Xe Pian NBCA (XPN)

1 GENERAL INFORMATION

Name Xe Pian (also spelt Xe Piane) Translated

Status Established by PM Decree 164, 29 October 1993

Location Latitude: 13o 55' - 14o 47' N Longitude: 105o 54' - 106o 29' E

Map Sheets

Scale I: 50,000 6138-1 6238-4 6138-2 6238-3 6238-2 6338-3 6137-1 6237-4 6237-1 6137-2 6237-3

Scale I: 100,000 D-48-44 D-48-45 D-48-56 D-48-57 D-48-68 D-48-69

Scale I: 200,000 D-48-10 D-48-11 D-48-16 D-48-17

Scale I: 500,000 D-48-B

Provinces Champassak Attapeu

Districts Pathoumphon % [Champassak] Kong % [Champassak] Sabamxai % [Attapeu]

Boundary The eastern boundary of XPN follows for some 16 km the old provincial border between Champasak and Attapeu provinces, starting at the point where route No. 6, running from Pathoumphon to Attapeu, crosses this border up to the Cambodian border. It then follows the Cambodian border for about 143 km to the southwest, the first 33 km along the Xe Kong river and then crossing the hills and forests till it reaches the eastern peak of the Say Phou Kiou Mountains.

The southern boundary follows the road running from the Cambodian border through Ban Xot to Ban Hat till it reaches the stream Houay Nian. Here the border turns in northwestern direction till the western edge of Phou Mailai, where it takes an almost straight northern direction running for approximately 95 km parallel to route No. 13 in a distance of 1 to 4 km. In the north the border follows road No. 6 passing through the villages Ban Kele and Ban Phonngam. Here it turns straight eastwards following first the rivers Houay Phapha, Houay Tauang and Xe Kampho, and then the road No.6 till it meets the old provincial border.

Area 217,331 ha as calculated by the Forest Cover Monitoring Project MRC/GTZ): 3,418 km2

Proposed Extension & Excisions

Reasons for proposed extensions or Excisions

Access The main access is by road No. 13 running from China to Cambodia. South of Pakse at Km. 48 route No. 6 crosses, running east along the northern boundary of the NBCA. It branches to several villages near the northern and eastern perimeters. Another road runs along the southern NBCA boundary. A well-trodden foot trail traverses the area north to south and across the Cambodian border.

Stakeholder Villages and Population Due to a lack of information and the fact that the Land and Forest Allocation has not yet been implemented in most of the area, it is only possible to distinguish three types of villages with respect to their location and NBCA - resource use patterns I Villages situated inside XPN II Villages situated outside XPN with use of agricultural land and other resources inside the NBCA III Villages situated outside XPN with resource use other than land use inside the NBCA The population data were collected by the State Planning Committee of the National Statistical Centre for the National Population Census 1995. District No. of Villages No. of Villages by type Population I II III IV Pathoumphon 4 7 16 12,687 Kong 0 6 11 10,177 Sanamxai 7 7 0 3,970 TOTAL 11 20 27 26,834

Principal Local Resource Uses

Ethnic Composition Pathoumphon District Type I villages (total 4): 3 Lao Loum villages (population 1,107) 1 Lavae village (population 131) Type II villages (total 7): All 7 villages are Lao Loum (population 3,731) Type III villages (total 16): 14 Lao Loum villages (population 7,336) 2 Lavae villages (population 254) Kong District Type I villages (none) Type II villages (total 6): All 6 villages are Lao Loum (population 3,677) Type III villages (total 11): All 11 villages are Lao Loum (population 6,450)

Sanamxai District Type I villages (total 7): 5 Laven villages (population 1,518) 2 Lao Loum villages (population 912) Type II villages (total 7): 4 Laven villages (population 814) 2 Lao Loum villages (population 366) 1 Ta-Oy village (population 230) There are also 97 people from the Lavae group and 33 people from the Oey group living in type III villages in Sanamxai District.

0 BRIEF HISTORY

October The Forest Management and Conservation Programme (FOMACOP), a joint 1996 undertaking of the Government of Lao PDR (GoL), the International onwards Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank (WB), the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), and the Government of Finland through FINNIDA, has been assisting the Lao government in the Management of Xe Pian NBCA

3 ECOLOGY

Physical Features The terrain is hilly and low with extensive areas of flat lands in the east and south at an altitude of 150 – 300 m asl with some higher mountainous up to 84 m asl in the central main block. The Xe Kong plains in the east are dissected by three main rivers – the Xe Pian, Xe Khampho and Xe Kong and contains numerous mainly seasonal wetlands. Drainage is largely south to Cambodia and north to the northern wetlands.

