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In terms of global biodiversity, South Korea has three major habitat types of extraordinary value. Most immediately threatened are the tidal-flats, which form the focus of much of Bird Korea's work; most designated (as National Park-land) are some of its mountain forests and streams; and most unusual is the thin sliver of land (and sea) that presently marks the line separating south from north - the de-militarized zone or DMZ. While South Korea is ablur with activity and change, within most of this narrow 4-km wide strip, time has largely stood still, for five long decades. Close to the DMZ, scarce summer summer visitors to the south, like Ruddy Kingfisher, Watercock and von Shrenck's Bitterns become more numerous (hinting at higher populations still within in its confines), while secure within, there must still be suitable habitat for the now extremely rare Tristram's (White-bellied) Woodpecker...A short article on the DMZ by Rick Ruffin (published in the Korea Times), can be found here:
 A flock of wild geese fly over rice fields near a barbed wire fence of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating South and North Korea. The DMZ is home to many wild species in danger of extinction. © Rick Ruffin & Korea Times |
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