Phou Khaokhoay (16624)
Laos, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Phou Khaokhoay
Central coordinates: Latitude: 18.2833, Longitude: 102.8000
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 100 to 600
Area of KBA (km2): 1887.58755
Protected area coverage (%): 94.23
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA is located on the south-western periphery of Phou Khaokhouay National Protected Area, in northern Lao P.D.R. The IBA is situated in the foothills of the Phou Khaokhouay massif, close to Ban Nakhay. The topography of the IBA is dominated by gently sloping sandstone shelves, with patches of thin, sandy soil, supporting stunted dry dipterocarp forest and bamboo scrub. Along streams and by pools, there are also patches of mixed deciduous forest (Evans and Timmins 1998, Ounekham and Hedemark 2002). The IBA is the only site in northern Lao P.D.R. confirmed to support a significant population of Green Peafowl Pavo muticus (Evans and Timmins 1996, Duckworth et al. 1999). The IBA differs from most other IBAs in Lao P.D.R. in that it was identified for a single species in a very localised area.
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: A modest number of key species was found in the IBA, probably due to limitations of time, weather and the relative inexperience of part of the survey team. Further survey effort at Phou Khao Khouay, particularly the area of IBA would increase substantially the total number of birds recorded and find more key species. (Payne et al. 1995) Non-bird biodiversity: There are no another important fauna or flora known.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 18 | |
| Forest | 82 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: During the early 1990s, the Green Peafowl population was apparently under severe pressure from hunting and egg collection (Evans and Timmins 1996). However, following the initiation of a community-based conservation project at the IBA, coupled with the national gun collection programme, egg collection and hunting of Green Peafowl have declined markedly. There remain, however, a number of additional threats to biodiversity at the IBA. Shifting cultivation in the watershed immediately above the IBA by villagers from Ban Vang Heu is of high concern. Annual forest fire outbreaks between January and April also affect the habitat condition. Illegal selective logging also occurs in the IBA but is somewhat suppressed by the law enforcement activities conducted by the protected area authorities (J. Parr in litt. 2002).
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Nomadic grazing | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Gathering terrestrial plants | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Duckworth, J. W., Salter, R. E. and Khounboline, K. eds. (1999) Wildlife in Lao P.D.R.: 1999 status report. Vientiane: IUCN, WCS and CPAWM.Duckworth, J. W., Tizard, R. J., Timmins, R. J., Thewlis, R. M., Robichaud, W. B. and Evans, T. D. (1998) Bird records from Laos, October 1994-August 1995. Forktail 13: 33-68 (including errata sheet distributed with Forktail 14).Evans, T. D. and Timmins, R. J. (1996) The status of Green Peafowl in Laos. Forktail 11: 11-32.Evans, T. D. and Timmins, R. J. (1998) Records of birds from Laos during January-July 1994. Forktail 13: 69-96.Ounekham, K. and Hedemark, M. (2002) WCS field trip report to Ban Nakhay in Phou Khao Kwai Protected Area to confirm Green Peafowl in the IBA. Unpublished report to the WCS Lao Program and the BirdLife International Vietnam Programme.Thewlis, R. M., Timmins, R. J., Evans, T. D. and Duckworth, J. W. (1998) The conservation status of birds in Laos: a review of key species. Bird Conserv. Internat. 8(suppl.): 1-159.