SEOUL – Almost all forests on the Korean Peninsula are likely to be at high risk of extinction if the average temperature rises by 6 C at the end of this century, a government report released Friday said. In the report titled "Estimated effect of global warming on the Korean Peninsula," the Ministry of Environment said the average temperature of the peninsula is forecast to rise by 1.2 C in 2020 from 13.5 C, the average of the past 30 years, if the current trend of global warming continues.
The average precipitation will increase by 11 percent, the ministry added.
It also said the average temperature and precipitation will rise by 3 C and 17 percent in 2050 and by 5 C and 17 percent in 2080.
The 2 C increase in the average global temperature will push up all temperature zones on earth by 150-550 kilometers in latitude and 150-550 meters in altitude, the report said.
Rising temperatures from global warming will cause forest boundaries to shift northward by 4-200 kilometers a year, faster than the changes of the temperature zone, endangering the forests on the peninsula, the report forecast.