Snoul / Keo Sema / O Reang (16678)
Cambodia, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B2
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Snoul / Keo Sema / O Reang
Central coordinates: Latitude: 12.2500, Longitude: 107.0333
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 1070
Area of KBA (km2): 2603.95282
Protected area coverage (%): 66.62
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA is situated in southern Mondulkiri and Kratie provinces, and comprises an extensive mosaic of evergreen and semi-evergreen forest habitats, from Snoul Wildlife Sanctuary in the south-west to Phnom Nam Lyr Wildlife Sanctuary in the north-east. Most of the intervening areas between the two wildlife sanctuaries are situated within a forest concession under the management of Samling International. However, this area is also managed as a biodiversity conservation area within the concession system. The vegetation of the IBA is characterised by evergreen and semi-evergreen forest on hills, grading into mixed deciduous and deciduous dipterocarp forest to the north-west. The dominant vegetation type is semi-evergreen forest, which varies greatly in structure and composition, from apparently evergreen-dominated stands with a high density of lianas, palms and rattans, to tracts with a more open understorey. Within the predominantly level lowland Snoul Wildlife Sanctuary there are numerous grassy clearings with pools within the evergreen forest. To the south-east, the IBA is contiguous with areas of natural habitat in Vietnam, a significant proportion of which is included within Bu Gia Map Nature Reserve.The results of recent surveys indicate that the IBA supports all three restricted-range species found in the Cambodia-South Vietnamese Lowlands Endemic Bird Area: Orange-necked Partridge Arborophila davidi, Germain's Peacock Pheasant Polyplectron germaini and Grey-faced Tit Babbler Macronous kelleyi. The IBA also supports a number of other globally threatened and near-threatened species, including Green Peafowl Pavo muticus, White-winged Duck Cairina scutulata, Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis and Siamese Fireback Lophura diardi. Finally, higher elevation areas within Phnom Nam Lyr Wildlife Sanctuary (up to 1,070 m asl) support some elements of a montane avifauna, which, although little studied, appears to have some similarities with that of the lower slopes of the Da Lat plateau to the east. For example, these areas support Black-throated Tit Aegithalos concinnus, White-cheeked Laughingthrush Garrulax vassali and Black-chinned Yuhina Yuhina nigrimenta.
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 region sinificant birds species recorded :German's Peacock Pheasant, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Black-backed Kingfisher, Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo, Violet Cuckoo, Pompadour Green Pigion, Jerdon' s Baza, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Malayan Night Heron, Blue-rump Pitta,Blue and White Flycatcher, Blue-throated Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Warbler, Black-throated Laughingthrush, Purple-naped Sunbird, Streaked Spiderhunter, Pin-tailed Parrofinch. Non-bird biodiversity: Four pictures of Tigers were taken by Camera trape in coupe 2a. This is the first time that the species has been photographed in the wild in Cambodia. Ten pictures of Sun bear were obtainted from just coupe 2a in Keo Sema Samling forest Concession, Mondulkiri province,Cambodia. A Gaur photo-trapped along a concession road in logged forest. Banteng were taken at two mineral licks. Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) (IUCN critically endangered): Long tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) (IUCN-Near threatened).Slow Loris (Nycticebus coucang), Pygmy Loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus), Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis), Pig-tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina), Bear Macaque (Macaca arctoides), Silvered Langur (Semnopithecus cristatus), Douc Langur (Pygathrix nemaeus), Yellow-cheeked Gibbon (Hylobates gabriellae).Asiatic Softshell Turtle (Amyda cartilaginea), Elongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata), Impressed Tortoise (Manouria impressa), Malayan Box Turtle (Cuora ambionensis)Asian Elephant( Elephas maximus), Gaur (Bos gaurus), Banteng (Bos javanicus), Southern Serow (Naemorthedus sumatraensis), [Giant Muntjac (Megamuntiacus vuquangensis)].
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | forestry | military | nature conservation and research | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 25 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 25 | |
| Grassland | 25 | |
| Shrubland | 25 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: One of the major threats to biodiversity at the IBA is hunting with guns and snares. Hunting is a particular threat to Green Peafowl, which is specifically targeted due to its value in the wildlife trade. Recently, the level of hunting at the IBA has begun to decline, as a result of conservation interventions. Another major threat to biodiversity is logging. Although official logging activities have been restricted to certain areas in recent times, illegal logging also takes place, and much of the IBA has been logged in the past, in some places quite heavily, leading to localised erosion. Soils suitable for agriculture are distributed throughout large areas of the IBA. Already there is evidence of localised clearance of forest for agriculture, and, in the future, the rate of clearance may increase.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Agro-industry 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 |
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Document nameClements, T. (2002). Establishing a biological baseline and monitoring in Samling Concession, Mondulkiri.Davidson, P. and Goes, F. (2002) Five new species for Cambodia. Cambodia Bird News 9: 44-46.Goes, F. and Davidson, P. (eds.) (2002) Recent Sightings. Cambodia Bird News 9: 47-59.Tan Setha and Pich Bunnat (2000) Threatened Galliformes of Cambodia. Paper presented at the International Galliformes Symposium, Kathmandu, Nepal, September 2000.Tan Seth and Pich Bunnat (2001) Survey of Green Peafowl in Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia. Tragopan 16:Tan Setha et al. (2001) The status and distribution of Green Peafowl Pavo muticus in Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia. Unpublished report, Wildlife Conservation Society, Cambodia.Walston, J., Davidson, P. and Men Soriyun (2001) A Wildlife Survey of southern Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia. Wildlife Conservation Society, Phnom Penh.Tan Setha and Pich Bunnat (2001) Recent information on the status and conservation of Galliformes in Cambodia. PP. 39-44 in McGowan, P. (ed.) Galliformes 2000: Proceedings of the 2nd International Galliformes Symposium. World Pheasant Association, Reading, UK.Duckworth, J. W. and Hedges, S. 1998. Bird records from Cambodia in 1997, including records of sixteen species new for the country. Forktail 14: 29-36.