BirdLife International Vietnam Programme in collaboration with the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute An Investment Plan for Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, Kon Tum Province, Vietnam A Contribution to the Management Plan Conservation Report Number 5 BirdLife International European Union FIPI An Investment Plan for Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, Kon Tum Province, Vietnam A Contribution to the Management Plan by Le Trong Trai Forest Inventory and Planning Institute and William Jeff Richardson BirdLife International Vietnam Programme with contributions from Bui Dac Tuyen, Le Van Cham, Nguyen Huy Dung and Ha Van Hoach Forest Inventory and Planning Institute and Nguyen Van Sang, Alexander L. Monastyrskii and Jonathan C. Eames BirdLife International Vietnam Programme This is a technical report for the project entitled: Expanding the Protected Areas Network in Vietnam for the 21st Century. (Contract VNM/B7-6201/IB/96/005) Hanoi May 1999 Project Coordinators: Nguyen Huy Phon (FIPI) Vu Van Dung (FIPI) Jonathan C. Eames (BirdLife International) Field Survey Team: Le Trong Trai (FIPI) Le Van Cham (FIPI) Bui Dac Tuyen (FIPI) Tran Hieu Minh (FIPI) Tran Quang Ngoc (FIPI) Nguyen Van Sang (FIPI) Ha Van Hoach (FIPI) Nguyen Huy Dung (FIPI) Tran Quoc Dung (FIPI) Hoang Trong Tri (FIPI) Alexander L. Monastyrskii (BirdLife International) Jonathan C. Eames (BirdLife International) Nguyen Van Thu (Dac Glei District Forest Protection Department) Nguyen Ba Thu (Dac Glei District Forest Protection Department) Maps: Mai Ky Vinh (FIPI) Project Funding: European Union and BirdLife International Cover Illustration: Black-crowned Barwing Actinodura sodangorum by Kamol Komolphalin Citation: Le Trong Trai, Richardson, W. J., Bui Dac Tuyen, Le Van Cham, Nguyen Huy Dung, Ha Van Hoach, Monastyrskii, A. L. and Eames, J. C. (1999) An Investment Plan for Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, Kon Tum Province, Vietnam: A Contribution to the Management Plan. BirdLife International Vietnam Programme, Hanoi, Vietnam Copies available from: BirdLife International Vietnam Programme 11 Lane 167, Tay Son, Dong Da Hanoi, Vietnam Tel/Fax: + (84) 4 851 7217 E-mail: [email protected] Table of Contents List of Figures iv Executive Summary viii Executive Summary in Vietnamese x 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Geography, Demographics, Economics and Environment 1 1.2 Conservation 1 1.3 The Kontum Plateau 2 1.4 Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 2 1.5 History and Official Status 3 1.6 Current Conservation Status 3 1.7 Current Legislative Status 4 1.8 Global Conservation Significance 5 1.9 Management Authority 6 2. Site Features 7 2.1 Location 7 2.2 Topography 7 2.3 Hydrology 8 2.4 Geomorphology 10 2.5 Soils 10 2.6 Meteorology 12 2.7 Flora Overview 13 2.8 Forest and Vegetation Cover 14 2.9 Forest Types 14 High Montane Broadleaf Evergreen Forest 15 Medium to High Montane Broadleaf Evergreen Forest 17 Low Montane Broadleaf Evergreen Forest 19 Secondary Vegetation 20 2.10 Fauna Overview 22 2.11 Mammals 22 2.12 Birds 22 2.13 Herpetiles 26 2.14 Butterflies 27 2.15 Socio-Cultural Features 28 Population Distribution 29 Sedentary and Nomadic Populations 29 Transportation 29 Health Care 31 Education 32 Cultivation Practices and Household Incomes 32 Animal Husbandry 34 Forest Production 34 Forest Enterprises 35 3. Evaluation 36 3.1 Evaluation Criteria 36 3.2 Evaluation of Physical Features 37 3.3 Evaluation of Flora and Fauna 37 i Conservation of Threatened Species 38 Discovery of New Bird Species and Subspecies 38 Conservation of Restricted-Range Endemic Species 38 Biodiversity Comparison with Vietnam’s National Parks 39 3.4 Evaluation of Socio-Economic and Socio-Cultural Benefits 40 Flood and Erosion Control 40 Water Supply 40 Forestry and Agroforestry 41 Medicinal and Ornamental Plants 41 Genetic Resources 41 Tourism 42 Agricultural Self-sufficiency and Agroforestry 43 Research and Local Stewardship 44 3.5 Evaluation of Managerial Role of Communes, Government and NGOs 44 3.6 Summary of Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve Evaluation 45 4. Management Planning 46 4.1 Administrative Areas 46 Districts and Communes in the Administrative Area 46 Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve Boundary 46 Strict Protection and Forest Recovery Areas 47 Buffer Zone 50 4.2 Management Development 51 Nature Reserve Management Personnel 51 Management Hierarchy and Recruitment 51 Forest Protection Personnel 51 Management Development Infrastructure 52 Visitor Access and Restrictions 52 Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve Headquarters 53 Guard Stations and Forest Protection Personnel 53 5. Management Policy, Objectives, Development and Reporting 54 5.1 Management Policy 54 Protected Area Classification 54 Compatible Utilisation 54 Incompatible Utilisation, Exploitation and Unsustainable Use 55 Management Actions 55 5.2 Management Objectives 56 5.3 Management and Development 56 Infrastructure Development Programme 57 Conservation and Protection Programme 59 Scientific Research Programme 61 Education and Awareness Programme 61 Administrative Management Programme 61 5.4 Management