Abstract
Wetlands in coastal area have the features of high biodiversity and biological productivity. Taiwan is a maritime country, so there are many coastal wetlands. The Ao-gu Wetland in southwestern Taiwan is an internationally renowned coastal wetland which has been recognized as one of the major wetlands in Asia by the Wetlands International.The purpose of this study is to discuss the feasibility for the establishment of the Ao-gu Protected Area and its zoning delimitation. The legislative basis for the proper applying protected area management to the Ao-gu Wetland was first discussed. SWOT analysis was then used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats involved in setting up the Ao-gu Protected Area. Finally, we concluded that Wildlife Refuges, based on the Wildlife Conservation Law, is the best choice to conserve wildlife, protect species diversity and maintain the balance of natural ecosystems at Ao-gu area.
The major wildlives to be conserved in the Ao-gu Protected Area are diverse waterfowls and birds, so their observed data at monitoring points and habitat conditions within the proposed area were collected and analyzed in this study. Several biodiversity indices were used to measure the number of species and the evenness of the species and to map the spatial distribution of bird diversity. Information mentioned above was provided for questionnaires to ask stakeholders to delimit Central Zones, Buffer Zones and Sustainable Utilization Zones of the Wildlife Refuge. A quantitative method for zoning of protected areas was then developed to integrate stakeholder considerations.
Although this is a case study on Ao-gu Wetland, nevertheless, the proposed zoning method, based on combining public opinion, could be applied to any other protected areas.
| Date of Award | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Supervisor | Zsu-Hsin Chuang (Supervisor) |