[Report 24. Full report 0.2 MB. pdf format]

Executive Summary

Introduction

The recommendation to establish a nature reserve in south-eastern Gia Lai province was made following an analysis of Vietnam's protected areas system conducted by BirdLife International and the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute (FIPI), as part of the European Union-funded project Expanding the Protected Areas Network in Vietnam for the 21st Century (Wege et al. 1999). This analysis identified the Eastern Indochina Moist Forests Ecoregion as under-represented within the current protected areas system. In order to address this under-representation, BirdLife International and FIPI proposed the establishment of four new protected areas in this ecoregion, including one in south-eastern Gia Lai province.

Based on this proposal, BirdLife International and FIPI, in collaboration with Gia Lai Provincial Forest Protection Department (FPD), conducted a field survey in A Yun Pa and Krong Pa districts, Gia Lai province, between March and April 2000. The aim of this field survey was to collect all data necessary for the preparation of a feasibility study for the establishment of a protected in south-eastern Gia Lai province. The field survey included an evaluation of the biodiversity and economic values of the area, an assessment of threats to biodiversity in the area, and an analysis of the capacity of local institutions to establish and effectively manage a protected area.

Based on the results of the field survey, this report recommends establishing a 44,268 ha nature reserve, with the name A Yun Pa. The contents of this report will be discussed at a workshop to be held in Gia Lai province in early 2001. If the contents of this report are approved by Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee, the report will be submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). If the contents of this report are approved by MARD, an investment plan will then be prepared and submitted to MARD for approval to establish the nature reserve.

Physical features

A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve is located in Ia Tul, Chu Mo and Ia K Dam communes, A Yun Pa district and Ia R Sai commune, Krong Pa district. The buffer zone comprises the remaining areas of these four communes, together with Ia Broai commune, A Yun Pa district and Chu R Cam commune, Krong Pa district.

The proposed nature reserve is situated in a low mountainous area of the Central Highlands, which lies between the much higher Da Lat and Kon Tum plateaus to the south and north. The proposed nature reserve rises in elevation from c.150 m, in the valley of the Ba river in the west and south of the site, to over 1,200 m, on the border with Phu Yen province in the north-east. The proposed nature reserve is drained by several permanent streams, all of which feed the Ba river, one of the major rivers in Gia Lai province. The Ba river flows to the south-east and meets the sea at Tuy Hoa town.

Biogeographically, the proposed nature reserve is situated in sub-unit 05b (South Annam) of the Indo-Chinese sub-region of the Indo-Malayan Realm (MacKinnon 1997). According to the classification of Wikramanayake et al. (1997), the study area lies within the Eastern Indochina Moist Forests Ecoregion of the Indo-Malayan Realm.

Vegetation

Natural forest covers 40,120 ha or 91% of A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve. There are three major habitat types at the proposed nature reserve: lowland deciduous forest, lowland semi-deciduous forest and lower montane evergreen forest. In addition, riverine forest occurs as a subtype of the first two habitat types; this habitat subtype has a greater proportion of evergreen trees and supports a different assemblage of plant and animal species. A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve is situated in the transition zone between the deciduous forests of the Central Highlands, centred on Dac Lac and southern Gia Lai provinces, and the evergreen forests of the central coastal region. This transition in natural forest type is, in large part, the result in the shift from a dry, seasonal climate to a moist, aseasonal one.

Lowland deciduous forest covers 17,350 ha of the proposed nature reserve, and is distributed below 900 m, mainly on the north-western side of the mountain ridge that forms the border between A Yun Pa and Krong Pa districts. The tree flora of this forest type is dominated by members of the Dipterocarpaceae, including Shorea siamensis, S. obtusa, Dipterocarpus obtusifolius and D. tuberculatus. Smaller numbers of other deciduous trees are also found, including Terminalia alata, T. corticosa, Neonauclea sessilifolia, Morinda citrifolia, Dillenia ovata, Careya sphaerica and Buchanania siamensis.

Lowland semi-deciduous forest covers 20,347 ha of the proposed nature reserve, and is widely distributed below 900 m. This forest type is transitional between evergreen forest and deciduous forest, although the tree flora has closer affinities with the former than the latter. The canopy of this forest type is more open than that of evergreen forest, and the density of mature trees is only 450 to 480 per hectare. The tree flora is characterised by members of the Lythraceae, Dilleniaceae, Elaeocarpaceae, Fabaceae, Fagaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Sapindaceae, Annonaceae and Combretaceae, including Lagerstroemia calyculata, Castanopsis arietina, Irvingia malayana, Terminalia nigrovenulosa, Mischocarpus flexuosus, Cassia siamea, Xylia xylocarpa, Engelhardia serrata, Pterocarpus macrocarpus and Dalbergia cochinchinensis.

