TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taoyuan City Government signed a landmark conservation agreement Wednesday (Oct. 1) with Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture (農業部) to restore endangered plant species discovered during major airport development. The memorandum with the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute (林業試驗所) represents Taiwan's most ambitious effort to preserve native flora threatened by the Taoyuan Aerotropolis (桃園航空城) construction project.
Officials discovered three endangered species unique to Taoyuan during aerotropolis construction, including Drosera indica, Thysanotus, and tropical sundew plants. The city selected a restoration site in Dayuan District (大園區), Taoyuan's coastal area, with scientific guidance from the forestry institute. The comprehensive initiative encompasses detailed site inspections, systematic soil sampling, and careful seed and soil transportation protocols.
The initial 110-square-meter restoration site successfully recreated the plants' native wetland environment, yielding remarkable results by June 2024. Scientists unexpectedly discovered additional species including Macartney rose and Scleria novae-hollandiae Boeckeler thriving alongside target plants. The second 280-square-meter site at Danan Forest Park (大湳森林公園) employed sophisticated terrain reshaping to replicate natural habitats.
The restoration program achieved extraordinary success, with 113 Drosera indica, 52 tropical sundews, and 74 Thysanotus plants thriving at the primary site. The secondary location produced 45 Drosera indica and 515 Thysanotus specimens in collaboration with forestry experts. A third site completed by July 2025 shows promising early growth, while officials target a fourth restoration location for late 2026 through 2027. ◼