8.1.1 This section presents an assessment of potential terrestrial and
aquatic ecological impacts associated with construction and operation of the
extension of Mui Wo Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery.
The assessment included areas within 500m distance from the site
boundary of the Project. The assessment
has followed the criteria and guidelines for evaluating and assessing
ecological impact as stated in Annexes 8 and 16 of the TM respectively, and the
requirements in Section 3.4.8 of the EIA Study Brief.
8.2.1 The ecological impact assessment (EcoIA) made reference to the
following guidelines, standards, documents and HKSAR Government ordinances and
regulations:
• The Country Parks
Ordinance (Cap. 208) provides a legal framework for the designation and
management of country parks and special areas.
Country parks are designated for the purpose of nature conservation,
countryside recreation and outdoor education.
Special Areas are created mainly for the purpose of nature conservation.
• The Forests and
Countryside Ordinance (Cap. 96) prohibits felling, cutting, burning or
destroying of trees and growing plants in forests and plantations on government
land. Related subsidiary regulations prohibit the selling or possession of
listed, restricted and protected plant species.
•
Under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170), designated wild
animals are protected from being hunted, whilst their nests and eggs are protected
from injury, destruction and removal.
All birds and most mammals, including marine cetaceans, are protected
under this Ordinance.
• The Protection of
Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) provides
protection for certain plant and animal species through controlling or
prohibiting trade in the species.
• The amended Town Planning
Ordinance (Cap. 131) provides for the designation of coastal protection areas,
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Conservation Area (CA), Country
Park (CP), Green Belt (GB) or other specified uses that promote conservation or
protection of the environment.
• Chapter 10 of the Hong
Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) covers planning considerations
relevant to conservation. This chapter
details the principles of conservation, the conservation of natural landscape
and habitats, historic buildings, archaeological sites and other
antiquities. The appendices list the
legislation and administrative controls for conservation, other conservation
related measures in Hong Kong and government departments involved in
conservation.
• Annex 16 of the EIAO-TM
sets out the general approach and methodology for assessment of ecological
impacts arising from a project or proposal, to allow a complete and objective
identification, prediction and evaluation of the potential ecological
impacts. Annex 8 recommends the criteria
that can be used for evaluating habitat and ecological impact.
• EIAO Guidance Note No.
6/2010, “Some Observations on Ecological Assessment from the Environmental
Impact Assessment Ordinance Perspective”, clarifies the requirements of
ecological assessments under the EIAO.
• EIAO Guidance Note No.
7/2012, “Ecological Baseline Survey for Ecological Assessment”, provides
general guidelines for conducting ecological baseline surveys in order to
fulfil requirements stipulated in the EIAO-TM.
• List of Wild Animals
under State Protection details Category I and Category II protected animal
species under Mainland Chinese Legislation.
• The International Union
for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened
Species provides taxonomic, conservation status and distribution information on
taxa that have been evaluated using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.
This system is designed to determine the relative risk of extinction, and the
main purpose of the IUCN Red List is to catalogue and highlight those taxa that
are facing a higher risk of global extinction. The IUCN Red List also includes
information on taxa that are either close to meeting the threatened thresholds
or that would be threatened were it not for an ongoing taxon-specific
conservation programme.
8.3
Assessment Methodology
Assessment Area
8.3.1 In accordance with Section 3.4.8.2 of the EIA Study Brief
(ESB-288/2015), the Assessment Area for the EcoIA shall include areas within
500 m distance from the boundary of the Project and areas likely to be impacted
by the Project.
Literature Review
8.3.2 Relevant reports, studies, books, scientific papers and available
information regarding the ecological characteristics of the Assessment Area
were collated and reviewed. The
information collected was evaluated to identify any information gaps relating
to the assessment of potential ecological impacts. The most recent reports are generally
relied upon to provide contemporary information of the ecological
characteristics of the Assessment Area.
8.3.3 Relevant publications and EIA reports were reviewed. However, no
recent EIA study describing the Assessment Area is available for reference.
Other relevant literature reviewed included:
•
Hong Kong
Biodiversity (AFCD Newsletter) (AFCD, 2002-2015)
•
Check List of Hong
Kong Plants (AFCD, 2012)
• A Field Guide to the Freshwater Fish of Hong Kong
(Lee et al., 2004)
• A Field Guide to the Terrestrial Mammals of Hong
Kong (Shek, 2006)
• A Field Guide to the Amphibians of Hong Kong (Chan
et al., 2005)
• A Field Guide to the Venomous Land Snakes of Hong
Kong (Chan et al., 2006)
•
The Avifauna of
Hong Kong (Carey et al., 2001)
Field Surveys
8.3.5 The ecological surveys were carried
out in April 2014, August 2014, February 2015, September 2015, November 2015 and
December 2015, covering both dry and wet seasons. Both faunal and floral
information was collected during field surveys. The methodologies
adopted for the surveys are described below.
Habitats Mapping and
Vegetation Surveys
8.3.6 Habitats within the Assessment Area were identified, sized and
mapped. Ecological characteristics of
each habitat type including size, vegetation type, species present, dominant
species found, species diversity and abundance, community structure, seasonal
patterns and inter-dependence of the habitats and species, and presence of any
features of ecological importance were defined and characterised. Representative photographs of the habitat
types and of important ecological features identified were taken. A desktop review of aerial photographs
developed habitat maps of a suitable scale (1:1000 to 1:5000) showing the types
and locations of habitats in the Assessment Area. The habitat maps were then verified during
ground-truthing.