Elevation Mainly between 150 and 300 m asl with two higher mountains of and 844 m asl.

Climate Xe Pian NBCA lays in the Southeast Asia monsoon climate. During the winter (November – February), when the sun is to the south of the equator the climate is under the influence of the cold continental high pressure region over China. The winds are clockwise around the high and come from the northeast over Southeast Asia. This is the Northeast Monsoon, characterized by cold dry air and infrequent light rain. For the summer (May – August), the sun is to the north of the equator and heats the land mass beneath to a degree that causes an extensive low pressure region called Intertropical Convergence Zone and the Monsoon Trough. warm winds from the southwest carry moisture from the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand to the part of the trough in the Lao PDR region where vertical convection causes rainfall, large amounts during the height of the monsoon season. This is the Southwest Monsoon. The air is warm, and humidity high

Main Forest Types Forest cover has been calculated by the Forest Cover Monitoring Project (FCMP) MRC/GTZ. It is based on interpretation of 1996/97 Landsat TM with the NBCA boundaries as shown on topographical maps (scale 1: 100 000) provided by the FOMOCOP Project. Verification with original documents has not taken place and therefore the date may only be approximate.

Forest Code Area (ha) % of Total Area Evergreen/Mixed, Continuous Cover, High Cover Density (11,17) 144,688 42.2 Evergreen/Mixed, Continuous Cover, Medium Cover Density (12, 116,121 33.9 18) Deciduous Continuous Cover (20) 49,466 14.5 Evergreen / Mixed, Mosaic (13, 19) 12,427 3.7 Deciduous Mosaic (22) 6,918 2.1 Agricultural Land (91) 3,765 1.1 Dry Wood and Shrub Land (64) 3,264 0.9 Evergreen Wood and Shrub Land (61, 63, 65) 1,856 0.6 Mosaic of Cropping (81, 82) 2,075 0.7 Wetland (97) 835 0.2 Grassland (62) 453 0.1 Total 341,870 100.0

Other Habitat Types There are at least 15 sites in Xe Pian which are said by local people to be very important for wildlife, especially large mammals, some primates and some birds, particularly large water birds. The presence of salt licks strongly influences mammal movements and the focus of hunting

There is also a relatively high abundance of wetlands including perennial and seasonal ponds, peat swamps and perennial streams. The relatively unmodified vegetation communities surrounding many of these wetlands and extensive riparian forest present in Xe Pian also provide valuable wildlife habitat.

Wetlands and associated vegetation play a crucial role in determining the distribution and seasonal movements of key species of mammals and water birds.

Recorded Vertebrates1

MAMMALS Common Name Scientific Name National Global Lao Risk Priority Threat Status Category Sunda Pangolin Manis javanica HNP GNT ARL Large loris species Species not identified - - - Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca nemestrina - VU PARL Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis - GNT PARL Silvered Langur Semnopithecus cristatus INP GNT ARL White-cheeked Crested Hylobates leucogenys HNP DD PARL Gibbon Yellow-cheeked Crested Hylobates gabriellae INP DD LKL Gibbon Golden Jackal Canis aureus - 0 LKL Dhole Cuon alpinus HNP VU ARL Sun Bear Ursus malayanus HNP DD ARL Bear species Species not identified - - - Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata HNP VU ARL Large-spotted Civet Viverra megaspila INP 0 PARL Asian Golden Cat Catopuma temminckii INP GNT LKL Tiger Panthera tigris ANP EN ARL Big cat species Species not identified - - - Irrawaddy Dolphin Orcaella brevirostris ANP DD ARL Asian Elephant Elephas maximus HNP EN ARL Pig species Species not identified - - - Sambar Cervus unicolor - 0 PARL Gaur Bos gaurus HNP VU ARL Banteng Bos javanicus ANP EN ARL Black Giant Squirrel Ratufa bicolor - 0 PARL Small flying squirrel Species not identified - - - species East Asian Porcupine Hystrix brachyura - VU 0

