Rapid urbanization and intensive agriculture make it more difficult to find uninterrupted nature. However, indigenous plants and rare plants that are difficult to see reveal serious damage to nature in the cemetery, even in the middle of a large city or farmland. In Europe, in the 2000s, it became clear in many cities that urban cemeteries were a hotbed of biodiversity. A 2005 study in Warsaw, Poland, found that the Botanical Gardens had the largest plant distribution in the city with 675 species, but unexpectedly, the second most diverse plant species was found in 24 cemeteries. Due to the development of agricultural land, the tall grass (Tolgrass) that covered the North American prairie has almost disappeared, but the cemetery retains the landscape of the time like a time capsule. Tallgrass grasslands, which now hold 60% of Illinois, now have only 0.01% left.

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“I Love Tombs”

Cemeteries that have been maintained for a long time and are relatively undisturbed are shelters for native and rare plants that have disappeared due to development. A cemetery in Istanbul, Turkey, has identified 280 species of tall plants. Compared to the city as a whole, this cemetery covers only 0.1% of the area, but 5.5% of the special plants lived in the cemetery. Eggs are often found in cemeteries. In Turkey, eggs were found in 208 of the 300 cemeteries surveyed, with about half of the Turkish egg species. I deserve to say that I love cemeteries.

An egg from Duris, first discovered in 1979 in a cemetery in Australia. Contributed by Wikimedia Commons.

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A recent survey in China also came out. Researchers at the Gong Qing China Agricultural University and others surveyed 199 cemeteries in Quau, Hebei Province, on the Huabe Plain. Due to the long agricultural development, the natural landscapes are scarce and many wheat growing areas have been built. In a recent article published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports, the researchers said, “Survey results confirm that even small cemeteries have a strong ability to preserve native flora and fauna.” Twelve species of plants grew in a cemetery with an area of ​​2 m2. The total number of plant species identified in these cemeteries ranges from 400 m2 to 55 m2 on average, 81 species, which is much more diverse than the 34 plant species on the farmland. In addition, about half of the plants in the cemetery are pollinated by insects, many of which belong to the asteraceae family. By comparison, Chungmahwa is only one-third of the cultivated plants. The bodies provide nutrients to the soil due to the different types of plants in the cemetery. On the contrary, it has been preserved for up to six generations (180 years) with minimal disturbance.

Paskflower is a plant that adapts well to dry burial habitats. Reporter Jinzu Kim

“The semi-natural habitat of the cemetery serves as a hot spot for native flora and fauna compared to the surrounding intensive agricultural land,” the researchers said. ”Wrote in the essay. Insects that take nectar and pollen from cemetery plants also provide ecosystem services such as pollinating fruit trees and feeding on pests at nearby farmhouses, the report said. However, the researchers said, “The ecological value of the cemetery is in jeopardy because authorities have banned new cemeteries since the late 1990s, when it was discovered that the cemetery had been encroached upon.”

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The secret of baby luck surviving in Daegu

Ejijun, a rare plant in the northern legume family. Daegu’s tomb is the place where the southern end is distributed. Kim Jin-seok provided by the National Institute of Biological Resources.

In Korea, the unique value of the micro-ecosystem of tombs was recently known. Kim Jong-win, a former professor at Kaimung University, said in his 2017 Korean Plant Ecology Report: “Plants that inhabit Grantland (nature and the environment) are endangered due to mineral development by Korea’s natural grasslands. Poor development, it is preserved, “the tombs are becoming temporary shelters and sanctuaries for these grasslands. Professor Kim et al. The plant is distributed throughout Russia, and North Korea is the main supplier to the Korean Peninsula.

Although there are artificial interventions such as mowing once or twice a year, occasional weed control and spraying of herbicides, there is a special plant in the grave that only survives there. Paju / Senior Reporter Lee Jeong-yong lee312@hani.co.kr

However, the tombs in the hilly region around the Gumo River, where most of the Arabidopsis is distributed, retain the features of the northern distribution while being at the southern end. As it is a windy road, it is exposed to the north wind and the average temperature is 1.7 degrees lower than the Daegu area, but it is a well-received place in the south so the leaves and flowers will bloom in spring. In addition, a survival strategy that explores the gap between dominant lawn and human intervention, mowing once or twice a year, occasional weed control, and herbicide injections all contributed to Egyptian survival. “Environmental management needs to understand and adapt to turf habitat, including burial mounds, in order to protect the region’s eagle cloud,” the researchers said. Quoted papers: Scientific reports, DOI: 10.1038 / s41598-020-80362-6 Cho Hong-siop, Staff Reporter ecothink@hani.co.kr