Practical related task - Ecology Fieldwork: Development and Conservation at Long Valley, Kwu Tung North

Conservation and Development- Long Valley, Kwu Tung North

Practical Related Task - Ecology Field WorkInstructional Approach

Name: Group:Date:

Background:

PlanningDepartmenthascommencedthestage3publicengagementontheNorthEastNewTerritoriesNewDevelopmentAreas,KwuTongNorthisoneofthethreeareas.Itstheme“MixedDevelopmentNode”-makinggooduseofthetransportationnetworktocreateanewdevelopmentareawithamixofcommercial,residentialandR&Duses,aswellaslandforecologicalconservation.However,wouldthisbethebestoption?Studentsmayhavemorein-depthviewaboutthisdevelopmentandhopefullythesustainabledevelopmentinHongKongcanbeimplemented.LongValleyisoneoftheprioritysitesundertheNewConservationPolicywithhighecologicalvalueoffreshwaterwetland.Now,thesiteisunderthemanagementofHongKongBirdWatchingSocietyandConservancyAssociationsponsoredbyECF.TheproposedplanforLongValleywouldbeNatureParkandAgricultureLand,butwouldthisreallyhelpinlong-termconservation?Whatwouldtheimpactsarisefromthenearbydevelopmentandbuildings?

Aims:

Afterthecourse,studentsshouldbeableto:1.Acknowledgethemajordevelopmentanditsrelatedprocess,2.BrieflydescribetheupdatedproposedplanofKwuTungNorth,3.UnderstandtheLongValleyManagementAgreementanditsecologicalvalue,4.ComparetheHoSheungHeungheritagesites,5.Expresstheirviewsaboutthesustainabledevelopmentandthebalancebetweenconservationanddevelopment,6.Doobservationandrecordtheappropriatedata,7.Analyzeandorganizedataforpresentation,8.Cooperatewithothersandworktogetherinascientificinvestigation.9.Appreciatenatureandrespectlivingthings.

Schedule:

9:00-10:00 Briefing

10:40-12:20 Fieldwork

13:00-14:00 Lunch

14:00-14:30 Dataanalysis

14:30-15:15 Preparepresentation

15:15-16:30 Presentation&summary

Equipment and tools:

1 Clipboard(x1)

2 Colourpencils(x1)

3 Binoculars(x1)

4 Macro-scope(x1)

5 Compass(x1)

Clothing:

1.Long-sleevedshirtandtrousersforbetterprotectionagainstmosquitoandinsectbites,aswellaspreventingsunburn.Shortsarenotrecommended.

2.Apairofshoesforpreventinginjuries.Slippersandsandalsarenotrecommended.

Safety:

1.Neverwalkoutsidethefootpath,trampleuponthefarmlandandenterthefishpond.

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Practical related task - Ecology Fieldwork: Development and Conservation at Long Valley, Kwu Tung North

A. Field siteStartingfromYinKongVillagealongtheCastlePeakRoad,headingnorthandpassingthroughthedryagriculturalland,wetlandagriculturalland,blood-wormpondsetc.CrossingtheSheungYueRiver,arriveatHoSheungHeungandvisittheheritagesites.BacktoCastlePeakRoadviaHoSheungHeungRoadbycoach,recordthesituationofKwuTungNorthalongtheway.

B. Habitat Assessment1. Habitat mapping

Throughoutthevisit,recordthehabitattypes,markonthemapwithcolourpencilsandshowtheirboundaries.Herearethehabitattypesyoumayencounter:

a.Village--threestoreyorlowerheightvillagehouses,withorwithoutoccupants.b.Brownfield--thedisturbedlande.g.storagearea,carparkorgarbagefilledland.c.Dryagriculturalland--thesoilisnotcoveredwithwater,theplantedcropsaremorediversified.d.Wetagriculturalland--thesoilisfloodedwithwater,cropsarepaddyrice,watercress,waterspinachetc.e.Blood-wormpond--looksimilartofishpondbutthewaterlevelisveryshallow,lessthan1foot.f.River--naturalorartificialstreamchannel,withvisiblewaterflow.g.Fishpond/Mitigationpond--noemergedvegetationonthepondsurface,waterdepthmaybedeeperthan2 meters/maylooklikefishpond,butwithvegetationemergedfromthepond.h.Woodland--secondarygrowthforestnearbythevillage,usuallylookmessywithdiverseplantspecies.