BIRDS Common Name Scientific Name National Global Lao Risk Priority Threat Status Category Siamese Fireback Lophura diardi - VU PARL

1 See priority/ threat/ risk classification key at the end of this section.

Green Peafowl Pavo muticus HNP VU ARL White-winged Duck Cairina scutulata ANP EN ARL Cotton Pygmy-goose Nettapus coromandelianus - 0 ARL White-bellied Woodpecker Dryocopus javensis - 0 PARL Streak-throated Picus xanthopygaeus - 0 PARL Woodpecker Red-collared Woodpecker Picus rabieri - VU 0 Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis HNP 0 ARL Wreathed Hornbill Aceros undulatus - 0 ARL Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis HNP 0 ARL Moustached Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx vagans - 0 LKL Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria HNP 0 ARL Blossom-headed Parakeet Psittacula roseata - 0 PARL Fish owl species Species not identified - - - Orange-breasted Green Treron bicincta - 0 PARL Pigeon Yellow-footed Green Treron phoenicoptera - 0 ARL Pigeon Green Imperial Pigeon Ducula aenea - 0 ARL Sarus Crane Grus antigone ANP GNT ARL Masked Finfoot Heliopais personata HNP VU ARL Watercock Gallicrex cinerea INP 0 ARL Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio INP 0 ARL Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus - 0 LKL River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii INP 0 ARL Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus - GNT PARL Small Pratincole Glareola lactea - 0 PARL River Tern Sterna aurantia HNP 0 ARL Lesser Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga humilis INP GNT ARL Grey-headed Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus INP GNT ARL White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis ANP GNT ARL Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus ANP GNT ARL Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus ANP GNT ARL Rufous-winged Buzzard Butastur liventer - GNT 0 White-rumped Falcon Polihierax insignis - GNT PARL Darter Anhinga melanogaster - GNT ARL Grey Heron Ardea cinerea - 0 PARL Purple Heron Ardea purpurea - 0 PARL Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax - 0 PARL Von Schrenck's Bittern Ixobrychus eurythmus - GNT LKL Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris - 0 ARL Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa ANP EN ARL Giant Ibis Pseudibis gigantea ANP CR ARL Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus HNP 0 ARL Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus HNP VU ARL Blue-rumped Pitta Pitta soror - GNT PARL Bar-bellied Pitta Pitta elliotii - GNT PARL Indochinese Green Magpie Cissa hypoleuca - GNT PARL Swinhoe's Minivet Pericrocotus cantonensis - GNT 0 Golden-crested Myna Ampeliceps coronatus - 0 PARL Plain Martin Riparia paludicola - 0 ARL Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii - 0 PARL Grey-faced Tit Babbler Macronous kelleyi - GNT 0 Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus - 0 PARL

In addition to the above data, the NBCA has recorded 65 species of Reptiles and Amphibians, as well as 176 species of Fish.

CLASSIFICATION KEY (from Duckworth et al., 1999)

National Priority Categories ANP: Acute National Priority; HNP: High National Priority; INP: Intermediate National Priority

Global Threat Categories 0: not listed as of concern; DD: data deficient; GNT: globally near-threatened; GT-CR: globally threatened - critical; GT-EN: globally threatened - endangered; GT-VU: globally threatened - vulnerable; n/a: not applicable.

Lao Risk Status 0: not at risk in Lao PDR; ARL: at risk in Lao PDR; CARL: conditionally at risk in Lao PDR; LKL: little known in Lao PDR; n/a: not applicable; PARL: potentially at risk in Lao PDR.

4 PRINCIPAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NBCA SYSTEM

Biodiversity Values Biodiversity values of Xe Pian place it among the top 3 protected areas in Lao PDR and among the top 10 in Southeast Asia / Indochina. No other protected area in Lao PDR closely resembles Xe Pian in terms of its assemblage of habitats and key species. Xe Pian contains a large area of relatively undisturbed forest that is particularly important for supporting wide-ranging large mammal species and some bird species.

At least 22 mammal key species are present in Xe Pian. 3 of these are of “Acute National Conservation Priority” including Tiger, Banteng and Irrawaddy Dolphin. A further 7 (and provisionally 8) are of “High National Conservation Priority". XPN is one of only 2 protected areas in Lao PDR which has been confirmed to contain the 4 key large mammal species of Tiger, Elephant, Gaur and Banteng. Furthermore, the Xe Pian – Dong Hua Sao NBCA gibbon population is of major global conservation significance

XPN has 51 key species of birds – the highest number recorded for any current or proposed NBCA. Seven of these species have not been recorded from any other protected area in Lao PDR.

