. Reporter Ryu Seok-woo
Although more damage from this heavy snowfall is likely to occur in the future, the only immediate response is to prevent secondary damage. Director Kim said, “Right now, I think we need to take measures such as cutting down (geumgang pine trees) along the road because it is dangerous if they fall,” but added, “I am more worried about the future because the areas we can respond to are limited.” The Korea Forest Service asked about efforts to recover from damage and future plans. <한겨레21>In response to an inquiry, they only stated, “We have carried out roadside tree removal and snow removal work, and we plan to prevent secondary damage to valley areas and other areas by the end of June.”
Sanyangdo roaming among Geumgang pine trees
This heavy snow did not only damage Geumgang pine trees. It was long after I had observed the trees that I discovered a mountain goat hanging between uprooted trees inside the Geumgang Pine Forest Trail. On the way down after finishing the reporting, I happened to find a dead goat while closely observing the mountain goat poop all over the trail. It was an adult male, about 5 years old. Rescue was delayed because the snow had not melted after the heavy snow and people could not get inside. Commissioner Seo said, “It seems like it was gradually coming down in search of food and got stuck in the snow. “Goats have short legs, so it is difficult to move when there is a lot of snow,” he said.
It is estimated that there are about 1,600 mountain goats left in the country (as of 2020), which are designated as a class 1 endangered wild species. Of these, about 100 live near Uljin and Samcheok. However, this winter, seven mountain goats have already died in Uljin alone. Six were found dead and taken to the National Institute of Ecology, and one was found at the Sogwang-ri Forest Ecological Management Center and taken to the Mountain Goat Protection Association, but eventually died. It is known that most of the goats found were unable to feed properly due to the snow and had lost a lot of weight. Dr. Woo Dong-geol of the National Institute of Ecology came to the scene and collected the goat that was discovered that day. It rained while we were collecting the goats. The Geumgang pine trees that had been standing there for hundreds of years and the mountain goats that had roamed among the Geumgang pine trees for many years were no longer in their places. It is a site of climate collapse.
Uljin (Gyeongbuk) = Reporter Ryu Seok-woo [email protected]
Dr. Woo Dong-geol of the National Institute of Ecology approaches to collect the carcass of a mountain goat found on the Geumgang Pine Forest Trail. This winter alone, seven mountain goats lost their lives in the Uljin area of Gyeongsangbuk-do. Reporter Ryu Seok-woo
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