Lower montane evergreen forest covers 2,423 ha of the proposed nature reserve, and is distributed above 900 m, mostly on the high mountain ridges in the north-east of the proposed nature reserve. The canopy is closed and even. Tree species diversity in this habitat type is high, with no one family dominating. However, this forest type is characterised by members of the Lauraceae, Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Ebenaceae, Clusiaceae and Dipterocarpaceae.

A total of 439 plant species were recorded during the field survey, including a number that are endemic to Vietnam, such as Croton dongnaiensis, C. maieuticus, Psychotria condorensis, Ficus superba var. alongensis and Dalbergia cochinchinensis. Eight plant species recorded at A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve are listed in the Red Data Book of Vietnam (Anon. 1996). Furthermore, three globally threatened plant species, Cycas micholitzii, Psychotria condorensis and Dipterocarpus baudii, were recored at the proposed nature reserve (IUCN 1997).

Mammals

A total of 27 mammal species were recorded during the field survey, including six species listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals (IUCN 1996) as globally threatened, and two species listed as Data Deficient. In addition, two species recorded during the field survey are endemic to Indochina. The following key species were recorded at A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve:

Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca nemestrina. The lower mandible of this species was observed in a hunter's house in Ia Tul commune.

[Crab-eating Macaque M. fascicularis.] Local hunters described this species as smaller than Pig-tailed Macaque, brown in colour, and with a 40-cm-long tail. This species was reported to be regularly encountered close to streams and rivers. The most recent first-hand report was of a sighting in March 2000.

[Douc Langur Pygathrix nemaeus.] Local hunters described this species as having black hands, black and white hair on the body and legs, a white bottom, and a 50-to-60-cm-long tail. Lower mandibles provisionally identified as belonging to this species were observed in a hunter's house in Ia Tul commune. The species was reported to be rare and to occur deep in the forest. The most recent first-hand report was of a sighting in May 1999. Based on the descriptions of local hunters and the known distributions of Douc Langur subspecies, it was impossible to determine conclusively whether the subspecies occurring at A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve is Black-shanked Douc Langur P. n. nigripes or Grey-shanked Douc Langur P. n. cinereus.

[Buff-cheeked Gibbon Hylobates gabriellae.] Local hunters reported the occurrence of this species at the proposed nature reserve. The most recent first-hand report was of gibbon song heard in April 2000; the most recent first-hand report of a sighting was from 1998. Gibbons were not, however, heard during the field survey, indicating that the population density of this species is low.

[Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus.] This species was reported to be regularly hunted for its skin, bones and gall bladder, which are sold to traders. The most recent first-hand report was of a female and two cubs observed in February 2000.

Sun Bear U. malayanus. The lower mandible of this species was observed in a hunter's house in Ia Tul commune. The most recent first-hand report was of a bear hunted in May 1999.

[Tiger Panthera tigris.] This species was reported to still occur at the site. The most recent first-hand report of a sighting was from 1989. However, several local hunters reported seeing Tiger tracks occasionally; the most recent first-hand report being 25 March 2000. A set of cat tracks, 100 mm wide, observed along the Ea Tul stream (13ƒ25'N 108ƒ34'E) on 2 April 2000 may have belonged to this species.

Southern Serow Naemorhedus sumatraensis. Lower mandibles and a single set of horns of this species were observed in hunters' houses in Ia Tul commune. The species was reported to occur at high elevations. The most recent first-hand report was of a sighting between September and November 1999.

Malayan Porcupine Hystrix brachyura. The spines of this species were observed in a hunter's house in Ia Tul commune.

A comparison of the non-volant mammal fauna of A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve with that of three other sites in Gia Lai province shows that the mammal fauna of A Yun Pa is most similar to that of Chu Prong proposed nature reserve (Anon. 1999, Le Trong Trai et al. 2000, Tran Hieu Minh et al. in prep.). In fact, only two species recorded at A Yun Pa are not known from Chu Prong (Tran Hieu Minh et al. in prep.).

Despite the high degree of similarity between the mammal faunas of the two sites, a significant number of species known to occur at Chu Prong were not recorded at A Yun Pa. These included several globally threatened species, such as Brow-antlered Deer Cervus eldii, Banteng Bos javanicus and Gaur B. gaurus (Tran Hieu Minh et al. in prep.). Hunters in Ia Tul and Ia K Dam communes reported that wild cattle previously occurred in the A Yun Pa area but have since been eradicated; the last first-hand report of wild cattle received during the field survey was of a Gaur seen in 1979. This would indicate that one reason why mammal diversity is lower at A Yun Pa than at Chu Prong is that several species have become locally extinct at A Yun Pa as a result of high hunting pressure.