8.3.7 Vegetation surveys were, also, conducted in parallel by direct
observation along the transect routes to record diversity and dominance of plant
species present in different habitat types within the Assessment Area, as shown
in Figure 8.1. Particular attention was
paid to the area within and in proximity to the proposed project site. Areas with similar vegetation composition
were categorized under the same habitat type.
The location of any plant species of conservation interest was
recorded. Nomenclature and conservation
status of plant species follow Xing et al. (2000), Wu & Lee (2000) and Siu
(2000).
Terrestrial Mammals
8.3.8 Mammal surveys were conducted by active searching for all sightings,
tracks and signs along the survey transects in all representative habitats.
Transect routes for the terrestrial mammals surveys were shown in Figure
8.1. For bats, an ultrasonic bat
detector was used for acquiring bat acoustic information for species
identification. Night survey was conducted for terrestrial mammals but no
ultrasonic signal was detected. Nomenclature for mammals follows Shek (2006)
and AFCD biodiversity database (AFCD, 2015).
Herpetofauna (Reptiles and
Amphibians)
8.3.9 Herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) surveys were conducted in
habitats and potential hiding places noted through direct observation along the
transect routes within the Assessment Area (Figure 8.1). Herpetofauna
surveys were conducted whenever possible on evenings following or during
periods of rainfall, focusing on areas suitable for herpetofauna (e.g. woodlands,
shrublands, grasslands, streams, catchwaters, fishponds and marshes, if any).
Records of calling amphibians have formed the bulk of the data collected, and
supplemented with visual observation of eggs, tadpoles and adult frogs and
toads. During reptile surveys, active searches of appropriate microhabitats and
refugia (e.g. stones, pond bunds, crevices, leaf litter/debris, and rotten log)
were undertaken. All reptiles observed were identified. In addition to active
searching, observations of exposed, basking of foraging reptiles were also
recorded. Nomenclature and status of herpetofauna follow Hong Kong Biodiversity
Database (AFCD, 2015) and Chan et al. (2006).
Avifauna
8.3.10 Avifauna survey was conducted along transect routes in survey area
during the proposed survey period. The transect routes for the surveys were
shown in Figure 8.1, In general, avifauna survey
was conducted in the morning or late afternoon when birds are generally active.
Night surveys were also undertaken to record nocturnal species of bird. Besides
numerical abundance and species identity, notable behaviour such as feeding,
nesting and breeding was also recorded.
Binoculars and digital camera were the main instrument used. Nomenclature and protection status of the
species follow those documented in the AFCD website (AFCD, 2015) and Carey et
al. (2001).
Insects (Odonata and
Butterflies)
8.3.11 The focus of the insect surveys was on dragonfly, damselfly and
butterfly groups. These insect groups are generally known to be indicators of
high quality habitats. Dragonflies and damselflies were identified and recorded
with the aid of binoculars. Surveys for insects were conducted along the
transect routes within the Assessment Area as shown in Figure 8.1.
8.3.12 Butterfly surveys were conducted in tandem with the dragonfly and
damselfly surveys, using a similar methodology. Although most butterflies are
readily observed, some species are cryptic and stay close to the ground in
shady wooded areas. Others tend to stay on top of the canopy, making only short
rapid flights before settling out of view. Accordingly, both of these
microhabitats were investigated by ground searching. Nomenclature and
protection status of the species follow those documented in the AFCD website
(AFCD, 2015).
Freshwater Aquatic Fauna
8.3.13 Survey of aquatic fauna was conducted mainly by bankside
observations, sometimes with the aid of binoculars and hand nets at the stream
course. Three sampling points were selected for the freshwater aquatic fauna as
shown in Figure 8.1. Species encountered were
identified in situ and in lab to the lowest possible taxon and a list of
species with abundance has been prepared. Nomenclature and status of freshwater
fish and macroinvertebrate follow Lee et al. (2004) and Morse et al. (1984)
respectively.
Impact
Assessment Methodology
8.3.14 Direct and indirect ecological impacts likely to occur during the
construction and operation phases of the Project as well as the potential
cumulative impact associated with any concurrent projects have been identified
and evaluated. The significance of ecological impacts has been evaluated based
primarily on the criteria set in Table 1 of Annex 8 of the EIAO-TM, including:
·
Habitat quality;
·
Species affected;
·
Size/Abundance of habitat/organism affected;
·
Duration of impacts;
·
Reversibility of impacts; and
·
Magnitude.
Area of Conservation
Importance
8.4.1 The existing Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery and the proposed extension under
this Project falls within Lantau South Country Park, which was designated in
1978. Occupying 56.4 km2, Lantau South Country Park is the
largest country park in Hong Kong. It is mainly covered by plantation woodland,
secondary woodland, and shrubland. It harbours native flora species, such as Dendropanax dentigerus, Magnolia
championii,
which is scheduled under Forests and Countryside
Ordinance (Cap. 96), and Gmelina chinensis, which is listed in Illustration of Rare & Endangered Plants in Guangdong Province. The Country Park provides habitats for various wildlife, such as Muntiacus muntjak, which is of potential regional concern (Fellowes et
al., 2002), Callosciurus erythraeus, which is listed in Wild Animals Protection
Ordinance (Cap. 170), Choaspes
benjaminii formosanus, which is of local concern (Fellowes et
al., 2002), and Haliaeetus
leucogaster,
which is listed in Wild
Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170) and Protection of
Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586), and of regional concern (Fellowes et
al., 2002). The boundary of
Lantau South Country Park within the Assessment Area of the Project is shown in
Figure 8.1.
