More than 4,300 species of plants, with a total of 30,000 specimens, have been planted at a giant ecological park to open next February, the Ministry of Environment said.

Brought from all over the world, including desert and polar areas, the plants are assets of the National Institute of Ecology located in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province, it added.

Among the plants to find a new home at the NIE site are some 1,000 internationally endangered species, including Agave parviflora.

Many of them will be on display at the Ecorium, five interlinked glasshouses containing wildlife and plants of five different climate zones ― desert, tropical area, Mediterranean region, warm temperate zone and polar region.

“The plants have gone through a long and arduous process to find new home here,” said Lee Chang-seok, who is leading the preparations for the NIE opening. “We hope that with them, the NIE will become a center of ecological research in Korea.”

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)