Page 1 of 16 ADB RETA 5771 Poverty Reduction & Environmental Management in Remote Greater Mekong Subregion Watersheds Project (Phase I) BIODIVERSITY/ECOTOURISM ASSESSMENTS IN YUNNAN, CHINA Special Report By Johanna Heinonen Katariina Vainio-Mattila Junior Biodiversity/ Ecotourism Experts CONTENTS 1. Facts About Yunnan Province 3 2. Survey Methods 4 3. Human Impact 5 3.1 Cultivation 5 3.2 Wild animals as pests 5 3.3 Non-timber forest products 5 3.4 Hunting 6 3.5 Fishing 7 3.6 Domestic animals 7 4. Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve 9 4.1 Protected area level assessment 9 4.2 Population 9 4.3 Physical geography 9 4.4 Primary forest vegetation of Xishuangbanna 10 4.5 Secondary vegetation of Xishuangbanna 11 Page 2 of 16 4.6 Flora 11 4.7 Fauna 11 4.8 Divisions of the Xishuangbanna Reserve 12 5. Nabanhe Provincial Nature Reserve (261 km2) 18 6. Weiyuanjiang Provincial Nature Reserve (77 km2) 19 7. Banma Snow Mountain Reserve (255 km2) 20 8. Tianchi Provincial Nature Reserve (66 km2) 22 9. Summary 23 10. Acknowledgements 24 11. References 25 APPENDIX 1. Recorded bird species in the reserves APPENDIX 2. Recorded mammal species in the reserves 1. Facts About Yunnan Province Yunnan Province is located in southern China bordering Myanmar (Burma), Lao PDR and Viet Nam. It is the sixth largest province (covering 394,000 km 2) having a human population of about 40 million. About one third belong to ethnically non-Han groups, for example the Yi, Bai, Naxi, Hani and Dai. Compared with other provinces, Yunnan is geographically the most diverse with terrain ranging from tropical rainforest to Tibetan highlands. Elevations vary from about 6,000 metres (the highest peak is 6,740 in the northwest corner at 29 015’ N, 97 039’ E), to as low as 74 metres in the south (at the confluence of the Nanxi and Hong Rivers). Only about five per cent of Yunnan can be considered flat. To the north are the steep Dalou Mountains bordering the Sichuan basin, while the western part is dominated by the Hengduan Mountains. In addition to high peaks there are mile-deep river gorges, volcanoes and karst formations. The dominant surface rock is limestone. Because of variations in elevation, climates vary from cold and snowy in the north to warm, subtropical in the south, but on average temperatures are mild year-round. Summer lasts from May to August and is generally warm throughout the region. Winter is short and cold north of Kunming, lasting from November to February. Yunnan is at the wetter end of the general southeastern gradient of increasing rainfall across China as a whole. There is a strong summer rainfall pattern: 85-90 per cent of annual rain falls between May and October, borne on the southwestern monsoon winds. The winter season, dominated by dry winds from the north and clear skies, has very few rainy days, while the tropical far-south remains warm and humid. Four large rivers cross Yunnan—Lancang (Mekong), Salween, Red River and Yangzi. The Mekong flows on southwards through Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to the South China Sea. The Salween flows through western Yunnan and Myanmar to the Andaman Sea. The Red River flows across southeast Yunnan and into Vietnam, ending in the Gulf of Tonkin. The Yangzi flows across northern areas and on eastwards into the East China Sea. Because of the dense human occupation of Yunnan, only about 10 per cent of its area is covered by near- natural vegetation (Xiwen & Walker 1986). However, Yunnan still contains China’s greatest diversity of flora and fauna. There are 18,000 species of higher plants, which is more than half China’s total. It is particularly famous for its rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, magnolias, primroses and orchids. Half of China’s known 1,700 vertebrate animal species inhabit the province. Eighty of the country’s endangered animals are found in Yunnan including Asian elephant, tiger and Yunnan snub-nosed monkey ( Rhinopithecus bieti ). Long distances and mountainous landscape make travelling in Yunnan slow. The main roads are mostly Page 3 of 16 paved, but not al1. Due to landslides and erosion the roads have to be continuously repaired and rebuilt. It is relatively easy to get close to the reserves by local buses or by jeep; there is a road connection to all reserves although not to every village. During the rainy season some of the dirt roads to the villages are impassable, even by local two-wheeled tractor, which is the most used vehicle in rural areas. Jinghong (Xishuangbanna prefecture), Xiaguan (Dali prefecture) and Simao (Simao prefecture) can easily be reached by plane from Kunming. There are flights from Kunming to all of these cities. In the Lincang prefecture (western part of Yunnan) a new airport is under construction. Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, can be reached by plane from most of the big cities of China as well as from Hong Kong, Bangkok and Vientiane. The province is increasingly popular among travellers and visited by more than 700,000 foreign tourists annually. 