Korea plants and animals

1) Plants
Korea ha 3500 different kinds of plants. Aquarter of them(900) are species of trees and the rest are mainly grass. Dominant tree species include oak, Oriental oak, wild-walnut, maple, ash, pine.
According to one newspaper survey, the pine tree is one of Korea`s best treasured trees.
Pine has long been used in construction, making furniture, and shipbuilding. The pine was protected from logging in the Joseon Period (1392~1910). The pine tree`s evergreen leaves and sturdyness are often compared to Korean scholars` high integrity and true nobility. Zelkova, ginkgo, willow, and poplar are also favored trees. In particular, the zelkova is traditionally considered a sacred trees. In the past, people worshipped the ancient zelkova in their village. Trees that are considered sacred are called 당산목(dangsanmok) in korean, and were the sites of ritual ceremonies in the past. Thus, cutting, trimming, or climbing sacred trees was considered taboo.

2)Animals
Korea is habitat for about 100,000 animal species.
Until the mid-20th century, the tiger was the top predator in the food chain in Korea. However, due to overhunting in the early 20th century, it is widely believed that the tiger is now extinct. Throughout history, tigers were the most dangerous animal because they would occasionally come down to villages and attack people. Thus, no one moved around late at night. Korea`s favorite animal is dog.
For Koreans, the turtle, crane, and deer represent long life, so paintings and symbols of these animals are used to pray for longevity. The dragon, phoenix, and haete are Korea`s most well known mythical animals. There is a popular belief that the appearance of these animals in dreams indicates the making of a fortune. The tiger and bear are two main characters in the origin myths of Korea. The story is about a bear turned into a woman after eating garlic and mugwort in a cave for 100 days. Long ago, Koreans worshipped the bear as their ancestor.