Birds

A total of 147 bird species were recorded during the field survey, including three species listed in Collar et al. (1994) as globally threatened. The bird fauna of A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve includes many species characteristic of deciduous forest, such as Black-headed Woodpecker Picus erythropygius, Lineated Barbet Megalaima lineata, Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus, White-browed Fantail Rhipidura aureola, Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus and Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch Sitta castanea. However, the bird fauna also includes a number of species characteristic of evergreen forest, such as Red-vented Barbet Megalaima lagrandieri, Pale-capped Pigeon Columba punicea and Mountain Imperial Pigeon Ducula badia. During the field survey, 58 species were recorded in deciduous forest, 74 species were recorded in semi-deciduous forest and 89 species were recorded in agriculture, grassland and scrub; survey effort was comparable between the three habitat types.

A comparison of the bird fauna of A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve with those of three other sites in Gia Lai province reveals that the bird fauna of A Yun Pa is more similar to that of Chu Prong proposed nature reserve than those of Kon Ka Kinh and Kon Cha Rang Nature Reserves. This is probably because Chu Prong, like A Yun Pa, supports lowland deciduous forest mixed with lowland semi-deciduous forest, while Kon Ka Kinh and Kon Cha Rang support montane evergreen forest (Anon. 1999, Le Trong Trai et al. 2000, Tran Hieu Minh et al. in prep.).

Of the 147 bird species recorded at A Yun Pa, eight were new records for Central Annam: Rufous-bellied Woodpecker Dendrocopos hyperythrus, Black-headed Woodpecker, Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus, Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis, Changeable Hawk Eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus, Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius, Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda and Common Woodshrike (Robson 2000). All but one of these species are, however, known to occur in South Annam (Robson 2000), indicating that A Yun Pa has closer biological affinities with the deciduous and semi-deciduous forests to the south than with the evergreen forests to the north.

The following key species were recorded at A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve:

Siamese Fireback Lophura diardi. On 5 April 2000, a pair were observed in a small patch of scrub, surrounded by semi-deciduous forest, along the Ea Tul stream in Ia Tul commune (13ƒ26'N 108ƒ34'E).

Green Peafowl Pavo muticus. On 3 April 2000, Green Peafowl tracks were observed on sandbanks along the Ea Djirao stream in Ia Tul commune, and feathers belonging to this species were found in semi-deciduous forest nearby. On the following day, three birds were observed at the same location (13ƒ26'N 108ƒ35'E). Hunters from Ia Tul and Ia K Dam communes reported this species to be common in the study area.

Pale-capped Pigeon Columba punicea. On 2 April 2000, a single bird was observed in semi-deciduous forest along the Ea Djirao stream in Ia Tul commune.

River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii. A single bird was observed on 18 April 2000 along the Ba river, 25 km upstream of Krong Pa town (13ƒ18'N 108ƒ36'E). Later on the same day, three birds were observed along the Ba river at Krong Pa town (13ƒ10'N 108ƒ41'E). At both localities, the birds were observed on sandbanks, by a wide, slow-flowing river, bordered by agricultural land and scrub.

No restricted-range bird species were recorded during the field survey, indicating that A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve lies outside of the Kon Tum Plateau Endemic Bird Area (EBA) to the north, and the Da Lat Plateau and Southern Vietnamese Lowlands EBAs to the south. Both the Kon Tum Plateau and Da Lat Plateau EBAs are defined by species restricted to montane evergreen forest habitats (Stattersfield et al. 1998, Le Trong Trai et al. 1999). As A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve does not support extensive areas of these habitats, it is not surprising that the site does not support these restricted-range species. A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve does support suitable habitat for one of the species that defines the Southern Vietnamese Lowlands EBA: Germain's Peacock Pheasant Polyplectron germaini (Stattersfield et al. 1998). However, the site may be situated outside of the range of this species.

A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve is a nationally important site for the conservation of Green Peafowl. This species was formerly widespread and common in Vietnam (Delacour and Jabouille 1925, Vo Quy 1975). However, in the last few decades, the range of this species has contracted dramatically (Le Trong Trai 1996). The habitat requirements of Green Peafowl are relatively broad (Robson 2000), although the species appears to show a preference for rivers in open deciduous forest (Delacour 1977, Johnsgard 1986, Evans and Timmins 1996). A recent study of the habitat requirements of Green Peafowl in Dac Lac province revealed that the species occurs at highest densities in deciduous forest within 2 km of permanent water and greater than 2 km from permanent human settlement (Brickle et al. 1998). A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve contains 16,070 ha of this habitat. In comparison, Yok Don National Park, Dac Lac province, contains an estimated 12,300 ha of this habitat in a total area of 58,200 ha (Brickle et al. 1998). Therefore, assuming that relative abundances of Green Peafowl are comparable between the two sites, A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve can be considered to be at least as important for the conservation of Green Peafowl as Yok Don National Park.

