Forest Resources in Taiwan
Conifer-hardwood mixed type: It is distributed between the temperate hardwood zone and the conifer zone. Elevation ranges from 1,500.to 2,100 meters.
Hardwood type: Distributing at elevations ranging from the sea level to 2,000 meters, this is the most easily accessible forest in the low elevation. The major species are members of Lauraceae and Fagaceae .
Bamboo type: This type is common throughout the island. The large pure stand of Phyllostschys spp. is found only in the central part of the island at the intermediate altitudes. The important Ma Bamboo (Sinocalamus latiflorus) is found at elevations below 1,300 meters, however, Makino Bamboo (Phyllostachys makinoi), at elevations from 100 to 1,000 meters and Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis), from 1000 to 1,600 meters.
Water Resource
Water is a finite resource. Fresh water is one of the most precious resources in the world. Rainfall is the main source of water for Taiwan. The average annual rainfall is 2,500 mm. and ranges from 1,100 mm. to 4,980 mm. It is 3.44 times of the world average and rank at 19 of the world's abundant rainfall countries. Owing to the dense populations, the rainfall per capita is only 4,107 cubic meters, which is less than a sixth of the world average and become the country of water shortage.
Taiwan is very mountainous with a central axis stretching from north to south. The concentrated precipitation makes 55% of the rainfall flow into the sea that cannot be used effectively. Fortunately, there are 2,102,400 hectares of forest land covering the island, which can postpone the surface run off into the sea. Besides, the forest soils have the function of reserving water and purifing the water quality. According to the research, the capability of the forest water conservation is 26% higher than the farmland. Therefore, water fosters forests and forests conserve water resources.
Biological Resource
Because of the unique natural environment, Taiwan has an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 species of organisms. The relatively well known are 4,200 species of vascular plants, 61 species of mammals, 460 species of birds, 150 species of freshwater fish, 81 species of reptiles, 32 species of amphibians, 400 species of butterfly and more than 20,000 species of insects. The poorly known are fungi, bacteria and nematodes. Therefore, Taiwan can be said a huge living natural museum, All of their habitats are forest and its surroundings, such as natural forests, plantations, bamboo forests, coastal shelters, swamps and mangroves etc. Therefore, forest is the homeland of organism.
Recreation Resource
The forest distribution of Taiwan from the seacoast to the elevation 3,952m of Yu-shan. The vertical distribution has lots of biodiversity. No matter the natural forests or plantations, are the best places for outdoor recreations. At present, there are 20 forest recreation areas and 5 millions visitors annually. The recreational income has more than the value of timber production.
Other Ecological Resources
Under the complexity of topography and unique environments, Taiwan is one of the highest biodiversity areas in the world. In order to protect the rare flora, fauna and ecosystems resources, 39 nature reserves with the areas of 390,000ha have been set up by the Taiwan Forestry Bureau since 1974. There are 6 national parks in Taiwan of which 95% of the land areas are in the national forest. The stock of biodiversity in Taiwan, as anywhere, provides components most suited to that region, and in part unique. Thus about a fourth of the organisms found in Taiwan occur nowhere else on Earth. Understanding, protecting, and sustainably utilizing this island's biodiversity, protecting Taiwan's natural resources are our responsibility. Therefore, strong efforts have been made to conserve the biodiversity of Taiwan.
Conclusion
Forest is a renewable resources. If properly managed, it continues to grow and provides benefits to society and mankind forever. But forest construction is a long-term enterprise, which cannot be accomplished in a single day. The forestry practice in Taiwan has been changed from the simple reforestation and harvesting to all-out ecosystems management basis. We believe that the foresters would contribute significantly to the sustainable future of Taiwan.
References
- Taiwan Forestry Bureau, The Third Forest Resources and Land Use Inventory in Taiwan,December 1995
- Peter H. Raven, The Living World : Key to Sustainability, May 2000
