This dissertation is about an important area in the discipline of architectural conservation, and it is cultural Landscape, defined as the combination of built and natural heritage resources. The understanding of the concept of “cultural landscape” is relatively new to Hong Kong, having been formally introduced by Dr. Ken Nicolson in 2002 as part of the syllabus of the postgraduate curriculum of HKU’s Architectural Conservation Programmes (ACP). Today, the people of Hong Kong are more aware of cultural landscape, and the term now appears in government documents. However, the concept has been with Hong Kong for a long time, expressed in the principles of fung shui. Many of Hong Kong’s cultural landscapes are influenced by fung shui and a common feature is fung shui woodland, which will be the focus of this dissertation. Fung shui is a belief system and a traditional form of landscape planning, and villages in Hong Kong and their woodlands are sited according to the principles of fung shui. The purpose of fung shui is clearly described in Yoon (1980). He stated that the aim of Fung Shui, is to maximize the wellbeing of human by maintaining the harmony between human and the nature. It is believed that all matter on the earth; both living and non-living things carry Qi or cosmic breath, which are responsible for ensuring posterity and vitality. Either insufficient or excessive Qi would result in decline and misfortune. In “Venturing Fung Shui Woods (2004)”, it is mentioned that some of the oldest fung shui woodlands in Hong Kong date back to more than 300 years. Fung shui woodland is an important element of rural Hong Kong cultural landscapes representing our traditional belief system and high cultural significance. The author also describes fung shui woodlands as like a living herbarium or plant museum, offering valuable resources for both academic research and nature conservation. A review of the recent literature on fung shui woodland, in Fung Shui View (2012), the authors explain the value of the fung shui woodland is not only in terms of ecological, but also social. From the above publication, it is clear that the fung shui woodland is one of the important cultural landscape elements in Hong Kong, which illustrates our tradition cultural beliefs and the important value of original village settlements. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

After 8-19 years of restoration, therefore, there were improvements in the quality of the restored sites in terms of vegetation structure, soil productivity and nutrient cycling. While the degree of improvement increases with age of the plantations, the qualities of the restored sites still lag behind that of the mature forest. / Based on the above findings, an assessment system is developed for the evaluation of restoration progress in the subtropical region. It includes a set of ecological indicators including: species diversity, timber transaction areas, standard deviation of tree height, total crown area, sapling density, species invasion, soil bulk density, soil water-holding capacity, organic carbon content, TKN, pH, seed bank, soil mineralization rate and litter decomposition rate. These findings have, therefore, filled the knowledge gap that there is virtually no study on the ecological assessment of restored subtropical forests in the literature. In addition, the goals and strategy of ecological restoration in Hong Kong are also discussed in the thesis. / Ecological rehabilitation with exotic species, particularly nitrogen-fixing legumes, is capable of ameliorating the degraded soils. While there is no change in the soil texture, ecological rehabilitation lowered pH and bulk density, increased organic carbon (OC) and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) contents, and elevated field capacity and available water contents of the soil. Intra-layer differences in OC and TKN were widened in R89, a trend comparable to TO. Ammonification and nitrification were detected in the restored soils, where NH4-N predominated over NO3-N and net N mineralization was higher in R89 than R95 and R00. In contrast, TO is dominated by NO3-N and net N mineralization is higher than the restored soils. / Ecological succession is happening in all the restored sites and the evidence of proof include: stem exclusion (declining density); steady increase of tall trees (>12m); invasion of grass, fern, vine and climber though few; increase in species diversity; canopy closure; decreasing standing litter but a simultaneous increase in fruits and seeds; increase of DBH, transaction areas and crown area, etc. Overall, the restored forests are inferior to the mature forest in terms of biodiversity and stand complexity. / Keywords: ecological assessment, forest rehabilitation, soil destruction sites, subtropical area / Litterfall production was characterized by bimodal peaks in TTEBA and by a single peak in TO. Peak production in August through September in Tai Tong was caused by mechanical breakage during the passage of tropical cyclones. In contrast, litterfall in TO was less easily affected by cyclones. Total litterfall production was in the order of TO ≥ R00 > R89 ≥ R95. Litterfall production was only positively correlated with canopy closure of the forests. Nutrient return was higher in the dry season than the wet season, which is governed by the quantity of litterfall. / The decomposition constants (k) for Acacia mangium and Schima superba foliage litter decreased in the order of TO > R89 > R00 > R95. It is positively correlated with SOC, TKN, TP, clay percentage and FC water of the soils but negatively with soil bulk density (p<0.05). Among the restored sites, the half life (T50) of leaf litter was shortest for Acacia mangium (92.4 days) and Schima superba (105.0 days) in R89. Overall, litter decomposition is faster in TO than any of the restored sites. / The present study investigates the successional development of three restored subtropical forests in Hong Kong, with special emphasis on the development of an assessment system suitable for the evaluation of restoration progress. The restored forests, aged 8 (R00), 13 (R95) and 19 (R89) years, were established on severely degraded lands in Tai Tong East Borrow Area (TTEBA) depleted of vegetation and top soil cover. The vegetation, soil and nutrient cycling processes of these restored forests were benchmarked against a mature forest (TO), aged 300+ years, characterized by high biodiversity and undisturbed soil. The restored forests are dominated by exotic species, mostly nitrogen-fixing legumes, and the mature forest by broad-leaved native species. The objectives of this thesis are threefold: (a) to assess the ecological development of the restored forests; (b) to develop an assessment system that can be employed to assess restoration progress; and (c) to revisit the goals and strategy of ecological restoration in Hong Kong. / Zheng, Hailong. / "October 2009." / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 72-01, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 187-209). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Geography and Geology / Master / Master of Philosophy

