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Forest Fire in Lung Ha Wan

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  1. #21

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    By the way, is it allowed to burn your garbage? We have a couple of neighbours who frequently burn dry leaves and lots of other things (usually 2-3 times a week). Sometimes I am really worried the fire will spread to our house. One time I went out of the house and there was such thick smoke, I was afraid our own house is on fire. Air pollution level is also really bad at that time of course.
    Is it worth to call the police in such case or do they not do anything?


  2. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by Koen:
    Oh yes there are some very nice hillsides covered in exclusively semi deciduous and evergreen broadleaf forest. Not a mix of anything else, no grasses too much shade. They are extremely precious.

    I just read "forest" fire in Lung Ha Wan an area which Im not familiar with. A forest fire could also burn for weeks and weeks.

    Less of a tragedy if it's not a forest of course. Which is why I was asking. Hong Kong has precious few mature forest some only even just approaching maturity now.
    Speaking of forests, I do like the forest around Kadoorie farm on the slopes of Tai Mo Shan. Don't know if it qualifies as being "mature", since alot of the trees on the hillside there were replanted in the 50's when they reintroduce the flora onto what was then bare hillsides. Anyway, I do like that place alot. Friendly and helpful staff and quiet and green surroundings.

    The mature forests I know of are the "feng shui wood" behind those New Territories villages (http://www.hkherbarium.net/herbarium...sw/FSW_1_e.htm). Some of them still exist in Hong Kong today. Not sure if those woods exist at Lung Ha Wan however.
    Last edited by Watercooler; 02-12-2013 at 07:45 PM.
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  3. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by pumi23:
    By the way, is it allowed to burn your garbage? We have a couple of neighbours who frequently burn dry leaves and lots of other things (usually 2-3 times a week). Sometimes I am really worried the fire will spread to our house. One time I went out of the house and there was such thick smoke, I was afraid our own house is on fire. Air pollution level is also really bad at that time of course.
    Is it worth to call the police in such case or do they not do anything?
    Im not sure it could be illegal if you are in or very near a country park. I know where we live which is plum in the middle of a feng shui type forest stretching four kilometres in any direction, its country park and it's illegal to burn.

    There was a single old farmer in his 90's the only other house in our area living on the edge who used to burn his few terraces and the Parks "Rangers" told him to stop or he would be prosecuted. Its as well as he couldn't control the raging bon fires he created. He fell in the forest off a rock in the high mountain stream that comes through our garden and died sometime ago.

    Think any fire activity that endangers the country parks or possibly also surrounding houses as in your case is illegal unless there is a designated area like barbecue place.

  4. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by iliketurtles:
    I'm a bit confused because I don't know of any forests in Hong Kong which are exclusively evergreen broadleaf trees or semi-deciduous. ...........
    Our area for one . Think it's the largest unbroken forest in Hong Kong. Could also be considered one of the few mature forests around of this size. This is just a picture of our area but the forest continues over quite a vast area including mountains and valleys.

    Surprising Hong kong

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  5. #25

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    Where is that, Koen? Clearwater Bay Country Park?

    Sorry if I'm showing my ignorance. I hope I didn't make out that I'm a forestry expert, because I certainly am not!


  6. #26

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    take one look at google an u can see the majority of HK is green...


  7. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by iliketurtles:
    Where is that, Koen? Clearwater Bay Country Park?

    Sorry if I'm showing my ignorance. I hope I didn't make out that I'm a forestry expert, because I certainly am not!
    Nor am I [blush] I haven't taken the time here in Hong Kong. I should be though as out of every window in our house I can see only forest trees and trees not a single building in sight any direction any horizon including right down the mountains and valleys to the sea. The stars at night are incredible right now, we don't have light polution either.

    It's part of Ma On Shan I think but which part exactly Im not sure. I am I suppose something of a botanist having indeed studied it for a few years mainly having focused on the flora of Sub Saharan Africa.

  8. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by Koen:
    Our area for one . Think it's the largest unbroken forest in Hong Kong. Could also be considered one of the few mature forests around of this size. This is just a picture of our area but the forest continues over quite a vast area including mountains and valleys.

    Surprising Hong kong

    That's a great photo. My understanding is that almost all forest or woodland in HK are secondary (or third) growth. If that Ma on Shan section is really a mature/old-growth forest, then it would be remarkable preservation and may reflect native flora species which once existed throughout Hong Kong.

  9. #29

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    I think parts of it do. There is definately a high turn over with our typhoons so a continuous balance of falling older growth and emerging new growth seems the order. I dont think any trees realy get the chance to reach hundreds of years old.

    There were very small settlements in here hundred years ago or so when forest were still an important part of local culture. There are still stone terraces near streams previously used for rice growing long reclaimed by trees.

    Part of the stone layed trail is meant to be 'ancient' which helped us in stopping the laying of electricity cables under ground and through this stretch in any form.