![journal of terrestrial plant ecology journal of terrestrial plant ecology](https://xpic.x-mol.com/20190102%2F10.1111_1365-2745.13103.jpg)
However, unlike situations in other socioeconomic fields, climate change-related effects on ecosystems may be beyond the public interest since the difficulties they cause may not directly damage or inconvenience humans (Park et al. Importantly, if the biodiversity of an ecosystem, i.e., the presence of a wide variety of organisms, were lost, this loss would be permanent. Moreover, it will serve as a reference for policy-makers seeking to establish future sectoral adaptation options for protection against climate change.Ĭlimate change has a wide range of continuous repercussions on ecosystems. This review provides useful information and new insights that will improve understanding of climate change effects on the ecosystems of Korea. Community ecology studies indicated that the future ranges of cold-adapted plants and animals could shrink or shift toward northern and high-elevation areas, whereas the ranges of warm-adapted organisms could expand and/or shift toward the areas that the aforementioned cold-adapted biota previously occupied. Plant phenology studies showed that climate change has increased growing seasons by advancing the timing of flowering and budburst while delaying the timing of leafing out.
![journal of terrestrial plant ecology journal of terrestrial plant ecology](https://www.tropwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/eDNA-01278-1.jpg)
We found that publication of climate-related studies on plants has decreased in the field of plant phenology and physiology, whereas such publication has rapidly increased in plant and animal community ecology, reflecting the range shifts and abundance change that are occurring under climate change.
![journal of terrestrial plant ecology journal of terrestrial plant ecology](https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0048969719361972-ga1.jpg)
To this end, we compiled a set of peer-reviewed papers published since 2014. In this review, we aimed to synthesize the current knowledge on the observed and projected effects of climate change on the ecosystems of Korea (i.e., the Republic of Korea (ROK) or South Korea), as well as the main causes of vulnerability and options for adaptation in these ecosystems based on a range of ecological and biogeographical data.