The Korean Fir, also known as the Kusang tree (scientifically Abies koreana), native to Halla Mt., Jeju Island. (Image provided by the office of Jeju Island)
JEJU, Oct. 13 (Korea Bizwire) – The most beloved Christmas tree in the world will be chosen from Jeju.
The Jeju World Heritage Site recently announced its plan to pick one special tree, a representative of the Korean Fir found on Mt. Halla, as the ‘Christmas Tree Ambassador.’
This tree will symbolize the importance of preserving genetic diversity and sovereignty in nature, as outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Korean fir leaves seen in this photo provided by the environment ministry.
The Korean Fir, also known as the Kusang tree (scientifically Abies koreana), is a unique species found exclusively on the Korean Peninsula. It’s famous worldwide for its role in making stunning Christmas trees.
Among all these trees, the one on Mt. Halla is particularly renowned as the original ‘Abies koreana,’ known as such since French Father Emile Take sent a sample of the Korean Fir to Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum in the United States back in 1907.
The Jeju World Heritage Headquarters intends to choose four potential representative trees through meetings of the selection committee. The final choice will be made after thorough on-site evaluations that consider genetic diversity.
These reference trees will also play a crucial role in developing a genetic map to safeguard the species, which is at risk due to climate change.
Image courtesy of Hallasan National Park
Image credit: Jeju Island, Yonhap, Jeju World Heritage Center, Hallasan National Park, the Environment Ministry/ photonews@koreabizwire.com
