‘Mungyeong Dolline Wetland’ Designated as Ramsar Wetland… Habitat for 932 Wild Species Including Mandarin Duck, Little Owl, and Leopard Cat

Mungyeong City in Gyeongbuk announced on the 6th that its Sanbuk-myeon area, 'Mungyeong Doline Wetland,' was notified on the 2nd by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat of its designation as the 25th Ramsar Wetland in South Korea and the first in Gyeongsangbuk-do to be internationally recognized as a wetland of importance.

Among the 2,503 Ramsar wetlands worldwide, only six?including the Mungyeong Doline Wetland?are developed on doline landforms or uvala landforms, where two or more dolines are connected to form a depression. This wetland is unique within South Korea.

Mungyeong Dolline Wetland

The Mungyeong Doline Wetland is a globally rare wetland formed in a doline landform, where water typically does not accumulate easily. It is a biologically diverse area inhabited by 932 species of wildlife, including natural monuments such as mandarin ducks and owls, endangered wild animals like otters, martens, and leopard cats, as well as rare plants designated by the Korea Forest Service, such as Nakjidal and Kkorijin-dalrae.

A doline is a dish-shaped depression (sinkhole) formed by the dissolution of calcium carbonate, the main component of limestone areas, by rainwater and groundwater. Because rainwater drains well underground, these areas typically do not retain water.

This is an extremely rare case globally and holds high academic value from ecological and geological perspectives. The designation as a Ramsar Wetland recognizes it as a wetland that must be conserved internationally.

Ramsar Wetlands are wetlands recognized worldwide for their importance and designated and protected by the Ramsar Convention. The Ramsar Convention, officially known as the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, protects wetlands with unique biological and geographical features, habitats of rare flora and fauna, or important waterfowl habitats by designating them as Ramsar Wetlands.

Mungyeong Mayor Shin Hyunguk (fourth from the left) and other Mungyeong City Hall employees are taking a commemorative photo celebrating the designation of the Ramsar Wetland.

Shin Hyun-guk, mayor of Mungyeong City, said, “We are very pleased that the Mungyeong Doline Wetland has been internationally recognized through its designation as a Ramsar Wetland. We will prepare to allow visitors to experience this rare nature firsthand by efficiently conserving the wetland ecosystem.”

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