J. Ecol. Field Biol. 32 (4): 277-293, 2009 Taxonomic Status of Endemic Plants in Korea Kun Ok Kim, Sun Hee Hong, Yong Ho Lee, Chae Sun Na, Byeung Hoa Kang, Yowhan Son* Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Korea ABSTRACT: Disagreement among the various publications providing lists of Korean endemic plants makes confusion inevitable. We summarized the six previous reports providing comprehensive lists of endemic plants in Korea: 407 taxa in Lee (1982), 570 taxa in Paik (1994), 759 taxa in Kim (2004), 328 taxa in Korea National Arboretum (2005), 515 taxa in the Ministry of Environment (2005) and 289 taxa in Flora of Korea Editorial Committee (2007). The total number of endemic plants described in the previous reports was 970 taxa, including 89 families, 302 genera, 496 species, 3 subspecies, 218 varieties, and 253 formae. Endemic plants listed four times or more were collected to compare the data in terms of scientific names and synonyms (339 taxa in 59 families and 155 genera). If the varieties and formae were excluded, the resulting number of endemic plants was 252 taxa for the 339 purported taxa analyzed. Seven of the 155 genera analyzed were Korean endemic genera. Among the 339 taxa, the same scientific names were used in the original publications for 256 taxa (76%), while different scientific names were used for 83 taxa (24%). The four largest families were Compositae (42 taxa, 12.4%), Ranunculaceae (19 taxa, 5.6%), Rosaceae (19 taxa, 5.6%), and Scrophulariaceae (19 taxa, 5.6%). Saussurea (Compositae) had the highest number of taxa within one genus (17 taxa; 5% of total endemic taxa). Key words: endemic plant, Korean endemic genus, Korean endemic plant, taxonomic composition caused by overpopulation and economic development INTRODUCTION is becoming a concern of the international community. Climate change may also influence biological resources. An endemic plant is a taxon that shows a limited Furthermore, extinction of endemic plants found only in distribution as a result of the characteristics of the plant, Korea means permanent extinction of the species from the its seed dispersal, diastrophism and isolation mechanisms Earth, as well as a loss to the natural heritage of the Korean (Kim and Chun 1991). Korean endemic plants inhabit people. Therefore, it is important that the endemic plants only the Korean Peninsula, a geographically unique of the country be documented and studied, to provide environment, and have acclimatized to the Korean information that can be used in conservation programs. Peninsula, resulting in genetic differentiation from taxa However, disagreement among scholars and institutions found outside Korea, because of their long-term isolation is causing confusion in research on the endemic plants of (Chung 1986). Korea, which prompted us to compile data to evaluate the The conservation of biological diversity has become a actual condition of the endemic plants. We compared the worldwide issue since the endorsement of the Convention scientific names and synonyms of endemic plants used in on Biological Diversity at the UN Conference on six major publications on Korean endemic plants with the Environmental Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, aim of providing a more consistent interpretation that can Brazil, in 1992. Biodiversity, a compound word meaning be used as a basis for research on endemic plants in Korea. biological diversity, represents variation in life forms on the Earth’s ecosystem. In general, biodiversity is identified MATERIALS AND METHODS at three levels, genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity (McNeely et al. 1990), and species We analyzed six publications that provide lists of diversity is used as a practical index of ecosystem and endemic plants in Korea: Endemic Plants and Their biological resources. The depletion of biological resources Distribution in Korea (Lee 1982), Substance of the Korean *Corresponding Author; Phone: +82-2-3290-3015, e-mail: [email protected] 278 Kun Ok Kim et al. J. Ecol. Field Biol. 32 (4) Table 1. Summary of the endemic plants of Korea listed in the six reports considered in this study. Report Class Fam. Gen. Sp. Ssp. Var. Svar. For. Total Lee Pteridophyta 4 5 11 – – – – 11 (1982) Gymnospermae 3 5 3 – 6 – 7 16 Angiospermae 54 162 325 – 40 – 15 380 Monocotyledons 8 24 45 – 7 – – 52 Dicotyledons 46 138 280 – 33 – 15 328 Total 61 172 339 – 46 – 22 407 Paik Pteridophyta 4 8 9 – 3 – 1 13 (1994) Gymnospermae 3 6 4 – 3 – – 7 Angiospermae 65 215 256 1 168 1 124 550 Monocotyledons 9 32 33 – 20 – 12 65 Dicotyledons 56 183 223 1 148 1 112 485 Total 72 229 269 1 174 1 125 570 Kim Pteridophyta 6 9 11 – 3 – 1 15 (2004) Gymnospermae 3 6 4 – 3 – 6 13 Angiospermae 75 249 325 – 126 – 280 731 Monocotyledons 10 37 49 – 18 – 36 103 Dicotyledons 65 212 276 – 108 – 244 628 Total 84 264 340 – 132 – 