News published 27 October 2025

The Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute (KoAGI) and The Morton Arboretum signed an MOU on September 23 to strengthen collaboration on oak conservation and research. This partnership aims to enhance the global conservation network for oaks and launch joint efforts to preserve their native populations, strengthen ex situ collections, and provide education and research for sustainable use.

The Morton Arboretum has a long history of oak conservation and research, and has one of the largest oak collections. In collaboration with BGCI, it leads the Global Conservation Consortium for Oak, playing a key role in global oak biodiversity conservation and international cooperation. In Korea, oaks occupy about 20 percent of the country’s forested area and serve as major canopy species. Nineteen taxa (twelve species, six hybrids, and one variety) are native to the Korean Peninsula. Among them, Quercus gilva is designated as Endangered Species Class Ⅱ and listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the Korean Red List. Recently, the spread of Korean Oak Wilt and habitat loss from climate change have led to a steady decline in native oak populations. KoAGI operates national arboreta across the country’s climate zones to promote biodiversity conservation, research, and garden culture. Building on the ecological and cultural significance of Korean oaks, it has established an Oak Conservation Garden at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum, where oak species from different climate regions are collected, conserved, and exhibited.

This partnership was developed following a visit by a KoAGI delegation to The Morton Arboretum in May, during which both discussed potential areas of cooperation in oak conservation and research. Recognizing the shared need for collaboration, the two formalized their partnership during The Morton Arboretum team’s visit to Korea in September. Alongside the signing ceremony, the Symposium on Oak Conservation and Utilization was held at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum, where experts from both countries shared insights on oak conservation trends, collection and management strategies, and discussed plans for the Oak Conservation Garden. The two also carried out joint field surveys to assess the distribution of Korean oaks and explore strategies for seed conservation and exchange.

“The Morton Arboretum’s tree research and conservation efforts are focused strongly on oak trees, which are keystone species that support entire ecosystems around the world,” said President and CEO Jill Koski.
President Sang-taek SIM added, “Oaks are vital to Korea’s forest ecosystems, and this global partnership will lay the groundwork for the sustainable conservation of oak species worldwide.”
This collaboration marks the beginning of a joint conservation effort led by KoAGI and the Morton Arboretum. Linking Asia and North America, the two present a long-term model for global cooperation and will continue to contribute to a global biodiversity conservation framework.