SENSITIVE CONTENT Korea’s wildfire-hit forests need century to recover: study

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Korea’s wildfire-hit forests need century to recover: study - The Korea Times

The devastating wildfires that swept through more than 48,000 hectares of forest in southeastern Korea last week — the worst in the country’s history — will require around a century for full ecologica...

www.koreatimes.co.kr

The devastating wildfires that swept through more than 48,000 hectares of forest in southeastern Korea last week — the worst in the country’s history — will require around a century for full ecological recovery, according to forestry experts.

The National Institute of Forest Science estimates that fire-damaged areas in North and South Gyeongsang provinces and Ulsan will take about 20 years for vegetation to regrow, achieving around an 80 percent structural recovery of forests.

Forest wildlife — including fish, insects and other animals — is expected to return in 35 years as the ecosystem recovers, providing ample food and suitable conditions for reproduction.

Overall, it will take about 100 years for the burned soil to fully regain its original condition through microorganism activity and natural ecological processes.

The wildfires, which started March 21 in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, spread rapidly to neighboring cities and counties due to strong winds and dry conditions, claiming at least 30 lives and displacing over 33,000 residents.

Despite days of firefighting efforts, the blazes burned 48,238 hectares of forest, an area equivalent to about 80 percent of the size of Seoul. The damage is far greater than the 23,794 hectares scorched by the east coast wildfires in 2000, which had been the worst in the country's history.

Forest authorities plan to develop a detailed restoration strategy for the fire-damaged forests, which have an estimated ecological and economic value of 1.98 trillion won ($1.35 billion), according to the institute's estimate.

Meanwhile, emergency restoration work will be carried out in the affected areas to prevent potential landslides and flooding during the summer monsoon season.

According to the institute's studies on past wildfires in the country, landslide rates in fire-affected areas can be up to 200 times higher than in unaffected forests.

The forest canopy's "umbrella effect" helps prevent landslides by softening the impact of rainfall, while tree roots stabilize the soil, serving as natural defenses.

Last year, record-breaking heavy rains triggered landslides and flooding in the southern Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions, forcing over 900 residents to evacuate.

In the east coast regions affected by wildfires in 2000, soil runoff remained three to four times higher than in unaffected forests for two years following the disaster.

To mitigate such secondary damage, forest authorities plan to conduct emergency assessments in areas at risk of further impacts, such as landslides, and coordinate recovery efforts with local governments.