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NOTES AND QUERIES
brown and, apart from being somewhat darker at the surface, there is no sign of layers.
Vegetation:
The kind of vegetation on different parts of Tai Mo Shan depends on a variety of factors: altitude, soil conditions, exposure, and frequency of fires. Furthermore, trees have been planted on a considerable scale upon the upper slopes by the Agriculture and Fisheries Department; the main species are Acacia confusa (native), Pinus elliottii (from Caribbean region) and Tristania conferta (related to Eucalyptus sp., from Australia).
Briefly, in sheltered sites where the soil is reasonably deep, with adequate moisture, but which have not experienced a fire for, say, twenty years a natural woodland will probably be present. Elsewhere, either grassland or scrubland will exist. Even where fires occur every few years, belts of natural woodland may survive beside water-courses—a situation that is analogous to the "gallery forest" of East Africa. Definitions of the kinds of vegetation have been compiled by the Hong Kong Government (1968), and the possible inter-relationship of the vegetation types have been discussed by Thrower (1975).
The Route in Outline:
1. Route Twisk to Tai Mo Shan Road
a) The starting point was in Tsuen Wan, which is situated at approximately sea level and has a rainfall of about 200 cm.
b) Beyond the outskirts of Tsuen Wan, note:
— beside road on left-hand side is a border of Casuarina equisetifolia trees, which have some resemblance to pine trees; they are widely planted in Hong Kong and the western Pacific.
— on right-hand side are constructed terraces with cultivation (including bananas), and burial urns, kam taap (金塔).
c) As the 'bus climbs higher, note the hillside directly ahead: the plantation of Tristania conferta has been badly burnt. Many more examples of serious fires will be seen.