Which like a slope? But even with this knowledge, reforestation can still run into problems. The aqueous fraction, sometimes called “wood vinegar”, may have numerous agricultural applications, from enhancing germination rates to acting as a pesticide. Several units are in operation in Australia, and KFBG visited the Victorian based units. Jointly held by the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department and Friends of the Country Parks, the events will take place on March 17 at Tai Lam Country Park, March 31 at Lantau South Country Park and at Pat Sin Leng Country Park on April 14. In fact, an ambitious project in Hong Kong recently started where urban dwellers moved to the remote 300-year-old Hakka village of Lai Chi Wo located within the Hong Kong … In 1997, the Kadoorie Farm established a native tree nursery. They use it to figure out the dynamics of the forest systems. KFBG hope to make a success of their biochar trial such that it can be implemented across Hong Kong over time. Allocated a significant area of land of over 250 ha this botanical garden is a cool, green forestry reserve for animals - and humans alike! The ability to produce their own liquid fuel on site (their own bio-refinery!) The government designated about 41% of the land area of Hong Kong, which consists of more than 230 outlying islands and a section of the Chinese mainland, as country parks and restricted areas. The biochar is now being used as part of the forest restoration work, helping improve the structure of the soil, enhance its nutrient and water holding capacity as well as helping prevent erosion. Before records began, bears, elephants and rhinoceroses also lived in Hong Kong. Over time the forests will start to grow on the hillside, biodiversity will start to increase, and soil erosion and landslides will become a thing of the past. Dr Gunter Fischer, head Flora Conservation Department (KFBG) showing the tree planting trials with biochar on mountain tops up close, Close up of mountain side with biochar trials – larger scale trials are now underway in this area. Both factors impact the bird and rodent populations. A vision of a reforested Hong Kong would not be possible without you. "But they swim well, so I think they'd get around the fence. Your Team Reforestation Day Participants will learn about Hong Kong’s ongoing tree restoration project, the value of native trees, how other plant species can contribute a healthy forest and carry out hands-on planting of tree seedlings on the hill slopes and/or other native species which may help to the young woodlands to become healthier. "We are learning from nature.". The pesticide effects of wood vinegar were appealing as this natural organic product was enabled for use on the site (as opposed to introduced commercial chemical products), and trials are currently underway for use of this product. Reforestation in various areas of Hong Kong – “the barren rock” – began at the end of the nineteenth century as a result of deliberate government policy. But once the canopy closes, conditions can be moist and humid. These feng shui forests are probably not perfect representations of the original Hong Kong forests, as villagers have cultivated specific species for their needs. Overall forest coverage has also been steadily increasing since the post-war period. The biochar is unloaded into a concrete bay where it is crushed prior to transport to the mountain hill-sides for application. The machine incorporated innovative technology such as a built in drier unit which utilises heat from the thermal oxidiser to dry out other wet biomass to make it more suitable for pyrolysis in the main unit (or for kiln drying other materials). Majority of mountains of Hong Kong are barren of trees from thousands of year of deforestation. This ensures a reliable water supply. Thanks to tricks like these, the scientists are starting to see much greater species diversity in the secondary forests in Hong Kong. The occupying Japanese cleared large swathes of forests for cooking fuel, leaving much of Hong Kong little more than "barren rock.". • Hong Kong’s natural climax vegetation state is subtropical rainforest. But in the 1970s, the Hong Kong government began a reforestation program. But there are barriers to that. This is where biochar comes into the story. View image of Hong Kong has a busy harbour (Credit: Jabruson/naturepl.com), View image of The summit of Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong (Credit: Keng Po Leung/Alamy), View image of A leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) (Credit: Shibai Xiao/naturepl.com), Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department, View image of Hong Kong could once again have lush forests (Credit: EyeEm Mobile GmbH/Alamy), View image of A Malayan porcupine (Hystrix brachyura) (Credit: Michael Pitts/naturepl.com), View image of A small Indian civet (Viverricula indica) (Credit: Roland Seitre/naturepl.com), View image of Hong Kong is a dense metropolis (Credit: Ernie Janes/naturepl.com), View image of Two Chinese ferret badgers (Melogale moschata) (Credit: Shibai Xiao/naturepl.com), View image of Pangolins are endangered (Credit: Roland Seitre/naturepl.com), View image of The city of Hong Kong is surrounded by tropical vegetation (Credit: Mike Pickles/Alamy), View image of Elephants once roamed Hong Kong (Credit: Andy Rouse/naturepl.com), sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter. "It gives us a sense of what the ideal stage of a forest would be.". In the case of carbon offsetting programs, the planting of trees occurs in a location different from where the company’s greenhouse gas emissions originate. After the war, with the forests gone, Hong Kong faced a severe water shortage and had to resort to rationing. KFBG conducted a world-wide search for suitable technology and identified the CharMaker MPP20 produced by Earth Systems as a size class and price point that would best suit their requirements. 5. The bio-oil product is currently under consideration as a thermal energy source for the site. However, we must be careful not to translate the need for restoration of our forests into mass reforestation efforts throughout Hong Kong. Then World War Two came. WARC is Hong Kong's only privately-run hospital for wild animals. Forested slopes prevent soil erosion and landslides, and the rich woodland tapestry provides habitats for animals. By 2013, the forests covered about 26,400 hectares, about 23.8% of Hong Kong's total land area – and about 20% more than they did just after World War Two. The comparative freedom of Hong Kong citizens to go about our daily lives was mostly met with astonishment from the radio host in London, living in … Hong Kong. Earth Systems are still actively involved in the project with ongoing site visits for support. Centuries of deforestation for firewood had left Hong Kong’s hillsides completely denuded –hence Lord Palmerston’s dismissal of the future colony as “a barren island” after the British arrived in 1841. Historically, the natural environment of HKG experienced large scale deforestation as a result of extended human settlement – almost the entire region was deforested over a 2000 year period. Early villagers chose to settle in wooded areas. Fischer says. The Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) is a unique botanical gardens tucked away in the highlands of Hong Kong (HKG). “Greening” fence panels at a CEDD site in Ice House Street in Hong Kong. The work began in earnest in 1976. The Hong Kong government has invested a lot of resources in massive afforestation work to restore barren hillsides and eroded slopes. Description: Volunteers will be divided into groups to complete different tasks including weeding, adding fertilizer, setting tree guards and planting seedlings. "To make the forest work, eventually one has to reintroduce certain species of animals," Fischer says. The biochar added would improve plant growth but also help lock nutrients and moisture in the soil as well as improve its structural properties, aiding in the prevention of erosion. 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