Dongbaekdongsan is located in the unique ‘ Gotjawal’ forest in the Jeju-do province,

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. The

Gotjawal forest Gotjawal Forest is a naturally formed forest located on the middle slopes of Halla Mountain, Jeju Island in South Korea. It covers the rocky area of aā on Jeju Island off the southwestern coast of South Korea. Due to the geographical feature, t ...

in Jeju Island is the only region among the world where the tropical northern limit plants and polar southern limit plants coexist. Also, 'Gotjawal' has abundant

groundwater Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available freshwater in the world is groundwater. A unit of rock or an unconsolidate ...

and excellent effects of heat-retaining and rehydration. 'Dongbaek' and 'dongsan' mean 'camellia' and 'hill' respectively in Korean.

Significance

Dongbaekdongsan wetland, located in a

, shows excellence in preservation of the natural condition of

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

, natural cave, and natural

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

etc. It further reveals its significance since it protects wild life and is the habitat of the national and world's important species. Donbaekdongsan wetland supports the nationally

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

first level including falco peregrinus. It is also the habitat of ten species that are rated to be the second level endangered species and six species of Korean natural monument such as the mandarin duck ( Aix galericulata). Furthermore, it world's endangered species listed in

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

such as

Isoetes sinensis ''Isoetes sinensis'', the narrow quillwort, is a species of plant in the family Isoetaceae. Information ''Isoetes sinensis'' is native to China and Korea. Its natural habitat is swamps. It is threatened by habitat loss. In China, this species is ...

Palmer inhabit in Dongbaekdongsan wetland. Also, Gotjawal

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

which is formed by volcanic activities has high transmissibility and thus takes the role of the Jeju groundwater recharger. The groundwater of Dongbaekdongsan wetland is used as one of the sources of groundwater that supports many in the Jeju Island.

Conservation movement

Since the Dongbaekdongsan wetland is the habitat for many nationally and internationally endangered species, it has been recognized for the importance and value of scientific research in 1981. It was designated as the tenth Juju Island monument and is receiving a reserved protection. Dongbaekdongsan wetland has been designated additionally as the Ramsar Wetland on March 14, 2011 for continuous preservation and protection.

Organisms

*falco peregrinus *Isoetes sinensis * Cheju Salamander (''Hyobius quelpartensis'') *Mankyua chejuense *Mandarin Duck (''Aix galericulata'') *Boreal Digging Frog ('' Kaloula borealis'') *Daphne Kiusiana

Filming

Many of the scenes of

Jiseul ''Jiseul'' () is a 2012 South Korean war drama film written and directed by Jeju Island native O Muel. The film is shot in black and white with the entire cast composed of local actors speaking their natural dialect. "Jiseul" means "potato" in Jej ...

, a

2013 Sundance Film Festival The 2013 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 17, 2013, until January 27, 2013, in Park City, Utah, United States, with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ogden, Utah, and Sundance, Utah. The festival had 1,830 volunteers. Films A r ...

prize winner, were made in this wetland.

References

{{coord missing, South Korea Ramsar sites in South Korea