Furthermore, Xe Pian is vitally important for the conservation of large water birds. It is globally important for the conservation of Giant and Black Ibis and is one of only 2 areas in the country where Sarus Crane and Masked Finfoot have been recorded recently and where viable populations of Lesser Adjutant are found. Xe Pian is regionally important for the conservation of Woolly-necked Stork.

XPN is also regionally important for the conservation of Green Peafowl and 3 species of Vulture. It is a stronghold for a range of larger ground birds like pheasants, partridges, jungle fowl and pittas, including the key species of Siamese Fireback, Blue-rumped Pitta and Bar-bellied Pitta.

The Siamese crocodile population found inside and just outside the northern boundary of Xe Pian is of global conservation significance.

Xe Pian also contains populations of 2 key species of turtle

Watershed Values There are three major watersheds within Xe Pian as follows: Northeastern part of XPN NBCA, encompassing both the Xe Pian river, which enters into the Xe Kong, and its main tributary Xe Khampho. Xe Khampho itself has a lot of tributaries originating in Xe Pian NBCA, the biggest of which is the Huoay Tauang

Western part of Xe Pian NBCA, where many small streams originate, and then run westwards to the Mekong.

In the south there is the watershed of the Huoay Kaliang, where we find the highest biodiversity with respect to big mammals like Gaur, Banteng, Kouprey and Elephant, as well as birds like Green Peafowl and Giant Ibis

Cultural Values XPN is home to rural Lao Loum Culture as well as Elephant Mahout Culture in northern villages.

Phou Asa temple site and related historic and cultural sites near Ban Kiatngong

Carved figures in river bed rock at Ban Kasee

Recreation & Tourism Values

Principal Threats • Destruction of the main wetland of Xe Pian NBCA at Ban Kiatngong, Pathoumphon District through the establishment of a fertilizer plant to extract peat. This activity is already being done in wetlands in nearby areas, and for the wetland of Ban Kiatngong contracts and conditions have already been negotiated. • Agricultural activities: paddy fields, hai, livestock grazing, fire. • General disturbance to habitats and wildlife by human activities. • Lack of knowledge: the local population is missing knowledge about the threatened status of some species and is not informed about wildlife protection laws. • Inadequate and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources. • General poverty and food deficiency.

5 CURRENT MANAGEMENT

Contact Thassaphone Panexayasatk Manager of Xe Pian National Biodiversity Conservation Area Forest Management and Conservation Programme (FOMACOP) National Biodiversity Conservation Areas Management Sub-Programme Pakse Champassak Province Lao PDR

Tel. / Fax. 031 – 213 589

Staffing Currently 13 male, 1 female staff - all staff are from the Province Agriculture and Forestry Office (PAFO) and the District Agriculture and Forestry Office (DAFO )

A Volunteer (VSA) started as Conservation Management and Operations Advisor in February 1998.

In addition there are 4 short term male staff and 2 further vacancies for staff.

Management Structure

Buildings Provincial offices in Pakse and Attapeu. Field stations including offices and dormitories in Road No. 13, Km 48 (Champasak Province, Pathoumphon District), Ban Hatxaykhoun (Champasak Province, Kong District) and Sanamsay (Attapeu Province, Sanamsay District)