Habitats and Vegetation
8.4.2 Six habitats were identified in the Assessment Area, including
developed area, plantation woodland, natural woodland, shrubland, inactive
agricultural land and stream. The Assessment Area is mainly made up of
shrubland, follows by natural woodland. Only plantation woodland and natural
woodland are present in the Project Site. A summary of the sizes of the
identified habitat types in the Assessment Area and Project Site is shown in Table
8.1 below. A habitat map of the Assessment Area is shown in Figure 8.2 and the representative
photographs of the identified habitat types are provided in Appendix 8.7. Based upon the information
obtained during the surveys, a summary of each habitat type is detailed in the
following sections.
Table 8.1 Sizes of Habitats Recorded within the Assessment Area and Project Site
|
Habitat Type
|
Approximate Habitat Size in the Assessment
Area (ha)
|
Approximate Habitat Size in the Project Site
(ha)
|
|
Developed
Area
|
3.8
|
0
|
|
Plantation
Woodland
|
8.1
|
0.004
|
|
Natural
Woodland
|
24.7
|
0.0192
|
|
Shrubland
|
45.7
|
0
|
|
Inactive
Agricultural Land (Wet)
|
1.6
|
0
|
|
Stream
|
3400m
|
0
|
|
Overall
|
83.9
|
0.0232
|
8.4.3 199 vegetation species were recorded during the surveys (Appendix
8.1) and three of them are of conservation interests. They are Aquilaria sinensis, Gmelina chinensis and Nepenthes
mirabilis. Their protection status and photographs are shown in Table 8.2 and Appendix 8.7, respectively.
Developed Area (Photos 1 - 2)
8.4.4 Developed areas include roads and villages, as well as the existing
Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery. This habitat supported a total of 30 exotic and native
plant species. Most recorded flora species were either weeds or planted for
landscaping purpose. Acacia confusa
and fruit tree of Dimocarpus longan
were commonly recorded species from this habitat. This habitat was highly
disturbed in nature with limited ecological interest. No rare or protected
species was recorded within this habitat.
Plantation Woodland (Photo 3)
8.4.5 Plantation woodland mainly comprised orchard, landscape plantation
on engineered slope and hillside slope for amenity purpose. Lophostemon confertus and Acacia confusa were the dominant tree
species at this habitat, while other species such as Acacia mangium, Litchi chinensis, Dimocarpus longan, Cratoxylum
cochinchinense, Microcos paniculata, Macaranga tanarius, Mallotus paniculatus
and Ficus hispida were commonly
recorded within this habitat. Except Aquilaria
sinensis, most recorded species were common and widespread. Aquilaria sinensis was recorded
distributed surrounding the existing Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery. Aquilaria sinensis is considered with
conservation interest in Mainland China and their conservation status was shown
in Table 8.2. In total, 77 floral
species were recorded in this habitat type.
Natural Woodland (Photo 4)
8.4.6 Natural woodland was mainly distributed at the northern side and at the
valley within the Assessment Area. These woodlands supported a moderate
diversity of plant species with a total of 78 flora species recorded. Flora
species such as Mallotus paniculatus
and Schefflera heptaphylla were
commonly recorded within this habitat. The dimension of trees was about 0.1 -
0.25m in diameter at breast height (DBH) and 6 to 9m in height. Some
individuals of Aquilaria sinensis
were located within this habitat. The conservation value of Aquilaria sinensis is given in Table 8.2.
Shrubland (Photo 5)
8.4.7 Shrubland covered most hillside slope of the Assessment Area. In
total, 81 floral species were recorded in this habitat type. Dicranopteris pedata is the dominated
species within this habitat while Rhodomyrtus
tomentosa, Cymbopogon tortilis, Helicteres angustifolia, Phyllanthus
cochinchinensis, Cratoxylum cochinchinense and Arundinella nepalensis were commonly recorded within this habitat. Aquilaria sinensis, Nepenthes mirabilis and Gmelina
chinensis were recorded on hillside slope at south of the project site.
They were with conservation interest and their details are given in Table 8.2.
Inactive Agricultural Land (wet)
(Photos 6 - 7)
8.4.8 Inactive agricultural land was located at southern side of the
project site which is the lowland area. Soil was observed moist in both dry and
wet seasons. In total, 44 floral species were recorded in this habitat type. Mikania micrantha, Microcos paniculata and
Hedychium coronarium were commonly recorded within this habitat. No rare or
protected species was recorded within this habitat.
Stream (Photos 8 - 9)
8.4.9 Several stream courses were recorded within Assessment Area. These
stream courses were generally flowing in south direction and eventually joining
together before ends at Chi Ma Wan. Lower stream section was observed flowing
with clear water in both dry and wet seasons while upper stream section was
generally observed dry up during dry season. One of them was found close to
project site locating about 90m at northern side and 160m at western side away
from the project site. In total, 36 floral species were recorded in this
habitat type. Microstegium ciliatum was
commonly recorded within this habitat. No rare or protected species was
recorded within this habitat.
