Ecology

Assessment Result

Construction Phase

Impacted Habitat	Habitat Loss during Construction due to Advanced Works (ha)	Reinstatement Habitats after Completion of Advanced Works (ha)	Habitat Loss during Construction due to the River Modification & Associated Works (ha)	Reinstatement Habitats after Completion of River Modification & Associated Works (ha)	Total Permanent Loss due to the Project (ha)	Ecological Importance of the Affected Habitat	Total Area of said Habitat within the Study Area (ha)
Low-lying grassland	~4.1	0	~2.2	0	~6.3	Low	~11.3

Marshy low-lying grassland	~2.9	0	~3.0	~1.9 ^(a)	~4 ha Additional ~4.1 ha of Riverbank Landscaping Areas will be provided ^(b)	Low to moderate	~6.6

Stream / river	~0.3 (0.9 km)	0	~1.6 ha (2.8 km)	~1.6 ha ^(d)	~0.3 ha Additional ~2.1 ha stream/ river habitat will be formed	Low to moderate	~2.8 (6.0 km)

Abandoned agricultural land	~3.3	0	0	0	~3.3	Low to moderate	~82.5

Developed area (including road / path)	~3.5	0	~0.5	0	~4.0	Low	~38.2

Channel	~0.05 (0.03 km)	0	~0.6 (0.2 km)	0	~0.65 (0.23 km)	Low	~9.1 (3.6 km)

Cultivated land	~1.9	0	~0.04	0	~1.94	Low	~56.8

Secondary Woodland	~0.4 ha ^(d)	~0.4 ha ^(d)	9	0	Additional ~0.5 ha secondary woodland will be formed ^(d)	Moderate	~18.0

Plantation	~0.03 .	0	0	0	~0.03	Low to moderate	~3.1
Note: (a) Approximately 1.9 ha of the marshy low-lying grassland will be reinstated at three flood plain areas (location refer to Figures 3.3-3.4) after river modification. (b) Further details refer to Compensation in Mitigation Measures Section. (c) Approximately 1.6 ha of the Shenzhen River will be disturbed due to River Modification & Associated Work during construction (which will be reinstated after river modification) and approximately 0.3 ha will be lost due to Advanced Works, but additional stream/river habitat (~2.1 ha) will be formed after the river modification works. (d) For the purpose of assessment, a worst case scenario in which approximately 0.4 ha of the secondary woodland will be disturbed due to Advanced Works during construction (has been adopted. The habitat will be reinstated after construction and but additional secondary woodland habitat (~0.5 ha) will be formed after the Advanced Works.

Overall, the evaluation concluded that the impact on these habitats is anticipated to be low.

Impacts to Wildlife in particular Species of Conservation Interest

Despite some permanent habitat loss due to the Project, relatively this loss is small compared to the quantity of similar habitats in the immediate vicinity. Given the high mobility of the majority of the wildlife recorded (birds and some mammals such as bats) and the ability of the less mobile wildlife such as butterflies, odonates and herpetofauna to still relocate to nearby similar habitats, the overall impacts to wildlife are likely to be minimal.

Overall twelve bird species and one butterfly species of conservation interest were recorded in or flying above the Project Site during the surveys; Common Buzzard, Greater Coucal, Black Kite and Peregrine Falcon, Chinese Pond Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Grey Heron, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Common Teal, White-breasted Waterhen and Coutesan butterfly. Common Buzzard, Greater Coucal, Black Kite and Peregrine Falcon are Class 2 Protected Animals of the PRC and except the Greater Coucal are protected under Cap 586 in Hong Kong. The Black Kite and Common Buzzard are also both is listed in CITES Appendix 2 while the Peregrine Falcon is listed in CITES Appendix 1. All the recorded ardeid species and wetland dependent bird species (Common Teal and White-breasted Waterhen) are considered of either “potential regional concern” or “regional concern” by Fellow et al. For all these species and other species of conservation that may use the habitats within the Project Site, a part of their associated habitat used for perching and foraging will be affected; but since there are extensive similar habitats in proximity the overall impact on these species is not considered significant.

Although a possible breeding site for Greater Painted Snipe was recorded within the Study Area, it falls outside of the Project Site (at least 200m away) and no adverse impact to this site or its associated wildlife is anticipated.

Eurasian Otter (protected under Cap 586, listed in CITES Appendix 1 and Class 2 Protected Animals of the PRC) is a protected species and considered as species of conservation interest with restricted records in Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site and nearby wetland areas. However, within the Study Area and Project Site, no ecologically sensitive wetlands of high habitat quality as well as Eurasian Otter were recorded during the surveys. Potential impacts to this habitat type and this species are therefore not anticipated.

Overall, there will be no significant loss of feeding grounds or change in ecological carrying capacity of the area and no reduction in species abundance / diversity is anticipated.

Other Impacts

Given the temporary nature, relatively small-scale and phase implementation of the construction works, as well as the provision of cofferdam/diversion dyke and good construction site practices, other identified potential impacts, such as habitat fragmentation and isolation, changes to water quality and hydrology and other impacts due to noise, dust and human disturbance were expected to be low impact and therefore are evaluated as not being significant.

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Operation Phase

Assessment of potential impacts during the operation phase, such as maintenance dredging along the river channel and at the flood retardation pond, change in hydrology and noise and other disturbances generated by the operation activities were assessed to be low impact and therefore are evaluated as not being significant.