5.1.3.2
Noise
Monitoring
Noise monitoring activities were conducted on 19 November
2021 in concurrence with the construction phase monthly monitoring of the pre-identified
active night roosts. Noise monitoring started at 17:58 and lasted for 30
minutes, until 18:28.
Current survey results showed noise levels (LAeq (30 min.)) at both monitoring stations to
be well below the action and limit levels as presented in Table 5.3.
5.1.4
Detection of Any Unpredicted Indirect Ecological
Impacts Arising from the Project
No unpredicted indirect
ecological impacts that arose from the project was noted during the current
monitoring period.
5.1.5
Summary
5.1.5.1
Status
and Location of Any Active Ardeid Night Roost
Two active ardeid night roost areas (ANR1 and ANR2)
were observed within the Survey Area during the November 2021 monitoring
period. These roosts were located at the mangrove strips in the east and
northeast portions of the Project boundary. These were used by individuals of
Chinese Pond Heron and Little Egret.
5.1.5.2
Noise
Monitoring Results
Both noise levels at each of the monitoring
stations were below the action and limit levels.
5.2
Ecological Monitoring of Birds
5.2.1
Monitoring Requirement
With reference to Section 7.3.6 of the EM&A Manual, monthly ecological monitoring of birds, focusing on avifauna species of
conservation interest, and overwintering waterbirds utilising wetland habitats
in Fung Lok Wai and Nam Sang Wai as well as along Shan Pui
River and Kam Tin River within the monitoring area (500 m from the Project
Boundary) in addition to monitoring on the utilization of wetland habitats by
birds also within the same monitoring area as required by Section 7.3.1 of the EM&A Manual.
5.2.2
Monitoring Methodology
5.2.2.1
Monitoring
Area
The monitoring area include wetland habitats in
Fung Lok Wai and Nam Sang Wai as well as along Shan Pui
River and Kam Tin River within 500m from the Project boundary with reference to
Section 7.3.6 of the EM&A Manual. The location of point
count sites and transect routes is shown in Appendix P.
5.2.2.2
Monitoring
Activity
Avifauna survey on the different wetland habitats
using the transect count and point count methods was conducted on 15 November
2021 (day time survey) which started around 07:30. Meanwhile, the survey
overlooking the mudflats and mangroves in the Shan Pui
River was concurrently conducted on the same date with the day time survey
during the low tide (generally 1.5m or below) period at around 11:15. The
methodology for the monitoring activity followed Sections 8.3.3.6 and 8.3.3.7 of the EIA Report (AEIAR-220/2019) and as
detailed below.
For the transect count and point count methods, the
presence and relative abundance of avifauna species at various wetland habitats
were recorded visually and aurally.
Avifauna species were detected either by direct
sighting or by their call and identified to species level. Any notable
behaviours such as feeding, roosting and breeding were also recorded. Bird
species encountered outside the point count locations and walk transects were
also recorded. A comprehensive list of species recorded from the Assessment
Area was prepared, with wetland-dependence, conservation and/or protection
status indicated. Ornithological nomenclature in this report follows Carey et al.
(2001), Viney et al. (2005) and the most recent
updated list from Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (HKBWS).
Noise levels were recorded with the methodology and equipment as
mentioned in Section
3.4
and Section 3.2, respectively, of this EM&A report. The
parameter as shown in was recorded at each of the point count locations.
In addition to recording of noise levels, any changes in site condition
or disturbances detected or observed at the monitoring locations, including
both construction and non-construction related activities with reference to Section 7.3.7 of the EM&A Manual were also noted.
5.2.2.3
Data
Analysis
For the bird
communities, the monitoring results were compared to pre-construction baseline condition
during the dry and wet seasons as summarized in the Baseline Bird Survey Report
with reference to Section 7.3.8 of the EM&A Manual. However, to
further account the seasonality, monitoring results of the current month was
compared to the results of the corresponding month of the baseline data.
The data for point count method and transect walk
method were presented separately to account for the difference in the survey
effort of the two methods. For each method, abundance and species composition
of the avifauna communities during the monitoring month were summarized.
To check the presence of variation in bird
abundance between baseline and impact monitoring, t-test was applied (α =
0.05). Moreover, to check the presence of variation in bird species diversity,
the two-sided Hutcheson t-test was also used. The two-sided Hutcheson t-test was
developed as a method to compare the diversity of two community samples using
the Shannon diversity index (Hutcheson 1970). Shannon diversity index will be
computed using the formula,
where, H’ = Shannon
Diversity Index; Pi = proportion of the population of species; i: number
of species in sample; ln = natural logarithm. Shannon diversity index is used
as it accounts the proportion (relative abundance) of each species; thus, it
gives a better description of diversity than a plain number of species (species
richness).
The Action and
Limit Levels for ecological monitoring of birds have been set and are presented
in Appendix
C.
Wetland habitat
utilization during the construction phase monitoring shall only be compared
seasonally, hence the comparison shall only be done after all the data (dry
season and wet season) were collected with reference to Appendix 8.5 of the approved EIA Report.
