Rehabilitation of quarries in Hong Kong

Abstract

To evaluate the ecological succession in terms of vegetation development and seed dynamics after rehabilitation, the floristic composition and structure were studied at different phases of two quarries in Hong Kong, namely Lam Tei Quarry and Shek O Quarry. Species richness and Shannon index of the overstorey and understorey vegetation were higher at the older phases. Native species became more dominant in the understorey vegetation with time. In the soil seed banks, non-woody species predominated in all phases of the two quarries, but some pioneer tree and shrub species were better represented in older phases.