Behali Reserve Forest (18067)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Behali Reserve Forest
Central coordinates: Latitude: 26.9167, Longitude: 93.3833
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 80 to 150
Area of KBA (km2): 87.366044
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD’
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Behali Reserve Forest is located at the foothills of the Eastern Himalaya, in Sonitpur district of Assam, on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. It is part of the Sonitpur Elephant Reserve that was notified in 2003. The area is flat with gentle slopes. Some hilly areas lie in the extreme north of the IBA. The forest is Tropical Wet Evergreen and Semi-evergreen. Some fine patches of primary rainforest are still to be seen in the area. The top canopy consists of species such as Tetrameles nudiflora, an emergent deciduous species, which is widely used by hornbills for nesting (A. U. Choudhury pers. comm. 2003).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: AVIFAUNA: A rich and diverse bird life exists in the area, but a full checklist is yet to be completed. This IBA is known for its population of Whitewinged Duck Cairina scutulata (Choudhury 2000). There are four species of hornbills, the Oriental Pied Anthracoceros albirostris, Wreathed Aceros undulatus, Great Pied Buceros bicornis and the globally threatened Rufous-necked Aceros nipalensis. The last named species is only occasional in winter. The Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus is seen regularly in small numbers at the edges of the IBA and in the encroached areas. In winter, the abundance of birds increases to a great extent, with the arrival of altitudinal migrants (A. Choudhury pers. comm. 2003). As no detailed study on birds has been conducted, this site could be considered Data Deficient. OTHER KEY FAUNA: Behali is an important area for the Asian Elephant Elephas maximus, Slow Loris Nycticebus coucang, Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileata, Tiger Panthera tigris and Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis, among others.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | forestry
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 50 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Encroachment; Illegal felling of trees; Poaching; Insurgency. Behali RF is among the survivors in Sonitpur where organized encroachment has destroyed most of the forest outside the protected areas. A relatively small area of this IBA has been encroached, but it is under constant pressure (Choudhury 2002). Illegal tree felling and occasional poaching are other issues. The interstate border dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh often makes the area vulnerable to encroachment and felling of trees.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Choudhury, A. U. (2000) The Birds of Assam, Gibbon Books & WWFIndia NE Region, Guwahati. Pp 240. Choudhury, A. U. (2002) Massive habitat loss for primates in Assam’s Sonitpur district. Asian Primates 8 (1&2): 18-20.