Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute takes center stage in global plant conservation efforts

The Baekdudaegan Global Seed Vault in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province (Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute)

As climate change continues to threaten plant ecosystems worldwide, the Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute is drawing increased attention as a key player in protecting biodiversity both locally and abroad.

Operating under the state-run Korea Forest Service, KoAGI's primary task is managing the Baekdudaegan Global Seed Vault in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province. Opened in December 2015, the vault houses nearly 240,000 seeds from 5,792 wild plant species worldwide and is one of only two such vaults globally. Unlike typical seed banks where samples are regularly withdrawn, the vault's deposits are preserved indefinitely to hedge against potential extinctions.

"Think of it as a modern-day Noah's Ark," says Dr. Kang Shin-gu, project director at KoAGI. "We're ramping up our international collaboration network to further our conservation efforts." Lately, the institute has partnered up with four Central Asian countries -- Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan -- for joint research projects on wild plant collection and conservation, Dr. Kang added.

While the Baekdudaegan seed vault may be its most high-profile project, KoAGI's work encompasses a broader range of initiatives. For one, the institute also manages seed banks that conduct comprehensive surveys and inventories of specimens collected first-hand from across the globe. These facilities serve as one-stop centers for collection, processing and research of wild plants, evaluating their botanical characteristics -- such as blooming patterns – and potential human applications.

"Climate change is increasingly taking its toll on vegetation and plant ecosystems," says Sim Sang-taek, president of KoAGI. He lays out an ambitious roadmap for the institute's conservation efforts: "Our goal is to secure 1 million seeds from 60,000 plant species -- roughly a third of all wild plant species worldwide -- in our global seed vault by 2050."

In a bid to strengthen global partnerships, KoAGI recently updated the English-language website for its Baekdudaegan Global Seed Vault in May. The institute expects to continue its contribution to the ongoing global effort to preserve plant biodiversity.