Lam Tsuen River is located in New Territory, Hong Kong. The river measured around 10.8km with a catchment area of 21km square.
The water quality has been a concern in the past. However, due to Hong Kong Government’s effort of conservation in recent years, it has shown significant improvement over the past decades. According to a research by The University of Hong Kong’s Geography Department, the water quality has improved between 1986 and 2015.
Lam Tsuen River is extremely important for Hong Kong’s biodiversity. It is one of the 30 river that has the richest biodiversity in Hong Kong. Including the rare Paramesotriton hongkongensis – which the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources classified as a Near Threatened (NT) species.
Lam Tsuen River is also home to species such as Aniptodera chesapeakensis, Aquaticola ellipsoidea, Helicosporium griseum, Massarina purpurascens, M. thalassioidea, Ophioceras commune, and Sporoschisma uniseptatum.
Conservation is a crucial factor in maintaining the rich biodiversity in Lam Tseun River. The government should continue their effort in conserving the area in the future in order to protect this biodiversity hotspot.
Source
David Dudgeon (1984). Longitudinal and temporal changes in functional organization of macroinvertebrate communities in the Lam Tsuen River, Hong Kong. Hydrobiologia volume 111, p. 207–217
Biodiversity of fungi on submerged wood in Hong Kong streams. Clement K. M. Tsui*, Kevin D. Hyde, I. John Hodgkiss. Centre for Research in Fungal Diversity, Department of Ecology and Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong
Committing to conserving the habitat at Lam Tsuen River. 2018. https://www.devb.gov.hk/tc/home/my_blog/index_id_271.html