287 759 KNA* Pteridophyta 5 7 7 – 2 – – 9 (2005) Gymnospermae 1 2 2 – 1 – – 3 Angiospermae 51 151 254 2 60 – – 316 Monocotyledons 10 027 49 1 13 – – 63 Dicotyledons 41 124 205 1 47 – – 253 Total 57 160 263 2 63 – – 328 ME** Pteridophyta 5 9 12 – 3 – 1 16 (2005) Gymnospermae 2 3 2 – – – 1 3 Angiospermae 65 203 260 2 110 – 124 496 Monocotyledons 8 31 45 20 – 12 77 Dicotyledons 57 172 215 2 90 – 112 419 Total 72 215 274 2 113 – 126 515 FKEC† Pteridophyta 3 3 3 – – – – 3 (2007) Gymnospermae 1 2 2 – – – – 2 Angiospermae 56 140 237 1 38 – 8 284 Monocotyledons 10 25 48 4 – 1 53 Dicotyledons 46 115 189 1 34 – 7 231 Total 60 145 242 1 38 – 8 289 * ; Korea National Arboretum **; Ministry of Environment † ; Flora of Korea Editorial Committee Endemic Plants and Investigation of Their Distribution Nakai was excluded from this study. Endemic plants listed (Paik 1994), Korean Endemic Plants (Kim 2004), Endemic in four or more of the six previous reports were analyzed Species of Korea (Ministry of Environment 2005), to compare the scientific and synonym names used. We Endemic Vascular Plants in the Korean Peninsula (Korea considered named taxa as units in this study, rather than National Arboretum 2005) and The Genera of Vascular focusing on species and subspecies. Plants of Korea (Flora of Korea Editorial Committee 2007). In 1952, T. Nakai divided Korean endemic plants RESULTS AND DISCUSSION into 1,118 taxa including 642 species, 402 varieties and 74 formae, an interpretation that was accepted uncritically for Endemic plants of six previous reports a while. However, more recently, this taxonomy has fallen The lists of endemic plants in the six previous reports into disfavor as it appears that the taxa were subdivided are summarized in Table 1. Lee (1982) recorded 407 too much (Paik and Heo 2002). Therefore, the report of T. taxa, including 61 families, 172 genera, 339 species, 46 November 2009 Taxonomic Status of Endemic Plants in Korea 279 varieties, and 22 formae while Paik (1994) identified 570 (Angiospermae) with 11 families, 51 genera, 90 species, taxa including 72 families, 229 genera, 269 species, one 22 varieties and 35 forma; 785 taxa of Dicotyledons subspecies, 174 varieties, one subvariety, and 125 formae. (Angiospermae) with 69 families and 235 genera, 388 However, Paik (1999) added 23 taxa left out of his previous species, 3 subspecies, 180 varieties and 214 forma. The report of 1994, resulting in a total of 593 taxa including largest number of taxa was in the family Compositae, 72 families, 233 genera, 282 species, one subspecies, 177 with 27 genera (8.9%), 90 taxa (9.3%). Rosaceae was the varieties, one subvariety, and 132 formae. Kim (2004) second-best represented family with 21 genera (7.0%) and added more formae to the reports of Lee (1982) and Paik 81 taxa (8.4%) (Table 3). (1999) and reported 759 taxa that represent 84 families, 264 genera, 340 species, 132 varieties, and 287 formae. Endemic plants described four times or more in the six Meanwhile, the Korea National Arboretum (KNA) (2005) previous reports published 328 taxa including 57 families, 160 genera, 263 Endemic plants listed only once or twice in the six species, 2 subspecies, and 63 varieties, while removing previous reports were excluded from consideration, and names and formae that do not appear legitimate as well those listed three times comprised 212 taxa, of which as plants that are likely or known to inhabit neighboring 147 taxa (69.3%) were found only in Paik (1994), Kim countries. The Ministry of Environment (ME) (2005) (2004) and ME (2005). We decided to compile a list of the published a paper that identified 515 taxa including endemic plants that were listed in four or more of the six 72 families, 215 genera, 274 species, 2 subspecies, 113 reports. However, it should be also noted that the previous varieties, and 126 formae, but also included 55 problematic reports provide no clear taxonomic criteria defining taxa, including 15 taxa that need to be reassessed endemic plants among the 970 taxa. Endemic plants taxonomically, 36 taxa that are likely to be found in described in four or more of the six previous reports were neighboring countries, one taxon with possible clonal analyzed: 339 taxa consisting of 59 families, 155 genera, variation, one taxon that needs further investigation, one 252 species, one subspecies, 67 varieties, and 19 formae. taxonomically uncertain taxon, and one hybrid taxon. The 69 tree taxa found on four or more lists consisted Finally, the Flora of Korea Editorial Committee (FKEC) of 18 families, 38 genera, 48 species, 12 varieties and 9 (2007) published a list of 289 endemic taxa that includes forma, while the 270 taxa of herbs included 45 families, 60 families, 145 genera, 242 species, one subspecies, 38 119 genera, 204 species, one subspecies, 55 varieties and varieties and 8 forma (Table 1).