Ecological Corridor

About the latest changes of Kaohsiung City, aside from the aforesaid construction of theme facilities like "Waterfront Panorama", "Urban Greening", "Coastal Restoration", "Green Transportation", and "Theme Parks", there is also a promoting activity for "Wetland Ecological Corridors" which just makes Kaohsiung City release from the stereotype of an industry city and become an ecology-friendly modern city.

What is a wetland?

The so-called wetland, broadly defined, means a place with water, soil and plants. The most famous definition of a wetland is exactly the "Ramsar Treaty" which was passed at the Ramsar Convention in 1971. In this treaty, the wetland is defined as below:

"What we call a wetland is wherever there is marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, as long as there is marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres".

The moisture of a wetland originates from the runoff water from rainfall. In English, it means the running water without any fixed direction. Whenever the rainfall water reaches any low lands combining with soil and plants, the wetland is therefore formed naturally.

Wetlands can be classified as 3 different types, namely inland wetlands, urban wetlands and coastal wetlands. When water precipitates from sky by means of snow or rainfall, wetlands are naturally formed along the verges of forests and lakes. Those type of wetlands are known as inland wetlands. When water is formed by means of rainfall, welling spring, surface runoff or manual irrigation to form wetlands in areas with crowded population are known as urban wetlands. When the water of wetlands converges to the oceanic estuary through streams or rivers or it is interacted by ocean current and tidal changes by means of lagoons with saline-fresh or saline water combined are known as coastal wetlands.

The Wetland Functions and Values

1. Ecological Function─Wetlands can exert the function of flood detention. In the meanwhile, they are also functioned to purify water quality, to infuse underground water with the prevention from stratum sagging and tidal damage.Wetlands are not only good habitats and shelters when preventing strong wind, but also play an important role when providing wildlife with a stable climatic and ecological systems.
2. Economical Function─Wetlands are featured with abundant ecological and environmental resources. They are available to afford human consumption of fish and agriculture products.
3. Landscape Function─Wetlands are frequently located in some special geographic areas, ample in colony landscape, where usually nourish a variety of animals and plants. Thus, the particular visual landscape formed by wetlands is quite enjoyable.
4. Scientific Research and Environmental Education Function─Numerous wetlands are frequently adopted for contrary counterparts in science studies of environmental monitoring activities. In the meanwhile, the abundant natural environment and fully-developed ecological systems of wetlands can be served as the appropriate sites for environmental and natural protection.
5. Recreational Function─Wetlands provide numerous wildlife creatures with a habitat.. They greatly enhance the biodiversity of the area and receive many visitors' recreational attention.

Wetlands play an important role in the process of human civilization. However, wetlands are frequently abandoned by modern people. The original functions of wetlands in mushrooming urban civilization have been forgotten and ignored. It means human beings show deficient respect to the Mother Nature but neglect the original functions and values for the existence of wetland. These priceless functions and values cannot be judged by money.

What is an ecological corridor?

Matrix, patches and corridors are the concepts of landscape plan proposed by the founder of Ecology, Richard Forman. He contended in response to the demands of urban development, a large patch is divided into several small patches forcibly. Between one patch and another, it is required for some zones of ecological corridors or a cascaded of stepping stones customarily designed for local animals for effective survival so that the purpose of specie spreading can be reached.

When the ecological corridors are planed, the distant effect and connectivity effect shall be taken into consideration. When patches are divided, it is necessary to take the effective migration distance of animals into consideration. Birds are featured with the longest and effective migratory distance, secondly mammals. Amphibians share the shortest effective migratoty distance. The trees with the seeds spread by wind can share longer effective migratory distance than that of trees with the seeds spread by insects.
Corridors can be classified according to their features. They are river corridors, wind-shelter woods corridors and park corridors. When corridors are planned and constructed, we can link the irrigating canals and streams, and the native tree species can be divergently applied to wave mosaic modes of plantation. The verge length of a corridor can be elongated with higher edge effect received.

Wetlands are the ecological systems with the most prosperous productivity in the world and their functions and values should never be ignored. However, within the process of artificial development, we often pose menace to wetlands. People frequently pour soil into water at will and establish embankment to sacrifice original wetlands for dense-populated development. Thus, the overall ecological systems are destroyed.

However, the Kaohsiung City Government started to realize the importance of wetland protection. Under the urgent appeal proposed by some environmental protection associations such as the Wetlands Taiwan Organization, the Wetland Ecological Corridor Project is now under processing. All ecological wetlands are linked by the Caogong Canal from the northernmost Yuanjhong Harbor Wetland, Bangping Lake Wetland, Lotus Pond, Chouchai Wetland, Golden Lion Lake, Benhe Village flood detention pond , Neiweipei Wetland, Jhongdu Love River Wetland to the southernmost Yanshuei Port Wetland, etc. The concrete jungles of Kaohsiung City are now left with some ecological lands available for wildlife survival. The project also allows inhabitants with the access of returning to the Mother Nature, leading an enjoyable life.

Reflection

Wetland ecological corridors are exactly the treasure lands of Kaohsiung City ecologically. Nevertheless, Kaohsiung City, a place menaced by increasing industrialization, people never stop exploiting lands from nearby rivers by establishing embankment. Some priceless historical relics are therefore vanished. It is quite a pity that several water canals are gradually intercepted or filled. Thus, the rescue of urban wetlands becomes an imminent task required everyone's efforts to save the ecological happy land in Kaohsiung City. Only through our collective and incessant efforts, can we enjoy the delight of returning to the Mother Nature!