Vol. XXXVI : No. 1 · 2010. 8. 26. · away the water polluted with dead bodies and animal...

Regional Quarterly Bulletin on Wildlife and National Parks Management

REGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (RAP), BANGKOKFOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS

Vol. XXXVI : No. 1

Featuring

Vol. XXIII: No. 1

January-March 2009

REGIONAL OFFICEFOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

TIGERPAPER is a quarterly news bulletindedicated to the exchange of information

relating to wildlife and national parksmanagement for theAsia-Pacific Region.ISSN 1014 - 2789

Address

TIGERPAPERFAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Maliwan Mansion, Phra Atit RoadBangkok, 10200, Thailand

Tel: (662) 697-4000E-mail: [email protected]

Website: http://www.fao.org/world/regional/rap/tigerpaper/tigerpaper.htm

Editor: Janice NaewboonnienAdvisors: M. Kashio and P. Durst

Contents

TIGERPAPER is dependent upon your free and voluntarycontributions in the form of articles, news items, and announcements inthe field of wildlife and nature conservation in the region. In order tobetter serve the needs of our readers please write to us and send in theinformation you have or let us know if there is any information that youneed. We appreciate receiving your letters and make all efforts torespond.

Front cover: An adult Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)taking a sunbath at a muddy bank. The tip of the upper jaw waschipped off in a territorial fight. (Photo: Shingo Onishi)

The opinions expressed by thecontributing authors are notnecessarily those of FAO. Thedesignations employed and thepresentation of the material in theTIGERPAPER do not imply theexpression of any opinion on the partof FAO concerning the legal orconstitutional status of any country,territority or sea area, or thedelimitation of frontiers.

Situation of large reptiles in Ayeyarwady Delta after the cyclone hit..................................................................… 1Translocation of rhino in Assam.......................................... 7Feeding pattern and den ecology of Striped hyena................ 13Mammalian diversity and management plan for Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary........................................................... 18Status of the Long-tailed goral in Thailand........................... 23Reptilian diversity in and around the Marine National Park and Marine Sanctuary, Gujarat......................................... 26Order Testudines: first recorded instance in Sikkim............ 31

World’s forestry leaders meet in Rome................................ 1Meeting of the Bureaux of the Regional ForestryCommissions..................................................................... 2Glimpses of developments in Asia-Pacific forestry.............… 2Addressing fire management needs and actions in Southeast Asia............................................................................... 4Bioenergy on the agenda of FAO Regional Conference.......... 5Promoting wood-based bioenergy in Asia-Pacific.................. 6Bohol town is Philippines’ first ANR municipality.................. 7National forest monitoring and assessments (NFMAs): meeting evolving needs.................................................... 8Poplars, willows and people’s wellbeing............................... 9RAP forestry staff movement.............................................. 11Alfred John Leslie (5 February 1921 - 24 January 2009)........ 12Vietnam sees REDD........................................................... 13Asia-Pacific Forestry Chips and Clips................................. 15FAO Asia-Pacific Forestry Calendar………………............... 16

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Vol. 36: No. 1 Junuary-March 2009

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SITUATION OF LARGE REPTILES IN THE AYEYARWADYDELTA AFTER THE CYCLONE HIT

by Shingo Onishi

An adult female Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) returned to the sea without laying eggs.(Photo: Onishi)

| Situation of large reptiles in the Ayeyarw

ady Delta after the cyclone hit |

Cyclone Nargis

The devastating cyclone Nargis struck the south-ern part of Myanmar early in May 2008. The

delta area of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River wasdevastated. Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar,was also struck. However, Yangon citizens tookaction to rescue victims soon after the storm ended.Many relief supplies were donated and voluntarygroups delivered them to victims as far and wide aspossible.

Some foreign reporters reported that it would bevery unlucky and terrible as the rainy season wouldcome soon and the people would have to use rainwater. However the local villagers regularly drink,

cook, bathe and wash in the natural water fromrivers, ponds, wells and rain. Especially, rain wateris quite hygienic. Moreover, heavy rain could washaway the water polluted with dead bodies and animalcarcasses.

