As well as decades of abandonment and vandalism of its environment, Sha Lo Tung also suffered the impact of inappropriate human activities and invasive plants. While we reconstruct the wetland, we must also focus on four major issues and work on the solutions.
Extensive fields in Sha Lo Tung have attracted many off-road vehicle lovers. However, when they race among the wetland and farmlands, they not only destroy vegetations but also the irrigation facilities from the past generations. When the original wetland are damaged, exotic plants can invade and take water away from the soil, further drying up the wetland. Eventually the whole wetland system is ruined.
Sha Lo Tung is home to many rare species, including rare freshwater fish, amphibians and reptiles. They attract people who want to make a profit. Animal traps are often found in the streams.
Mile-a-minute Weed (Mikania micrantha) and Gairo Morning Glory (Ipomoea cairica) are examples of common invasive alien species in Sha Lo Tung. They grow rapidly, stifling the native species and damage the unique wetland ecology. In the past, Sha Lo Tung was full of native wetland vegetation, but with off-road vehicles racing around, frequent hill fires, and improper cultivation attempts, native wetland vegetation has shrunk significantly, favouring the invasion of alien plant species and thus destroying the wetland.
There are many ancestral graves in Sha Lo Tung due to the long history of its villages. Grave sweepers are used to burning weeds around the graves. This, as well as other ceremonial practices, might leave tinder and cause hill fires. These fires can instantly destroy extensive vegetation and disturb the natural succession of woodlands. Without the protection of vegetation, soil runoff increases and enhances siltation in the streams. Hence, wetland ecology in Sha Lo Tung is further damaged.
