Download Hong Kong Wetland Mai Po

What are wetlands?
Transitional zone between permanently
wet and generally dry environments
 Support a large variety of plant and
animal species
 Can be found on the coasts and inland

What are wetlands?
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Definition in Ramsar Convention
… areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water,
whether natural or artificial, permanent or
temporary, with water that is static or flowing,
fresh, brackish or salt including areas of marine
water, the depth of which at low tide does not
exceed 6 m…
Mai Po Nature Reserve
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Located at northwestern
corner of Hong Kong
Designated a “Wetland
of International
Importance”
by Hong Kong
Government under the
Ramsar Convention
1995
Mai Po Nature Reserve
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Environmental Education and
Management
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An important staging post along the
East Asian/Australasian flyway for
migratory waterbirds
In 1976, the HK Government
officially designated Mai Po as a
“Site of Special Scientific Interest.”
Mai Po Nature Reserve
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In 1983, WWF HK took
over management of the
Reserve for environmental
education and
conservation.
Mai Po has evolved into
one of the most important
wetland reserves in the
world.
Mai Po Nature Reserve
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Wetland Conservation
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Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation
Dept is the Ramsar management authority
in HK.
WWF Hong Kong works closely with AFCD
in managing the Mai Po Nature Reserve, an
integral part of the larger Mai Po Inner
Deep Bay Ramsar Site.
Vegetation inside Mai Po includes
mangroves, reed-beds and rain-fed
freshwater marshes.
Mangrove forest sixth largest protected
area of mangroves in all of China
Reed-bed one of the largest in South China
Mai Po Nature Reserve
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Endangered Birds
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In January 1996, some 68,000 waterbirds
were recorded at Mai Po and Inner Deep
Bay . Of these waterbirds 12 are
recognized as endangered species.
20 to 30% of the world population of the
endangered Black-faced Spoonbill winters
at Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay.
In addition, 11 endangered species of
waterbirds have over 1% of their total
regional population visiting Mai Po annually.
Mai Po Nature Reserve
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Biodiversity
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One of the last sites in southern China to
support threatened mammals such as the
otter.
Reed-beds provide food for migratory birds
such as warblers in spring and autumn.
Some 80 species of invertebrates are
recorded in the mudflat, with some 20
species being new to science.
The reed-beds also supports nearly 400
species of invertebrates with many new to
science.
Mai Po Nature Reserve
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Sustainable Economic Development
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Traditional gei wai shrimp ponds inside the
Reserve recognized internationally as an
example of sustainable use of coastal
wetlands
240 hectares of gei wai at Mai Po now the
only ones left in Hong Kong and South China
40,000 people visit Mai Po Nature Reserve
annually. It includes 10,000 school children
who join one of the 400 specially guided visits
organized by WWF Hong Kong on weekdays.
Causes of impairment
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Hydrological alternation
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E.g. drainage, dredging, stream channelization,
ditching, etc.
Causing loss and fragmentation of habitat
Changes water diversion structures and
impoundments
Urbanization
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[1]
Direct loss of wetlands
Causes degradation of wetlands
Causes of impairment
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Marinas / Boats
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Contribute to suspended sediments;
Increase water turbidity;
Increase the amount of nutrients and organic matter
Reclamation
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[2]
Raise suspended solid level in water, that may cause
death of marine animals
Industry
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Reduce the wetland acreage;
Alter the wetland hydrology;
Increase water temperature;
Contribute to pollutants, some are extremely toxic;
Change pH value
Causes of impairment
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Agriculture
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[3]
Harvesting food, fiber, or forest products,
Maintenance of drainage ditches;
Construction and maintenance of irrigation ditches;
Construction and maintenance of farms and roads;
Atmospheric Deposition
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Air pollution
Mai Po Marshes
[1]
One of the wetlands in Hong Kong
 Deep Bay at the mouth of the Zhujiang.
 380 hectares
 Fish and shrimp ponds
 Dwarf mangroves
 Reed beds
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Mai Po Marshes
[2]
Mai Po Marshes Mangroves
[3]
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Droppers
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Prop roots
Mai Po Marshes Mangroves
[4]
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Pneumatophores
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"Knees" of roots
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Salt glands
Mai Po Marshes - Animals
Fishes
 Shrimps
 Mammals
 Reptiles and Amphibians
 Fiddler Crabs
 Mudskippers
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[5]
Mai Po Marshes - Animals
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[8]
Black-faced Spoonbill
25% of the world’s population spend
each winter in and around the
wetlands of the Mai Po / Inner Deep
Bay Ramsar Site.
A decline in nest
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Long term decline in nest abundance at
the Mai Po Village colony
A decline in nest abundance at the Mai Po
Village colony has been noted in recent
years. The total number of nests of this
colony declined from 109 nests in 2001 to
52 in 2004. The decline in nest
abundance is probably related to the
following observations:
Human disturbance
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Human disturbance
it is noted that the footpath of Castle
Peak Road adjacent to the colony was
used by nearby residents as a minibus
station . Passengers were seen to wait
minibus just in front of the colony. In fact,
no nest was seen in that part of colony,
suggesting that this activity could be one
of the disturbances to the breeding birds.
Previous observations
Monitoring at the Mai Po
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Disturbing monitoring at the Mai Po Village colony
An undetermined nest monitoring inside the Mai Po
Village colony was seen during this breeding season.
Coloured markings of 10 cm long on the base of 20
nests were seen . The highest height of this marked
nest is around 10 – 12 m. The markings should be
tagged through climbing trees or by climbing up a
ladder. As the human being is identified as predators
by the birds, any high degree of movement of human
beings inside the colony would lead to falling down of
chicks from their nests. It is anticipated that the
marking process caused disturbance to the breeding
birds not only around nearby nests, but also those in
the colony.
Ramsar Convention
and
Ramsar Sites
Ramsar Convention and
Ramsar Sites
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Obligations of participants:
To designate wetlands of international importance for
inclusion in a list of so-called ‘Ramsar sites’;
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To maintain the ecological character of their listed
Ramsar sites;
To organize their planning so as to achieve the wise
use of all of the wetlands on their territory; and
To designate wetlands as nature reserves.