Range

Jap., Kor., N.E. China, S.E. Russia

Ecology

"Pinus densiflora is one of the most widely distributed Japanese conifers, ranging from southern Hokkaido through Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Pinus densiflora often dominates sterile sites, such as along ridges... In recent years, P. densiflora forests have been subdivided by human footprints, such as rice fields and residential zones. Moreover, over the last 5 decades, many remnant populations have gone extinct due to pine wilt disease caused by the pine wood nematode." [1]

Equity: Cultural and Historical Significance

In 2015, "The Korea Forest Service (KFS)... that to mark the nation's 70th anniversary of Liberation Day, it will change the nation's native plants that were named arbitrarily by Japanese botanists during the 1910-1945 colonial rule.

The nation's pine tree, commonly found on the peninsula and even expressed in the lyrics of the national anthem, has been called the "Japanese red pine" in English...

For example, Japanese red pine was changed to "Korean red pine."" [2]

"The fresh needles untreated as a folk medicine. Apparently, the medical affects of the needles are strongest in the winter, and they said to expel pathogenic wind, remove dampness, and to stop bleeding (Korea Food & Drug Administration, 1997). Various parts of this tree, i.e., needles, cones, cortices, and pollen, have been widely used for health promoting purposes as a folk medicine or as a food." [3]

Economics

"Over the last few decades, South Korea has successfully greened the land devastated during World War II. The extensively reforested land produces many trees [including Pinus densiflora], which provide wood products, wood composites, and sawn wood. Sawn wood is one of the most effective ways of using wood with less processing." [4]