Kadoorie botanist receives award
Native tree nursery
KFBG set up a native tree nursery in October 1997, with the aim of promoting the planting of more native tree species in Hong Kong. The seeds of about forty native species have been collected. Apart from making native tree seedlings available to developers and researchers, KFBG will determine, experimentally, which native tree species are the most suitable for reforestation in Hong Kong. Rare and endangered plants will also be propagated for conservation. Germinated seedlings are now being transplanted into growth containers. In a few months time, we will know the exact number of seedlings available in our nursery, and the seedlings will be available for planting out in the field in the summer of 1999. Those who are interested in acquiring native tree seedlings for scientific research and reforestation purposes can contact Billy Hau at tel. 2483 9534 or email billyhau@ibm.net.
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Kadoorie botanist receives award
In February last year Mrs. Gloria d'Almada Barretto, long-time botanist at Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden, was awarded the Gold Veitch Memorial Medal by the Royal Horticultural Society of Britain. The award is conferred on persons who have helped in the advancement and improvement of the science and practice of horticulture, and is a recognition of Mrs. Barretto's contribution to Hong Kong botany - in particular her work on Hong Kong orchids, of which she has discovered many botanically interesting, new and rare species.
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Flora conservation
A recent survey of the wild native orchids growing in various different habitats in KFBG recorded 35 species and 2 varieties We have attempted to pollinate orchid flowers in the wild and in our gardens as far as possible to facilitate fertilization and hence seed production. Suitable capsules are collected for tissue culturing, while some capsules are left on the plant to mature naturally. Seeds of mature and split capsules are often sown close to the parent plants, where symbiotic mycorrbiza are present, to ensure success in germination. These practices have proven quite effective; for example, the number of plants of the endemic Peristylus spiranthes var. taipoensis at KFBG was 48 in August l996. With the above procedures of pollination and in-situ seed sowning, the number became 171 in 1997, which represents a 2.5-fold increase.
KFBG's Fern Walk has been established beside a stream at an altitude of 380 metres at KFBG. Hong Kong has more than 200 species of ferns, occupying different habitats such as ravines, forest, grassland, river-banks, marshes, ponds and the seashore. About 140 species have been collected from across the territory and transplanted in appropriate locations along the Fern Walk.
Apart from orchids and ferns, the Flora Department is also interested in the conservation and propagation of other native plants, especially rare species. Due to human impacts, many of the 2,000-odd species of native plants are now locally at the verge of extinction. In addition to in-situ conservation, these species can be propagated and then either grown in a safe place such as KFBG (ex-situ conservation) or reintroduced back to the natural habitat. The propagation techniques we have applied are mainly seed-sowing, stem cuttings, layering, grafting and collecting saplings from the wild. A plant conservation laboratory was built in 1997. The major task of this laboratory is to carry out mass propagation of native rare plants by tissue culturing techniques. It also provides facilities for an experimental seedbank.
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Animal rehabilitation
The construction of our veterinary hospital has been completed and the building is being equipped. We will now be able to react much more rapidly to the needs of seriously injured arrivals to the Rescue Centre. We have also modified two rooms which are now medical hot rooms for the purpose of housing animals that are recovering from operations, and of winter holding for tropical reptiles.
A policy concerning conditions for acceptance of animals for rehabilitation and temporary holding was formulated between the Agriculture and Fisheries Department, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and KFBG during a meeting which took place in 1996. The Mammal Sanctuary has now been completed and we are presently holding twelve mammal species in captivity. KFBG can rehabilitate injured native wild mammals that have been brought to us by members of the public or the SPCA.
During summer 1997 we successfully reared three local squirrels which were handed to us as unweaned pups. One has since been released. We also successfully rehabilitated an injured Small Asian Mongoose and a Chinese Porcupine, releasing both back to the wild in 1997.
With the completion of Reptile Sanctuary Phase I, and the renovation of existing enclosures, we have been able to accommodate a wider range of animals. Obvious examples are three South American Spectacled Caimans and several Malaysian Giant Turtles, including one that weighed over 50kg. Many native reptiles have been rehabilitated and subsequently released into suitable areas around KFBG.
The Raptor Sanctuary has continued to expand to accommodate the increasing numbers of birds of prey admitted. On 3 October 1997 a suspected 'very pale' Eastern Grass Owl (Tyto longimembris) was admitted to the sanctuary. Upon close inspection it was determined that the bird was actually a Barn Owl (Tyto alba). The owl had been found by workers in a warehouse after it had attempted to fly out of a netted window. An inspection of its pellet regurgitated the followmg day showed that it had eaten a local rat species. This species of owl occurs in surrounding countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Western China and Nepal, but has never been recorded in Hong Kong before and it is believed that its journey here may have been wind-assisted or ship-assisted.
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Fauna at the Farm
The Butterfly Garden has been very successful with regular sightings of several rare species including Common Birdwing (Troides helena), Golden Birdwing (Troides aeacus) and Common Rose (Pachijopta aristolochiae). The larval food plant of these species - Aristolochia tagala - has now been planted at other sites around KFBG with the aim of widening their local distribution. Previously unrecorded at the Farm is the Orange Awlet (Bibasis oedipodea), of which large numbers were seen in 1997.
Two species not previously present on our hillside, the Hong Kong Lacewing (Cethosia biblis) and the Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) have been introduced from Lung Kwu Tang and Lamma Island. We are trying to establish Passiflora cochinchinensis, the larval food plant for Hong Kong Lacewing, in the Butterfly Garden. Shortly after planting the food plant, Asclepias curassavica, of the Plain Tiger, and introducing caterpillars, adult females were observed laying eggs.
We now have 22 species of freshwater fish in our displays, all of which are native or naturalised species. The rare Black Paradise Fish (Macropodus concolor) bred in one of the display tanks in spring 1997.
A semi-captive population of the locally endangered Rough-skinned Floating Frog (Occidozyga lima) has been breeding successfully two years consecutively proving that it can survive in Hong Kong if suitable habitats are protected. The endemic Romer's Tree Frog (Philautus romeri) is still breeding on our hillside.
Extracted from the KFBG Report 1996-1997
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