Hsinchu City Government has commissioned National Tsing Hua University to conduct "Siangshan Wetland Foundation Survey," and the result shows species, populations, and diversity indexes has increased in mangrove thinning area. Fiddler crab population has grown from 13,000 back in 2008, to 120,000 in 2017. Black-Faced Spoonbill population has also grown from 26 in 2011, to 216 in 2017.
Hsinchu City Mayor Lin Chih-chien states he has launched mangrove thinning and habitat recovering projects since he was elected; and will establish wetland education center and seawall trail in next year to further improve Siangshan Wetland environment. He also points out that Siangshan Wetland covers 1700 hectare and has numerous crabs and shrimps inhabited, which makes it a suitable habitat for birds as well. Hsinchu City Government has gradually finished over 100 hectares of mangrove thinning to improve the ecology.
Director of Hsinchu City Department of Economic Development Wu Jiatian states based on the analysis, the increases in the various indexes in mangrove thinning area are likely due to the transformation of the mudflat bedding from mud to sand. The sandy bedding can reduce the hypoxia issue, so microorganisms are able to decompose organic substrates more efficiently and benefit benthic creatures, which are also the primary food sources for birds that habitat around mudflat.
National Tsing Hua University Professor Yang Shusen, who is also the person in charge of the survey, states mangrove thinning has changed the area to an open and stable tidal flat. The rich food resources make it an important foraging area for winter migratory birds. He also states the survey has done researches on the influence on the removal of mangroves for over a year; and the result shows that not only the bird foraging and habitat area increase drastically, habitat for fiddler crabs also expands and increases the fiddler population to its record high compared with the past 10 years. The population is estimated to keep growing with the future expansion of mangrove thinning area.
Translated by: Shen Pochun
Hsinchu City Mayor Lin Chih-chien states he has launched mangrove thinning and habitat recovering projects since he was elected; and will establish wetland education center and seawall trail in next year to further improve Siangshan Wetland environment. He also points out that Siangshan Wetland covers 1700 hectare and has numerous crabs and shrimps inhabited, which makes it a suitable habitat for birds as well. Hsinchu City Government has gradually finished over 100 hectares of mangrove thinning to improve the ecology.
Director of Hsinchu City Department of Economic Development Wu Jiatian states based on the analysis, the increases in the various indexes in mangrove thinning area are likely due to the transformation of the mudflat bedding from mud to sand. The sandy bedding can reduce the hypoxia issue, so microorganisms are able to decompose organic substrates more efficiently and benefit benthic creatures, which are also the primary food sources for birds that habitat around mudflat.
National Tsing Hua University Professor Yang Shusen, who is also the person in charge of the survey, states mangrove thinning has changed the area to an open and stable tidal flat. The rich food resources make it an important foraging area for winter migratory birds. He also states the survey has done researches on the influence on the removal of mangroves for over a year; and the result shows that not only the bird foraging and habitat area increase drastically, habitat for fiddler crabs also expands and increases the fiddler population to its record high compared with the past 10 years. The population is estimated to keep growing with the future expansion of mangrove thinning area.
Translated by: Shen Pochun