When the author visited Myanmar in July 2008, itwas still very difficult to get the permission to visitthe stricken area, but governmental organizations,many NGOs and various local groups wereenergetically trying to support the victims and evenforeign visitors were welcome to join any reliefworks in Yangon.

It was in January 2009 when the author was finallyable to visit the Ayeyarwady delta area. The area

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was being rebuilt beyond imagination. The mainroads were almost repaired and routes of busesand passenger boats were reopened. Markets andstores were full of foods and daily necessities.Large straw mounds were piled up here and therein paddy fields and rice mills were running. Manyfishing boats were operating.

However, the disaster was real and these peopleare definitely survivors. Many of them lost familymembers, houses and properties, but they had tocontinue their livelihoods and restart their new lives.Revival activities should not be stopped yet and itis urgent to prepare for the coming cyclone season.

Saltwater crocodilesThere is an area in the Ayeyarwady delta wherethe aim is to conserve the mangrove ecosystem.This is the Meinmahla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary(136.70 km2), located in Bogalay Township,Ayeyarwady Division. “Kyun” means “island” inBurmese. This flat island is one of the large banksof the Ayeyarwady delta and is covered withmangrove vegetation. The Forest Departmentmakes special efforts to conserve Saltwater

crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) as it is the toppredator of the food chain and thus, the symbolof the ecosystem there.

Many trees were felled, bent and broken by thecyclone. The forestry officer assigned to thissanctuary estimates that 70% of the tree crownson the island were lost. In addition, a tremendousamount of debris drifted ashore from the upperreaches of the river and piled up on the island, asit is located nearby the mouth of the river. TheForest Department started to remove the debrisand open channels inside the island. For the mostpart they did not remove dead and damaged treesor carry out any afforestation. And in fact, manytrees are surviving and budding now and naturalregeneration looks smooth.

Regarding the situation of the crocodiles, it seemedthat they were not so badly affected by the cyclone.The author observed five larger crocodiles betweenabout two and five meters in length (visualmeasurement) along the channels for six days. Andmany juveniles could be observed at night. Theywere staying or floating under tree branches along

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A semi-adult Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) that was caught in a fishing net is tagged before beingreleased back to the sea (Photo: Onishi)

the shorelines of channels. Many individuals lookedto be less than 50 cm in length, so they wereobviously born after the cyclone hit.

Sea turtlesAnother significant conservation area is ThamihlaKyun Wildlife Sanctuary (0.88 km2), located inNgapudaw Township, Ayeyarwady Division. Thisis a solitary island located about 10 km offshorethe west end of the Ayeyarwady delta. The outercircumference of island is about 4.8 km and theland is a low platform shape, up to 34 meters abovesea level, according to the fishery officer assignedto this island.

This island is the native place of two species ofsea turtles: 1) Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)visits the island all the year round; and 2) OliveRidley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) comesto the island between October and February to layeggs on the beach. So, the visitors are normallyadult females.

The island was hit by the tsunami of the Sumatraearthquake on 26 December 2004, and hit againby the high waves and storm of Cyclone Nargis inMay 2008. The fishery officer estimates that sandabout 90 cm in thickness was washed away bythe storm actions and so the beach was reducedto 40% in width after these disasters. The bedrockwas widely exposed on the beach and consequentlythe turtle egg laying area became narrower.

The fishery officer said that formerly a few motherturtles used to land almost every night. However,during the author’s stay, four Green sea turtlesand one Olive Ridley sea turtle landed over thecourse of six nights, and two of them returned tothe sea without laying eggs. Thick rootsunderground were an obstacle to digging the holefor egg laying in one case. And the gravel wasrather too large for shaping the hole in anothercase.



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Some experts advocate driving posts into theground of the beach in order to catch and retainthe sand but the author hopes that naturalconditions will be left alone and artificial structuresshould be avoided as much as possible as thisisland is a sanctuary.

IssuesThe Ayeyarwady delta is a densely populated areaand an essential part of the country for producingcrops and fishery products. Therefore, goodrelationships between the villagers andgovernment officials are very important for natureconservation. Both of the chief officers for theMeinmahla area and the Thamihla area have beenengaged in conservation activities in their areasfor more than 10 years and they seem to havethe confidence of the villagers.