Project Site (Photos 10 - 14)
8.4.10 The Project Area is located at eastern side of the existing cemetery
and covered by plantation woodland and natural woodland. The structural
complexity of the natural woodland was relatively simple as it is a young
woodland. Young trees of approximately 4 – 6 m tall with small crown and trunk
sizes were commonly recorded at the top layer (shown in the Photos 9 - 12); and
sparse fern/herb species were recorded at the ground layer. Since
the majority of trees were young, the tree canopy was semi-shaded. In
total, 38 flora species were recorded within project site, in which most of
them were common shrubs and weeds in Hong Kong. An individual of Aquilaria sinensis was recorded within
project site which is a small tree with dimension of 0.02m of DBH and 1.5m
height. The conservation value of Aquilaria
sinensis is given in Table 8.2.
Fauna
Terrestrial Mammals
8.4.12 Except domestic dogs and domestic water buffalos, no other mammal
was recorded during the surveys.
Herpetofauna (Reptiles and Amphibians)
8.4.13 No amphibian species of conservation interest was recorded inside
and in the proximities of the Assessment Area was recorded in previous studies
(Chan et al., 2005).
8.4.14 Eight herpetofauna species were recorded within Assessment Area
during wet season while only Duttaphrynus
melanostictus was recorded during dry season. Generally, most individuals
of herpetofauna were recorded from streams, culverts, shrubland and inactive
agricultural land especially after raining. Among the recorded species, Gekko gecko is considered with
conservation interest which was recorded from shrubland habitat. The
conservation status is given in Table
8.2. The list of herpetofauna species recorded during current surveys is
presented in Appendix 8.2
Odonata (Dragonflies, Damselflies)
8.4.15
No
relevant previous studies for odonata in the Assessment Area were available for
reference.
8.4.16 Nine odonata species
were recorded within Assessment Area during wet season and most of them were
found in plantation woodland and stream habitats. Only two common species were
recorded during dry season. All recorded species is common and widespread in
Hong Kong (Wilson et al., 2003). The list of odonata species recorded during
current surveys is presented in Appendix 8.3.
Butterflies
8.4.17
No
relevant previous studies for butterflies in the Assessment Area were available
for reference.
8.4.18 A total of 21 butterfly species were recorded during wet season
while only five species were recorded in dry season. All recorded butterflies are common species
in Hong Kong. Generally, butterflies
were active under warm temperature and, hence, the species diversity was higher
in wet season. The full list of butterfly species recorded during current
surveys is presented in Appendix 8.4.
Avifauna
8.4.19 Some avifauna species of conservation interest were recorded within
the Assessment Area in previous studies, including Black Kite (Milvus migrans), Bonelli's Eagle (Aquila fasciata) and White-shouldered
Starling (Sturnia sinensis) (Carey et
al., 2001; AFCD, 2015).
8.4.20 In total, 24 species of avifauna were recorded in which most species
were recorded in 500m range Assessment Area. Most birds recorded were resident
species in Hong Kong (Carey et al., 2001). Milvus
migrans and Centropus sinensis
were recorded outside project site but within 500 m Assessment Area. They were
considered with conservation interest and their details were shown in Table 8.2. Species list with their
status, commonness and relative abundance is given in Appendix 8.5.
Freshwater aquatic fauna
8.4.21 No fish species of conservation interest was recorded inside and in
the proximities of the Assessment Area (Lee et al., 2004).
8.4.22 There were natural stream courses with permanent flow of stream
water supporting aquatic fauna to survival within Assessment Area. Direct
observation and hand netting were adopted for aquatic fauna survey. In total,
three freshwater fish species and six aquatic invertebrate species were
recorded at the surveyed stream courses. Fish density was observed to be low at
the surveyed stream courses. Recorded species are common/uncommon species in
Hong Kong. Among the recorded species, only Nanhaipotamon
hongkongense is an endemic species in Hong Kong and considered as potential
global concern by Fellowes et al. (2002).
The full list of aquatic fauna species recorded during the surveys is presented
in Appendix
8.6.
8.5
Evaluation of Baseline Ecological Value
8.5.1
The
ecological importance of the habitats identified within the Assessment Area and
the project site has been evaluated in accordance with the criteria stipulated
in Annex 8 of the EIAO-TM and is shown in Tables
8.3 to 8.8 below.
Developed Area
8.5.2 Developed areas (including roads, villages and existing Lai Chi
Yuen Cemetery) are associated with intensive human activities. The number of flora species recorded in these
habitats was not high, most of them were either cultivated for landscape
purpose and for fruit. Moreover, no other rare or protected species was
recorded. Thus, the ecological value is considered to be “low”. An assessment
of the developed area in accordance with the criteria stated in Annex 8 of the
EIAO-TM is provided below in Table 8.3.
Table 8.3 Ecological Evaluation of Developed area
within the Assessment Area
|
Criteria
|
Developed Area
|
|
Naturalness
|
Entirely artificial habitat (including roads, villages
and existing Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery) with regular human activity
|
|
Size
|
~3.8ha
|
|
Diversity
|
Low floral diversity
|
|
Rarity
|
A very common habitat
|
|
Re-creatability
|
Readily re-creatable
|
|
Fragmentation
|
Fragmented
|
|
Ecological linkage
|
No significant ecological linkage
|
|
Potential value
|
Little enhancement potential due to intensive human
disturbance
|
|
Nursery/ breeding ground
|
No significant breeding grounds observed
|
|
Age
|
Young
|
|
Abundance/ Richness of wildlife
|
Fairly low diversity of faunal diversity
|
|
Ecological value
|
Low
|
Plantation woodland
8.5.3 Plantation woodland mainly comprised of landscape plantation for
amenity purposes and distributed on hillside slope within the Assessment Area.
