Environment of Hong Kong
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The ecology of Hong Kong is mostly affected by the results of climatic changes. Hong Kong's climate is seasonal due to alternating wind direction between winter and summer.
Hong Kong has been geologically stable for millions of years. Flora and fauna in Hong Kong are altered by climatic change, sea level alternation, and human impact.
Climate
Hong Kong has a subtropical climate, which is additionally influenced by the monsoon in spring. The average daily maximum temperatures range from 19 to 32 degrees, depending on the season. There are hot, humid summers and temperate, dry winters. With daily highs of 33 °C, it is warmest from late May to mid-September. Over 2200 liters of rain per square meter fall annually - 80% of it between May and September. Of these, June and August are the wettest months, with rain falling on almost four out of seven days. With only one rainy day per week in January and December, these are the driest months. Between late May and mid-September, typhoons and violent thunderstorms can occasionally occur.
Land
The total land area of Hong Kong is 1,076 square kilometres, but about 75% of this land is open countryside[
Species richness in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is considered rich in species variety. The number of bird species in Hong Kong is fully one-third of that in China along with one-sixth as many butterflies species, according to surveys.[1]
The horseshoe crabs Tachypleus tridentatus and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda are found in Hong Kong's waters, and there are reported sighting of Tachypleus gigas.[2]
Ecosystems in Hong Kong
Mangroves
The following are sites of mangroves in Hong Kong:
Rocky shores
The tidal range of Hong Kong is about 2.5 metres and the distribution of species situated in this region must be tolerant of conditions when the shore is covered with seawater at high tide and when the shore is directly exposed to the air at low tide, for hours or days. Species may adapt to these varying conditions by successfully exploiting narrow vertical zones along the rocky shore.
The species inhabiting Hong Kong's rocky coastal areas vary depending the exposure to the wave action from the sea. The sessile filter-feeding organisms inhabit the wave-exposed shoreline. They are able to attach on the rock surface and remove food particles in the turbulent water, while the mobile herbivores and carnivores prefer the sheltered shores. The varieties of organisms also varies with the season, especially in Hong Kong where oceanic currents change through the year. For instance, very few erect foliose macro-algae can tolerate Hong Kong's summer heat, but they are common in winter.
The following are the sites of rocky shores in Hong Kong:
- Luk Keng
- Kei Ling Ha Lo Wai
- Cape D'Aguilar Marine Reserve
Streams
There are two kinds of freshwater habitats: lentic (still, or very slow moving) water, such as lakes, ponds, ditches, and lotic (flowing) water, such as rivers, streams.
There are three main factors to differentiate the habitats in Hong Kong: variability of current, amount of detritus and variable oxygen content. These factors influence animals' various adaptive responses. They have to attach themselves to the surfaces, become predominantly detritus feeders and have a mechanism for obtaining maximum oxygen supply.
The following are the list of rivers in Hong Kong:
Sandy shores
The following are the site of sandy shores in Hong Kong:
Problems
Pollution
General
In 1989, the Hong Kong government realised that Hong Kong was in danger of becoming a vast, densely populated city. Due to the growth of the economy and business sectors, the water, waste and air pollution cause an adverse effect on the balance of ecology in Hong Kong.
Factories, farms and restaurants in the New Territories dump large amounts of sewage and even untreated waste into the streams and the sea. It makes the New Territories' streams be 'no better than open sewers'. This severe damage is irreversible and the creatures in the sea are the direct victims.[5]
The
The nature reserve and birds in
The oyster farms have been throttled by a mixture of pollution and competition from cheaper oyster cultivation across the border in China.