On Meinmahla Island, cutting down trees andfishing with illegal methods are strictly prohibited.As long as the local people follow the rules, theyare allowed to operate small-scale fishingoperations inside the island and can be officiallysupplied with some seedlings and wood, ifnecessary. However, some fishermen still carryout illegal fishing. For example, some of them putstrong insecticide into the upper channel at hightide. Later, they catch the dead and dying fishesat the lower channel at low tide. In this case,crocodiles may be able to escape to the land toavoid poisoning, but they lose their food.Moreover, these fishes will be sold in marketsand people will eat them. It is commonly believedby the local people that Meinmahla Island is thehome of a powerful spirit who controls the coastand that crocodiles and tigers are its followers.Thus, people seldom hurt crocodiles. Even ifsomebody is killed by a crocodile, people willbelieve that he had offended the spirit. However,crocodiles rarely attack humans there.

The Forest Department has confirmed fivecrocodile breeding spots; two of them are locatedoutside the island. There is evidence that theirpopulation may be increasing. Adult males oftenfight each other over territories, especially in thebreeding season. During this period the crocodileswill naturally spread out their territory, and therisk of crocodile attacks will increase. Thegovernment and some NGOs are carrying out

afforestation activities not far from MeinmahlaIsland. We have to consider the survival of bothpeople and crocodiles.

On Thamihla Island, there are small barracks andtemporary fishermen’s huts beside the conservationoffice. The soldiers stationed there and thefishermen cooperate for turtle conservation. Duringthe author’s one week stay, on two occasionsfishermen brought in semi-adult turtles that werecaught in fishing nets and soldiers found a landedturtle and came to report it to the officer. However,some human activities will inevitably have an impacton the turtles. For example, the large-scale trawlfishing takes about four hours for each operation.It is much longer than a turtle can go withoutsurfacing for air. So, if a turtle is caught in the net,it will most likely not survive. Although circle hooksare obviously safer for turtles than J-hooks, thistype of fishing tackle is not widely used yet. Thesematters are beyond the local fishery officer’s control.Moderate administrative arrangements would beexpected.

The island is mostly covered by the naturalvegetation – a typical example of the maritime forest.However, someone let goats loose on the islandand now their population is increasing in the wild.They graze on the lower plants as high as they canreach and thus, will cause serious damage to naturalregeneration and bring about soil erosion. At present,the sandy beach is mainly calcareous, which issuitable for laying eggs by the two sea turtle speciespresent. In order to maintain the ecosystem andthe composition of the sand, the goats should beremoved from the island as soon as possible.

Nature conservation officers may be struggling tocarry out conservation efforts within the limitedbudget. Although 10 guardhouses on MeinmahlaIsland were collapsed by the cyclone, 6 temporaryhouses have already been rebuilt and staff arestationed there now. However, there tends to be ashortage of equipment and supplies such as boats,fuel, lights, batteries and so on to use for patrollingand to carry out scientific research such as censuses.

After the cyclone hit Thamihla Island, all of thestaff escaped to the mainland. But they returned tothe island within three weeks and settled in thetemporary offices again. Whenever officers catch

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turtles, they attach authorized tags to the turtlesand release them. They also collect turtle eggs andtransfer them a temporary hatchery in order toprevent their being dug up by poachers or othermother turtles. The baby turtles are released justafter hatching. The officers know that the longerthe turtles are kept in the breeding pools the greatertheir survival rate. However, the pools have notbeen rebuilt yet and operating costs are pendingnow.

The conservation system for these aquatic animalsis rather complicated. For example, the ForestDepartment registers Meinmahla Island as asanctuary and arranges the management office andstaff for crocodile conservation. However, theDepartment of Fishery may have the priority totake action for any matters regarding crocodilesoutside the sanctuary. Moreover, they operate thecrocodile farm for skin production in Yangon. So,the Forest Department has the experience forecosystem maintenance and the Department ofFishery has breeding techniques.

The Forest Department also registers ThamihlaIsland as a sanctuary and lists all types of sea turtlesas completely protected animals. However, it isthe Department of Fishery that arranges themanagement office and staff there for turtleconservation. Flexible technical and financialcooperation between the departments is expected.

