Lower Stung Sen (16670)
Cambodia, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Lower Stung Sen
Central coordinates: Latitude: 12.6000, Longitude: 104.5167
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 4 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 127.58452
Protected area coverage (%): 94.67
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA is centred on the Stung Sen Core Area of Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve. The IBA is located at the south-eastern end of Tonle Sap Lake, to the north of the point where the Tonle Sap River leaves the lake. The vegetation of the IBA is characterized by botanically unique gallery forest along rivers, dominated by Barringtonia acutangula and Diospyros cambodiana. Although disturbed, this habitat is the most species-rich tall forest around Tonle Sap Lake. The IBA supports an important breeding colony of Darter Anhinga melanogaster, as well as a significant breeding concentration of 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: During the survey, 43 nests of Oriental Darter were observed on 14 November 2001. Non-bird biodiversity: Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)Asiatic Softshell Turtle (Amyda cartilaginea), Malayan Box Turtle (Cuora ambionensis), Malayan Snail-eating Turtle (Malayemys subtrijuga), Yellow-headed Temple Turtle (Hieremys annandalii), [Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis)].
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 50 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The major threats to biodiversity at the IBA are hunting and egg collection. These activities are usually conducted opportunistically by local people, whose main occupation is fishing. When local people encounter a nest site, eggs or chicks will be collected, regardless of species or stage of development. In October 2001, local people collected around 500 Darter eggs from within the IBA. Additional threats to biodiversity including cutting of trees for firewood, and, in areas of higher elevation, clearance of forest for agriculture.
| 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 |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Document nameGoes F. and Hong C. (2002). The status and conservation of large waterbirds on the Tonle Sap Great Lake, Cambodia 2000-2001. Wildlife Conservation Society, Phnom Penh.Pech Bunnat and Long Kheng (2001). Survey on Oriental Darter colony and reptiles. Unpublished report, Wildlife Conservation Society, Cambodia.McDonald, A., Pech Bunnat, Phauk Virak and Leen Bunton (1997) Plant Communities of the Tonle Sap Floodplain. UNESCO, Phnom Penh.Mundkur, T., Carr, P., Sun Hean and Chhim Somean 1995. Surveys for large waterbirds in Cambodia. March - April 1994. Cambridge, UK: IUCN/SSC.Carr, P. (1993) Bird observations from the southern reaches of the Tonle Sap Lake in central Cambodia from 9th April to 16th June. Unpublished.Carr, P. (1994). Cambodia, the last refuge for rare and endangered waterfowl in Southeast Asia. Sea Swallow 43: 35-37.