2. Evaluating a habitatAccordingtotheEnvironmentalImpactAssessmentOrdinance-TechnicalMemorandum,therearedifferentcriteriainevaluatingahabitat:naturalness,size,diversity,rarity,re-creatability,fragmentation,ecologicallinkage,potentialvalue,nursery/breedingground,age,abundance/richnessofwildlife.Inthisfieldtrip,wewillfocusonthefollowing:

a.Naturalness--thelessmodifiedhabitat,thehighervaluewillberated.

b.Size--thelargerareaofhabitat,morevaluablethansmallerones,allelsebeingequal.

c.Diversity--morediversespeciesandcommunities,higheritsconservationvalue.

d.Re-creatability--difficulttobere-creatednaturallyorartificiallyareusuallyvaluedhigher.

e.Ecologicallinkage--closeproximityand/orlinksfunctionallytoahighlyvaluedhabitat,thevalueincreases.

f.Abundance/Richnessofwildlife--ingeneralsitessupportingmorewildlifewillberatedhigher.

Pleasetickthecheckboxandaddtheappropriatedescription.Finally,evaluatingahabitatofitsoverallvalue.

C. Ho Sheung Heung heritage sitesHoSheungHeungisanindigenousinhabitantsvillage.Thereareanumberofheritagesites.TherenownedHauKuShekAncestralHallwasdeclaredamonumentin2003andisprotectedundertheAntiquitiesandMonumentsOrdinance.HungShingTemple&PaiFungTemplewashistoricbuildingsgradedasgrade3in1981.Wemayassesstheirdifferencesinbuilding’sscale,presentmanagement,buildingcondition,numberofvisitorsetc.

D. Proposed planning and ideal future ReferringtotheplanningproposaloftheStage3KwuTungNorthlanduse,pleasefocusonthelanduseanddevelopmentplaninthevicinityofLongValley.Accordingtoyourfieldtripexperience,statetheprosandconsofrecentproposal.

Inaddition,nowisthetimeforpublicengagement,youarehighlyrecommendedtosubmityourviewstotheconsultants/PlanningDepartment.Youmayfinetunethepresentplanninglayoutorevensuggesttomakeamajoramendmente.g.tomaximizethelanduseandtheprofitoutcome,proposedtoturnalltheavailablelandforresidential,industrialandcommercialuse;oryoumayconsidertoproactivelyinnatureconservation,e.g.upgradethenatureparktoprotectedareaorspecialarea,agriculturallandchangetoSiteofSpecialScientificInterest(SSSI),andthelowerthenearbyresidentialandcommercialbuildingsdensityandevenrestricttheheightofthebuildingsinordertopreservemoregreenerareasatKwuTungNorth.Forthesemajoramendments,youarerecommendedtouseablanksheettodrawouttheidealfuture.

Procedure

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Practical related task - Ecology Fieldwork: Development and Conservation at Long Valley, Kwu Tung North

Map

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A. Field site

B. 1. Habitat mapping

Practical related task - Ecology Fieldwork: Development and Conservation at Long Valley, Kwu Tung North A4

2. Evaluating a habitat

Criteria Village Brown field Dry agricultural land Wet agricultural land

Naturalness

High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low

Size

Diversity

High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low

Re-

creatability

High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low

Ecological

linkage

High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low

Abundance/

richness of

wildlife

High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low

Overall

Criteria Blood-worm pond River Fishpond/Mitigationpond Woodland

Naturalness

High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low

Size

Diversity

High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low

Re-

creatability

High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low

Ecological

linkage

High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low

Abundance/

richness of

wildlife

High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low High Medium Low

Overall

Practical related task - Ecology Fieldwork: Development and Conservation at Long Valley, Kwu Tung NorthA5

HauKuShekAncestralHall HungShingTemple&PaiFungTemple

Scale

(Building style)

Management

(Private/

Government)

Maintenance

(Facilities

condition)

Popularity

(Visitors number)

C. Ho Sheung Heung heritage sites

D. Proposed planning and ideal future