According to interviews with people from variousvillages, the local people do not seem to have theintention of capturing crocodiles and sea turtlesfor food. The crocodiles and sea turtles areprotected both by the law and some traditionalbeliefs. However, human activities will surely havean influence on their survival. In particular, waterpollution should be a cause for concern. Localpeople living along the rivers directly use river waterfor drinking, cooking, bathing and washing, andthey throw all kinds of waste away in the rivers.Goods such as synthetic detergents, plastic bags,batteries contain chemicals are becoming morewidespread, but a safe disposal system has notbeen established yet. There are also many mines

Releasing baby Green Sea Turtles to the sea just after hatching. (Photo: Onishi)



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containing gold, copper and gemstones in theAyeyarwady basin, so the influence of toxicsubstances from chemicals in these goods andmining operations cannot be disregarded. Largeaquatic animals such as crocodiles, sea turtles,dolphins and so on are more dependent on naturalwater sources than humans are. So, their livingsituation should be the indicator for man’s future

situation. An analysis of the water qualitythroughout the great Ayeyarwady River is urgentlyneeded.

About the author: Shingo Onishi is a naturephotographer & essayist. His mailing address is:314 Minatomachi, Iyo-city, Ehime prefecture,Japan 799-3115; E-mail: [email protected]

A baby Saltwater Crocodile brought by a fisherman.(Photo: Onishi)

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TRANSLOCATION OF RHINO IN ASSAM

by Bishen Singh Bonal, Bibhab Kumar Talukdar and Amit Sharma

The conservation of the Great Indian one-hornedrhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) is being regarded

as the epitome of the conservation movement inAssam. Assam is also regarded as the laststronghold of the Indian rhino with a wildpopulation of over 2,000 rhinos in Assam. Plannedconservation initiatives in terms of rhinoconservation in Assam led by the Department ofForest made it possible for the rhinos to build uptheir population to 1,855 in Kaziranga NationalPark, 68 in Orang National Park and 81 in PabitoraWildlife Sanctuary. However, losses andsubsequent extermination of rhino by poacherswere witnessed during periods of social unrest inthe early 1980s in Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuaryand in Manas National Park during the 1990s.Although the rhinos were exterminated fromLaokhowa and Manas during the social unrest, theland remained under the Forest Department andthat is how the concept of the Indian Rhino Vision2020 came to the forefront during the year 2005.The political solution that came into being in theManas area included autonomy given to localpeople in the form of the Bodoland TerritorialDistrict Council; the support from the localcommunities has helped to revive Manas back toits past glories. The Assam Forest Departmentexplored the possibilities of bringing rhinos backto Manas from other rhino habitats in Assam withthe International Rhino Foundation, WWF-Indiaand other similar agencies. This would be a steptowards Manas regaining its status as a full fledgedWorld Heritage Site, rather than the currentrecognition as a “World Heritage Site in Danger.”

The Government of Assam constituted the RhinoTask Force in June 2005, incorporatingconservationists from diverse backgrounds, fromgovernment as well as non-governmentalorganizations, to make the dream drafted underIRV 2020 into reality. The first meeting of theRhino Task Force was held in November 2005 atGuwahati. The preliminary plan of action was

prepared and the budget needed to initiate the workto enable re-introduction of rhinos in ManasNational Park and other rhino habitats within thestate was estimated. At the first meeting of theRhino Task Force it was decided to set up twosub groups, namely the Security Assessment Groupand the Habitat Assessment Group. Theresponsibility of the Security Assessment Group(SAG) was to assess the current state of thesecurity and support needed to strengthen thesecurity in Manas National Park, LaokhowaWildlife Sanctuary, Orang National Park, Bura-chapori Wildlife Sanctuary and Dibru-SaikhowaNational Park where rhinos could be translocated.The responsibility of the Habitat AssessmentGroup (HAG) was to assess the current state ofthe habitat in Manas National Park, LaokhowaWildlife Sanctuary, Orang National Park, Bura-chaopori Wildlife Sanctuary and Dibru-SaikhowaNational Park and whether the sites were stillsuitable for rhinos.

