Fair examines history, ecology

The 2006 Science Season, a comprehensive exhibition on various aspects of Taiwan, will be launched at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall tomorrow.

The exhibition, organized by the National Science Council, features the evolution and diversity of Taiwan's culture and wildlife, as well as its economic scene. The presentation spans 20,000 years ago until now.

According to the council, viewers will be impressed by the informative content, rare snapshots as well as interactive multimedia features that are integrated into the presentations.

In the section that introduces the nation's ecological diversity, for example, researchers have indicated that Taiwan has many unique animal species that cannot be found elsewhere in the world, including mammals, birds, reptiles, plants and insects.

The Taiwan Biodiversity National Information Network estimates that more than 46,312 species are found in Taiwan. The sheer number and types of the creatures have been an advantage to local scientists, whose studies are now valued by their colleagues in other parts of the world, it said.

The scientists, however, have warned that some of the creatures can no longer be found.

Shao Kuang-chao (邵廣昭), a researcher from Academia Sinica who is also the presentation planner for the ecological diversity section, said 24 species in Taiwan have become extinct, meaning no one has seen them for the past 30 years.

He also said that 79 species were on the verge of extinction.

Their have been dwindling over the years, owing to pollution and a deteriorating ecological environment, he added.

"The biggest problem we are facing right now is that these animals gradually go from the status of being commonly seen, to being occasionally seen or rarely seen, and then eventually to that of complete extinction," he said.

There will also be presentations on the extinct animals at this year's exhibition.

The organizer of the section on the history and ethnicity of Taiwan, on the other hand, characterized the composition of the population as a "plate of Chinese hors d'oeuvres." It includes Aborigines, migrants from the Chinese provinces of Fujian and Guangdong between the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as Hakka people and those who came from other provinces in China after World War II.

The country's ethnic makeup has gone through some changes recently with the increase of laborers and spouses from countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. This section shows that the coexistence of a diverse range of races and cultures has contributed to the distinctive development of the nation's cities.

The exhibition will last until Sept. 24. Admission is free.

The event also garnered attention from the government.

Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said during a Cabinet meeting yesterday that it was encouraging to see such touching and healthy information at a time of political conflict and when some people have lost faith in the country.

It would be good if the organizer could make the content of the exhibition available to the public on DVD, which could also have narration in English or other languages, he added.

The council has been coordinating with government agencies, non-profit organizations as well as academics for the past year to arrange for this year's event.