Thesudden drop in temperature during the Ice Age transformed the environment, withnumerous species driven to extinction or forced to relocate. The salamander,once located in the low latitude regions during the Ice Age, remained in thealpine regions of Taiwan due to glacial retreat, rising temperatures andbulging plates; therefore, it is now distributed in the southernmost part of earth.Currently, there are five species of salamander, including the GuanwuSalamander, Alishan Salamander, Formosan Salamander, Sonani's Salamander and Nanhu Salamander.
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The GuanwuSalamander is covered in small white
spots (courtesy of Prof. Liu) |
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Discover Environmental Changesfrom the Habitat of the Formosan Salamander
Accordingto Prof. Liu Guang-yang from the Department of Life Science, National TaiwanNormal University, who has been involved in researching the ecology of FormosanSalamander since 1980, they undergo two life stages, one in water and the otheron land. Therefore, they are more sensitive towards environmental changes incomparison with other organisms. By monitoring their distribution over the longterm, researchers will be able to analyze the relationship betweenenvironmental change and the organisms.
Restore the Ecology of Salamandervia Habitat Management
TheFormosan Salamander is a unique tailed amphibian in Asia; from a habitat pointof view, salamanders in Japan are widely distributed and more continuous thanksto the high latitude and better environmental conditions. In Taiwan, withexception of the Guanwu Salamander, all four other species live in mountainareas at an altitude of about 2,000m, which lacks dark and humid environments, andas a result, their distribution is in smaller groups and more punctate.Moreover, the quantity of the small groups is also very sparse, which is notconducive for sustainable survival. Due to the scarcity and deficiency ofhabitats, their preservation and restoration is the most important conservationtask at hand.
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The Alishan Salamander is more widely distributed
(courtesy of Prof. Liu) |
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The Ecological Center hasWitnessed the Fruits of Habitat Management
OnApril 21, 2012, the first Guanwu Salamander-themed Guanwu Salamander EcologicalCenter in Taiwan was officially inaugurated. The exterior design of thearchitecture is inspired by the egg pod of the salamander, while thesurrounding area is developed into a habitat restoration area. In addition, 25narrators were trained for exposition work and to provide the local indigenouspopulation with assistance in promoting ecotourism. On the day of unveiling, anelder from the indigenous tribe led everyone to pray for blessings, while theMinister of the Interior, Li Hong-yuan, cut the ribbon and presentedcertificates to the narrators.
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GuanwuSalamander Ecological Center
(courtesy of Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters) |
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International Recognition ofConservation Achievements
TheShei-Pa National Park Headquarters' Guanwu Salamander restoration projectpassed the evaluation of the Society for Ecological Restoration Internationalin 2011. In the future, the ecological center will not only provide exhibitionsand expositions, it will also become the hub of global salamander research!Furthermore, the center will also be used to stimulate tribal economy andecotourism.
TheShei-Pa National Park Headquarters plans to forge strategic alliances in thefuture to plan aspects such as tribal B&B and catering, culture and handicrafts,etc., so as to assist the local community in enhancing tourism service quality.In addition, it will also support the tribe to promote organic agriculture andprotect the indigenous economy. By experiencing the salamander ecological tour,the public will be able to deeper appreciate the tribal culture, history andfolklore, in turn generating tribal development.
