Taroko National Park HQ’s nature conservation efforts are on-going and in recent years various dominant invasive alien species prevention work has been carried out.

The clean water of the Shakadang River is the home of numerous fish, shrimp and crab species. The beautiful scenery also attracts a significant number of visitors. The failure to preserve the flow and natural features needed by the natural environment when water resources were developed in the past and the inappropriate release of alien species into the river by religious groups or members of the public has resulted in a serious reduction in native species populations.    

Species from overseas and west Taiwan can both become invasive alien species that compete with and threaten native species directly or indirectly and they may also carry diseases that cause serious after affects.

As a result, this year Taroko National Park HQ commissioned Professor Tseng Ching-hsian of the Department of Life Science, National Tsinghua University, to carry out a survey to find out the changes in the river ecology and factors affecting ecological restoration and put forward a monitoring plan and effective restoration methods to protect the river’s ecology.

Translated by：Kevin Lax
Source：Taroko National Park Headquarters