2. Survey Methods The fieldwork was done in co-operation with the Chinese counterparts, Prof. Hu (Professor of Zoology, Yunnan University) and Dr. Wang (PhD in Botany, Yunnan University). All the reserves visited (Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, Nabanhe Provincial Nature Reserve, Weiyuanjiang Provincial Nature Reserve, Banma Snow Mountain Reserve and Tianchi Provincial Nature reserve) are located in watersheds of the Lancang River. Contrary to the original plan, Nangunhe State Nature Reserve was excluded from the survey because, according to officials of the Forestry Bureau of Lincang Prefecture, it does not belong to the Lancang watershed. Instead of Nanguohe, Banma Reserve was visited. Xishuangbanna was given high priority, and all of its five divisions were visited. In most of the reserves the surveys of vegetation, flora and fauna were carried out during one day. In Mengyang, the largest division of Xishuangbanna, three days were spent in the field, two days in the western and one day in the eastern part. The surveys were made with the assistance of local guides (mostly hunters) or forest police. Two or three villages located within or adjacent to each reserve were visited. Local guides, especially hunters, were indispensable because of their great knowledge of the local fauna. In most cases, it is difficult to see large mammals, and over a short time quite impossible. Surveys of fauna were, therefore, mainly based on the knowledge of local people or footprints, traces and tracks identified by them. Birds were mostly identified from their calls (very few were seen) and they are listed in Appendix 1. Because of limited time, the survey of fauna concentrated on birds and large mammals, including the following mammalian orders; Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates), Carnivora (carnivores) and Primates (primates) (see Appendix 2.). There are also some species from other orders such as Proboscodea (elephants) and Pholidota (pangolins). The fauna of most of reserves visited had already been quite well surveyed, and the numbers of species known; but because the articles were written in Chinese, except for the scientific names, it is difficult to cite them. 3. Human Impact 3.1 Cultivation Rice is the main crop in the wide valleys and basins with densest rural settlement. Wheat, rapeseed and beans are commonly grown as winter crops. At elevations up to 1,400 metres, sugar cane and bananas are grown in commercial quantities. Potatoes and peas are common crops in northern areas as well as at higher elevations. Walnuts ( Juglans regia ) are an important cash crop in Dali Prefecture. Tea and rubber are the most important, while tropical fruits, for example, macadamia nut (Macadamia integrifolia ; Proteaceae), Citrus spp., litchi ( Litchi chinensis; Sapindaceae), rambutan ( Nephelium lappaceum ; Sapindaceae), carambola ( Averrhoa carambola ; Oxalidaceae) and watermelon are less important cash crops in the south (Xishuangbanna Prefecture). Terracing is widely used in cultivating steep terrain in Yunnan. However, in many areas of Xishuangbanna Province farmland recently cleared from the forest is not terraced. These areas are very prone to erosion. There is a law in China which prohibits cultivation on slopes steeper than 25 0 but, in some of the villages visited, a significant part (20-30 per cent) of the farmland lies on slopes steeper than that. The government has tried to restrict shifting cultivation (slash and burn). Clearing and burning of primary forest is absolutely forbidden, and in many cases farmers are no longer allowed to clear and cultivate fallows. Farming systems based on agroforestry are very rarely used. There have been some attempts to grow tea under rubber trees but, due to problems in labour division, farmers have not been enthusiastic. 3.2 Wild animals as pests Despite high hunting pressure, Indian muntjac ( Muntiacus muntjak ), wild boar ( Sus scrofa ) and sambar (Cervus unicolor ) are common pests in cultivated land. In many areas, black bear ( Selenarctos thibetanus ), Page 4 of 16 macaques ( Macaca sp. ), squirrels and rats also eat crops. In Mengyang and Shangyong reserves elephants have occasionally destroyed crops, corn in particular. Wild cats (family Felidae) have killing chickens and, in some cases, leopards have killed cattle. It is possible to get compensation for crop losses but it rarely covers the total value of the lost crop. For instance, farmers living within the Mengyang reserve were only reimbursed a tenth of the value of their lost corn. 3.3 Non-timber forest products Non-timber forest products have a significant role in the daily life of rural Yunnan. Wild plants are collected for food: for example, the stem and inflorescence of wild banana ( Musa wilsonii ), starch of toddy palm ( Caryota urens ), flowers of Thunbergia grandiflora (Acanthaceae), young leaves of Oroxylum indicum (Bignoniaceae), Ficus auriculata (Moraceae), Crassocephalum crepidioides (Compositae) and Solanum nigrum (Solanaceae), as well as young shoots of ferns ( Callipteris esculata, Pteridium aquilinum var.