Tempasuk plains (16046)
Malaysia, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Tempasuk plains
Central coordinates: Latitude: 6.4167, Longitude: 116.4500
System: freshwater, marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 3
Area of KBA (km2): 108.89317
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: (I) Physical CharacteristicsTempasuk Plain is located on the north-west coast of Sabah, stretching from Kota Belud town in the south to Rampayang Laut in the north. The plain is primarily a freshwater wetland bisected by a major road comprising of four main areas;On the eastern side of the road, an area of low wet swamp land with open pools, bordered by a narrow strip of swamp forest along the northern boundary of the Kota Belud Bird Sanctuary (hereafter Bird Sanctuary), and backed by low hills;On the western side, an open sandy foreshore backed by dunes leads into grazed grassland with wet areas and seasonal pools. A small area of mangrove occurs near Kuala Tempasuk;The southern third is taken up with cultivation, mainly wet rice and small settlements. Two large rivers run through the area forming the northern and southern boundaries of the existing Bird Sanctuary. The northern river is lined with fairly extensive riverine forest.The fourth area to the north of Sungai Kawang-Kawang is little known. From Kampung Rampayan Laut for about 5 km upriver mangrove forest predominates (ca. 1,518 ha in 1978), grading into nipa swamp backed by a small area of lowland dipterocarp forest.The Bird Sanctuary was established within the area in 1960, comprising of ca. 12,200 ha. Run-off from the low hills and the foothills of Gunung Kinabalu supplies many small streams and the two large rivers. Grassland floods temporarily, wet rice water levels artificially maintained, swamp probably inundated. The wetland conditions of Tempasuk Plain are determined primarily by local rainfall with the exception of the wet rice fields.(II) Climatic ConditionsAnnual average rainfall is 2,260 mm. Monthly rainfall is between 200-400 mm in June and 100-200 mm in December. The dry season occurs from November-March while the wet from May-September. Annual average temperature range 23-30oC (DWNP, 1987).
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: The wetland is an important site for wintering more than 50 waterbird species including several large globally threatened waterbirds (DWNP, 1987; Beadle and Whittaker, 1985; Payne and Parish, 1985). High numbers of wintering white egrets Egretta spp., up to 5,000 have been recorded (Lansdown, 1986, 1987, 1989a, 1989b). The Near Threatened Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster, Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus and Malaysian Plover Charadrius peronii have also been sighted (Sheldon et al., 2001). Non-bird biodiversity: (I) Globally threatened mammals (IUCN, 2002): ENDANGERED: Proboscis Monkey Nasalis larvatus; NEAR THREATENED: Oriental Small-clawed Otter Amblonyx cinereus(II) Globally threatened reptiles (IUCN, 2002): No information.(III) Globally threatened plants (IUCN, 2002): No information.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Six distinct vegetation types have been identified.A long sandy beach backed by dunes.Grazing land with short-rough grass, pandans, various shrubs and bushes, some open woodland in the Sungai Kerah area and ditches and buffalo wallows with Water Hyacinth and Rushes Juncus sp.Swamp forest; where freshwater, with strangling figs Ficus sp., where brackish, dominant species Avicennia alba and A. marina with a Nypa swamp.Swamp, mainly mixed grasses.Cultivated land, wet rice and heavily populated area in the south.Open water.The surrounding areas consist of agricultural land and some evergreen moist forest. Coastal forest remnants with fine Ficus and Sterculia behind dunes, grading into Antidesma woodland. Small area of lowland dipterocarp forest can also be found.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 48 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 5 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 48 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Several proposed development may impose serious changes to the plains which will lead to the decline in the habitat quality for birds. Under the Fifth (1986-1987) and Sixth (1990-1995) Malaysia Plan, an extensive portion of the sanctuary in the Kerah Swamp may be drained. Threat of conversion to prawn farming exists.There is a gradual expansion of wet rice areas encroaching on natural swamp. Shifting cultivation on hillsides, livestock and recreational activities of local people and the clearing of mangrove and nipa for kampungs are also of concern. Hunting of birds by means of shooting and netting occurs, of which the extent is unknown (DWNP, 1987).
Additional information
References: Beadle, D. and Whittaker, A. 1985. Sabah Survey Report. In Parish, D. and Wells, D.R. INTERWADER Annual Report 1984. Kuala Lumpur: INTERWADER.DWNP. 1987. Malaysian Wetland Directory. Peninsular Malaysia: Department of Wildlife and National Parks.IUCN. 2002. 2002 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. http://www.redlist.org (23 June 2003).Lansdown, R.V. 1986. Observations on the Wintering Herons in the Kota Belud Bird Sanctuary, Sabah. Project MYS 89/86. Kuala Lumpur: WWFM.Lansdown, R.V. 1987. The Feeding Ecology of the Larger Herons in the Kota Belud Bird Sanctuary, with reference to preparation of management proposal. Project MYS 94/86. Kuala Lumpur: WWFM.Lansdown, R.V. 1989a. The Kota Belud Bird Sanctuary. Pp. 166-168 in Parish, D. and C. Prentice (eds.). Wetland and Waterfowl Conservation in Asia. Proceedings of a Conference in Malacca, Malaysia, 23-28 February 1987. Asian Wetland Bureau Publication No. 52. Kuala Lumpur: Asian Wetland Bureau/IWRB.Lansdown, R.V. 1989b. A Preliminary Survey of the Status of the White Egrets occurring in Sabah, East Malaysia. Project MYS 94/89. Kuala Lumpur: WWFM.Parish, D., Prentice, C. and Taylor, C. (eds.) 1986. INTERWADER-East Asia/Pacific Shorebird Study Programme- Annual Report 1985. INTERWADER Publication No. 16. Kuala Lumpur: INTERWADER. Payne, J. and Parish, D. 1985. Kota Belud Bird Sanctuary - A site of international importance for bird conservation: Potential for tourist development. Kuala Lumpur: WWFM. Sheldon, F.H., Moyle, R.G. and Kennard, J. 2001. Ornithology of Sabah: History, Gazetteer, Annotated Checklist, and Bibliography. Ornithological Monographs 52: 1-285.