Upper Stung Sen Catchment (16656)
Cambodia, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Upper Stung Sen Catchment
Central coordinates: Latitude: 14.0000, Longitude: 104.7333
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 36 to 802
Area of KBA (km2): 5443.9997
Protected area coverage (%): 66.57
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA comprises the catchment of the upper Stung Sen river. The vegetation of the IBA is dominated by open deciduous dipterocarp forest (grading into mixed deciduous and semi-evergreen forest in the west), permanent and seasonal wetlands and grasslands.Much of the IBA is a floodplain and in the wet season, is inundated, while in the dry season, water is restricted to a few permanent watercourses (the Stung Sen river and its larger tributaries) and pools. Along these watercourses, semi-evergreen forest and thick bamboo forest are distributed. Much of the IBA is located within Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary. The IBA supports one of the few breeding colonies of Darter Anhinga melanogaster remaining outside of the Tonle Sap Lake floodplain. In addition, the IBA is an important breeding site for Sarus Crane Grus antigone and Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus. Furthermore, a number of other globally threatened and near-threatened species have been recorded at the site, including Giant Ibis (Pseudibis gigantea), White-shouldered Ibis (Pseudibis davisoni), Greater Adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius), Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) and Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus).
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: Other regionally significant bird species: Alexandrine Parakeet, Woolly-necked Stork, Great Slaty Woodpecker. Non-bird biodiversity: Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis), Pig-tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina), Slow Loris (Nycticebus coucang), Silvered Langur (Semnopithecus cristatus), Pileated Gibbon (Hylobates pileatus).Asiatic Softshell Turtle (Amyda cartilaginea), Elongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata), Yellow-headed Temple Turtle (Hieremys annandalii), Giant Asian Pond Turtle (Heosemys grandis), Malayan Box Turtle (Cuora ambionensis).Gaur (Bos gaurus), Banteng (Bos javanicus), Eld's Deer (Cervus eldii) (Kong Kim Sreng, Ministry of Environment, pers. comm.).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | forestry | military | nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 20 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 20 | |
| Forest | 20 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 20 | |
| Shrubland | 20 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: There are numerous permanent human settlements within the IBA, some large, including the provincial town of Tbeng Meanchey, the district town of Chom Khsan, and Phum Takang (a resettlement village), which was established in 1999. For at least the last two years, local people from this village have collected eggs and chicks from the Darter colony within the IBA. All large waterbirds breeding at the IBA face similar, hunting-based threats, especially the ground-nesting Sarus Crane, for which there is a high demand from the wildlife trade in Thailand. Major potential future threats to biodiversity at the IBA include human in-migration, provincial road development plans, and the agricultural expansion and increase in hunting that would accompany it.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Barzen, J. (2002) Waterbirds and Wetlands of Northern Cambodia. Bugle.