Ecological diversity

Hong Kong is known for its cityscape and highly urbanized metropolis. It is much less will known for its unusually high and extremely diversified habitats and wildlife ˇV which reflect both its subtropical climate and also programmes for conservation in the main protected areas, the Country Parks.

The primaeval forest, dominated by the oak and laurel families, had a wide mix of species. The number of local primaeval plant species is estimated to be about 3,100 ˇV as todayˇ¦s species numbers suggest. The World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kongˇ¦s Ecological Database, published in 1993, highlighted the SARˇ¦s large number of species: 210 seaweeds; 175 ferns; 1,900 flowering plants, including 120 orchids; 2,000 moths; 200 butterflies; 93 dragonflies; 96 freshwater fish; 23 amplibians; 78 reptiles; 422 birds; and 57 mammals.

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