Kugti Wildlife Sanctuary (18157)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Kugti Wildlife Sanctuary
Central coordinates: Latitude: 32.5017, Longitude: 76.7445
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 2250 to 6044
Area of KBA (km2): 353.88792
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Kugti Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamba district is connected in the west by a forest corridor to the Tundah Sanctuary, another IBA. Kugti has a diverse topography and abundant water sources, many of them originating from glaciers (Singh et al. 1990) The nearest town is Bharmaur, c. 13 km away. It houses the famous Manimahesh temple, an attraction to thousands of pilgrims despite the difficult terrain and extreme cold conditions. The motorable road ends at Hadsar, a small village and then one has to trek to Kugti or Manimahesh temple. According to the classification of Champion and Seth (1968) the vegetation consists of Alpine Pasture, Western Mixed Coniferous Forest and Moist Deodar Forest. These forest types are seen at different altitudinal zones, sometimes within a few hundred metres. High altitude coniferous forest is dominated by Fir Abies pindrow, with some mixed deciduous woodland, particularly at the bottom of the valley. Extensive stands of Cedar Cedrus deodara are seen, along with many species of Sino-Himalayan Temperate Forest biome. Similarly, subalpine forest and alpine scrub (Gaston et al. 1981a) provide good habitats to many mammals and birds. The Western Mixed Coniferous Forest component provides another habitat type for the birds.
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: Not much work has been done on the bird fauna of Kugti WLS. Gaston et al. (1981a) have recorded 117 species in the Ravi Valley from Dalhousie and Chamba upwards. Three species of pheasants are found at different levels: Himalayan Monal Lophophurus impejanus is reported to be common (S. Sathyakumar pers. comm. 2003), Koklass Pucrasia macrolopha is also numerous and Cheer Pheasant Catreus wallichii has been recorded on the north side of Budhil Nala, but not within the sanctuary itself (Gaston et al. 1981a, 1981b). Sondhi (unpublished tour report) during his survey in June 1997, recorded 40 species, including many species of the Sino- Himalayan Temperate Forest (Biome-7), and some of Eurasian High Montane (Alpine and Tibetan) (Biome-5) and Sino- Himalayan Subtropical forests (Biome-8). Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest biome species includes Slatyheaded Parakeet Psittacula himalayana. Kugti WLS will come in the Western Himalayas Endemic Bird Area (EBA). This large EBA, ranging in altitude from 1,500 m to 2,600 m, and in an area of about 130,000 sq. km in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal has many globally threatened and restricted range species. In India, there are 11 Restricted Range species. Looking at the undisturbed habitat available in this IBA, some restricted range species would have considerable percentage of their overall numbers in this IBA alone. More research is required to study abundance and density of different bird species. We consider this site as Data Deficient. OTHER KEY FAUNA: The information on other fauna is also meagre, except for the work by Gaston et al. (1981a, 1983) which records: Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus, Brown Bear Ursus arctos, Musk Deer Moschus chrysogaster, Goral Nemorhaedus goral¸ Serow Nemorhaedus sumatraensis, Ibex Capra sibirica and Himalayan Tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus. Kugti is one of the best protected areas in Himachal Pradesh for Brown Bear (S. Sathyakumar pers. comm. 2003). Other mammals listed by Singh et al. (1990) include the Leopard Panthera pardus, Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis, Common Langur Semnopithecus entellus and Yellow-throated Marten Martes flavigula.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 33 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 33 | |
| Grassland | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Construction of dams; Burning of vegetation; Livestock grazing; Firewood collection; Disturbance to birds; Pilgrims and annual fairs; Soil erosion. There are two villages and 10 settlements inside the Sanctuary, and nine villages in the surrounding areas. The inhabitants hold rights to fodder, fuelwood, cultivation, burial grounds and religious activities. These activities till now did not have a major impact on the ecosystem, but increasing population pressures, of both humans and livestock, are now having a negative impact. Hydel projects and transmission lines have permanently modified the landscape, and resulted in soil erosion. The so-called natural disasters such as avalanches are becoming common linked as they are to changes in the topography.
| 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 | Dams & water management/use | Large dams | 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 |
| Geological events | Avalanches/landslides | Ongoing | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing | |
| Natural system modifications | Other ecosystem modifications | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Utility & service lines | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Champion, H. G. and Seth, S. K. (1968) A revised survey of the forest types of India, Govt. of India Press, Delhi. Pp. 403. Gaston, A. J., Hunter, M.L. Jr and Garson, P.J. (1981a) The wildlife of Himachal Pradesh, Western Himalayas. University of Maine School of Forest Resources Technical Notes No. 82. Pp 159. Gaston, A. J. Garson, P. J. and Hunter, M. L. Jr (1981b) Present distribution and status of pheasants in Himachal Pradesh, Western Himalayas. WPA Journal 6: 10-30. Gaston, A. J., Garson, P. J. and Hunter, M. L. Jr (1983) The status and conservation of forest wildlife in Himachal Pradesh, Western Himalayas. Biological Conservation 27: 291-314. Singh, S., Kothari, A. and Pande, P. (Eds) (1990) Directory of national parks and sanctuaries in Himachal Pradesh: management status and profiles. Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. Pp 164.