Air pollution
Air pollution is another serious problem. Smoke-belching factories, intense construction and large numbers of diesel vehicles have led to dangerous levels of
Thermal pollution
According to a Baptist University study, daily average minimum temperatures have increased by 0.02 degrees (Celsius) annually between 1965 and 2003, due to the urban heat island effect, which traps heat during the daytime and releases it at night. Average daily maximum temperatures have fallen by 0.014 degrees each year, as air pollution blocks solar radiation. Resulting increased nighttime ambient temperatures incite families to use domestic air-conditioning, which further compounds the problem.[8]
Research has shown that the ambient air-temperature in urban areas can be some 5 °C higher than non built-up areas. The
"Wall effect"
There has been increasing concern since 2006 over the "wall effect" caused by uniform high-rise developments that adversely impact air circulation. Due to the density of Hong Kong's population and the economies of scale of mass developments, there is the tendency of new private tower block developments with 10 to over 100 towers, ranging from 30 to 70 stories high. Developers of housing estates are financially motivated to maximise the view, at the expense of the free flow of air. Huge wall-like estates along the waterfront are often constructed.[10]
In-fill developments are typically constructed by smaller developers with less capital. These will be smaller in scale, and less prone to the wall effect.
Environmental group Green Sense expressed concern that their survey on 155 housing estates found 104 have a 'wall-like' design. It cited estates in Tai Kok Tsui and Tseung Kwan O as the "best examples".[10] In May 2007, citing concern over developments in West Kowloon, and near Tai Wai and Yuen Long railway stations, some legislators called for a law to stop developers from constructing tall buildings that adversely affect airflow in densely populated areas, but the bid failed.[11] In 2007, residents of Tai Kok Tsui, increasingly aware of the problem, have been lobbying against the further proliferation of such high-rises in their area that threaten the last air corridor.[9]
Threats to flora and fauna
Destruction of habitat
- Encroachment of the green belt
- Effect of the Building Waste Levy
Illegal hunting of species by mainland Chinese
With increasing affluence of mainland Chinese, some of them become affable to some luxury flora and fauna, like
Introduction of non-indigenous species
Most of the introduced species do little harm to the ecology of Hong Kong. However, some species are invasive and cause massive damage to the ecology and/or economy of Hong Kong.[12]
Examples are the pinewood nematode from North America and pine-needle scale insect from Taiwan, which together virtually eliminated the native Pinus massoniana in the 1970s and 1980s.[13]
Gallery
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Hong Kong orchid tree
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Fruit of Camellia granthamiana
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Green turtle
See also
- Geography of Hong Kong
- Conservation in Hong Kong
- Environment of mainland China
- Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge
- List of protected species in Hong Kong
- Species first discovered in Hong Kong
- List of mammals of Hong Kong
- List of birds of Hong Kong
- List of amphibians of Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society
- Hong Kong Bird Watching Society
References
- ^ Ecology of Hong Kong Archived 2 August 2012 at archive.today, Hong Kong Nature.net
- ^ "Horseshoe Crabs in Hong Kong". Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "Environmental Impact Assessment Report for 132 KV Supply Circuit from Pui O via Chi Ma Wan Peninsula via Sea Crossing towards Cheung Chau. Ecological Impact Assessment. 2001". Government of Hong Kong. 2 February 2001. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
- ^ "Site of Special Scientific Interest - Tai Ho Stream, Lantau Island" (PDF). Planning Department. 30 September 1992.
- ^ Reyes, Renato (21 December 1995). "Victoria Harbour to continue choking on sewage". The Standard. Retrieved 15 May 2007.
- ^ Keegan, Matthew (11 August 2020). "The world's growing concrete coasts". BBC Future Planet. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Threatened Birds - Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor". Archived from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2008.
- ^ Agnes Lam, "Nighttime temperatures creeping ever higher", Page C1, South China Morning Post, 7 June 2007
- ^ a b 10.40pm, 32°. The future's red hot for HK, pg 1, South China Morning Post, 30 September 2007
- ^ a b Yung, Chester (21 December 2006). "'Asia's walled city' leaves – residents longing for air". The Standard. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
- ^ Olga Wong, "Call for the law against 'wall effect' fails", South China Morning Post, 10 May 2007
- ^ "Richard Corlett."Hong Kong's Bad Biodiversity"". Hku.hk. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
- ^ "Porcupine! 23 - Hong Kong's Bad Biodiversity!". Hku.hk. Retrieved 25 September 2012.