Banana Bay Ecological Reserve Introduction
The coastal area between Eluanbi and Kenting once thrived with dense coastal forests. However, due to human cultivation and the planting of ramie, the forest was almost completely destroyed. It wasn't until 1982, when this area was designated as an ecological reserve, that it began to gradually regain its former appearance. The Banana Bay Ecological Reserve is divided into two sections: a northern section and a southern section, separated by Provincial Highway No. 26. The terrain and landscape of the two regions are distinctly different. The northern section consists of a rugged cliff landscape formed by uplifted high-level coral reef rocks from the Pleistocene epoch. The area is rugged, with large fallen coral reef boulders scattered throughout, and during the winter northeast monsoon, small-scale crescent-shaped hills may form. In contrast, the southern section lies on a Holocene marine terrace, where the Holocene coral reef is covered beneath modern alluvial layers, and the coastal area is filled with wave-cut notches and reef formations. Coarse shell sand, coral skeletons, and coral gravel can be occasionally found between the wave-cut notches. Due to Banana Bay Ecological Reserve's location in a low-lying area, many porous coral rocks and highly permeable sand dunes accumulate here. Combined with abundant spring water sources and steep topography that hinders development, Banana Bay coastal forest is currently the only relatively intact coastal forest area in Taiwan. Although the forest area is not large, the diversity of plants is quite rich, which can be classified 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 influenced year-round by strong light, winds, and sea salt mist, causing most plants to exhibit a low, sprawling form, with only a few wind-sheltered plants growing up to 1 meter tall. The sandy herbaceous plant zone, located on the inner side of the coastal coral reef plant zone, features a narrow sandy beach landscape where typical sandy shore vines like saddle vines, beach bean, and rootless vines grow. The plants in the coastal shrub plant zone are generally larger, dominated by shrubs and trees such as white mangrove, grass cowthorn, beach hibiscus, and others, but the area is still heavily affected by waves and winds, resulting in a typical leaning tree form. The coastal forest plant zone mainly consists of evergreen broadleaf forests, and the composition of tree species varies based on proximity to the sea and light availability. Common plants near the coast include lacebark, chessboard tree, yellow jujube, hairy persimmon, Matsu area camellia, and eggplant tree; inland plants include lacebark, blumea, large-leaved acacia, olive tree, and large-leaved swamp olive; and shaded plant layers include fig trees, chaste trees, red cedar, vine trees, wind vines, lion's tail, horse tail, and mountain blue.
