Wetland Ecology and Conversation in Hong Kong

1. Group 4 Leung Shing On 6B 24 Pang Chun Kit 6B 27 Lam Chi Wai 6B 20 Lau Tsz Ming 6B23 Wetland Ecology and Conversation in Hong Kong

2. Introduction • Wetlands are rich in biodiversity and play a key role in coastal ecosystem. • A property developer is planning to claim a large area of wetland for constructing housing estates. • An artificial wetland will be built for compensation purposes • We have four roles • Environmental scientist from WWF (You are concerned about the damaging effect of the project to wetland ecology and you strongly object the project.) • LAM CHI WAI • (2)Representative of the developer (You find the project so lucrative and think that the compensation programmed can fulfill the needs of environmentalists) • LAU TSZ MING • (3)Local residents A (You are not aware of the ecological value of wetlands and you only want a brand new housing estate so more flats are available to people) • Leung Shing ON • (4)Local resident B (You don't support the project and think that the artificial wetland cannot play the ecological role of the original wetland) • Pang Chun Kit

3. Wetland • A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with moisture either permanently or seasonally. • Such areas may also be covered partially or completely by shallow pools of water. • Wetlands include swamps, marshes, and bogs, among others. • The water found in wetlands can be saltwater, freshwater, or brackish. • Wetlands are considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems. Plant life found in wetlands includes mangrove, water lilies, cattails, sedges, tamarack, black spruce, cypress, gum, and many others. • Animal life includes many different amphibians, reptiles, birds, and furbearers.[

4. The biodiversity of wetland The local resident B • For the biodiversity, the number of species and quantity of organisms in each habitat are difference too. • Some organisms may not be adapted in the artificial wetland due to interspecific or intraspecific competitions and they may die eventually. • Therefore, the habitat of artificial wetland is not the same as natural wetland so it cannot play the own ecological role.

5. Explanation of biodiversity The local resident B -Storage of water –Wetlands absorb massive run-off and release water slowly, e.g. floodplain -Filter –Wetlands can trap waste and break down pollutants, e.g. reed beds -Protection –Wetlands protect shore lines against storm waves, floods and erosions, e.g. mangroves -Provision –Wetlands provide organism as food, medicines and natural materials, e.g. rice paddies -Shelter –Wetlands are home for organisms to live and support complex food web, e.g. coral reefs

6. The local resident B Habitat of season birds There are lots of birds flying to Hong Kong’s wetland in winter because Hong Kong is warmer. -If the wetland is destroyed, the animals and plants cannot live in the wetland such as Alcedo atthis(the right picture) and egretta alba(the left picture). -About 23% of all kinds of blackface spoonbills go to Hong Kong for living. If they can’t live there, they will die for clod climate and starvation

7. The representative of the developer Transfer the whole wetland to other area Actually, our technology is very mature. We can 'transfer' the whole wetland to other area. As a conscientious developer, we are favorable to bear the financial burden to protect the wetland. We will first hire a group of biologists and collect all the species living in the wetland. Then we will rebuild the wetland on the coast nearby, using the mud, rock and other local materials from the original wetland. After that, our biologist will cultivate the species collected before in the wetland and observe and adjust the environment until a stable ecosystem is formed. Thus, the wetland can be totally transferred to other area. 

8. Artificial Wetland • The planted mangrove site at Lei Ling Ha Lo Wai is a typical example of artifical wetland • Replanting some mangrove seedlings to replace any lost. Try to ask the students to identify the plant and animal species in the replanted mangrove stand using the laminated common species identification sheets. • 1. What are the common mangrove plants in the replanted mangrove site? • Kandeliacandel is the most common species planted in mangrove replantations because they have relatively larger droppers. To enhance the replantation site to be more resemble to the natural habitat, however, multi-species replantations should be conducted which include other common mangrove plant species such as Bruguiera gymnorrhiza and Aegicerascorniculatum.

