Banana Bay Ecological Reserve Introduction
In the early days, the coastal area between Eluanbi and Kenting was once covered with dense coastal forests. However, due to human cultivation and the planting of ramie, much of the forest landscape was almost completely destroyed. It was not until 1982 that this area was designated as an ecological reserve, and it gradually began to restore its former state. The Banana Bay Ecological Reserve is divided into two sections, the north and south, by Provincial Highway No. 26, which creates distinctly different topographical features in these two areas. The northern section is characterized by a rugged landscape formed by elevated Pleistocene coral reef rocks, featuring large fallen coral rocks throughout the area. During the winter northeast monsoon season, small-scale crescent-shaped hills can also form. The southern section, on the other hand, lies within the Holocene marine terrace, where Holocene coral reefs are buried beneath modern alluvial layers. The coastal area is covered with wave-eroded geomorphology, where coarse shell sands, coral fragments, and skeletal remains are often found between the wave-eroded pools. Due to its location in a low-lying area, the Banana Bay Ecological Reserve has accumulated many porous coral rocks and highly permeable sand dunes. Coupled with abundant spring water and steep terrain unfavorable for development, Banana Bay's coastal forests represent the only relatively intact coastal forest area in Taiwan today. Although the forest area is not large, it boasts a rich variety of plant species, which can be divided into four plant zones: the coastal coral reef plant zone, the sandy herbaceous plant zone, the coastal shrub plant zone, and the coastal forest plant zone. The coastal coral reef plant zone is subject to strong light, harsh winds, and seawater mist throughout the year, leading to most plants growing in a prostrate manner, with only a few plants sheltered from the wind reaching a height of one meter. The sandy herbaceous plant zone, located on the inner side of the coastal coral reef plant zone, features typical coastal vine plants due to the narrow sandy beach terrain, such as saddle vines, beach beans, and rootless vines. The plants in the coastal shrub plant zone tend to be larger and consist mainly of shrubs and trees like White Wattle, Beach Currant, Harbor Tree, and Yellow Mallow, but are still significantly affected by waves and sea winds, leading to a generally tilted growth pattern. The coastal forest plant zone typically consists of evergreen broadleaf forests, with composition varying based on proximity to the sea and light availability. Common plants near the coast include Liquidambar formosana, Ficus hirta, Glochidion obovatum, Persimmon, Chaenomeles speciosa, and Solanum nigrum. Inland, plants include Liquidambar formosana, Pisonia aculeata, Ficus variegata, Barringtonia asiatica, and Cananga odorata. Shaded plant layers include Ficus crassipes, Dorycnium hirsutum, Millettia leucantha, Hoya kerrii, and Sphagneticola trilobata, among others.
