Khao Luang (15121)
Thailand, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Khao Luang
Central coordinates: Latitude: 8.5667, Longitude: 99.7000
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 50 to 1835
Area of KBA (km2): 576.31593
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: BirdLife International (1998) Proceedings of the Thailand IBA workshop, Bangkok, November 1998. Unpublished report. Office of Environmental Policy and Planning (1999) Directory of internationally important wetlands in Thailand. Bangkok: Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment. (In Thai.) Plathong, J. and Sitthirach, N. (1997) Traditional and current uses of mangrove forest in southern Thailand. Bangkok: Wetlands International-Thailand Programme
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: The site supports the globally threatened Wallace's Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus nanus, a species characteristic of lowland forest in the Sundaic region. There are also historical records of the globally vulnerable Blue-banded Kingfisher Alcedo euryzona and White-fronted Scops Owl Otus sagittatus from the site, from 1928 and 1965, respectively. The site supports a rich lowland avifauna, including 68 species restricted to the Sundaic Lowland Forests (Biome 14); most of the 32 globally near-threatened species confirmed to occur at the site are characteristic of this biome. Furthermore, the site supports several subspecies endemic to the Thai-Malay peninsula, including Green-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga nipalensis australis, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush Garrulax erythrocephalus peninsulae, Blue-winged Minla Minla cyanouroptera sordidior, Chestnut-crowned Warbler Seicerus castaniceps youngi and Blue-throated Barbet Megalaima asiatica chersonesus. The site qualifies under criterion A3 because it supports 68 species restricted to the Sundaic Lowland Forests (Biome 14) Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals Asian Elephant Elephas maximus (EN) Lesser Great Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros turpis (EN) Tiger Panthera tigris (EN) Asian Golden Cat Catopuma temminckii (VU) Dhole Cuon alpinus (VU) East Asian Porcupine Hystrix brachyura (VU) Bear Macaque Macaca arctoides (VU) Sundaland Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca nemestrina (VU) Clouded Leopard Neofelis nebulosa (VU) Marbled Cat Pardofelis marmorata (VU) Fishing Cat Prionailurus viverrinus (VU) Reptiles Spiny Turtle Heosemys spinosa (EN) Amphibians Supachai's Caecilian Ichthyophis supachaii (VU) Plants Anisoptera scaphula (CR) Dipterocarpus baudii (CR) Dipterocarpus gracilis (CR) Dipterocarpus hasseltii (CR) Hopea sangal (CR) Parashorea stellata (CR) Shorea foxworthyi (CR) Shorea thorelii (CR) Dipterocarpus alatus (EN) Shorea gratissima (EN) Vatica cinerea (EN) Hopea griffithii (VU) Hopea odorata (VU) Merrillia caloxylon (VU) Pterocarpus indicus (VU) Vatica mangachapoi (EN)
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: BirdLife International (1998) Proceedings of the Thailand IBA workshop, Bangkok, November 1998. Unpublished report. Office of Environmental Policy and Planning (1999) Directory of internationally important wetlands in Thailand. Bangkok: Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment. (In Thai.) Plathong, J. and Sitthirach, N. (1997) Traditional and current uses of mangrove forest in southern Thailand. Bangkok: Wetlands International-Thailand Programme
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The main threats to biodiversity at the site include agricultural encroachment, hunting, illegal timber extraction and over-exploitation of non-timber forest products. Conflicting land-rights claims over certain parts of the site are another major conservation issue.
Additional information
References: Bird Conservation Society of Thailand Bulletin 18(5): 14-15 (May 2001). 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. Conservation Data Center, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok. 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. UNEP/World Conservation Monitoring Center website http//:www.wcmc.org.uk/protected_areas