Ma Fung-yan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-141). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.iv / Table of Contents --- p.v / List of Tables --- p.ix / List of Figures --- p.x / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- INTRODUCTION / Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction and background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Objectives --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- Significance --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4 --- Organization of the thesis --- p.5 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2 --- Hyperspectral remote sensing --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Current imaging spectrometers available --- p.8 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Applications of hyperspectral remote sensing --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2.2.1 --- Biochemistry of vegetation --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.2.2 --- Spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3 --- Tree species recognition --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Factors affecting spectral reflectance of vegetation --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3.1.1 --- Optical properties of leaf --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3.1.2 --- Canopy structure --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3.1.3 --- Canopy cover --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3.1.4 --- Illumination and viewing geometry --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3.1.5 --- Spatial and temporal dynamics of plants --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Classification algorithms for hyperspectral analysis --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.2.1 --- Use of derivative spectra for tree species recognition --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.2.2 --- Linear discriminant analysis --- p.18 / Chapter 2.3.2.3 --- Artificial neural network --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Tree species recognition using hyperspectral data --- p.21 / Chapter 2.4 --- Data compression and feature extraction --- p.22 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Analytical techniques of data compression --- p.23 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Analytical techniques of feature extraction --- p.25 / Chapter 2.4.2.1 --- Feature selection by correlation with biochemical and biophysical data --- p.25 / Chapter 2.4.2.2 --- Spatial autocorrelation-based feature selection --- p.27 / Chapter 2.4.2.3 --- Spectral autocorrelation-based feature selection --- p.29 / Chapter 2.4.2.3.1 --- Optimization with distance metrics --- p.29 / Chapter 2.4.2.3.2 --- Stepwise linear discriminant analysis --- p.30 / Chapter 2.5 --- Summary --- p.31 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- METHODOLOGY / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2 --- Study site --- p.33 / Chapter 3.3 --- Instrumentation --- p.34 / Chapter 3.4 --- Data collection --- p.35 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Laboratory measurement --- p.36 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- In situ measurement --- p.39 / Chapter 3.5 --- Methods of data analysis --- p.40 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Preprocessing of data --- p.40 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Compilation of hyperspectral database --- p.42 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Tree species recognition --- p.42 / Chapter 3.5.3.1 --- Linear discriminant analysis --- p.44 / Chapter 3.5.3.2 --- Artificial neural network --- p.44 / Chapter 3.5.3.3 --- Accuracy assessment --- p.45 / Chapter 3.5.3.4 --- Comparison of different data processing strategies and classifiers --- p.45 / Chapter 3.5.3.5 --- Comparison of data among different seasons --- p.46 / Chapter 3.5.3.6 --- Comparison of laboratory and in situ data --- p.46 / Chapter 3.5.4 --- Data compression --- p.47 / Chapter 3.5.5 --- Band selection --- p.47 / Chapter 3.6 --- Summary --- p.48 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS OF TREE SPECIES RECOGNITION / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.50 / Chapter 4.2 --- Characteristics of hyperspectral data --- p.50 / Chapter 4.3 --- Tree species recognition --- p.79 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Comparison of different classifiers --- p.82 / Chapter 4.3.1.1 --- Efficiency of the classifiers --- p.83 / Chapter 4.3.1.2 --- Discussions --- p.83 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Comparison of different data processing strategies --- p.84 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Comparison of data among different seasons --- p.86 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Comparison of laboratory and in situ data --- p.88 / Chapter 4.4 --- Summary --- p.92 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS OF DATA COMPRESSION AND BAND SELECTION / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.93 / Chapter 5.2 --- Data compression --- p.93 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- PCA using in situ spectral data --- p.93 / Chapter 5.2.1.1 --- Characteristics of PC loadings --- p.95 / Chapter 5.2.1.2 --- Scatter plots of PC scores --- p.96 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- PCA using laboratory spectral data --- p.99 / Chapter 5.2.2.1 --- Characteristics of PC loadings --- p.102 / Chapter 5.2.2.2 --- Scatter plots of PC scores --- p.103 / Chapter 5.2.2.3 --- Results of tree species recognition using PC scores --- p.107 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Implications --- p.107 / Chapter 5.3 --- Band selection --- p.108 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Preliminary band