Tainan's Baishui River Restoration Uses Native 'Kai Ka Lu' Plant

The Chiayi Forest District Office is actively engaged in river habitat restoration along the Baishui River in Tainan. A key element of this initiative involves the "on-site collection, on-site restoration" philosophy, utilizing native plant species. During flood control engineering work on the upper reaches of the Baishui River last year, the office focused on collecting seeds from the local native plant, "Kai Ka Lu."

These seeds were then sown to encourage natural propagation, gradually restoring vitality to the riverbanks. The goal is to create a river environment that effectively manages floods while promoting ecological sustainability. "Kai Ka Lu" is identified as a native riparian plant in Taiwan, characterized by its well-developed underground stems that provide excellent soil stabilization, thereby reducing riverbank erosion.

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"Kai Ka Lu" is a native riparian plant in Taiwan with good soil fixation capabilities.

Furthermore, the dense growth of "Kai Ka Lu" offers crucial habitat and foraging spaces for insects, birds, and small wildlife, enhancing the overall quality of the riverbank ecosystem and maintaining the stream's ecological functions. This makes it a valuable native plant for river management projects.

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Its dense growth can provide habitats and foraging spaces for insects, birds, and small wild animals, helping to improve riverbank habitat quality and maintain stream ecological functions.

The Chiayi Forest District Office team collected mature seeds from healthy "Kai Ka Lu" plants around the work area. Professional staff then sowed these seeds in suitable locations, considering the specific topography, slope, and soil conditions along the Baishui River. This method preserves the local genetic characteristics, allowing the plants to establish stable populations naturally, accelerating vegetation recovery on exposed land, and improving riverbank stability and stream habitat quality.

The office emphasizes that river management extends beyond flood control needs, prioritizing river ecology conservation and habitat restoration. Through the "on-site collection, on-site restoration" approach, they plan to continue promoting native plant restoration in suitable environments. This will contribute to building high-quality river environments that ensure flood safety and promote biodiversity, realizing a vision of sustainable development.

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River management not only considers flood control needs but also emphasizes river ecological conservation and habitat restoration.