Vulnerability of Warmth-sensitive Plant at Un-glaciated Refugia Under the Global Warming Environment

Vulnerability of Warmth-sensitive Plant at Un-glaciated Refugia Under the Global Warming Environment

Woo-seok, KONG, Kyung, CHOI*, Jong-cheol, YANG*, Seung-hwan, OH*, Sle-gee, LEE*, Hee-na, PARK,

Department of Geography, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 130-701, KOREA Division of Botanical Research, Korea National Arboretum, Pocheon, 487-829, KOREA*

Presence of large number of cold-tolerant but warmth-sensitive Arctic-Alpine Plant (A-AP) and Alpine Plant (AP) at previously un-glaciated heterogeneous habitats, such as alpine and subalpine belts, islands, and specific topographic locations are biogeographically interesting topic. Occurrence of A-AP and AP at East Asian lowland wind hole under the global warming environment is unique biometeorological phenomenon.

Wind hole or air hole is a micro landform with an abnormal local climatic condition, in which the layer of air next to the earth's surface is cooler in summer, but milder in winter than an overlying layer. Micro climate basically maintained due to cool air blows out during the summer, but mild air comes out during the winter from an underground cave or hole.

Wind holes in the Korean Peninsula are scattered at many locations with the rocky periglacial landforms, such as at talus, block field, and block stream on steep slope of mountains. On the wind holes of Korea surveyed, many cold-tolerant but warmth-sensitive A-AP and AP, including Vaccinium vitis-idaea, are found. Vaccinium vitis-idaea (lingonberry or cowberry) is a short evergreen shrub in Ericaceae or the heath family that bears edible fruit, native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Northern Hemisphere from Eurasia to North America.

In the Korean Peninsula, Vaccinium vitis-idaea occurs at several locations in DPRK or North Korea, and two sites in ROK or South Korea. This species thrives well at exceptionally low elevation of wind hole (c. 200 square meters in size at elevation of 350m a.s.l.) of Hongcheon (128.16.15E, 37.48.28N), and the nearest population is ituated at the subalpine belts (1,200m a.s.l.) of Mt. Sorak or Soraksan (128.27.55E, 38.07.08N) at central Korea.

Vaccinium vitis-idaea at these two sites, which are separated each other about 56km distance away, shows a typical disjunctive distribution pattern in respect of both latitude and altitude. Vaccinium vitis-idaea at Hongcheon wind hole is, at present, regarded as the one of the global southernmost distribution limits

Cold-tolerant Vaccinium vitis-idaea might be widespread in distribution during the glacial epochs of Pleistocene at primary refugia. Since the Holocene period, this warmth-sensitive species are forced to retreat back toward the secondary refugia in search of cooler places, such as circumpolar areas, alpine and subalpine belts, as well as few specific habitats, including wind hole. Wind hole of Hongcheon belongs to one of the glacial and post glacial relicts. Current horizontal and vertical ranges of

Vaccinium vitis-idaea between Soraksan subalpine belt and Hongcheon lowland wind hole might indicates that the temperature of this region during glacial epoch was colder than today, down to -6 to -7°C. Hongcheon wind hole probably might serve as the floristic refugia in connection with climate change during the Pleistocene and Holocene periods. Vertical temperature differences on ground and 1.5 meter height of Hongcheon wind hole recorded about 15.0 degree centigrade. Thanks to relatively cooler summer air temperature and milder winter ambient airs, the isolated survival of Vaccinium vitis-idaea at small patch of Hongcheon wind hole could be maintained.

Vaccinium vitis-idaea at this small and fragile Hongcheon wind hole habitat will be providing a potentially important in-situ conservation site for the warmth-sensitive Vaccinium vitis-idaea under the global warming environment.

However, their continued survival could be endangered if current global warming continues, along with extensive anthropogenic agricultural activities. Potential climatic vulnerability of Vaccinium vitis-idaea in the Korean Peninsula is also projected in connection with global warming scenarios.

Acknowledgement: This work is supported by the 2014 Grant by Korea National Arboretum, Korea Forest Service.