Rescue workers go through debris from the Eastbrook Mobile Home Park in the aftermath of a tornado in Evansville, Ind., Sunday. Nov. 6, 2005. The tornado ripped across southwestern Indiana and northern Kentucky, killing at least 20 people, wrecking homes and knocking out power to thousands, authorities said. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)



Pine tree worm outbreak

Pine tree worms have been found in the conservation areas of the Baekdu Mountains near Donghae city, Gangwon district. After a mountain hiker reported nine suspected infected pine trees, they were examined and it was confirmed that three pine trees were infected. The infected area is near Chungock Mountain and Duta Mountain. They should protect the pine trees in the famous Murung valley. It is suspected that pine tree worms may be widely spread in the Baekdu Mountains as they are again found in Gangneung this year, as well as last September.

It is said that as the worms were found 40 km from the infected area in Gangneung, it is not a case of the worms spreading. They say worms did not fly directly into the infected area, but the worms might have come out of infected lumber that was used for construction of a nearby temple. No matter what the route is, the problem is that pine trees are dying because of the worms. In addition, the worms can spread quickly so if they don't prepare, the result will be disastrous.

According to a study from the Korea Forest Research Institute, damage resulting from the pine tree worms amounted to 56.7 billion won last year, whereas that of forest fires was almost 500 million won. Economic losses resulting from the pine tree worms are over 100 times more than that of forest fires, except recovery costs of the ecosystem.

Although the national government and local autonomous offices are destroying infected trees to prevent the spread of the pine tree worms, the infected areas are widening. It is said that there is a limit to the present prevention system. They should declare pine tree worms as a national disaster and change the system to take collective responsibility for the prevention of pine tree worms. They should get rid of their careless practices of preventing the worms.

China and Japan suffered the total destruction of pine trees because they couldn't prevent pine tree worms in a timely manner. If South Korea doesn't try hard to prevent the worms, she will have the same result. Sixty percent of the forests in South Korea were pine trees, but now because of the worms, it has been decreased to 25 %.
/ 입력시간: 2005. 11.07. 08:54