Economic value

The principal economic value of A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve is watershed protection. The two main stream systems that originate within the proposed nature reserve, the Ia Thul and Ia R Sai, supply water for irrigation and domestic use by local communities. Loss of forest cover could result in increased periods of drought, with negative repercussions for downstream communities. Also, the forest at A Yun Pa also reduces the severity of flooding, by slowing surface-water run-off.

Socio-economic features

A total of 19,214 people in 3,382 households live in the six buffer zone communes of the proposed nature reserve, although no villages are located within the proposed nature reserve boundary. The inhabitants of the buffer zone belong to three main ethnic groups: the Gia Rai, Kinh and Ba Na. The Gia Rai is the largest ethnic group, comprising 89% of the buffer zone population. The Kinh inhabitants of the buffer zone are mainly in-migrants from northern Vietnam, and are concentrated in two villages in Chu R Cam commune. The average population density in buffer zone communes is only 19 people per square kilometre, compared with 232 people per square kilometre for Vietnam as a whole. The majority of inhabitants of buffer zone are subsistence farmers, practising fixed cultivation and, sometimes, rotational shifting cultivation. Relative to other areas of Vietnam, overall levels of socio-economic development, as measured by either food production and or mean per capita income, are low.

There are two forest enterprises in the study area. Chu Mo Forest Enterprise manages 25,244 ha in Chu Mo and Ia K Dam communes, A Yun Pa district, comprising 22,855 ha of production forest and 2,389 ha of watershed protection forest. Ia R Sai Forest Enterprise manages 16,709 ha in Ia R Sai and Chu R Cam communes, Krong Pa district, comprising 4,679 ha of production forest, 3,033 ha of watershed protection forest, 115 ha of agricultural land and 8,882 ha of unused land. In recent years, the management objectives of these two forest enterprises have switched from exploitation to forest protection, with support from the national 661 and, former, 327 Programmes. However, because of a shortage of funds and capacity, community forestry policies, such as the allocation of forest land to local households or the issuance of forest protection contracts, have yet to be implemented in the buffer zone communes.

Threats to biodiversity

Presently, one of the biggest threats biodiversity at A Yun Pa proposed nature reserve is hunting and trapping of wildlife. The gentle topography, wide stream valleys and open forest structure of the proposed nature reserve facilitate access to even the most remote areas. The results of the field survey indicate that abundances of many animal species, including Sambar Cervus unicolor, Wild Boar Sus scrofa and primates, have declined over the past 10 years. A threat associated with hunting is forest fire: fires are often set by hunters in order to drive animals out of cover.

Another major threat is timber extraction. In the past, parts of the proposed nature reserve were commercially logged by forest enterprises. Although commercial logging has now ceased, small-scale timber extraction by local people is widespread. This activity is concentrated in the dry season, and restricted to species with high economic value, such as Dalbergia cochinchinensis, D. oliveri, Pterocarpus macrocarpus, Sindora siamensis and Markhamia stipulata. All these species are threatened by over-exploitation. The presence of large numbers of illegal loggers in the forest intensifies other threats, such as hunting and forest fire.

Clearance of forest for agriculture is currently not a major threat. However, forest clearance, together with hunting and timber extraction, may increase in the future as a result of population growth. The rate of population growth in the buffer zone communes is currently 2.6% per year: significantly above the national average of 1.8% (UNDP 1999). To date, in-migration into the buffer zone communes has not been particularly high. In the future, however, the rate of in-migration threatens to increase, as there already exist plans to settle migrants from northern Vietnam into the buffer zone.

Management recommendations

Based upon the large area of contiguous natural habitat, the presence of a range of globally threatened species, and the relatively low level of human pressure on natural resources, this report recomends establishing a nature reserve at A Yun Pa. The nature reserve should cover 44,268 ha, incorporating 12,721 ha currently under the management of Chu Mo Forest Enterprise. In addition, the buffer zone should cover 54,672 ha. This report also recommends establishing a nature reserve management board, under the management of Gia Lai Provincial FPD. This management board should have 38 members of staff, including 28 forest guards, based at the headquarters and four guard stations.

[Report 24. Full report 0.2 MB. pdf format]