Doi Suthep-Pui (15081)
Thailand, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Doi Suthep-Pui
Central coordinates: Latitude: 18.8333, Longitude: 98.8667
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 350 to 1685
Area of KBA (km2): 281.80404
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA comprises Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, a relatively isolated mountain massif, including several discrete peaks, which forms the western boundary of the Mae Ping valley. Mixed deciduous forest and deciduous dipterocarp forest occupy much of the lower slopes. With increasing elevation, there is a greater evergreen component, especially along stream valleys, and, above 900-1,000 m asl, a hill evergreen forest formation occurs, including members of the Fagaceae. Coniferous forest occurs in small stands on drier ridges. The vegetation has been greatly modified at mid-elevations, where large areas of hill evergreen forest have been cleared for shifting cultivation; consequently this altitudinal band now supports a mosaic of grassland, scrub and secondary growth. The largest areas of intact forest (covering c.5,180 ha) are found on the eastern slopes of Doi Suthep and Doi Pui peaks.
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: Two globally threatened species occur at the site, Mrs Hume's Pheasant Syrmaticus humiae, a rare resident, and Grey-sided Thrush Turdus feae, an uncommon winter visitor. In addition, there are historical records of two globally vulnerable species, Dark-rumped Swift Apus acuticauda, recorded in 1965, and Giant Nuthatch Sitta magna, recorded in 1980. It is unlikely that the nuthatch still occurs, given that its preferred habitat, coniferous forest between 1,200 and 1,800 m asl, has been cleared. The globally near-threatened White-rumped Falcon Polihierax insignis is an uncommon resident of the lower slopes; this species is considered nationally threatened in Thailand. Another globally near-threatened species, Japanese Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone atrocaudata, is a rare passage migrant at the site. The site qualifies under criterion A3 because it supports 14 species restricted to the Sino-Himalayan Temperate Forests (Biome 07), 46 species restricted to the Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forests (Biome 08) and 10 species restricted to the Indo-Malayan Tropical Dry Zone (Biome 11). See Appendix 3 for details. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals Southern Serow Capricornis sumatra(EN)sis (VU) Asian Gold(EN) Cat Catopuma temminckii (VU) East Asian Porcupine Hystrix brachyura (VU) Assamese Macaque Macaca assam(EN)sis (VU) Northern Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca leonina (VU) Asian Black Bear Ursus thibetanus (VU) Reptiles Big-headed Turtle Platysternon megacephalum (EN) Amphibians Large Warted Treefrog Theloderma gordoni (VU) Plants Dipterocarpus turbinatus (CR) Shorea farinosa (CR) Anisoptera costata (EN) Dalbergia oliveri (EN) Dipterocarpus costatus (EN) Shorea roxburghii (EN) Aglaia chittagonga (VU) Hopea odorata (VU)
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The IBA comprises Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, a relatively isolated mountain massif, including several discrete peaks, which forms the western boundary of the Mae Ping valley. Mixed deciduous forest and deciduous dipterocarp forest occupy much of the lower slopes. With increasing elevation, there is a greater evergreen component, especially along stream valleys, and, above 900-1,000 m asl, a hill evergreen forest formation occurs, including members of the Fagaceae. Coniferous forest occurs in small stands on drier ridges. The vegetation has been greatly modified at mid-elevations, where large areas of hill evergreen forest have been cleared for shifting cultivation; consequently this altitudinal band now supports a mosaic of grassland, scrub and secondary growth. The largest areas of intact forest (covering c.5,180 ha) are found on the eastern slopes of Doi Suthep and Doi Pui peaks.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 50 | |
| Forest | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The main threats to biodiversity at the site are agricultural intensification, introduction of exotic plant species, urban development (several settlements have been built within the boundaries of the site since it was designated a national park), recreation and tourism, and selective logging. Several of these threats are compounded by the site's proximity to Chiang Mai city.
Additional information
References: Bird Conservation Society of Thailand Bulletin 20(4). BirdLife International (1998) Proceedings of the Thailand IBA workshop, Bangkok, November 1998. Unpublished report. BirdLife International (2001) Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International. Chanarj, T. (2003) Amphibians in Thailand handbook. Bangkok: Dan Suttra. Chiang Mai University Biology Department (1989) Seminar on biology VII: biological diversity in Thailand. Chiang Mai: Chiang Mai University. Chiang Mai University Art and Culture Promotion Centre (1991) Doi Suthep-Pui National Park management and conservation workshop report. Chiang Mai: Chiang Mai University. National Park Division (2001) National parks in Thailand. Bangkok: Office of Natural Resource Conservation, Royal Forestry Department. Round, P. D. (1988) Resident forest birds in Thailand: their status and conservation. Cambridge, UK: International Council for Bird Preservation.