Mekong River from Kratie to Lao PDR (16674)
Cambodia, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B2
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Mekong River from Kratie to Lao PDR
Central coordinates: Latitude: 13.2833, Longitude: 105.9667
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 21 to 189
Area of KBA (km2): 1071.37119
Protected area coverage (%): 47.15
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA comprises the Mekong River and associated riverine vegetation, from Kratie town to the international border with Laos. Along this stretch, the Mekong River is very varied. Some sections form a single channel, up to 1.5 km wide, with a vast expanse of open water, while other sections are braided into a number of channels and islands. In sections of braided river, several types of river channel vegetation occur: small, periodically flooded, predominantly grass-covered islands; shrubs that become partly submerged for most of the wet season; and trees in open canopy aggregations, which become partly submerged for most of the wet season. Other key habitats include sandbars and rocks. Although much of the fringing riverine forest is degraded, some areas of good condition mixed deciduous/semi-evergreen forest remain around the Kratie-Stung Treng provincial border. Away from the river, this grades into open deciduous dipterocarp forest. Many human settlements, with associated shifting cultivation, are located along the river. The stretch of the Mekong River from a point 5 km north of Stung Treng town to the international border with Laos has been designated as a Ramsar site.The IBA supports a large proportion of the global population of Mekong Wagtail Motacilla samveasnae, a recently described species, which is thought to be endemic to the Mekong River and its major tributaries. In addition, the IBA supports significant populations of a suite of riverine species that have declined severely throughout mainland South-east Asia, including River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii, Great Thick Knee Esacus recurvirostris and River Tern Sterna aurantia. Furthermore, a number of globally threatened and near-threatened species have been recorded at the IBA in small numbers, including White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis, Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus and Darter Anhinga melanogaster. Small, but significant numbers of White-shouldered Ibis Pseudibis davisoni have been recorded along forested parts of the river. Finally, the IBA may be one of the last remaining sites in Indochina to support Black-bellied Tern Sterna acuticauda, although there have been few recent records and no recent confirmation of breeding. Historically the area supported a breeding population of Indian Skimmer Rhynchops albicollis, however, the last record on this stretch of the river was of 'several pairs' in 1932, and the failure to find the species on recent surveys indicate that it is probably now extinct on the Mekong River.
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: Other regionally significant species present: Little Cormorant, Indian Cormorant, Grey Heron, Brahminy Kite, White bellied sea Eagle, River Lapwing, Small Pratincole, Great Thick Knee, River Tern, Green imperial Pigeon, Alexandrine Parakeet, Pied Kingfisher, Baya Weaver. Non-bird biodiversity: rrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) (data deficient) has undergone severe decline estimated now 10-15 animals bewteen Stung Treng and Lao border (Baird and Bounhong 1994, Baird 1997). The following red listed fish species occur Probarbus jullieni, P. labeanmajor, Pangasianodon gigas, Pangasius saritwongsei. All have declined in recent years (Rainboth 1996, Roberts and Baird 1995). Davies (1994) records the botanical communities of the sandy island of the middle river as being unique and therefore of great value.Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)Asian Giant Softshell (Pelochelys cantorii), [Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis)]
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: River forest (tropical) is not included in habitat classification types.
Land use: agriculture | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 33 | |
| Forest | 33 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Perhaps the most severe threats to the riverine bird community that have operated at the IBA to date are hunting, egg collection and disturbance due to human activities on sandbanks during the breeding season. Other major threats are cutting of trees and clearance of land for agriculture along the banks of the river. Illegal fishing, particularly the use of poison and explosives is also a cause for concern. A potential future threat with potentially catastrophic impacts is the development of major hydropower or navigation schemes on the Mekong River or its larger tributaries.
| 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 | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents | Seepage from mining | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Unspecified species | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Document nameDavidson, P., Poole, C.M. and J.W. Duckworth (2001) Mekong Wagtail (Motacilla samvaesnae): the great river's only known avian endemic. Bull. Oriental Bird Club 34: 56-59.Davies, J.D. (1994) Wetland surveys in Cambodia to identify sites of international importance. Asian Wetland Bureau, Kuala Lumpur.Duckworth, J.W., Alström, P., Davidson, P., Evans, T.D., Poole, C.P., Tan Setha and Timmins, R.J. 2001. A new species of wagtail from the lower Mekong basin. Bull. British Ornithologists' Club 121(3): 152-182.Mundkur, T., Carr, P., Sun Hean and Chhim Somean 1995. Surveys for large waterbirds in Cambodia. March - April 1994. Cambridge, UK: IUCN/SSC.Poole, C. M. Duckworth, J. W. and van Zalinge, N. J. (in prep.) Bird Observations from the Mekong and major tributaries in North-east Cambodia, 1998-2000.Tan Setha (2002) Mekong Wagtail: A species new to science discovered in northeast Cambodia. Cambodia Bird News: 9: 14-17.Thomas, W.W. 1964. A preliminary list of the birds of Cambodia. Unpubl.Timmins, R. J. and Men Soriyun 1998. A wildlife survey of the Tonle San and Tonle Srepok river basins in north-eastern Cambodia. Hanoi and Phnom Penh: Fauna & Flora International and Wildlife Protection Office.van Zalinge, N. J., Poole, C. M., Duckworth, J. W. and Goes, F., (2002). Water bird counts on the Mekong, Sekong, Sesan and Srepok Rivers. Cambodia Bird News 9: 18-29.