Ecology
Plants
The local northeast monsoons and the unique formations of cuesta in Yehliu combine together to create the conditions required for various botanic ecosystems. The park has numerous varieties of plants. This is especially true in the footpath in the third area of the park, where natural coastal foliage grows along the shore. It is the best place to appreciate plants. Statistically there are 114 kinds of plants, 8 kinds of ferns, 2 kinds of gymnosperms, 82 kinds of double seeded leaf plants and 22 kinds of monocotyledon plants.
Formosan nato tree
Formosan Nato Tree is a kind of evergreen tree, exuding latex when broken. Leaves simple, alternate, oblong, rounded at apex, margin entire; leaves smooth, leathery, dark green in front, light green in back.
Shrubby false nettle
Shrubby false nettle is a kind of subshrub, 2 m in height, stem round, solitary or sub-branches, branchlets and stems hairy. Leaves simple, alternate, oblong, crenate at margin, stem long, leaf bases cuneate or truncate, rough in upper surface with white hair on bottom surface, vein and stem with long hair. The skin of the stem of shrubby false nettle can be used for cloth weaving, while the root and leaves can be collected for medication purpose. The fibers as taken are important croppers and also the materials for making fishing nets.
Tahitian screw pine
Tahitian screw pine is a kind of evergreen tree, 5 m in height (max.), tree trunks are supported by large stems, sub-branches numerous. Leaves laceolate, lush-growth in the end of branches, traces of verticillate growth can be seen on stem, sharp prickles on leaf edge and downside of leaf veins. A common plants grown along the seashore and river bank, large community, humidity, salt and wind durable, usually grown along the coast to block the winds.
Seashore Vine Morning Glory
Seashore Vine Morning Glory is a kind of rhizomes, vine plant, hairless, roots growing on the joints of the stem. Leaves coriaceous, saddle shape, margin entire, leaves truncate, divided, leaf bases truncate or cordate. A common plant grown along the seashore.
Birds
The bountiful coastal foliage provides a place for migrating birds. March to April and October to December are the best periods of time here for bird viewing. There are nearly 300 kinds of birds, among them, there are beautiful fathered birds like Chinese Bulbul, Osprey, Little Egret, Hoopoe, Japanese White Eyes, etc.
Chinese Bulbul
The size of Chinese Bulbul is about 18cm. They usually move in group, and often have their habitats in lands and forests of middle-altitude. The color from its head to neck is black, with a white spot on its rear head; the rear part of its eyes also has a white spot; light brown in the chest, white in belly, and yellow-green in its wings.
Osprey
The osprey is a rare seen winter bird in Taiwan, and its size is about 54 cm. It feeds on fish, and usually flies alone in a height of 10~30m above the water. Once targeting at its prey, it will dive down into the water in an angle of 45°~90°to catch the fish and bring it back on the tree to finish the meal.
Little Egret
The little egret is white in body, black in beak and feet, yellow-green in toes. It usually makes its presence in flat land and rivers, paddy fields, fish farms, swamp, river mouth or sandbank of low altitude. Some of them fly south in winter. They usually move in a group; it is its habit to use its feet stirring up the water before catching up fish in the water.
Pacific reef egret
The pacific reef egret is 63 cm in length. They can be classified into two types: the black-feather type and the white-feather type. The figure and size of it is similar to litter egret, while the feet and toes of the pacific reef egret is yellow-green and the beak of which is in grey brown. They can be seen around the reefs in the coast and seldom make their presence in inland areas.
Hoopoe
The hoopoe is 27~29 cm in length. They usually have their habitats in the wetland along the coast. They are the rare-seen transients in Spring and Autumn. They usually build their nets inside the ground. Hoopoes can run very quick on the ground, but their flying speed is slow. They feed on flies, spiders, locusts, earthworms and lizards. They make their presence on the hills, hill slope or grass land in Yehliu in March per year.
Japanese White-eye
The Japanese white-eye is 11 cm in length, this bird is found in flat lands and areas of low-altitude. A large part of its body, from head, back to tail, is emerald green, neon yellow in its throat, while a circle of white belt is around its eyes. This bird is agile and small in size.
Ocean
The Yehliu Cape is located exactly at the point where 3 ecosystems meet. The South China Sea and the Japanese current both carry in tropical organism creating an ecosystem similar to a tropical ocean with coral reefs. The East China Sea brings in organisms from the temperate zone. The conditions created by the meeting of these three different ecosystems together have created a habitat that supports 10 families, 38 genus, and 106 species of stony corals; 9 families, 21 genus, and 30 species soft corals; 11 divisions, 18 classes, and 160 species invertebrates; more than 30 species's seaweeds, and more than 200 species of fish. Among them, there is a newly found species of fish that derives its name from Yehliu. Its name is Orstomella yaliuensis. The Yehliu marine area is not only important to northern Taiwan but also of the East Asia. It is a complex ecosystem that provides habitation for various organism from other different ecosystems.
Some typical species in Yehliu's Ocean:
Ulva lactuca
Green algea are oftern found in the tidal flats while red algae and brown algae are found right below in the Asian moist belt. All of them are producers in the coastal ecological system.
Phyllidiella Pustulosa
A kind of the Nudibranch are tiny and bright colored carnivores. They are ofter found on the Yehliu coast, but they are not easy to be seen as they are camouflaged
Pterocladiella capillacea
Red algae have economic value when washed, cleaned and dried 6 to 7 times before they are process into the famous "Algae jelly"
Other species
Valoniopsis pachynema Chondrus verrucosa Peyssolenia caulifera Marginosporum aberrans
Montipora aeguituberculosa Pocillopora damicornis Porifera Sarcophyton sp
