Vascular flora near the iron fences in South Korea’s demilitarized zone

Abstract

The demilitarized zone (DMZ), a military buffer zone between South and North Korea, is an ecological treasury free from human interference and a core ecological axis of the Korean Peninsula, making its conservation crucial. However, surveys have been insufficient because of restricted civilian access and ecosystem fragmentation. We aimed to investigate the ecological value of the DMZ and the regional characteristics of plants. A flora survey was conducted along the iron fences in the South Korean DMZ and analyzed by region. We recorded 1,051 vascular plant taxa comprising 121 families, 484 genera, 936 species, 25 subspecies, 81 varieties, and 9 formae. The region requires habitat protection because of the presence of 36 rare and 38 endemic taxa, and 35 floristic target species of Stage IV or higher. Invasive alien plants require further monitoring because 89 invasive taxa were recorded. Changes in military facilities or barren land operations can threaten habitats or create habitat edges. Biological resources, including plants, should be monitored for a multifaceted evaluation of the DMZ ecosystem value. Habitat restoration research and conservation activities should be conducted by establishing an environmental database linking environmental conditions with native plant habitats.