Upo Wetland in South Korea is a complex of natural wetlands located in Changnyeong County, South Korea, near the Nakdong River. The wetland is made of four smaller wetlands, Upo, Mokpo, Sajapo and JJokji-beol and it derives its name from the largest of the wetlands, Upo. The complex spreads over an area of 2.13 km² and is the largest inland wetland in South Korea today. It is one of two Ramsar wetlands in the country.
Features of Upo Wetland in South Korea
- Being the largest natural wetland in Korea, it grows lots of water plants on the spacious land ranging from Jumae-ri, Daehap-myeon, Changnyeong and An-ri, Ibang-myeon to Daedae-ri and Sejin-ri, Yueo-myeon.
- Upo Wetland is made of conglomerates from the Cretaceous period of Mesozoic Era.
- Upo Wetland was acknowledged as an Ecological Conservation Area on July 26 in 1997 by the Ministry of Environment.
- The next year, it was selected as a Protected Wetland conforming to the Ramsar Treaty.
- Upo is a natural wetland formed in the inland where the branches of the Nakdonggang River meet in a narrow land.
- Upo is home to countless endangered, threatened and rare species.
- Based on a 1997 survey, the wetland is home to a total of 342 endangered or threatened species # 168 species of plants, 62 species of birds, 55 species of arthropods, 28 species of fish, 12 species of mammals, 7 species of reptiles, 5 species of amphibians and 5 species of molluscs.
- The most well known rare plant found here is the prickly lotus or Asin Euryale.
- There are large numbers of migrant birds including other rare species such as the White-naped Crane and Taiga Bean Goose.
- Most of Upo wetland area has been protected since 1997 and is now part of the Upo Ecological Park. However, agricultural and fishing activity still takes place on the wetland.