Pakhal Lake Wildlife Sanctuary (18026)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Pakhal Lake Wildlife Sanctuary
Central coordinates: Latitude: 17.9020, Longitude: 80.0808
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 250 00
Area of KBA (km2): 1303.27682
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary is a Dry Deciduous Teak forest with a small freshwater lake. The 1500 ha lake was created in the 16th century by the construction of an earthen dam, which was renovated in 1918 (Spillet 1968, Scott 1989). The lake provides water for irrigation of almost 9000 acres of farmland, and is also of considerable significance for the avifauna which remains undisturbed within the Sanctuary. The lake and its environs form the core area of the Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary. The lake is fed by numerous ephemeral and seasonal streams. Pakhal is 60 km from Warangal (Kazipet) Railway Station and 250 km from Hyderabad by road. The lake supports a luxuriant growth of aquatic and emergent marsh vegetation. The extensive grasslands around the lake are composed of Apluda, Eragrostis, Heteropogon and Vetiveria. Dominant trees near the lake include Barringtonia and Xeromphis. The other common trees are species of Terminalia, Anogeissus, Cleistanthus, Boswellia, Chloroxylon, Diospyros, Acacia and Sterculia.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: AVIFAUNA: The lake is known to support large concentrations of migratory waterfowl. However, no study has been conducted on the avifauna. It probably qualifies for A4iii criteria, as some people claim that more than 20,000 waterfowl are present. Due to inadequate information on the avifauna, this site is being listed as Data Deficient. OTHER KEY FAUNA: The forest supports most of the large mammals usually found in dry deciduous forests of Andhra Pradesh such as the Tiger Panthera tigris, Leopard P. pardus, Spotted Deer Axis axis, Sambar Cervus unicolor and others. Among the important fish species inhabiting the lake are Catla catla, Labeo rohita and Ophicephalus sp.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | nature conservation and research | rangeland/pastureland
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Overgrazing by livestock; Encroachment or settlement; Cultivation and fires; Collection of firewood. Strict prohibition of domestic livestock grazing is essential. Forest operations, including the collection of the minor forest produce, inside the sanctuary must be controlled.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Gathering terrestrial plants | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Scott, D. (ed) (1989) A Directory of Asian Wetlands., IUCN. Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, U.K. Spillett, J. J. (1968) Wildlife Sanctuaries in Andhra Pradesh. J. Bombay. Nat. Hist. Soc. 65(1): 4-14.