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Baekdudaegan National Arboretum Seed Vault
Tour & Interview
BAEKDUDAEGAN NATIONAL
ARBORETUM SEED VAULT
The Baekdudaegan National Arboretum Seed Vault is a vital conservation project in South Korea that aims to protect and preserve the country's biodiversity.
Located in the Baekdudaegan mountain range in Bonghwa, the seed vault serves as a repository for seeds of various plant species found in South Korea's mountainous regions. The Baekdudaegan National Arboretum Seed Vault was established in 2009 and has since then collected and stored over 230,000 seeds from over 3,000 plant species.
The Baekdudaegan National Arboretum Seed Vault is a vital conservation project in South Korea that aims to protect and preserve the country's biodiversity. Located in the Baekdudaegan mountain range in Bonghwa, the seed vault serves as a repository for seeds of various plant species found in South Korea's mountainous regions. The Baekdudaegan National Arboretum Seed Vault was established in 2009 and has since then collected and stored over 230,000 seeds from over 3,000 plant species.
The seed vault's collection includes seeds from rare and endangered plant species, making it an essential resource for conservation efforts. The seed vault operates under the principle of ex-situ conservation, which means that the plant material is stored outside of its natural habitat. The seeds are carefully preserved under controlled conditions of temperature and humidity, ensuring their long-term viability. The seed vault serves as a backup for the country's natural plant populations, ensuring that their genetic diversity is conserved for future generations.
It also serves as a resource for researchers and botanists who study the plant species found in the country's mountainous regions. Apart from its conservation efforts, the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum Seed Vault also conducts research on plant ecology and conservation biology. The seed vault's research focuses on understanding the ecological and genetic characteristics of the plant species found in the Baekdudaegan mountain range.
In addition to its conservation and research activities, the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum Seed Vault also plays a vital role in educating the public about the importance of biodiversity conservation. The seed vault offers educational programs and guided tours for visitors, including school groups and researchers.
BAEKDUDAEGAN NATIONAL
ARBORETUM
The Baekdudaegan National Arboretum, which is situated in Chunyang-myeon, Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, is well-known for its natural forest environments. Considered one of the best arboretums in Asia, it boasts of possessing various plant resources, a beautiful exhibition garden, and a Baekdu Mountain tiger representing the Baekdudaegan.
The arboretum was established to promote biodiversity by collecting and conserving plant resources in the Baekdudaegan region and high mountains, which are regarded as key ecological regions in South Korea.
It also aims to provide pleasure and happiness for the public through the management of its exhibition garden in a beautiful way. Moreover, it contributes to national and regional economic development through research on identifying and analyzing plants that can be effectively used in industries.
The arboretum specializes in conserving biological resources in the Baekdudaegan and high mountains. The organization specializes in conserving vulnerable biological resources to climate change from a systematic approach and establishing the basis for using such resources. It contributes to promoting a regional economy and development by research using both general biological resources and local biological resources found in Bonghwa-gun for industrial purposes.
The arboretum is also known as the largest arboretum in Asia and the second-largest arboretum in the world It is approx. 5,179 ha in size, being the largest arboretum in Asia and the world’s second-largest after the Hantam National Botanical Gardens located in South Africa.
The arboretum possesses rare plants living in Asia and high mountains in South Korea. It collects and preserves rare and endemic plants that are found in high mountains in Korea and worldwide and are vulnerable to climate change. Specifically, it possesses 312 species of rare plants and 156 species of endemic plants.
ABOUT THIS INTERVIEW
This interview was filmed in the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum. I became more interested in the seed vault because of how the seed was preserved. There are only two in existence, one in Norway and one in South Korea. However, many South Koreans were unaware of this fact and thus I thought it would be meaningful if I filmed an interview and talked about the Mt. Gariwang issue, asking for expert opinions regarding this issue and other environmental issues that are occurring in South Korea and the world.
SEED VAULT TOUR
This tour video explores the main facilities of the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum. Seed vaults act as repositories for storing and safeguarding a wide range of plant seeds representing different species, varieties, and crops. By preserving diverse seed samples, they help maintain genetic diversity, which is vital for future plant breeding, crop improvement, and adaptation to environmental changes. Seed vaults serve also has backup facilities in the event of natural or human-made disasters that can destroy seed collections in other locations. By storing duplicate samples in a secure and remote facility, seed vaults provide a safety net, ensuring that genetic resources are protected and can be retrieved in case of loss. Seed vaults may support scientific research, plant breeding programs, and education by providing access to genetic resources for study and experimentation. Researchers can request samples from seed vaults for various purposes, such as developing new crop varieties, studying genetic traits, or investigating plant adaptations. Overall, seed vaults play a critical role in preserving genetic diversity, ensuring the availability of plant genetic resources for future generations
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