Taitung University’s Jingxin Lake was covered with water hibiscus, threatening the ecology. The water surface was restored after manual cleaning.

Jingxin Lake was once covered by a large area of ​​water hibiscus. From a distance, it looked like a green grassland, and the originally open water area was greatly reduced. (Provided by Tokyo University)

The Jingxin Lake at Taitung University is a green pool that appears to be full of vitality, but it lurks an ecological crisis. After experiencing hot and high temperatures, the duckweed species rapidly grew and completely covered the lake surface, making it difficult for sunlight to enter the water. Photosynthesis of submerged plants and algae was affected. When the plants died and decomposed, they also consumed dissolved oxygen in the water, thereby affecting water quality and aquatic life such as fish and shrimp. Manual cleanup was no longer enough, so the General Affairs Office asked manufacturers to dispatch excavators to speed up the cleanup.

Jingxin Lake, which covers an area of ​​about 1.5 hectares and is equivalent to two standard football fields, has always been a place for many birds to inhabit and feed. According to long-term observations by librarians in the library, 128 species of birds have been recorded. The most numerous of them is the pied-billed duck, with more than 350 seen in one day. The pied-billed duck, red-crowned water pheasant, and black-headed weng are also common sights on campus. In autumn and winter, migratory birds continue to visit. Nowadays, water hibiscus densely covers the lake surface, and the originally open water area gradually shrinks, making teachers and students who care about Jingxin Lake uncontrollably anxious.

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In order to restore the lake surface as soon as possible, the long arm of the excavator penetrated into the lake again and again and picked up the water hibiscus in sheets; the workers on the shore held fallen leaf rakes to gather the scattered plants one by one. After four working days and about 35 people cleaning up the lake, the green that originally covered the lake gradually receded, and the open water finally reappeared, and the worries that had been hanging over the past few days were relieved.

The salvaged water hibiscus is spread on the shore lawn and exposed to the sun. In addition to inhibiting the growth of weeds, when microorganisms gradually decompose, it can also become organic matter-rich leaf mold soil, adding nutrients to the soil. After the lake surface regained its openness, birds can be seen moving freely along the Jingxin Lake again. Among them, the aconite species endemic to Taiwan often shuttles among the branches near the lake.

In order to restore the waters of Jingxin Lake as soon as possible, Dongda dispatched excavators and staff to work together to remove a large number of water hibiscus. (Provided by Tokyo University)