考察地點 Field Sites

塱原 Long Valley

生境 Habitats

地點介紹 Site Description

塱原位於上水市中心北部,是一片淡水濕地,它是除了米埔以外的候鳥主要停留地。

塱原主要由農田及魚塘組成,當中的濕農田為種植通菜、西洋菜等之用。塱原沒有受生境細碎化破壞,並且有其獨特的低窪地勢,加上因種植不同作物產生不同小生境如紅蟲塘、荷花池,故有錄得超過210種鳥類聚,當中包括25個重點保育鳥種。

植物方面,除了蔬菜,也種有果樹,並有喬木、灌木及攀緣植物等。

2003年九鐵興建落馬洲支線,途經塱原,曾引起激烈爭議。九鐵原先建議塱原段採取高架天橋形式,但遭環保團體反對,指興建高架橋會破壞塱原的生境及地貌,並危害雀鳥安全。最後九鐵改以地底隧道形式穿過塱原濕地,減低影響。

自2005年至今,長春社與香港觀鳥會合作,得到政府資助,在塱原部分農地以管理協議形式,進行生境管理、保育和環境教育的工作。

Long Valley is a piece of freshwater wetland at the north of Sheung Shui Downtown. It is a main wintering ground for migratory birds other than Mai Po.

Long Valley is manly farmlands and fish ponds. Among the farmlands are wet farms for planting Water Spinach and Watercress. Long Valley is not affected by habitat fragmentation and has little anthropogenic disturbance. In addition, it is a low land and holds a lot of different small habitats such as Blood Worm ponds and lotus ponds. Hence, over 210 species of birds live there, including the Greater Painted-snipe, Von Schrenck's Bittern and Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, as well as 25 bird species under special protection.

As for plants, other than vegetables, there are also fruit trees, other trees, shrubs and climbers.

In 2003, KCR started constructing the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, which passes through Long Valley and caused an uproar. KCR originally planned to adopt a viaduct design, but was strongly objected by green groups, who claimed that the viaduct construction would damage Long Valley's habitats and topography and pose threat to the birds' safety. In the end, an underground tunnel design was used to reduce the effects on the environment.

Since 2005, the Conservancy Association and the Hong Kong Bird Watchign Society have partnered up and been carrying out habitat management, conservation and envrionmental education in Long Valley with grants from the government.