A number of Aquilaria sinensis with
conservation interest were recorded. Thus the ecological value is considered to
be moderate. An assessment of the plantation woodland in accordance with the
criteria stated in Annex 8 of the EIAO-TM is provided below in Table 8.4.
Table 8.4 Ecological Evaluation of Plantation
woodland within
the Assessment Area
|
Criteria
|
Plantation Woodland
|
|
Naturalness
|
Low as most trees were planted
for landscape purpose.
|
|
Size
|
~8.1ha
|
|
Diversity
|
Moderate floral diversity
|
|
Rarity
|
A very common habitat but recorded with Aquilaria
sinensis which is considered with conservation interest
|
|
Re-creatability
|
High. It would take several years to mature.
|
|
Fragmentation
|
Fragmented
|
|
Ecological linkage
|
Some ecological linkage with natural woodland
|
|
Potential value
|
Potential value for developing into natural woodland
|
|
Nursery/ breeding ground
|
No significant breeding grounds observed
|
|
Age
|
Young
|
|
Abundance/ Richness of wildlife
|
Fairly low diversity of faunal diversity
|
|
Ecological value
|
Moderate
|
Natural woodland
8.5.4 Natural woodland was mainly distributed at the northern side and at
the valley within the Assessment Area. These woodlands supported a moderate
diversity of plant species with a total of 78 flora species recorded. Some
individuals of Aquilaria sinensis
were located within this habitat. Thus, the ecological value is considered to
be “moderate”. An assessment of the natural woodland in accordance with the
criteria stated in Annex 8 of the EIAO-TM is provided below in Table 8.5.
Table 8.5 Ecological Evaluation of Natural Woodland
within the Assessment Area
|
Criteria
|
Natural Woodland
|
|
Naturalness
|
Natural
|
|
Size
|
~24.7ha
|
|
Diversity
|
Moderate floral diversity
|
|
Rarity
|
Common habitat in rural area or countryside but recorded with Aquilaria
sinensis which is considered with conservation interest
|
|
Re-creatability
|
Not ready to be re-created
|
|
Fragmentation
|
Fragmented
|
|
Ecological linkage
|
Some ecological linkage with adjacent plantation woodland
|
|
Potential value
|
Potential value for developing into more mature woodland
|
|
Nursery/ breeding ground
|
No significant breeding grounds observed
|
|
Age
|
Young
|
|
Abundance/ Richness of wildlife
|
Low abundance and
diversity of fauna
|
|
Ecological value
|
Moderate
|
Shrubland
8.5.5 Shrubland was located on hillside slope and covers most of area
within Assessment Area. 81 flora species were recorded within this
habitat. Some recorded flora species
were of conservation interest. They are Aquilaria
sinensis, Nepenthes mirabilis and
Gmelina chinensis. However, only 1
individual of Aquilaria sinensis and
1 individual of Gmelina chinensis
were recorded within this habitat. A few individual of Nepenthes mirabilis was recorded in a small area of this habitat.
Thus, the ecological value is considered to be “low”. An assessment of the
shrubland in accordance with the criteria stated in Annex 8 of the EIAO-TM is
provided below in Table 8.6.
Table 8.6 Ecological Evaluation of Shrubland within the Assessment
Area
|
Criteria
|
Shrubland
|
|
Naturalness
|
Natural
|
|
Size
|
~45.7ha
|
|
Diversity
|
Moderate floral diversity.
|
|
Rarity
|
A common habitat in Hong Kong. Aquilaria sinensis, Nepenthes mirabilis and Gmelina chinensis were recorded
with conservation interest in this habitat
|
|
Re-creatability
|
Readily re-creatable
|
|
Fragmentation
|
Mostly in continuous block with little fragmentation
|
|
Ecological linkage
|
Ecological linkage to nearby woodland.
|
|
Potential value
|
Would convert to woodland by succession.
|
|
Nursery/ breeding ground
|
No significant breeding grounds observed
|
|
Age
|
Young
|
|
Abundance/ Richness of wildlife
|
Moderate diversity of floral diversity
|
|
Ecological value
|
Low
|
Inactive Agricultural Land
8.5.6 Inactive agricultural land was located at southern side of the
project site which is the lowland area. Soil was observed moist in both dry and
wet seasons. In total, 44 floral species were recorded in this habitat type.
Moreover, no other rare or protected species was recorded. Thus, the ecological
value is considered to be “low”. An assessment of inactive agricultural land in
accordance with the criteria stated in Annex 8 of the EIAO-TM is provided below
in Table 8.7.