5.2.3
Monitoring Results
Results of the avifauna survey on the different
habitats within the monitoring area using the transect count and point count
methods as conducted last 15 November 2021 (daytime survey) are presented in Sections 5.2.3.1 and 5.2.3.2. Meanwhile, results
for the surveys overlooking the mudflats and
mangroves in the Shan Pui River, with monitoring
activities conducted on similar date with the day time
survey during the low tide (generally 1.5m or below) period which started around
11:15 had results presented in Section 5.2.3.3.
5.2.3.1
Abundance
5.2.3.1.1 All Avifauna Species
An overall total of 645 avifauna ind. was recorded
in the monitoring area during the November 2021 monitoring period, of which 462
ind. were recorded from the point count method and 183 ind. from the transect
walk method. Relative to the November 2016 baseline data (point count method =
608; and transect walk = 125), a current insignificant decrease in total
abundance for the point count method (t-value = 0.32; p-value =0.75; α =
0.05) and an increase in the transect walk method results were noted. These
findings are summarized in Table 5.5.
5.2.3.1.2 Avifauna Species of Conservation Importance
Of the 645 avifauna individuals recorded in the
monitoring area during the November 2021 monitoring period, 339 ind. (point
count method = 271 ind.; transect walk method = 68 ind.) were of conservation
importance. With reference to November 2016 data, current results showed an
insignificant decrease in total abundance of point count method (t-value =
0.18; p-value = 0.86; α = 0.05) while an increase in transect walk method
was noted. These findings are summarized in Table 5.6.
5.2.3.2
Diversity
(Species Richness[1] and
Shannon Diversity Index[2])
5.2.3.2.1 All Avifauna
Species
A total of 44 avifauna species (species richness)
was recorded during the November 2021 monitoring period, of which, 40 spp. were
recorded by the point count method while 21 spp. were noted by the transect
walk method. Relative to the baseline data (point count method = 48 spp.;
transect walk method = 20 spp.), decrease in total species richness for the
point count method was noted while an increase of total species richness in
transect walk method was observed. In terms of Shannon diversity index (H’), an increase
from baseline reference values was observed in point count method while an
insignificant decrease of H’ in transect
walk method (t-value = 0.21; t-crit = 1.97; p-value =0.84;
α = 0.05) was noted. Details of these findings
are summarized in Table 5.7.
5.2.3.2.2 Avifauna Species of
Conservation Importance
Of the 44 species of avifauna identified during the
November 2021 monitoring period, 17 species were of conservation importance
(point count method = 17 spp.; transect walk method = 7 spp.). Relative to the
baseline values in November 2016, decrease in the number of species with
conservation importance was recorded from the point count method while no
change in the number of species with conservation importance for the transect
walk method was noted. In terms of H’, no significant decline (t-value = 1.82;
t-crit = 1.96; p-value =0.07; α = 0.05) was observed from the point count
method, from H’ = 1.91 in November 2016 to H’=1.71 of the current period. An
insignificant current decline in transect walk method results (t-value = 0.18; t-crit = 1.98; p-value =0.86; α = 0.05) with respect to the baseline value of H’= 1.12 was also
noted. Details of these findings are summarized in Table 5.8 and Appendix F.8.
5.2.3.3
Wetland
Habitat Utilization
Avifauna communities were observed during the
current monitoring period in the different wetland habitats, i.e. modified
watercourse, ponds and reedbed.
With reference to Section 7.3.1 of the EM&A Manual, the utilization of the wetland habitats by birds within the monitoring
area was recorded and monitored.
5.2.3.3.1 All Avifauna Species
During the current monitoring period, majority of
the wetland habitats were less utilized by avifauna communities in terms of
their abundances (very low) although some areas such as Active Ponds adjacent
to Project site in Fung Lok Wai, and Active Ponds North to Nullah 2 in Fung Lok
Wai were noted with low to moderate number of avifauna individuals. In terms of
species richness, particularly high to very high number of species were present
in Upper course of Shan Pui River along YLIE, and
Active Ponds North to Nullah 2 in Fung Lok Wai during the period (Table 5.9).
5.2.3.3.2 Avifauna Species of
Conservation Importance
Majority of the wetland habitats were less utilized
by avifauna communities in terms of their abundances (very low) although one
habitat, the Active Ponds adjacent to Project site in Fung Lok Wai, was observed
with low to moderate abundance (L-M). In
terms of species richness, majority of the wetland habitats were also
consequently utilized by very low number (VL) of species (Table 5.10).
5.2.3.3.3 Overwintering Avifauna Species
A total of 14 winter visitor species were observed
utilizing the wetland habitats within the survey area during this monitoring
period. Majority of these wetland habitats were noted with very low (VL)
abundances and species richness of overwintering avifauna species (Table 5.11).
5.2.3.4
Noise
Levels
Noise levels LAeq
(30 min) recorded on 15 November 2021 (daytime) from each of the point count
locations during the ecological bird monitoring are shown in Table 5.12.