International cooperation with Poland's Institute of Dendrology to include joint research and seed exchange, contributing to forest biodiversity conservation
The Korea Arboretum and Garden Management Agency, a body under the Korea Forest Service, is stepping up its international efforts to secure plant resources from the Korean Peninsula.
The agency announced Wednesday that it will pursue full-scale international cooperation with the Institute of Dendrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (ID PAS) to obtain plant genetic resources from the Korean Peninsula and advance global forest biodiversity conservation.
To that end, the agency signed an MOU with the institute in Poland on June 16. Beginning with a working-level workshop in September, the two sides plan to develop specific cooperative projects covering resource exchange, joint research and other areas.
The Institute of Dendrology is one of Poland's leading botanical research institutions, conserving and studying more than 3,500 plant species from East Asia, North America, Central Asia and other regions around the world.
Particularly notable is the institute's extensive collection of plant resources originating from the Korean Peninsula, gathered through botanical expeditions to China, North Korea and other parts of East Asia since the 1980s. This makes it a key partner for research on native Korean plants and the conservation of genetic resources.
Under the agreement, the two institutions plan to expand cooperation across four areas: conservation of forest biological resources both in situ and ex situ, along with seed exchange; surveys and assessments of plant species and habitat ecosystems; joint research projects and co-authored publications; and mutual use of research facilities and resources.
The September workshop will be used to flesh out cooperation plans in areas including resource exchange and techniques for tissue culture and propagation of major forest plants, while also laying the groundwork for medium- and long-term joint research.
"This collaboration will be an important opportunity to identify plant resources of Korean Peninsula origin conserved in Europe and to expand our international research network," said Shim Sang-taek, president of the Korea Arboretum and Garden Management Agency. "We will continue to strengthen ties with leading botanical gardens and research institutions around the world to contribute to climate crisis response and forest biodiversity conservation."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
