Van Ban (12061)
Vietnam, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Van Ban
Central coordinates: Latitude: 22.0500, Longitude: 104.1833
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 200 to 2913
Area of KBA (km2): 1058.18506
Protected area coverage (%): 20.26
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Van Ban district is located in the southeast corner of Lao Cai province and abuts the adjacent Yen Bai province on its southern and eastern borders. This IBA encompasses part of the Hoang Lien mountain chain which includes the nearby Fan Si Pan IBA. The district covers an area of 143,927 ha and is estimated to contain around 10,000 ha of forest, much of which is primary evergreen forest. This is considered to be one of the largest expanses of forest north of Hanoi remaining in the country (Long et al. 2000). The majority of the district is mountainous and lies above 700 m asl.
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) The site has been reviewed and re-confirmed as a KBA in the process of compiling the revised 2011 CEPF Ecosystem Profile for the Indo-Burma Hotspot.
Additional biodiversity: Non-bird biodiversity: The presence of other globally threatened species of mammal has been confirmed by Long et al. (2000) including Chrotogale owstoni, Lutra lutra, Macaca arctoides, M. assamensis and Nomascus concolor. Several other species including Ursus thibetanus and U. malayanus were also provisionally listed for the area by Long et al. (2000). In addition, the presence of the threatened conifer, Fokenia hodginsii, has been recorded by Long et al. (2000) and Tordoff et al. (2002).
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: A range of vegetation types are present which may be broadly classified as primary evergreen lower and upper montane forest (hill evergreen and montane broadleaf evergreen forest), primary elfin upper montane forest and other anthropogenic types found in more easily accessible locations (generally at lower elevations) including, mixed bamboo and secondary evergreen lower montane forest, secondary scrub, grass and agricultural lands (Long et al. 2000).
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 33 | |
| Forest | 33 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Threats to site biodiversity include timber extraction (particularly of Fokienia hodginsii), rattan collection and hunting (Long et al. 2000). Tordoff et al. (2002) identified lowland evergreen forest as a priority for forest protection and management activities, as the rate of loss within this habitat type is greatest with the majority of remnant areas already degraded (Tordoff et al. 2002).
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Shifting agriculture | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Only in the future | |
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Long, B, Le Khac Quyet, Phung Van Khoa (2000) An Assessment of the Potential and Priorities for Conservation in Van Ban District, Lao Cai Province. Fauna and Flora International Programme, Hanoi.Tordoff, A.W., Le Manh Hung, Nguyen Quang Trong, Swan, S.R. (2002) A Rapid Field Survey of Van Ban District, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam. Birdlife International Vietnam Programme and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources in cooperation with the Fauna and Flora International Vietnam Programme, Hanoi.