Table 8.7 Ecological Evaluation of Inactive
Agricultural Land within
the Assessment Area
|
Criteria
|
Inactive Agricultural Land
|
|
Naturalness
|
Not natural
|
|
Size
|
~1.6ha
|
|
Diversity
|
Low floral diversity
|
|
Rarity
|
Common habitat in Hong Kong.
|
|
Re-creatability
|
Readily re-creatable
|
|
Fragmentation
|
No fragmentation
|
|
Ecological linkage
|
No significant ecological linkage
|
|
Potential value
|
Moderate if abandoned agriculture was promoted to
woodland though succession.
|
|
Nursery/ breeding ground
|
No significant breeding grounds observed
|
|
Age
|
Young
|
|
Abundance/ Richness of wildlife
|
Low diversity of faunal diversity
|
|
Ecological value
|
Low
|
Stream
8.5.7 Several stream courses were recorded within Assessment Area. These
stream courses were generally flowing in south direction and then joining
together before ending at Chi Ma Wan. Lower stream section was observed flowing
with clear water in both dry and wet seasons while upper stream section was
generally observed to be dried up during dry season. In total, 36 floral
species were recorded in this habitat type. Moreover, no other rare or
protected species was recorded. Thus, the ecological value is considered to be
“low”. An assessment of stream in accordance with the criteria stated in Annex
8 of the EIAO-TM is provided below in Table
8.8.
Table 8.8 Ecological Evaluation of Stream within the Assessment
Area
|
Criteria
|
Stream
|
|
Naturalness
|
Naturally occurred streams
|
|
Size
|
~3400m
|
|
Diversity
|
Riparian corridor and stream bed show low vegetation
diversity and fauna diversity.
|
|
Rarity
|
Natural streams were reasonably common in Hong Kong.
|
|
Re-creatability
|
Natural streams are difficult to re-create
|
|
Fragmentation
|
Not fragmented from other natural streams
|
|
Ecological linkage
|
No significant ecological linkage
|
|
Potential value
|
The stream would be the breeding site for fauna.
|
|
Nursery/ breeding ground
|
No significant breeding grounds observed
|
|
Age
|
Old (along with geological
land formation)
|
|
Abundance/ Richness of wildlife
|
A low diversity of aquatic faunal present
|
|
Ecological value
|
Low
|
Overall Evaluation
8.5.8 The habitats present within the Assessment Area have been ranked
according to their overall ecological value in the Table 8.9 below. In general, the
habitats in the Assessment Area are considered to be of low to moderate
ecological value.
Table
8.9 Summary of the Ecological Value of
Habitats within the Assessment Area
|
Habitat
|
Ecological
Value
|
|
Developed Area
|
Low
|
|
Plantation Woodland
|
Moderate
|
|
Natural Woodland
|
Moderate
|
|
Shrubland
|
Low
|
|
Inactive Agricultural Land
|
Low
|
|
Stream
|
Low
|
Construction
Phase
Direct Impact
8.6.1 Habitat loss of young natural woodland and plantation woodland would
be resulted due to the land formation for the Project. The habitat loss would
be permanent and irreversible but the loss would be small in scale. The estimated loss of habitat arising from
the proposed works is summarized in Table
8.10.
8.6.2 The small portions of natural woodland (approximately 0.0192ha) and
plantation woodland (approximately 0.004ha) which would be lost permanently due
to the Project are at the edge of the two habitats. The lost areas would not break the habitats
or affect the connectivity of the habitats in the vicinity of the project site.
Therefore, fragmentation and isolation of the natural woodland and plantation
woodland are not anticipated from the land formation for the Project. In
addition, the affected area is adjacent to the existing cemetery which is a
developed area with frequent human disturbance, such that wildlife is not
likely to be present in there.
Table 8.10 Estimated Areas of Permanent and Temporary
Habitat Loss
|
Habitat Type
|
Approximate Habitat Size in the Project
Area (ha)
|
Approximate Size of Permanent Loss (ha)
|
Approximate Size of Temporary Loss (ha)
|
|
Natural woodland
|
0.0192
|
0.0192
|
0
|
|
Plantation woodland
|
0.004
|
0.004
|
0
|
|
Grand
Total
|
0.0232
|
0.0232
|
0
|
8.6.3 One young tree of Aquilaria
sinensis was found within the project site and would be subject to direct
impact.
Indirect
Impact
8.6.4 Disturbance to wildlife due to construction works, such as dust and
noise nuisance, would be anticipated. Increased human activities would degrade
the quality of the nearby habitats including natural woodland, plantation
woodland and developed area. Noise
disturbance arising from workers and construction activities would cause an
indirect impact on wildlife. However, According to results from the field
study, there were only a few individuals of common fauna species of high
mobility using the area occasionally and transiently such as Black-collared
Starling, Chinese Bulbul and Oriental Magpie Robin, as well as some common
insects. Thus, it is considered that the
severity of disturbance impacts to local wildlife species would be
insignificant.
8.6.5 A few streams were observed in the vicinity of the project area.
Waste oil and other contaminants spilling from the construction site may cause
significant impacts to the organisms in the streams and the riparian zone, due
to deterioration of the water quality and contamination by toxic substance.
Considering that the scale of the Project would be small, the potential
spillage could be well-controlled by good site practices.
Overall
Impact Evaluation
8.6.6 Potential ecological impacts to habitats were evaluated according to
Table 1 of Annex 8 of the EIAO-TM and described in the following sections.
8.6.7 For the natural woodland habitat, one small tree of Aquilaria sinensis was recorded within
project site. However, trees were generally young with poor tree form inside
the project site. Moreover, tree density was observed to be low within the
project site. Thus, the overall impact for natural woodland was considered as
“Low”. Overall impact evaluation for this habitat was given in Table 8.11.
