|
Upon
near completion of the allocated 134 days, a proposal
for usage of the remaining six contingency days
was submitted to the ESMG on 10 December 1999
for approval. The proposal provided the rationale
for selecting types of habitats and survey locations
based on input from field surveyors. It was proposed
to utilise the remaining six contingency days
for habitats which satisfy the following prioritisation
criteria:
-
assigned
an indicative ecological value of high in
TR1; and
-
found
have a high probability of mis-classification
based on satellite imagery and aerial photograph
analysis alone, based on the survey results
to date.
or
-
assigned
an indicative ecological value of medium or
lower in TR1; and
-
found
have a high probability of mis-classification
(as defined above) and intermingling with
habitats of high ecological value as defined
in TR1.
Based
on this rationale, two days were allocated to
survey mixed shrubland at Pak Tai To Yan and Tai
Tam Reservoir and Catchment Area, one day for
surveying natural watercourse at Tai Ho Wan, two
days for surveying wetlands at So Lo Pun and Sham
Chung, and one day for cultivation at Kam Tin.
The usage of the remaining six days of ecological
field survey effort is summarised below (Table
5.2a):
|
Table
5.2a Effort Allocation for Remaining Contingency
Days
|
Habitat
Type
|
Location |
Site
No. |
No.
of Day(s) Allocated |
Rationale
for Selection |
| Mixed
Shrubland |
Pak
Tai To Yan |
160 |
1 |
Survey
results on mixed shrubland habitats showed
low mapping accuracy.Other habitats tend to
co-mingle and mis-classified with this habitat
type.Location proposed by ESMG (Annex C of
TR2) which is a designated SSSI (No. 21). |
| Mixed
Shrubland |
Tai
Tam |
161 |
1 |
Survey
results on mixed shrubland habitats showed
low mapping accuracy.Other habitats tend to
co-mingle and mis-classified with this habitat
type.Location proposed by ESMG (Annex C of
TR2) which is a designated SSSI (No. 25). |
| Wetland |
So
Lo Pun |
162 |
1 |
Survey
results on wetland habitats showed low mapping
accuracy.Other habitats tend to intermingle
and mis-classified with this habitat type.Habitat
highly heterogeneous in nature and vulnerable
to disturbance.Site proposed by ESMG
(Annex C of TR2). |
| Wetland |
Sham
Chung |
163 |
1 |
Survey
results on wetland habitats showed low mapping
accuracy. Other habitats tend to intermingle
and mis-classified with this habitat type.Habitat
highly heterogeneous in nature and vulnerable
to disturbance. Site proposed by ESMG
(Annex C of TR2). |
| Natural
Watercourse |
Tai
Ho Wan |
164 |
1 |
Survey
results on natural watercourse habitats showed
that the habitat is highly variable and vulnerable
to disturbance (e.g. pollution).Site proposed
by ESMG
(Annex C of TR2). |
| Cultivation |
Kam
Tin |
165 |
1 |
Survey
results on cultivation habitats showed that
some mapped areas have been mis-classified
and should be re-classified as high value
habitats (e.g. lowland forest and wetlands).
Only a small portion of this site was surveyed
due to the large area and complexity of the
site. |
Approved
use of the contingency days for surveying the
above proposed sites was confirmed from the ESMG
on 21 December 1999 and surveys on these sites
commenced in January 2000 and completed in early
March 2000.
|
|