Accordingly, the HAG made an in-depthassessment of the habitat in the probable releasesites, including the existing rhino-bearing areas, andrecommended Manas National Park as a prioritysite for rhino translocation. The salient findings ofthe HAG are summarized in Table-1.

Similarly, the SAG assessed the security scenarioin the probable rhino release sites in Assam andrecommended certain measures that need to beadopted for Manas National Park for the first phaseof translocation under the IRV 2020. The salientsuggestions that were put forward by the SAG areas follows:

1. Improving the status of the anti-poachinginfrastructureAbout 12 anti-poaching camps need to beoperational in the identified core zone forrelease of translocated rhinos.

| Translocation of rhino in Assam

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Manpower redistribution is needed tostrengthen the anti-poaching camps.Communications equipment (transport as wellas wireless networks) needs to be in place andstrengthened.The southern boundary road, along with someroads inside the Manas NP, needs to beoperational.

2. Identified encroached areas in the ManasNP under the Bhuyanpara and Panbariranges should be cleared. This is necessaryto maintain the sanctity of the park.

3. An intelligence network should be createdimmediately for it to become effective withina year’s time.

4. Immediate steps must be taken to improvethe morale of the staff by providing basictraining on legal matters as well as anti-poaching.

5. A strong communications/educationprogramme should be initiated to send clearmessages to the communities.

The Manas National Park authorities took everystep suggested to improve the security scenario of

Manas and in the meeting of the Rhino task Forceheld on 23rd November 2007 at the Assam StateZoo, the Field Director of Manas National Parkassured the members of the Rhino Task Force thatthe security scenario had improved and the parkwas close to being cleared to receive the first batchof translocated rhinos from Pabitora to Manas.Accordingly, the Rhino Task Force constituted aTranslocation Core Committee (TCC) on 23rd

November 2007 to carry forward the translocationin a timely manner. The mandates of the TCC asenvisaged in the Task Force meeting includedplanning, execution and monitoring every detailinvolved in capturing, transporting, releasing andmonitoring of the rhinos to be translocated fromthe source PAs to the target PA.

With the improving conditions in Manas and uponidentification of potential rhinos to be translocated,the first phase was termed as training-cum-translocation and the decision was taken totranslocate four rhinos from Pabitora WLS toManas NP.

Detail functions and mandates of the Rhino TaskForce can be seen in the chart below.

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The translocation operation

The process and activities involved with atranslocation can be divided into three distinctstages:

preparatory / planning stage;

implementation (capture-transport-release);and

post-release.

Preparatory stage: The first step in any processinvolves the detailed planning covering everyaspect for successful implementation. For utilizingthe benefits of all resources and manpower, theTCC prepared the following lists for the final event:

Names of officers of the Forest Department,Assam (including retirees) who had priorexperience of participating in the translocationoperations in Nepal.

Names of officers of Forest Department,Assam (including retirees) having experiencein working in the PA’s, especially in rhino-bearing areas.

Veterinary doctors of Assam who had priorexperience of participating in the translocation

operations in Nepal, as well as doctorsexperienced in handling wildlife.

NGO’s in Assam having experience of workingwith wildlife, especially rhinos.

Reputed individuals having experience ofworking in wildlife in Assam, epecially rhinos.

Reputed individuals in India and abroad havingrelevant experience of working in wildlife andinvolved in translocations.

Institutions of relevance.

NGO’s in India and abroad having relevantexperience of working in wildlife and involvedin translocations.

A comprehensive list of trained elephantsavailable with Forest Department of Assam,as well as trained private elephants havingexperience of working in rhino bearing areas.

After detailed discussions and keeping in view thevarious activities, seven sub- teams under TCCwere formed with pre-identified responsibilities tocarry out all activities successfully.

Chart 1 – TCC and sub-teams

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Implementation stage: This stage includes locatingthe rhinos, capturing, transporting and thenreleasing the rhinos at the destination. Monitoringof rhinos has been going on in wildlife sanctuariesfor the last year by the Assam Forest Departmentand WWF-India. The release site has been madeready by the Park authorities with the support ofthe IRV partners (WWF, IRF, USFWS and BTC)under the supervision of the TCC. Basic trainingon monitoring and radio telemetry was alsoorganized for the staff of Manas NP at Basbari.

