Aogu Wetland () is a

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

in Dongshi Township,

Chiayi County Chiayi is a County (Taiwan), county in Taiwan. Located in Regions of Taiwan, southwestern Taiwan surrounding but not including Chiayi City, it is the sixth largest county in the island of Taiwan. Its major tourist destination is Alishan Natio ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

History

The wetland used to be a main

agricultural land Agricultural land is typically land ''devoted to'' agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other organism, forms of lifeparticularly the rearing of livestock and production of cropsto produce food for humans. It is generally synonymous ...

Taiwan Sugar Corporation Taiwan Sugar Corporation (TSC; ; pinyin: ''Táiwān Tángyè Gōngsī'') or Taisugar (; pinyin: ''Táitáng'') is a state-run enterprise of Taiwan, with headquarters in Tainan City. History The corporation was established on 1 May 1946 by the N ...

for farming, fishing, husbandry and

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

plantation. However, due to the continuing

subsidence Subsidence is a general term for downward vertical movement of the Earth's surface, which can be caused by both natural processes and human activities. Subsidence involves little or no horizontal movement, which distinguishes it from slope mov ...

of the area caused by the

seawater Seawater, or sea water, is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% (35 g/L, 35 ppt, 600 mM). This means that every kilogram (roughly one liter by volume) of seawater has approximat ...

invading the

groundwater Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and Pore space in soil, soil pore spaces and in the fractures of stratum, rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available fresh water in the world is groundwater. A unit ...

, the land became unsuitable for agriculture. As time passes by, the area became a wetland during high

tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ...

. In 2009, the wetland was designated as the location for Aogu Wildlife Conservation Sanctuary and oversee by

Chiayi County Government The Chiayi County Government (CYHG; ) is the local government of the Republic of China that governs Chiayi County. History The country government was formed in October 1950 by the Taiwan Provincial Government. Organization * Accounting and Sta ...

Geology

The wetland is located at the mouth of

Beigang River The Beigang River, formerly known as the Pakan from its Hokkien language, Hokkien pronunciation, is a river in Taiwan named for Beigang, Yunlin, Beigang, a port 20 kilometres from its mouth. It flows through Yunlin County, Yunlin and Chiayi Count ...

and Luijiao Drainage Channel. It spands over an area of 1,500 hectares, making it the largest wetland in Taiwan. It features more than 200 species of bird.

Ecology

The habitat of the wetland consists of deep water swamps, dry farmlands, marshes, mudflats, paddy fields and windbreak forest. Terrestrial birds and water birds often fly to this place to find foods. Various species of fish are also found in the fish ponds.

Transportation

The wetland is accessible by bus from

Chiayi Station Chiayi (,), officially known as Chiayi City, is a city located in Chianan Plain in southwestern Taiwan, surrounded by Chiayi County with a population of 263,188 inhabitants as of January 2023. The Hoanya people inhabited present-day Chiayi u ...

of Taiwan Railways.

References

External links