North Reef Island Wildlife Sanctuary (18015)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: North Reef Island Wildlife Sanctuary
Central coordinates: Latitude: 9.4725, Longitude: 92.7113
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 27
Area of KBA (km2): 5.9484
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The North Reef Island Wildlife Sanctuary measures 348 ha and is located in the Andaman archipelago. North Reef Island is among the most beautiful islands in the Andamans and has one of the best beaches, with fine white sand, which stretches far into the sea, with beautiful coral formations (Pande et al. 1991). North Reef, along with Interview Island, has one of the richest coral reef formations in the Andaman and Nicobar group, with associated molluses such as, Trochus and other shells, and Holothurians (Andrews and Sankaran 2002). The forest types include Andaman Evergreen, Andaman Semi- Evergreen, Tidal Mangrove and Littoral forests. The major tree species are Dipterocarpus sp., Ficus retusa, Manilkara littoralis, Pongamia pinnata, Terminalia bialata, Mesua sp. and Bombax ceiba (Pande et al. 1991). The mangrove forest is dominated by species of Rhizophora.
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: North Reef Island is among the large refugia for the endemic and Endangered Andaman Teal Anas albogularis, earlier considered as an endemic subspecies of the Grey Teal A. gibberifrons, and now listed as full species by Rasmussen and Anderton (in press). With as estimated population between 500 to 600 (Vijayan and Sankaran 2000), it could be one of the rarest Anatidae in the world. It used to occur in huge flocks throughout the Andaman Islands (Hume 1874, Osmaston 1906). But in the last 150 years, its population has drastically declined. In the North Reef Island Wildlife Sanctuary, Vijayan and Sankaran (2000) recorded 33 individuals in 1995-96, but in 1998 only three were seen. The reeds on the edges of the wetland which were preferred for nesting had dried up, probably owing to the breach of a bund and ingress of sea water into the wetland. It is obvious that the current status of Andaman Teal is fragile. Stattersfield et al. (1998) have identified 12 extant species as endemic to the Andaman Islands Endemic Bird Area. Three of these species have been reported from this IBA but more are likely to be found (K. Sivakumar pers. comm. 2003). OTHER KEY FAUNA: The commonly seen fauna of the site are Andaman Wild Pig Sus scrofa andamanensis, Andaman Water Monitor Varanus salvator andamanensis and Green Turtle Chelonia mydas. The island has rich coral formations with associated species such as sea cucumbers and mollusean shells. Saltwater crocodile and marine turtles nest on the beaches (Gandhi 2000).
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 50 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Timber collection; Poaching. The island has no permanent human settlement. Though it is legally protected as a wildlife sanctuary, uncontrolled collection of timber, sea cucumbers, shells and corals is rampant. Crocodiles are being hunted by poachers from Myanmar, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, who pose the greatest threat to these islands. Rodgers and Panwar (1988) have proposed that North Reef Island should be upgraded to the status of a national park.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Additional information
References: Andrews, H. V. and Sankaran, V. (ed) (2002) Sustainable management of Protected Areas in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, ANET, IIPA and FFI, New Delhi. Pp 103. Gandhi, T. (2000) Prioritising sites for conservation in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands: With special reference to Fauna, pp. 82-93. In: Setting Biodiversity Conservation Priorities for India. Ed: Singh, S., Sastry, A.R.K., Mehta, R. and Uppal, V. WWF- India, New Delhi, India, Pp xxvii + 707. Hume, A. O. (1874) Contribution to the ornithology of India: The islands of the Bay of Bengal. Stray Feathers, 2: 29-324. Osmaston, B. B. (1906) Notes on the Andaman birds with accounts on the nidification of several species whose nests and eggs have not been hitherto described. Part II. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 17: 486-491. Pande, P., Kothari A. and Singh, S. (1991) Directory of National Parks and Sanctuaries in Andaman and Nicobar Islands Management status and profiles. Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. Rasmussen, P. C. and Anderton, J. C. (in press) Birds of South Asia: the Ripley guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Rodgers, W. A. and Panwar, H. S. (1988) Planning a wildlife protected area network in India. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun. 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. Vijayan, L. and Sankaran, R. (2000) A Study of the Ecology, Status and Conservation Perspectives of Certain Rare Endemic Avifauna of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Final Report. Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore. PP. 184.