12-13 February were the initial dates fixed forcapture and translocation, but due to theunavailability of drugs in time, the operation hadto be postponed. The Task Force rescheduled thedates for 11-12 April 2008 for capture and releasein Manas NP. Training in how to attach and operateradio collars was organized at Assam State Zoousing domestic cattle for demonstration.

On 11 April at Pobitora WLS, the area wascordoned off and full security cover was providedby the Assam Police Department and the CentralReserve Police Force (CRPF). The operationcommenced at about 4.30 a.m., with the locatorsbeing the first unit moving out on elephant back tolocate the pre-identified rhinos. After locating therhinos, the other units viz. veterinarians / darters,radio collar and cordoning teams set off on elephantback to the identified area. The rhinos got alarmedby the approach of too many people on elephantback and escaped from the cordoned site. It wasdecided to allow only two elephants with thedarting team to approach the rhinos and otherelephants to be kept at a safe distance. This newstrategy was successful and the first rhino, a maleaged about 10 years, was successfully dartedbetween Tuplung and Pagladova camp at about8.30 a.m. and the tranquilized rhino was loadedinto the crate. Before crating, all necessaryscreening and medical care was provided by theveterinary team, recording necessary details as performat and fitting a radio collar on the neck of therhino. The crate with rhino was loaded onto thetruck using a crane and backhoe loader. The rhinowas quite aggressive in nature and made all possibleattempts to break free from the crate, even aftersedation. As this training-cum-translocation wasbeing attempted for the very first time, it took alittle more effort and time. By the time the firstrhino was placed in the truck and parked in shade

it was almost 11a.m. The success of the firstattempt made the confidence of the whole teamgrow and all were now very eager to go for thesecond one. After resting for about half an hour,the team swung into action to capture the nextrhino, which was located in the area betweenPagladova and Nekerahabi camp. The secondrhino, also a male, about seven years old, wasdarted at about 12.20 p.m. Following all necessaryprocedures, this rhino was loaded onto the truckby about 1.30 p.m. The experience of the firstcapture increased the efficiency of the teammanifold with a more systematic approach as thedriver of dodger, crane and truck did the job in asynchronized way. An attempt was also made tolocate and capture a third rhino, a female, but as itwas not successful and in view of the increasingtemperature the capture operations were called offfor the day at 2.00 p.m. The trucks loaded withthe sedated rhinos were parked in shaded areasand the rhinos were watered at regular intervals tokeep the animals cool and to protect them fromthe scorching temperature.

The movement of the rhinos in convoy startedfrom Pabitora WLS at about 6.00 p.m. to ManasNP. It was an emotional moment when the convoyon leaving the Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary wasgreeted by a huge number of local people atMayang, who had gathered to catch a glimpse of“their” rhinos about to journey to a new home.The people cheered as the vehicle passed by andalso requested to convey a message to the peopleof Manas to take proper care of the rhinos.

A police escort vehicle led the convoy with therhinos, and the traffic in cities and towns alongthe route was regulated throughout the journey bythe police to make way for the convoy to pass by.At Khanapara, weighing of the trucks with theempty crates as well as the fully loaded truck wasdone in order to get the weight of the respectiverhinos. One of the rhinos weighed 1,570 kg andsecond one weighed 1,540 kg. The distance of240 kms from Pobitora WLS to Manas NP wascovered in about twelve hours due to the slowmovement of vehicles in the interest of the comfortand safety of the rhinos. The veterinary team keptmonitoring the rhinos at regular intervals and waterwas poured over them periodically to keep themcool. The vehicles in the convoy kept in contactwith each other through walkie-talkies. The convoy


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of vehicles carrying the two male rhinos stoppedat Rangia for food and rest and ultimately reachedBasbari, Manas NP at about 5.30 a.m.

