The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement on Friday that it is carrying out the ecological reconstruction and restoration of vegetation on Guia Hill.
According to the statement, the bureau started the fourth phase of its restoration plan of woodland areas in September 2022 due to the “major threat” of the wild growth of vines spreading over a large area on the hill, with trees becoming weak or withering due to being unable to conduct photosynthesis. Saplings in the undergrowth have also been unable to grow normally because of a lack of sunlight and the woodland areas cannot regenerate naturally, the statement noted.
The statement said that the hill also has a high incidence of brown root rot disease, while its hilly terrain is susceptible to loss of water and soil. A designated ecological restoration area of 5.5 hectares was established according to the hill’s current condition and its geographic characteristics in the restoration plan.
The statement added that aside from general work procedures including keeping the existing healthy trees and clearing invasive plants, a “special technique” for reverse slope land reorganisation has been used and root barrier panels have been installed for the first time to prevent loss of water and soil from the slopes.
For the pits in places with high incidence of brown root rot disease, the roots of the plant seedlings which may be infected by pathogens and the nearby soil have been removed and replaced with around 480 cubic metres of healthy soil.
Moreover, 23 tree species have been selected for the restoration plan in the hill’s woodland considering Macau’s climate and environmental characteristics, and the conditions of the woodlands and the ecological restoration experience in the Pearl River Delta area in recent years, to create habitation and food sources for wildlife, the statement said.
The bureau also restored around 5.5 hectares of steep slopes under Estrada do Engenheiro Trigo (generally called the “33 bends”) and finished planting around 3,100 new saplings in the first quarter, according to the statement.
Macau has been hit by a number of super typhoons in recent years such as Hato, Mangkhut and Higos, with woodland areas having been severely damaged and over 500,000 trees affected to different degrees, the statement noted.
The bureau has launched various restoration plans since 2018, aiming to restore at least 120 hectares of woodland areas by 2024. The statement added that by April, emergency restoration has been completed in 40 hectares and the overall ecology of 50 hectares has been improved.
This undated handout photo provided by IAM on Friday shows the bureau carrying out ecological reconstruction and restoration on Guia Hill.