Table 8.11 Overall Impact
Evaluation for Natural Woodland
|
Evaluation Criteria
|
Natural Woodland
|
|
Habitat
quality
|
Moderate
|
|
Species
|
Common flora and fauna species was recorded. 1 individual of Aquilaria sinensis was
recorded within project site.
|
|
Size/Abundance
|
~0.0192ha
|
|
Duration
|
The impact
would persist during the construction and operation phases.
|
|
Reversibility
|
The
impacts of this direct habitat loss would be irreversible.
|
|
Magnitude
|
The scale
of the works and the habitat loss and disturbance would be low.
|
|
Overall
Impact Conclusion
|
Although 1
small tree of Aquilaria sinensis was
recorded within project site, trees were generally young with poor tree form
inside the project site. Moreover, tree density was observed to be low within
the project site. Thus, the overall impact was considered as “Low”.
|
8.6.8 Some areas of plantation woodland were recorded within the project
site. Only common flora species including trees, shrubs and herbs were
recorded. No rare/protected flora species was recorded within the project site.
Thus, the impact was considered as “Low”. Overall impact evaluation for this
habitat was given in Table 8.12.
Table 8.12 Overall Impact
Evaluation for Plantation Woodland
|
Evaluation Criteria
|
Plantation Woodland
|
|
Habitat
quality
|
This
habitat has been evaluated as “Moderate” within 500m Assessment Area due to
the present of Aquilaria sinensis.
|
|
Species
|
Only common flora
species including trees, shrubs and herbs was recorded.
|
|
Size/Abundance
|
~0.004ha
|
|
Duration
|
The impact will persist during the construction phases and operation
phases.
|
|
Reversibility
|
The impact would be irreversible.
|
|
Magnitude
|
The disturbance would be small in scale.
|
|
Overall Impact Conclusion
|
This
habitat has been evaluated as “Moderate” within 500m Assessment Area due to
the present of Aquilaria sinensis.
However, no Aquilaria sinensis was
present within plantation habitat within project site. Moreover, exotic tree
species of Lophostemon confertus
was commonly recorded within project site. Thus, the overall impact was
considered as “Low”.
|
Operational Phase
8.6.9 The potential ecological impacts during operational phase are:
·
Increased human activities / disturbance associated with the operation of
the project would disturb surrounding habitats and associated wildlife. As the
surrounding areas have already been subjected to considerable human disturbance
due to the presence of the existing Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery and associated access
road, the disturbance to wildlife is considered insignificant.
·
Burning of joss paper by visitors would potentially lead to hill fire if
uncontrolled.
Cumulative impact Assessment
8.6.10 There is no other project in the vicinity of current project. Thus,
no cumulative impact would be anticipated.
8.7.1 According to the EIAO-TM Annex 16 and EIAO Guidance Note No. 3/2010,
ecological impacts on important habitats and the associated wildlife caused by
the proposed Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery Extension should be mitigated by, in order
of priority, avoidance, minimization, and compensation approaches to the
maximum practical extent.
Measures to Avoid / Minimize Habitat
Loss to Woodland and Plantation
8.7.2 As discussed in Section 2.4, a number of development options for the
extension of Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery have been considered. In order to avoid
woodland of higher ecological value and minimize the loss of woodland /
plantation, the currently proposed option has confined the new niches to be
built within the existing Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery and only minimal area (about
7.5m2) outside the cemetery boundary is required for the proposed
barrier-free site access, which is indispensable for the development.
8.7.3 The natural woodland and plantation woodland within project site
boundary would be subject to clearance. Habitat loss could be minimized in the
first instance by retaining existing vegetation wherever possible, particularly
mature and semi-mature trees present within the works areas. Any trees retained
should be adequately protected during the construction phase to promote their
health and longevity. Areas which would be temporarily affected by construction
activities should be reinstated after completing the construction works.
8.7.4
Hoarding or fencing should be
erected around the works areas during the construction phase to restrict access
to natural habitats adjacent to works areas by site workers to reduce human
disturbance. Where minor woodland loss is unavoidable the impact severity is
likely to be low and therefore habitat compensation is not typically required.
However, the provision of compensatory native tree and shrub planting within the
boundary of the existing cemetery as landscape mitigation measures as described
in Section 9.9 would further minimise the impacts identified.
Measures to Avoid / Minimize Impacts
to Flora Species of Conservation Importance
8.7.5 An individual of Aquilaria
sinensis located within the project site would be subject to direct
impacts. As such, prior to the
commencement of the construction works, a vegetation survey should be conducted
by a qualified ecologist / botanist within the project site boundary to:
·
Ascertain the presence of, as well as update the conditions, number and
locations of the flora species of conservation importance identified.
·
Determine the number and location of the affected individual of flora
species of conservation importance and evaluate the suitability and / or
practicality of the transplantation.
8.7.6 A Transplantation Proposal should be prepared by a qualified
ecologist / botanist with detailed findings of the vegetation survey (i.e.
number and locations of the affected individuals, assessment of the suitability
and / or practicality of the transplantation) and locations of receptor
site(s), transplantation methodology, implementation programme of
transplantation, post-transplantation monitoring and maintenance programme. The
proposal should be submitted to and approved by AFCD prior to commencement of
any works (including ground investigation). The approved transplantation works
should be carried out before the commencement of any site clearance works and
should be supervised by a qualified botanist / horticulturist / Certified
Arborist with relevant experience in transplanting flora species of
conservation importance.
