Taiwan's Wetlands of Importance
Map of Taiwan's Wetlands
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Number
TW007
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Area
157 ha
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Chinese Name
新豐重要濕地
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Category
Coastal natural wetland
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Name
Sinfong Important Wetland
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Administrative area
Xinfeng Township, Hsinchu County
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Related plans
N/A
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Related authorities or units
Ministry of the Interior
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Boundaries
The wetland is located in Sinfong Estuary, bordering Sinfong mangrove on the north; 1.2 km from Fongkeng Security Inspection Station on the south; Chihe Bridge on Provincial Highway 15 on the east; 6-meter isobaths on the west.
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Introduction
Sinfong Important Wetland mainly occupoes the drainage area near Sinfong Estuary. The locals call the area Hong Mao Gang (Fort of the Red Hair). The lagoon near the estuary is shaped like a curling finger. It is surrounded by hills and it houses a large harbor with a narrow outlet. The wetland includes Sinfong Estuary and the surrounding water. A sand dune near the estuary creates a bend in the river course before reaching the ocean. There are large amounts of organic deposits on both banks. The wetland is made up of mudflats and beaches, and has become an ideal habitat for many species. The boundary of Sinfong Important Wetland coincides with the mangrove and protection forest. It is divided into the north bank mangrove, the south bank mangrove, as well as the aquaculture between the south bank mangrove and Fengkeng Harbor. Sinfong Township Office has built wooden trails in the mangrove forest to facilitate close range observation and environmental education.
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Ecological resources of importance
The majority of the trees in this wetland are black mangrove and the Kandelia, which are both high in hardiness. The area south of Sinfong River is a mixed forest of the two, making Sinfong mangrove the northern border where the Kandelia and black mangrove coexist. The black mangrove and Kandelia near the concrete levee on the north bank are taller than the ones on the south. There are 21 families and 40 species of plants, including natural and planted vegetation. The Poaceae is the majority with 9 species, followed by the Compositae with 5 species and the Verbenaceae with 4 species. A variety of creatures are discovered here, including birds, amphibians and insects. The fish in Sinfong River are mostly edible with economic values, including shuttles hoppfish and great blue spotted mudskipper, which appear at low tide in the intertidal zone. The environment offers great biodiversity.
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Endangered species
N/A
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Rare and valuable species
N/A
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Types to be conserved
N/A
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The current situation and potential threats of wetlands
Environmentalists point out that construction projects planned by Sinfong Township, such as leisure facilities and bird-watching villas, will affect the ecosystem due to improper design. For instance, the trail will separate the water into fresh and salt water zones, altering the entire wildlife habitat in the wetland. In addition, run-off wastewater from the Scientific Park poses a threat to the wetland's ecosystem that needs to be avoided.
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Participating in recommended units
Taiwan's Wetlands of Importance Evaluation Committee