Progress Reporting 63 Evaluating Management Effectiveness 63 Regional Management Units 65 6. Finance 66 6.1 Financial Management 66 6.2 Investment Capital 66 ii References 69 Appendix 1 Flora Recorded in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 71 Appendix 2 Mammals Recorded in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve (excluding Rodents and Bats) 79 Appendix 3 Birds Recorded in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 81 Appendix 4 Herpetiles Recorded in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 86 Appendix 5 Butterflies Recorded in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 88 List of Tables Table 1: Comparison of Ngoc Linh’s Restricted-range Birds with Vietnam’s other EBAs 6 Table 2: Meteorological Data from Four Weather Stations near Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 13 Table 3: Plants Found in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 13 Table 4: Plants Found in the Western Highlands 13 Table 5: Forest Cover in the Four Communes of Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 14 Table 6: Composition of Saplings in High Montane Broadleaf Evergreen Forest 15 Table 7: Composition of Mature Trees in Medium to High Montane Broadleaf Evergreen Forest 18 Table 8: Composition of Saplings in Medium to High Montane Broadleaf Evergreen Forest 18 Table 9: Composition of Mature Trees in Low Montane Broadleaf Evergreen Forest 19 Table 10: Composition of Saplings in Low Montane Broadleaf Evergreen Forest 19 Table 11: Composition of Mature Trees in Secondary Broadleaf Evergreen Forest 20 Table 12: Vertebrate Species Recorded in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 22 Table 13: Threatened Mammals Recorded in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 23 Table 14: Threatened Birds Recorded in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 24 Table 15: Endemic and Threatened Herpetiles Recorded in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 26 Table 16: Altitudinal Ranges of Butterflies in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 28 Table 17: Population Statistics and Ethnic Composition 28 Table 18: Population Distribution, Density and Growth in the Buffer Zone 29 Table 19: Settlement in the Buffer Zone Communes 31 Table 20: Health Care Staff, Facilities and Diseases in the Buffer Zone 31 Table 21: Education Provision and Attendance in the Buffer Zone 32 Table 22: Agricultural Production and Famine Levels in the Buffer Zone 33 Table 23: Land-Use in the Buffer Zone 33 Table 24: Agricultural Cultivation in the Buffer Zone 34 Table 25: Agroforestry Land-Use in the Buffer Zone 34 Table 26: Exploitation of Forest in the Buffer Zone 35 Table 27: Conservation Criteria and Evaluation of Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 36 Table 28: Flora Diversity in the Kontum Plateau and Da Lat Plateau EBAs, and Fan Si Pan 37 and Northern Laos Secondary EBA Table 29: Comparison of Mammal and Bird Diversity with other Montane Nature Reserves 37 Table 30: Number of Total, Globally and Vietnam Threatened Species 38 Table 31: Bird Endemism Ranking for Vietnam’s Montane Nature Reserves 39 Table 32: Biodiversity Comparison of Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve with 40 Vietnam’s National Parks Table 33: Strict Protection Sub-Areas and Forest Recovery Area 47 Table 34: Management Regime for the Strict Protection Area 48 Table 35: Management Regime for the Forest Recovery Area 50 Table 36: Commune Areas in the Nature Reserve and Buffer Zone 50 Table 37: Locally versus Regionally Recruited Protection Personnel 52 Table 38: Recommendations for Guard Stations, Staffing Requirements, and Coverage 53 Table 39: Classifying Protection Features of Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 54 Table 40: Recommended Compatible and Incompatible Utilisation of the Nature Reserve 55 Table 41: Buffer Zone Land-Use Areas of Four Communes 61 iii Table 42: Investment Programme for Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 66 Table 43: Cost Estimates for the Nature Reserve’s Programmes 67 Table 44: Disbursement Schedule for Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 68 List of Maps Map 1: Location of Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve vii Map 2: Geology of Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 9 Map 3: Soil Types of Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 11 Map 4: Land-Use in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 16 Map 5: Population Density and Ethnic Composition of Communes in the Buffer Zone 30 Map 6: Proposed Boundary of Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve 49 List of Figures Figure 1: Adult male Golden-winged Laughingthrush Garrulax ngoclinhensis (centre) with 25 Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush G. erythrocephalus (above) and Collared Laughingthrush G. yersini (below). Original Painting by Kamol Komolphalin Figure 2: Schematic Diagram of Nature Reserve Staff Hierarchy 50 iv Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the Commission of European Communities (DGI) and BirdLife International for the financial assistance that made this study possible. Special thanks to Mr Le Sau, Director of the Forest