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to be taken in which human populations are considered a component of complex web-like ecosystems composed of all of the living and nonliving elements within a defined area. In other words, man is to be considered in nature as part of a natural system, rather than as an outside influence that modifies or destroys the system. The program envisioned is designed to develop an understanding of all aspects of Korean ecosystems, including the component parts (plants, animals, soils, climate) and their interrelationships, the structure of the system and its relationship to the energetics essential to maintaining the system, the cycling of nutrients and changes occurring with time.

In scope the program includes all of the ecosystems in Korea. Initially the focus will be on the Demilitarized Zone and the adjacent Buffer Zone to the south, which have been intensively protected from man for 13 years. Here unusual opportunities exist for investigation ecological principles of changes in vegetation, animal life, and soils and their relationship to the complexity of the ecosystems involved. Do the changes follow classical concepts of succession with one community relaying another as the site becomes less favorable for the existing community and more suitable for the next community, or do the changes depend largely on what plants happened to be present at the time cultivation was abandoned? Are the ecosystems increasing in complexity with time in terms of numbers of species of plants and animals and their interactions; and if so, what is the relationship of increased diversity to the dynamics of populations? The latter is of special interest with regard to agricultural pests that tend to explode in numbers in simplified ecosystems,such as those created by man through cultivation. Long-range studies of ecosystem changes in the DMZ can be made especially meaningful through comparisons with changes in the unprotected systems highly modified by man immediately south of the Buffer Zone. IN a sense the DMZ is an ecological [[strikethrough]]benchmark[[/strikethrough]] ^[[insertion]]baseline[[/insertion]] against which to compare ecosystems altered by man. As time passes, the [[strikethrough]]benchmark[[/strikethrough]] ^[[insertion]]baseline[[/insertion]] will increase in value and new studies, unanticipated at this time, are likely to emerge. For this reason the program should continue over an indefinite period of time.

[[underlined]]Historical Background[[/underlined]]

The Demilitarized Zone in Korea was established in 1953. It is an area 248 km long by 4 km wide. A Buffer Zone about 8 km in width lies contiguous to the DMZ on the south. The entire area has been free from cultivation since 1950. Approximately the western half of the zone, a lowland area had been intensively cultivated prior to the Korea war, whereas the eastern portion, which is hilly to mountainous, was covered in large part with pine forests and cultivated only in suitable valleys.