Palian Lang-ngu (15131)
Thailand, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1c
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Palian Lang-ngu
Central coordinates: Latitude: 7.1667, Longitude: 99.6833
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 2
Area of KBA (km2): 320.60629
Protected area coverage (%): 1.53
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA comprises a relatively uninhabited stretch of the west coastline of peninsular Thailand, from the Palian estuary to the Phak Bara estuary. Along this stretch of coastline, six large rivers discharge into the Andaman Sea. Habitats at the site comprise mangroves, mudflats and a small area of sandy beach. Mangrove species include Bruguiera cylindrica, Rhizophora spp., Avicennia alba, Xylocarpus granatum and X. moluccensis.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. 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: Palian Lang-ngu is an important site for migratory waterbirds, and is thought to regularly support over 20,000 congregatory waterbirds. At least 90 bird species have been recorded at the site to date, many of which utilise the invertebrate-rich mudflats and mangroves as feeding areas. The only globally threatened species to be recorded at the site is Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus, although it is not thought to regularly occur in significant numbers. Non-bird biodiversity: No information is available about other globally threatened species at the site
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 50 | |
| Forest | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The mangroves at the site are threatened by conversion into aquaculture and illegal logging (part of the area was formerly a logging concession); these threats are being exacerbated by expansion of human settlements in the area. In addition, hunting is a threat to the populations of some species at the site.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Industrial aquaculture | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Only in the future | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Only in the future | |
| Natural system modifications | Other ecosystem modifications | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Bird Conservation Society of Thailand (2000) Report of birds found in Palian Lang-Ngu. Unpublished report. 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.)