selection using stepwise discriminant analysis --- p.108 / Chapter 5.3.1.1 --- Selection of spectral bands --- p.109 / Chapter 5.3.1.2 --- Classification results of the selected bands --- p.109 / Chapter 5.3.1.3 --- Seasonal comparison using stepwise linear discriminant analysis --- p.114 / Chapter 5.3.1.4 --- Implications --- p.116 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Band selection using hierarchical clustering technique --- p.116 / Chapter 5.3.2.1 --- Hierarchical clustering procedure --- p.116 / Chapter 5.3.2.2 --- Selection of spectral band sets --- p.119 / Chapter 5.3.2.3 --- Classification results of the selected band sets --- p.124 / Chapter 5.4 --- Summary --- p.127 / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.129 / Chapter 6.2 --- Summary --- p.129 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Tree species recognition --- p.129 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Data compression --- p.130 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- Band selection --- p.131 / Chapter 6.3 --- Limitations of this study --- p.132 / Chapter 6.4 --- Recommendations for further studies --- p.133 / Chapter 6.5 --- Conclusion --- p.136 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.137 / APPENDICES / Appendix 1 Reflectance of the 25 tree species in four seasons with three levels of leaf density --- p.142-166 / "Appendix 2 Confusion matrices of tree species recognition using original spectra, first derivatives spectra and second derivatives spectra with 138 bands classified by linear discriminant analysis for each season" --- p.167-178 / "Appendix 3 Confusion matrices of tree species recognition using original spectra, first derivatives spectra and second derivatives spectra with 138 bands classified by neural networks for each season" --- p.179-190 / Appendix 4 Confusion matrices of tree species recognition using 21 tree species with original spectra classified by linear discriminant analysis for seasonal comparison --- p.191-193 / Appendix 5 Confusion matrices of tree species recognition using the first eight PC scores classified by linear discriminant analysis for each season --- p.194-197 / "Appendix 6 Confusion matrices of tree species recognition using original spectra, first derivatives spectra and second derivatives spectra classified by stepwise linear discriminant analysis (Case 2) for each season" --- p.198-209 / "Appendix 7 Confusion matrices of tree species recognition using original spectra, first derivatives spectra and second derivatives spectra classified by stepwise linear discriminant analysis (Case 3) for each season" --- p.210-220 / "Appendix 8 Confusion matrices of tree species recognition using 21 tree species with original spectra, first derivatives spectra and second derivatives spectra classified by stepwise linear discriminant analysis for seasonal comparison" --- p.221-229 / Appendix 9 Confusion matrices of tree species recognition using the spectral bands selected by hierarchical clustering procedures and classified by linear discriminant analysis for each season --- p.230-257

Globally, as many as 30% of amphibians and 23% of reptile species are threatened and require urgent conservation action. The major threats are primarily caused by anthropogenic activities. This research aimed to investigate the impacts of two anthropogenic threats, over-exploitation and habitat changes on herpetofaunal populations in Hong Kong. Platysternon megacephalum has been heavily depleted because of severe hunting pressure for the food and pet trades. Low densities of individuals and few remaining intact populations have limited our ability to study their ecology. I conducted mark-recapture and radio-telemetry studies on P.megacephalum populations in five streams in Hong Kong, one of which was free from trapping, over 34 months (2009–2011) to investigate the impacts of illegal trapping on populations of P.megacephalum and their spatial ecology and growth. Illegal trapping was associated with the absence of large adults, smaller body sizes of adults and skewed ratios of juveniles to adults. Home ranges were relatively small with a mean 100% minimum convex polygon 996m2. Males moved longer distances than females and both sexes moved longer distances in wet seasons. P.megacephalum was highly aquatic, preferring to stay in pools, and their microhabitat preferences were affected by stream width and depth, and substrate types. Juvenile P.megacephalum grew rapidly, with growth declining after attainment of sexual maturity. The average ages of sexual maturation were eight years for females. Illegal trapping remains the major threat to P.megacephalum populations and I recommend that regulatory personnel identify key streams and patrol regularly against illegal trapping to safeguard remaining populations. In Hong Kong, large areas of primary forest have been replaced by secondary forests and plantations, and changes in tree species composition have often led to alteration of associated plant and animal communities. I examined the herpetofaunal assemblages in secondary forests and exotic Lophostemon confertus plantations. Amphibian abundances were higher in secondary forests while reptile abundance, species richness of amphibian and reptiles were similar. Secondary forests provided better habitats for amphibians and I recommend the planting of a mixture of native tree species and the thinning of exotic trees in future plantation management efforts in South China. Our knowledge about the effectiveness of different herpetofaunal survey methods in Southeast Asia is limited. To fill the information gap, I examined the effectiveness of three survey methods, including transect surveys, pitfall traps and coverboards, for sampling terrestrial herpetofauna. Transect surveys were most effective at sampling species richness and pitfall traps were most efficient in capturing high numbers of reptiles. The results of this study will aid researchers in assessing the feasibility of and choosing herpetofaunal survey methods in Southeast Asia. Despite the severe threats that herpetofauna are facing, our understanding of their ecology and conservation needs remains limited. More research and the initiation of monitoring programs for herpetofauna, strengthened enforcement of existing regulations, and proper habitat management are crucial for the conservation of herpetofauna in South China. / published_or_final_version / Biological Sciences / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy