Application of a Landscape Development Intensity Index for Assessing Wetlands in Taiwan

In 2007, the Taiwanese government used the criteria of species richness, degree of wilderness/representativeness/uniqueness, and appropriateness/reasonability to identify 74 wetlands as being of importance. They were ranked according to the order of importance and classified into three levels: wetlands of international, national, and local importance. We examined the landscape status of these wetlands, each including a 100-m-wide swath of surrounding land area and the wetland itself, and calculated landscape development intensity (LDI) index values, as used in earlier assessments in Florida, USA. The LDI index values were ranked and classified into three levels as done by the Taiwanese government. We compared the ranking of the LDI index values with those evaluated by the Taiwanese government and found that there was 67.6% congruency, suggesting that the LDI index can be used to assess the biodiversity status of wetlands. Our results also suggested that the LDI index can be used to assess coastal wetlands. This provides rapid and timely information on landscape development which can prove useful for managing wetlands in Taiwan. However, there was some variability between the two rankings, apparently resulting from the incongruence of some land-use categories used in Florida and Taiwan. It is recommended that Taiwan develop LDI coefficients corresponding to land-use categories based on its own natural and anthropogenic landscapes.