SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Recent scientific reports have described a sharp decline in global vertebrate populations, and South Korea does not appear to be immune to the decline in the diversity of species.
According to Choi Chang-yong, a forestry science professor at Seoul National University, the population of swallows plunged from 2,289 per 10 hectares in 1987 to a mere 22 in 2005.
Twenty out of the 52 most common bird species that propagated in South Korea over the past 20 years suffered a decline in population, according to domestic research findings.
In the 1970s, 46,826 chestnut buntings were captured for research purposes. In 2010, however, only 2,422 were captured.
“The decline in the population of swallows is indicative of a decline in the number of insects that are the main prey of the birds as the foundation of the ecosystem,” Choi said.
According to the Ministry of Environment, the number of wild species at risk of extinction in South Korea rose to 282 in 2022 from 221 in 2007.
Image Credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
