Mount Diavalo and Cuthbert Bay (18011)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Mount Diavalo and Cuthbert Bay
Central coordinates: Latitude: 12.6167, Longitude: 92.9333
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 272 00
Area of KBA (km2): 31.14508
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Mount Diavalo and Cuthbert Bay lie on the eastern coast of Middle Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. These islands have a humid, tropical coastal climate. The islands receive rainfall from both the southwest and northeast monsoon. Maximum precipitation is between May and December, the driest period being between January and April. This site is covered by tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forest.
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)
Additional biodiversity: AVIFAUNA: No work has been done on the avifauna of this site but as most of the forest is intact, it is extremely rich in biodiversity. All the Restricted Range (endemic) species listed by Stattersfield et al. (1998) for the Andaman Endemic Bird Area are found here, except for the Narcondam Hornbill Aceros narcondami, which has not been reported from any island of the Andaman group, and is restricted to Narcondam Island, and the Nicobar Megapode Megapodius nicobariensis which has become extinct in the Andaman Islands. Besides the Restricted Range species, many endemic subspecies of the Andaman Islands are reported from this site. OTHER KEY FAUNA: Before the introduction of Spotted Deer or Chital Axis axis, there was no large terrestrial mammal in this area. Cheetal is now a fully acclimatized and feral species. Wild Pig Sus scrofa andamanensis was also supposed to have been introduced by the earliest colonisers, and has evolved to merit subspecies rank. The Himalayan Palm Civet Paguma larvata was also brought in by the British in the 19th century, and is now a wild species, doing much damage to native birds. Reticulated Python Python reticulatus and Andaman Water Monitor Varanus salvator andamanensis are natural inhabitants of this IBA. In the sea around this IBA, Olive Ridley Turtle Lepidochelys olivacea, Green Turtle Chelonia mydas, Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata and Leatherback Turtle Dermochelys coriacea are found.
Delineation rationale: 2014-03-11 (BL Secretariat): a site area of 3115 ha was calculated by GIS from the site polygon, then rounded to the nearest 10% (3100 ha).
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 50 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Urbanisation; Road construction; Introduced species such as Chital; Poaching. Nesting sea turtles are disturbed and their eggs excavated by settlers as well as by dogs for food. Charaching of birds, Andaman Wild Pig and Chital is common. Complete removal of Chital may not be possible, but its population needs to be curbed to allow natural regeneration of the forest. The forests of Andaman Islands evolved without any large herbivore, therefore the long-term impact of Chital would be very harmful (Rauf Ali pers. comm. 2003).
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Stattersfield, A. J., Crosby, M. J., Long, A. J. and Wege, D. C. (1998) Endemic Bird Areas of the World: Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation. BirdLife Conservation Series No. 7. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K.