Situated in the western Pacific and straddling the Tropic of Cancer, Taiwan has a range of climatic zones from tropical to temperate, resulting in tremendous biodiversity. However, the nation’s economic take-off in the latter part of the 20th century, which brought with it environmental problems such as acid rain, coral bleaching and desertification, has given rise to serious concerns over the sustainability of ecosystems and natural resources.
Studies investigating ecological processes over long temporal and broad spatial scales, known as long-term ecological research, are needed to address these issues.
The Taiwan Forestry Research Institute under the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture has long been a pioneer in LTER, according to ecologists Hsia Yue-joe, King Hen-biau and Lin Ming-hsiung.
In the 1970s, the TFRI set up more than 10 long-term hydrology observation zones in forest watersheds around the nation to explore the effects of forestry operations and changes in tree species on hydrology.
Aquatic chemistry, nutrient cycling and hydrological processes were added to the research agenda in the 1980s. However, studies were hampered by a lack of cross-disciplinary researchers and suitable equipment. LTER only started to receive widespread attention and support after the National Science Council put up NT$8 million (US$266,667) for the “Global Change: Fushan Forest Ecosystem Study” in 1992.
“Many ecological research topics are characterized by slow processes, rare or incoherent phenomena, dramatic changes, subtle mechanisms and complexity,” said Y. Star Huang, director-general of the TFRI.
“Succession in terrestrial ecosystems, or the processes by which they change over time, is an obvious example of a slow process, while ecological disturbances such as wildfires, floods, droughts and typhoons are considered rare or incoherent phenomena.”
“Much attention may be given to such disturbances when they occur, but lacking long-term studies, it is hard to explain the relationship between the disturbances and the ecosystem,” Huang said.
According to Huang, the objectives of Taiwan’s LTER include understanding the baseline for long-term ecological phenomena, organizing important data and achievements in ecological science, and providing scientific information to help solve environmental problems.
Currently, Taiwan has six experimental zones for different kinds of ecological studies, he said. Research at Fushan, near Wulai in the mountains of New Taipei City and Yilan County, focuses on the effects of typhoons on the forest ecosystem, while studies at Pingtung County’s Nanjen Lake in the Nanjenshan Forest Ecosystem are exploring succession in the biotic community.
Studies at Fushan, Taiwan’s first LTER base, indicate the complexity of the field. A study by Lin Yao-sung in 2002 indicated that the flow of Hapen Creek at Fushan was severely affected by five typhoons from September 2001 to July 2002. However, the six fish populations in the creek did not vary significantly in size in months with and without typhoons.
“The 1,097.9-hectare Fushan zone faces problems caused by human interference in broadleaf forests due to its low altitude and convenient access, so studies on the ecosystem can also provide information on the effects of human activities,” Huang stressed.
The Tatachia Experimental Forest in Nantou County is an ideal site for research on climate change, transformations in alpine grasslands and the impact of human activities on the alpine ecosystem, while investigations at the Guandaushi Forest Ecosystem, also in Nantou, center around gap regeneration in coniferous and broadleaf forests, Huang explained.
The Yuanyang Lake Long-term Ecological Research Site, straddling the borders of Hsinchu, Taoyuan and Yilan counties, is suitable for observing processes of environmental change in the lake and the surrounding cypress forest, Huang pointed out. Nanwan Bay in Kenting National Park is a crucial site for studies of coral reef ecology.
“In contrast to LTER research in other countries, which is conducted mainly by schools or government agencies, such research in Taiwan integrates resources from the government, universities and national research units,” Huang said. “It is like a consortium, with the NSC and TFRI leading the way.
“In the early years of LTER in Taiwan, the TFRI faced difficulties in getting research subsidies,” Huang recalled. “Government officials back then would say, ‘Haven’t you conducted this study before? Why are you proposing it again?’ so researchers were forced to change their research topics.
“This is very disadvantageous for LTER because many ecological issues such as desertification, acid rain and rainforest destruction require long-term or large-scale observations,” Huang said. “Studies that last for three to five years, or even 10 years, cannot comprehensively reflect ecological problems.”
According to Huang, after 20 years of promotion by scientists, government officials and the general public now commonly accept the need for LTER.
“We hope that with the results of our studies, an ecology information center can be set up to provide our descendants valuable information on the long-term dynamics of Taiwan’s ecology.” (THN)
Write to Grace Kuo at morningk@mail.gio.gov.tw