The release team under the leadership of FDTPManas made everything ready for the release andwas ready to welcome the convoy with the rhinosat the gate of the park in Basbari. Four rampswere prepared for parking the trucks for therelease and the trucks were placed accordingly intwo adjoining ramps in the release site nearBuraburijhar camp. The door of the first crate wasopened for the rhino at about 6.15a.m., but therhino took almost thirty minutes to come out ofthe crate to take its first steps in his new home.When the animal finally emerged from the crate itcharged and hit a truck containing staffs andobservers parked nearby, and then movedsouthwards into the grasslands. The second rhinodid not take much time. Once the door of the cratewas opened, it also charged the first truck andmoved south-west towards the grassland. It eagerlyfed on the grasses and initially moved west andthen to the north. By 7.30a.m. both the rhinoshad been released into the wilderness of ManasNational Park to roam freely in its vast grasslands.Both the released rhinos have been fitted with radiocollars and are being regularly monitored using thetelemetry equipment.

Post-release stage: This period involves regularmonitoring, patrolling and protection of the releasedrhinos in Manas NP. Regular monitoring of therhinos in Manas is a continual process under thesupervision of FDTP Manas and Deputy FDTM.The monitoring team at present comprises of threeunits of two frontline staff assisted by home guardsand volunteers; the units will be increased withthe release of more rhinos.

The patrolling activity has been strengthened andis effective round the clock through the efforts ofthe frontline staffs with the supporting strength ofthe Assam Forest Protection Force, Home Guardsand Conservation Volunteers.

The rhinos are presently seen to be exploring theareas under Basbari range. The first rhino,designated Rhino1, moved towards the south andis using the areas along the southern boundarynear Kasimdoha and Kureebeel. The secondrhino, named Rhino2, moved towards the northand is mainly using the area near Charpoli camp.The laceration wounds observed in the rhinos atthe time of release are now completely healedand both the rhinos are behaving normally andadapting well to their new environment.

The TCC will be regularly visiting the sites tooverall supervise, assess, analyze and make anyimprovements that are considered necessary andalso to utilize these experiences in the next phaseof translocations to follow.

Conclusion

The success achieved in the first phase of thetraining-cum-translocation has strengthened themorale of all the people associated with theprocess, directly or indirectly. The first batch oftwo male rhinos translocated to Manas NP fromPobitora WLS is just the first step on the road tosuccess of the IRV 2020 Program and to bringback the lost glory of Manas NP. By March 2009,the plan is to translocate another eighteen rhinosinto Manas NP from both Pabitora WLS andKaziranga NP to make it a viable breedingpopulation in years to come. Hopefully, Manas isshowing the way for other potential rhino habitatsites like Dibru Saikhowa, Laokhowa andBurachapori to be prepared for future rhinotranslocation.

Authors’ addresses: Bishen Singh Bonal, ChiefOperation Officer, Translocation Core Committee(CCF-M & E, Assam); email:[email protected]; Bibhab Kumar Talukdar,Member, Translocation Core Committee (Aaranyak);email - [email protected]; Amit Sharma, DeputyChief Operation Officer, Translocation Core Committee(WWF-India); email – [email protected]

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Introduction

The site occupancy of animals is often deter-mined by the availability of the environmental

components necessary for life, including food,water, cover and nesting or den sites. The foodhabits of animals determine a number of life historystrategies such as habitat selection, movement andsuccess of reproduction (Krebs, 1978). The OrderCarnivora is well known for its wide dieteticcharacteristics. Determining the distribution of preyspecies within the selected habitat of a carnivoreis important to understand the essential reasonsbehind the various strategies it adopts to survive.

The striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) is reportedlythe most widespread species known to occur inIndia. Despite this generalization, its distributionand status are virtually unknown. Although it occursin many protected and unprotected areas in India,it has not been the focus of systematic ecologicalresearch to date, although the current distributionof the striped hyena was reviewed extensively byMills and Hofer (1998).

The striped hyena has a very wide range extendingfrom east and northeast Africa, through the MiddleEast, Caucasus region, Central Asia, and into theIndian subcontinent. It is generally consideredsolitary, but has some social organization.

The striped hyena is predominantly a scavenger;its diet consisting mainly of carrion and humanrefuses. It scavenges large and medium-sizedmammals, such as cattle, camels, goats, sheep andstray dogs; it even eats bones from carcasses ifthe meat has been picked off. It also supplementsits diet with fruit, insects, and occasionally bykilling small animals such as hare, rodents, reptiles,and birds. The striped hyena forages principally atnight, individually traveling throughout its homerange searching for food in no apparent pattern.

