South Korea's Ecosystems Provide $25 Billion in Annual Benefits, New Report Finds

South Korea's natural ecosystems offer invaluable services to humanity, estimated to be worth around 34 trillion won (approximately $25 billion USD) each year. This figure comes from the "First National Ecosystem Assessment Report," released by the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment.

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The value of ecosystem services provided by South Korea's ecosystems to humans is estimated at 34 trillion won annually.

The comprehensive report, compiled by over 100 experts, assesses the status and trends of South Korea's ecosystems over the past three decades (1990-2020) and provides future projections through 2050. It categorizes ecosystems into five types: forest, agricultural, urban, freshwater, and wetland.

Over the last 30 years, urban areas have expanded by 172.2%, while agricultural land has decreased by 25.8%. Wetlands have seen a significant 11.7% reduction in the last decade alone. Forest ecosystems show improved structural conditions, such as the preservation of older trees, but face increasing threats from illegal logging, wildfires, and landslides. Freshwater ecosystems have seen water quality improvements, but habitat conditions are deteriorating due to increased extreme rainfall and the proliferation of invasive species.

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Urban areas increased by 172.2% over the past 30 years, while agricultural land decreased by 25.8%, and wetland area decreased by 11.7% in the last decade.

The report quantifies key ecosystem services, including food supply (15.47 trillion won), raw wood provision (estimated), energy wood provision (estimated), freshwater supply (15.24 trillion won), carbon absorption (1.82 trillion won), and national park recreation (estimated). These services are crucial for the nation's economy and well-being.

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Forest ecosystems are improving in 'structural condition' with the preservation of old trees, but the scale of forest disaster damage is increasing due to illegal damage, wildfires, and landslides.

Looking ahead, the outlook is concerning if greenhouse gas emissions are not curbed. Projections indicate that by 2050, the habitats of endangered plant species and northern plant species could shrink by 16.2% and 2.7%, respectively. This habitat loss threatens the intricate web of life, potentially weakening core ecosystem functions like carbon absorption and nutrient cycling. The government plans to legislate national ecosystem assessments to bolster scientific responses to climate change and biodiversity loss.

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If greenhouse gas emissions are not actively reduced, the habitats of endangered plants and northern plants could shrink by 16.2% and 2.7% respectively by 2050.