台灣山坡地之利用－一個外國人的觀點

The Use of Slpoelands in Taiwan: a Foreigner's Perspective

Jack F. Williams

《中華水土保持學報》 10卷2期 (1979/12) Pp. 13-18

https://doi.org/10.29417/JCSWC.197912_10(2).0002

並列摘要

Because of Taiwan's high population density, limited arable land, and rapid expansion of urban/industrial areas, there is great pressure on the two-thirds of the island that is mountainous slope land. This paper examines the use and problems of slope lands in Taiwan and offers some recommendations on future development of them Slope lands, which are defined as over 100 meters elevation or over 5 percent slope, total over 2.6 million hectares. Only some 970,000 hectares fail under the jurisdiction of the Mountain Agricultural Resources Development Bureau (MARDB), the main agency responsible for developing and conserving slope lands for agricultural use The remaining 1.7 million hectares fall under the control of the Taiwan Forestry Bureau and other agencies. The slope land region is divided into two major zones: the tower zone (100-1000 meters where MARDB is primarily involved and where most slopeland agriculture is carried out and the upper zone (above 1000 meters), which is primarily forest and Because of disadvantageous natural conditions, and poor and use management by farmers road builders and others, the slope land region is prone to severe soil erosion, which also contributes to excessive sediment at ion in rivers and reservoirs and downstream flooding. The Li Shan area and the cross-Island Highway in the upper Zone of Central Taiwan is a prime example of abused slope land use MARDB has been attempting to bring order to slopeland management since 1961 through a series of comprehensive soil and water conservation projects, as we l I as help to individual farmers Substantial progress has been made. However, the rate of progress is relatively slow and there is concern that the total slopeland zone may never be effectively controlled by sound management practices. This may be partly due to the marginal character of most slope land farming and the limited choices available for use trees are being promoted as the main cropping system Ideally, from a resource conservation viewpoint, the slope lands ought to be left under natural cover However, that position is unrealistic and the following recommendations are made for use of sl-opelands in the future: (1) agriculture should remain the dominant use, but more restricted and controlled than at present following MARDB guidelines: (2) forestry will remain the other major use of slope l ands: fairly sound conservation practices are already followed in this industry: (3), tourism can be developed further, to take advantage of the beautiful scenery and climate of the slope and region, but much more carefully than in the past; (4) the use of slope lands for industry and urban development is the least promising and should generally be discouraged or prohibited; (5) road .building should be limited to essential routes only, follow more careful soil conservation practices than in the past, and add itional cross-island highways should be discouraged.