Hallasan Mountain Natural Reserve

The Hallasan Mountain Natural Reserve centres on Hallasan Mountain and covers areas at an altitude of 600m to over 1,300m, together with some valleys and several other areas with a distinctive flora. Hallasan Mountain, at 1,950m above sea level, is the highest volcano in South Korea. It has 360 oreum (parasitic volcanic cones), and its terrain was formed by lava eruptions. Hallasan Mountain has distinct vegetation zones according to altitude. At the foot of the mountain grows warm-temperate forest of trees such as Neolitsea sericea, Daphniphyllum macropodum and Eurya japonica; in the middle zone grows temperate forest of sawtooth oak, hornbeam, maple and mountain cherry; and above that is subarctic forest of Korean fir, Betula ermanii, juniper, crowberry, diapensia, bog bilberry and downy azalea. Near the summit in particular, the Korean fir, a species endemic to Korea, is widely distributed, and a variety of rare plants such as crowberry, diapensia, Amur adonis, edelweiss and royal azalea grow in the grassland and rocky areas. The animal life of Hallasan Mountain, where cold- and warm-climate species live together, includes 873 species of insects, 198 species of birds, 8 species of reptiles and 17 species of mammals; of these, the large roe deer, leopard cat and fire-bellied toad are endangered and require special protection. The Hallasan Mountain Natural Reserve forms a distinctive ecosystem through its landform, geology, flora and fauna, and holds a wealth of academic material requiring particular protection, so the whole of Hallasan Mountain is designated and protected as a natural monument. On 27 June 2007, at the 31st session of the World Heritage Committee, three natural monuments — the Hallasan Mountain Natural Reserve, the Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone Natural Reserve and the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System — were together inscribed as a World Natural Heritage site under the name "Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes".

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jeju Island, Jeju

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물