Measures to Minimize Disturbance
Impacts
8.7.7 The disturbance impacts to the surrounding habitats and associated
wildlife arising from the construction activities could be minimized by
adopting the mitigation measures in the sections below.
8.7.8 Construction dust should be suppressed to avoid and minimize the
dust covering leaves of plants that would affect their photosynthesis, and thus
their health and growth (refer to Section 3.5.1):
·
Regular watering, to reduce dust emissions from exposed site surfaces and
unpaved roads.
·
Proper storage of construction materials.
·
Tarpaulin covering of all dusty vehicle loads transported to, from and
between site locations.
8.7.9 Noise impact during construction phase should be avoided and
minimized to reduce the disturbance to the habitats adjacent to the works areas
(refer to Section 4.7.1):
·
Machines and plant (e.g. trucks) that may be in intermittent use should
be shut down between work periods or should be throttled down to a minimum.
·
Machines and plants known to emit strong directional noise should,
wherever possible, be orientated so that the noise is directed away from the
nearby habitats.
·
Material stockpiles and other structures should be effectively utilized,
wherever practicable, in screening noise from on-site construction activities.
8.7.10 With reference to ETWB TCW No. 5/2005 on “Protection of natural
streams/ rivers from adverse impacts arising from construction works” and good
site practices (refer to Section 6.8), the following good site practices/water
control measures should be adopted to minimize any pollution entering the
watercourse nearby:
·
General refuse and construction wastes should be collected and disposed
of in a timely and appropriate manner.
·
Drainage arrangements should include sediment traps to collect and
control construction run-off.
·
All works and storage area should be restricted to the site boundary.
·
Covering of any exposed soil or other loose materials with tarpaulins to
prevent erosion.
·
Exposed soil to be covered as quickly as possible following formation
works, then seeded and covered with a biodegradable geotextile blanket for
erosion control purposes.
·
A temporary sewage treatment system or portable chemical toilets should
be designed and installed to collect wastewater and prevent it from entering
nearby habitats.
·
The proposed works site inside or in the proximity of nearby habitats
should be temporarily isolated, such as by placing of sandbags or silt curtains
with a lead edge at the bottom and properly supported props, to prevent adverse
impacts on these areas.
·
Construction debris and spoil should be covered up and/or properly
disposed of as soon as possible to avoid being washed into nearby habitats by
rain.
·
Contractors should adhere to a strict “clean site” policy, with all
construction waste transported to predetermined sites for safe disposal. Under
no circumstances should there be any disposal of waste oil or other materials
on site.
·
Vehicles and other plant should be carefully maintained and properly used
to minimise the chance for accidental spillage.
8.7.11 Prior to the commencement of any works, the appointed Contractor /
Construction Manager should conduct a formal briefing to the workforce to
reinforce the message that the works are being conducted within Lantau South
Country Park adjacent to environmentally sensitive areas. Workers should also
be informed about the locations of any identified rare/ protected plant species
adjacent to the project site, concepts of site cleanliness and appropriate
waste management procedures, including waste reduction, reuse and recycling.
8.7.12 The workforce should be reminded of the need for environmental
diligence throughout the duration of works, and in particular to avoid
littering, improper disposal of construction waste, avoid unnecessarily damage
to vegetation or cause noise or visual disturbance during the works.
8.7.13 During operational phase, adequate litter bins, a joss paper burner
of proper function and fire-fighting gears should be provided. Regular patrol
should be conducted at the open niche area during the Ching Ming
Festival and Chung Yeung Festival to ensure no uncontrolled burning occurs.
8.8.1 With the implementation of the recommended mitigation measures
during the construction work, no unacceptable residual impact is anticipated.
8.9
Environmental Monitoring
and Audit Requirements
8.9.1 No specific monitoring is required. Implementation of the
recommended mitigation measures should be regularly audited.
8.10.1 The project site is located at Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery Extension. The
area of project site is about 0.0232 ha. Current project is to accommodate the
outdoor niches and the ancillary facilities including one joss paper burner
(with a fresh water tank and a sewage holding tank for supporting its
operation) and planters.
8.10.2 Ecological surveys for the project site and its vicinity area have
been conducted. The project site is covered by plantation woodland and natural
woodland habitat. Approximately 0.0232 ha of these habitats within the proposed
works areas would be directly affected. An individual of Aquilaria sinensis with conservation interest located within the
project site within would also be affected by the construction work. With the
adoption of the recommended measures (e.g. transplantation of the small Aquilaria sinensis, erection of
hoarding/fencing) and native tree and shrub planting as part of the landscaping
proposals, the impacts would be minimized.
8.10.3 Indirect impacts during the construction phase would comprise human
disturbance, construction dust and noise, and construction site runoff. With
proper implementation of good site practices, no significant adverse ecological
impact would be anticipated. The level of disturbance during the operation
phase would be comparable to the existing condition. No significant adverse
impact is therefore expected.
8.10.4 With the implementation of the recommended
mitigation measures (e.g. measures to avoid / minimize habitat loss to woodland
and plantation, measures to reduce disturbance from construction activities,
etc.), significant adverse direct and indirect ecological impacts would not be
anticipated during construction and operational phases.
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