The application of island biogepgraphy and habitat fragmentation theory to protected area management in Korea is discussed. The accelerating destruction and degradation of natural habitats, with the associated erosion of biodiversity, demands and urgent response and a critical review of attitudes to protected area management. The flora of Korea will continue to change in both distribution and status in response to these man induced changes. The conservation and management of ecosystems, because of the variety of threats and the varying levels of biodiversity to be conserved, requires an integrated approach. Such an approach assesses the variety of threats, prevalent and potential, and responds with a strategy combining habitat, species and population management. The application of island biogeography, habitat fragmentation and edge effects theory to conservation strategies in Korea will assist in the understanding of the dynamic relationships between the isolation. degradation and fragmentation of surviving habitat patches. The application of such approaches is discussed with recommendations made for the adoption of an increasingly scientific approach to plant conservation based upon a knowledge of the conservation status and distribution characteristics of the Korean flora. Such data combined with demographic studies on topics such as Minimum Viable Population Size will allow an integrated approach to plant and habitat conservation to progress.