Litzechien (14313)
Taiwan, China, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Litzechien
Central coordinates: Latitude: 24.6500, Longitude: 121.8000
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1 to 3
Area of KBA (km2): 8.81664
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Extent of this site: to the south is Ilan County Road 30; to the west is Han County Road 25; to the north is the Provincial Highway 7; and to the east is the Provincial Highway 2. This area contains the Dongshan River. The area is also called Wushierjia (means 52 ha), because historically, the Ilan People once reclaimed and cultivated an area of about 52 ha here. Before the 1980s, the water channel of the Dongshan River twisted and turned, which made the drainage of the water from torrential rains of typhoons very difficult, and thus caused flooding disasters which created the freshwater wetlands nearby. Later, the dredging of the Dongshan River continued according to the Dredging Plan of Provincial Rivers. The Wushierjia Wetlands consists of the nearby paddy fields and the marshes formed from abandoned cultivated fields. Because of the abundant food resources and the location of the wetlands, each year, large numbers of the Scolopacidae, Charadriidae and waterfowl spend the winter here. All lands in this area are privately owned. Due to high costs of land acquisition and opposition from landowners, the government has found it difficult to establish a bird reserve in this area. Wushierjia Wetlands is located close to the Dongshan River Scenic Area. Integrating the two areas together would provide greater diversity in scenic spots for tourist activities and ecological education.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: IBA Al criterion species: Black-faced Spoonbills • BFS are frequent visitors to this area as they fly back and forth from the river mouth of the Lanyang River; a maximum of 5 birds was recorded in December 1999. • Baikal Teal winters in mixed flocks with Green-winged Teal. • Chinese Egret, Saunders’s Gull, and Spoon-billed Sandpiper have been recorded occasionally. • There are abundant bird resources, with 206 species recorded. The best time to observe birds is between October and December, when large flocks of the Anatidae and Kentish Plover pass through on their way south.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (70%) | not utilised (5%) | urban/industrial/transport (6%) | water management (10%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 50 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: • There is a high density of cultivated land. • By the end of 1986, nets for catching waterfowl were strung everywhere along the Ilan coast area, particularly in the Wushierjia area. • There is a serious problem with fill dirt. Piles of wasted soil and gravel have been dumped in the area since 1989, which has caused serious damage to the ecology of the marshes. In 1994, all types of wasted soil and gravel were deliberately dumped to fill in large areas of land. Businessmen planned to fill the land and hoped the government would change the land zoning to a residential and industrial district in this area. • In 1999, developers applied for land of less than 2 ha each time to avoid the environmental impact assessment and legitimize the construction of a dormitory for labourers. • Brokers have been speculating in land since the area is close to the Dongshan River Scenic Area. • The government of Ilan County might include the Wushierjia Wetlands as part of the project of urban planning in Lizejian. • Establishing a bird reserve is opposed by local residents since it would interfere with the landowners’ rights and interests.
Additional information
References: • WBFT. 1990. Investigations and research into the waterfowl of Ilan County, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, 1991 Ecological Research Report No. 14. • Yu, D. W. 1998. Research on the regulations and economic incentives of land acquisition on coastal wetlands- Case study of Ilan Coastal Wetlands. Proceedings of the Fourth Coastal Wetlands Ecology and Conservation Conference. WBFT. • Liang, M. H. and C. F. Fang. 1998. Conservation issue and concept formation of the Wushierjia Wetlands in Ilan County. Proceedings of the Fourth Coastal Wetlands Ecology and Conservation Conference. WBFT.