R. J. Timmins and Trinh Viet Cuong Hanoi, 1999 Center for Biodiversity and Conservation American Museum of Natural History 2001 (ISBN: 1-930465-10-6) EXERPT FROM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is based on a large mammal and bird survey of the Huong Son Forest in Ha Tinh Province as part of a joint three-year program (1998-2000) between the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History (CBC-AMNH), and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR). The Huong Son Forest lies in Ha Tinh Province in the Annamite Mountains along the international border with Laos (18°15'-18°37' N, 105°07'105°17' E; Figure 1). This survey was undertaken between 22 April and 24 May 1999 and complements additional systematic studies and collecting of selected small mammal taxa by the CBC-AMNH/IEBR program in the Huong Son Forest from April to May 1998 and again in April and May 1999 (Musser and Lunde, in prep.). This report principally covers the finding of the former survey; details of the latter studies will be reported on separately. This broad-ranging survey was meant to determine the status of large mammals and birds in the Huong Son Forest, as well as using traditional species groups to assess the potential of the Huong Son Forest for nature conservation. The complementary CBC-AMNH/IEBR mammal studies in the Huong Son focused on intensively surveying understudied smal1 mammals in areas of the lower Rao An valley to gather both systematic and baseline data for use in future conservation work (Musser and Lunde in prep.). The northern Annamite Mountains lie along the international border between Laos and Vietnam. The potential area for wildlife and habitat protection is made up of three principal units that straddle the Vietnam-Laos border and are divided by low passes across the Annamites. Each of these three units has a considerable area incorporated into established or proposed protected areas. For the purpose of this report, this proposed and established protected-areas network in the northern Annamites is collectively referred to as the Northern Annamites Protected Areas Complex (NAPAC). The Huong Son Forest forms a link between the northern and central units of the NAPAC. The Huong Son Forest is contiguous with both the established Vu Quang Nature Reserve (NR) in Vietnam and the Nakai-Nam Theun National Biodiversity Conservation Area (NBCA) in Laos. Together these areas form the central unit, which is the largest consolidated area of natural habitat in the NAPAC (Figure 1). CONTENTS Acknowledgements vii Acronyms and abbreviations viii Conventions ix Executive Summary 1 1. Context of the large mammal and bird survey, and conservation Assessment component of the CBC-AMNH/IEBR Huong Son Forest project 1.1.The CBC-AMNH/IEBR project, and the selection of the Huong Son Forest 9 1.2. Aim of the large mammal and bird survey, and conservation assessment component 10 1.3. Objectives 10 1.4. Participants and specialization 10 2. Introduction to the Huong Son Forest area 2.1. Regional geographic and biological setting 10 2.2. Regional protected areas 11 2.3. Previous work 13 2.4. Physical characteristics and habitat 15 2.5. Human demography 15 2.6. Huong Son Forest Enterprise 15 3. Survey areas and methods 3.1. Survey areas and effort 16 3.2. Methods 16 3.2.1. Habitat and observations of human use 17 3.2.2. General opportunistic diurnal observation (birds and mammals) 17 3.2.3. Slow-pace nocturnal spotlighting (nocturnal mammals) 18 3.2.4. Camera trapping 18 3.2.5. Interviews with local people 19 3.2.6. Determination of locations 19 3.2.7. Data analysis 19 4. Results 4.1. Habitat description, condition and extent 20 4.1.1. Lowland valleys 20 4.1.2. Lower slopes (150-500 m) 20 4.1.3. Higher slopes (500-800 m) 21 4.1.4. Forest above 800 m 21 4.1.5. Fokienia forest 21 4.2. Bird and large mammal results 21 4.2.1. Coverage and significance of results 22 4.2.2. Bird and large mammal communities: their status and patterns of abundance within the Huong Son Forest 24 4.2.3. Key Species accounts 30 4.2.3.1. Key Species with a global threat assessment 30 4.2.3.2. Key Species with a regional threat assessment 38 4.3. Factors of concern in the nature conservation of the Huong Son Forest 41 4.3.1. Hunting 41 4.3.2. Logging 42 4.3.3. Other forest resource uses 43 4.3.4. Cultivation of lowland valleys 43 4.3.5. Vegetation deterioration and loss 44 4.3.6. Road No. 8 44 4.3.7. Use of Lao resources 44 5. Regional importance of the Huong Son Forest for nature conservation 5.1. Biogeographic importance and forest consolidation 45 5.2. Lowland forest habitat conservation 45 5.3. Habitat continuity in the NAPAC 46 5.4. Large mammal conservation 47 5.5. Catchment protection 48 5.6. An aid to conservation of adjacent contiguous Lao forests 48 5.7. A biological benchmark for the future 48 5.8.A cautionary note 49 5.9. Comments on Wege et al. (1999), Ling (1999) and Wikramanayake et al. (1997) 49 6. Recommendations 6.1. Formal designation and protection of the Huong Son Forest to consolidate the central unit of the NAPAC, and as a habitat corridor in the NAPAC 53 6.2. Concepts and raising awareness 54 6.3. Potential material benefits to Huong Son district of protecting the Huong Son Forest 55 6.4. Recommendations for nature conservation 55 6.5. Patrolling regime 57 6.6. Commercial timber extraction in the Huong Son Forest 57 6.7. Development along Road No. 8 58 6.8. Limitations 59 HOW TO OBTAIN For printed copy write: Center for Biodiversity and Conservation The American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th St. New York, NY 10024 Also available online at: http://research.amnh.org/biodiversity/publ/publ.html
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