9. The environmental scientist from WWF Artificial wetland In fact, the artificial wetland really can not replace the natural one. Plants in replanted mangroves site are often regularly arranged and the number of species is usually lower than the natural mangroves, as time is needed for organisms to colonize a new habitat. Although replanting mangroves attempts to replace the mangroves lost in the past, the biological assemblages of replanted mangrove stands will take a long time to resemble the true natural habitat.

10. Wetlands are considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems. They support a great diversity of wildlife, including endangered species, and species that are unique to Hong Kong. Wetlands process strong sedimentation and purification power. When water stream flow into the wetland, most kind of the matters will be sunk and accumulated slowly. For example, mangroves in Thailand, have even been used as effective nutrient –rich domestic sewage treatment sites for recycling of nutrients. The organic matter in domestic sewage is contributed to converted to inorganic. Nutrients in the soils of wetland is decomposed by decomposer and nitrifying organisms. Wetland vegetation vegetables absorbs the in the inorganic nutrients for growth. The environmental scientist from WWF Filtration function

11. The environmental scientist from WWF Erosion of coastal area Property of a wetland A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with moisture either permanently or seasonally. Such areas may also be covered partially or completely by shallow pools of water. Functions of a wetland 1.It is important for the water recycling in the ecosystem. 2.Wetlands hold the groundwater and regulate surface runoff. 3.Those can prevent desiccation of the land and droughts. 4.wetlands can protect coastal areas form invasion of sea water, they reduce the degree of Stalinization of the soil in coastal area. 5.Wetlands protect seacoasts from erosion and tsunami such as the mangroves and plants grown in tropical 6.subtropical area can be wind proof and obstruct water wave. 7. Lastly, the moisture in wetland contribute to microclimate. A microclimate is a local external atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. Microclimates exist, for example, near bodies of water which may cooler than the local atmosphere.

12. The local resident A living standard I only want a comfortable and convenient place to live. Hong Kong population is very high and it is a very crowded place Building a new estate can provide another place to live so the living standard of our local residents can be improved. Also ecological value of wetlands is less important than the living condition and standard of our local residents. In fact, I understand that If the wetland is destroyed and became a house estate, the animals and plants will die or extinct, so we can build a house estate by removing the wetland to an other place which is done by the developers

13. The environmental scientist from WWF The abundant of natural resources wetland is abundant of valuable natural resources. Wetlands are abundant of fishes, shrimps, algae, lotus roots and reeds . They provide important raw materials for agriculture, fishery and husbandry. Wetland is abundant of minerals and fuel such as peat bogs and mineral salts in salt lakes.

14. The local resident B Jiuzhaigou (九寨溝) Economical factors -The landscape of the artificial wetland must be different from the original wetland. -The famous scenic area of the wetland cannot be compared with artificial one. -The economic benefit of natural wetland is better because the tourist will tend to go to natural wetland. The tourist industry can be boost such as Hong Kong Wetland Park and some famous spot in China such as Jiuzhaigou (九寨溝).

15. The local resident A Job opportunity Economic region is more important than ecological value. Building a new housing estate can improve our living standard and provide many job opportunity. It is very essential for the now situation (the economic downturn of the financial crisis). Do you want our local residents living in a poor condition. Also, the method which building housing estate and moving wetland is the only method.

16. The local resident B Hong Kong Wetland Park -The Hong Kong Wetland Park is to foster public awareness, knowledge and understanding of the inherent values of wetlands and action for wetland conservation. -It can demonstrate the diversity of Hong Kong's wetland ecosystem and highlight the need to conserve them. (Our group member, Lam Chi Wai, visited the Hong Kong Wetland Park a few weeks ago. He thinks It is valuable that there is such a wonderful and educational park in Tin Shui Wei, a tiny concrete jungle. )

17. The local resident B Wetland is the origanation of human We should feel gratitude to our environment because wetland is the original place of human ,Wetlands breed our civilizations such Chinese cicilization originated in the Yellow River .

18. conclusion In conclusion , wetland is valuable, so we should ban this action and protect this wetland. The End