Nakdonggang River Basin Environmental Office to Eradicate Invasive Plant Species Disrupting Ecosystems

Prickly Aster and Ambrosia artemisiifolia Habiting the Nakdong River Waterfront

The Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office will carry out a project this month to eradicate invasive plant species that threaten the native ecosystem of the Nakdong River.

The eradication target area spans approximately 120 km along the Nakdong River waterfront, from Yuljigyo in Deokgok-myeon, Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam Province, to the Nakdong River Estuary Bank in Saha-gu, Busan. The total eradication area is expected to reach 500,000㎡.

The main target species for eradication are invasive plants such as Gasi-bak and Danpung-ip Dwaejipul, which dominate the waterfront ecosystem with strong reproductive abilities, hindering the growth of native plants and potentially causing allergies due to their hairs, thorns, or pollen.

Thorny Acanthopanax. [Image provided by Nakdong River Authority]

Gasi-bak is an annual vine plant of the Cucurbitaceae family, native to North America. It is known to have been introduced to Korea in the late 1980s as rootstock for cultivating vine vegetables such as cucumbers, and subsequently infiltrated and spread into the ecosystem.

Danpung-ip Dwaejipul is an annual plant of the Asteraceae family, native to North America. Its leaves are palmate with three or five lobes, and its stems grow over 3 meters tall. It is not demanding in habitat conditions and forms large colonies in various environments such as fields, roadsides, and riverbanks.

Ragweed.
[Image provided by Nakdonggang Office]

The Nakdong River Office has been conducting invasive plant eradication projects annually since 2016 to protect the Nakdong River waterfront ecosystem. According to surveys conducted before and after last year’s project, the distribution area in major habitats such as Susangyo in Hanam-eup, Miryang-si, decreased by about 70%, indicating significant results.

The seeds of these invasive plants tend to attach to animal fur or spread along waterways, so new infestations have been found in areas where they were previously unconfirmed, making continuous eradication and management necessary.

Chief Officer Choi Jong-won stated, “We hope this project will help protect the native plants inhabiting the Nakdong River and increase biodiversity in the waterfront ecosystem. We will continue to make efforts to minimize damage caused by alien species and prevent their spread.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.