Financial Support & Training

Current Management Priorities • Training of staff. • Development of procedures for Patrolling, Monitoring and Participatory management of natural resources by the local villagers. • Community based Ecotourism with potential activities including: Combination of trekking, elephant riding and canoeing adventures; Elephant rides to cultural sites at Ban Kiatngong; Canoeing / boat trips on Xe Pian and Xe Kong rivers; Bird watching tours. • Corridor linkages with other NBCAs: Establishment of proposed new protected areas Xe Khampho, Bolaven Southwest, Bolaven Northeast and Phou Kathong would enhance the chances of the long term survival of a number of important wildlife species in Xe Pian, especially of the wide ranging, large mammal species. • Transboundary linkages: Xe Pian provides the opportunity to establish transboundary conservation linkages with protected areas in Cambodia. • Co-management of the protected Area with local communities: Xe Pian NBCA provides an opportunity to develop and demonstrate co-management approaches of Protected Area Management in Lao PDR. In relation to this, the management staff has already identified a number of key villages where co-management is most likely to succeed. Some of these villages have elements of traditional resource management systems and show an interest in managing their resources sustainable. The development of successful co-management with communities in Xe Pian will potentially enhance NBCA management in the following ways: Sharing of local knowledge of wildlife and habitats with NBCA staff for use in biodiversity conservation management; Sustainable use of natural resources; Protection of biodiversity values; The presence of communities involved and benefiting from the co-management of the area is more likely to deter outsiders from migrating into the NBCA and from using local resources in an unsustainable way; The regular presence of local people throughout most of the NBCA provides very effective support for protected area surveillance and law enforcement. Without this support it would be extremely difficult or impossible for government staff to police a protected area as large and as remote as Xe Pian NBCA.

Possible Research Topics Xe Pian provides a range of scientific research opportunities, which largely arise from the richness of the biological communities, and the existence of possibly viable populations of wide – ranging mammal and bird species in relatively unmodified habitats.

Other Projects Active in the Area • Development Activities implemented by the Forest Management and Conservation Programme (FOMACOP): Installation of three water pumps in Ban Phonvisai, Kong District and Excavation of a pond in Ban Naseuk, Kong District (for fishes). • World Vision: Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Area Development, Health, Humanitarian, Disaster Preparedness and Relief, (Pathoumphon District). • Association of Earth Island: Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Area Development (Kong District). • Forages for Smallholders Project: Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Human Resource Development (Kong District). • CIDSE: Area Development, Natural Resources (Kong District). • Medicins sans Frontieres: Health (Kong District). • Damien Foundation Belgium: Health (Sanamsay District).

6 REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS

1) Anon. (1997). Rapid and Participatory Biodiversity Assessments (BIORAP) in Xe Piane NBCA. Final Report, WWF – Thailand Project Office 2) Austin, A. (1997). A mammal survey of XP NBCA, Laos PDR. Report to WWF. 3) Centre for Protected Area and Watershed Management. (1996). Xe Pian NBCA: Socio- economic survey of villages in and around the NBCA, summary of statistics for the villages Ban Xot, Ban Phonvisai, Ban Kiatngong, Ban Kaelaemai, Ban Nongping, Ban Taong, Ban Tavang, Ban Nonghin, Ban Nongkae, Ban Phonsaat, Ban Sompoy. 4) Cox, R., Laurie, A. and Woodford, M. (1992). Report of the results of four field surveys for Kouprey Bos sauveli in Vietnam and Lao PDR. Kouprey Conservation Trust. 5) Cox, R., Sivannaving, S. and Khamphay, L. (1991). Report of a Survey for Kouprey and other Wild Cattle in the Southern Lao PDR, Provinces of Champassak and Attapeu. Unpublished report to the Kouprey Conservation Trust.] 6) Duckworth, J. W., Evans, T. and Timmins, R. J. (1994). A Wildlife and Habitat Survey of Xe Pian Proposed Protected Area, Champasak, Laos. Draft report to the Protected Areas and Wildlife Division of the National Office for Nature Conservation and Watershed Management, Lao – Swedish Forestry Cooperation Programme, Vientiane, Laos (70 pp.) 7) Evans, T. D. and Timmins, R. J. (1994). The Status of Green Peafowl in Laos. Forktail 11: 11 – 32. 8) Falke, M. (1998). The Geological Conditions of Xe Pian National Biodiversity Conservation Area, Champasak and Attapeu Provinces. Unpublished report (4 pp.) 9) Lambert, F. (1997). Ornithological considerations in management of Xe Piane NBCA . Report to WWF for Lao PDR / GEF NBCA Project (14 pp.) 10) National Statistical Centre, State Planning Committee (1999). Population Census Results 1995, Champassak Province, Districts: Phathoumphon and Kong, and Attapeu Province: District: Sanamxai (10 pp.). (These data, which are available normally only on diskette, have been printed out for Xe Piane NBCA). 11) Wagenbreth, I. (1999). Demography of Xe Piane National Biodiversity Conservation Area. Unpublished Report (14 pp.)