It also visits established food sites, such as garbagedumps around human settlements, fruit trees, andtemporary sites of large kills. Water is consumedevery night if it is available, but can survive withoutwater for a long period; hence, it can also surviveunder desert conditions.

The authors organized the present study todetermine the food composition and habitat usethrough scat analysis and direct encounters as wellas sign surveys in the study area. The study area(North Gujarat) comprises a wide spectrum ofhabitats ranging from arid, semi-arid to drydeciduous forest areas. It was also attempted tocompare the food and habitat use in differenthabitats with respect to other ecological aspects.

Study area

North Gujarat is constituted of four districts, viz.Mehsana, Patan, Banaskantha and Sabarkantha.The area falls in biogeographic zone 4 – thesemiarid area and biotic province 4B of theGujarat-Rajwara. It can be further classified intosub-biotic province 4B3 – the hilly area ofSabarkantha and Banaskantha and 4B4 – the aridlands of Mehsana and Patan (Singh, 2001). Theregion has two major rivers, viz. Sabarmati andBanas, which irrigate the area. The small butunique and important forest patches of this regionare suffering greatly from human activities suchas expansion of agricultural land, urbanization,mining, pilgrimage and transport (Nishith, 2008).

The climatic conditions in the region are verydiverse in all the districts due to the geomorphology.It is sub-tropical in Sabarkantha and Banaskanthadistrict with three distinct seasons. However, thereis considerable variation in temperature betweendifferent parts of the district and between thesummer and winter months. The monsoon season

FEEDING PATTERNS AND DEN ECOLOGY OF STRIPEDHYENA (Haeyena haeyena) IN NORTH GUJARAT, INDIA

by Nikunj Gajera, S.M. Dave and Dharaiya Nishith

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begins around the first week of June and lasts untilSeptember. The winter months are November toFebruary and summer extends from March to June.The average minimum and maximum temperaturesrecorded during study period were about 13°C and40°C respectively.

In the desert areas, i.e. Mehsana and Patan, theclimate is semi-arid to arid. The maximumtemperatures can climb up to 46°C during summer.The winter months (December-January)experience a minimum temperature of about 5°C.The rainfall recorded was very irregular, extendingfrom July to mid September from the southwest.

Methodology

Habitat and den study

The survey was carried out from January 2006 toJanuary 2007. Direct encounters with animals wererecorded in the different habitats. Along with thedirect encounters, indirect evidence such as scats,foot prints, dens, etc. were also recorded todocument the presence of hyena in differenthabitats. Using these data, the habitats werecategorized as frequently used (F) (more than60%), moderately used (M) (less than 60% butmore than 30%), and rarely used (R) (evidenceless than 30%) (Litvaitis et al., 1996; Nishith,2000). Information regarding den locations wasobtained from the local shepherds and goatherdsand the nomadic Rabaris. The confirmation of denswas made through hyena signs and directencounters around dens. The identified dens weremarked and recorded including the dimensions,surrounding habitat and ground configuration. Thestatus of the dens was confirmed as described byKuhn (2005). Dens were also checked for the

number of entrances and for carcasses of prey. Ifthere were direct encounters with hyena theobservations were made throughout the day.

Scat analysis

Scat analysis is the most widely used method forstudying the dietary composition of any animal,especially carnivores (Singh et al., 1999). The scatsare identified by shape, size, texture and color.Hyena scats can be easily differentiated from thescats of other carnivores in the area. The meanscat diameter measured 21.61 ± 0.6 cm.Misidentifications of scats were avoided bychoosing den sites for sampling and opportunisticsampling was avoided as much as possible. Mostof the scats collected in the field were dry; however,if scats were collected fresh, they were sun driedand stored in polythene zip locks and tagged withcollection details like date, time and location. Scatswere collected periodically over the seasonsspanning the study period.

The food composition of the hyena’s diet wasstudied through analyzing the scats in the laboratoryusing the standard methods of Korschgen (1980),with some modifications. All the scats were washedand the indigestible components such as fruit seeds,hairs, claws, scales, feathers, bones and insectchitin were separated.

Identification of mammalian species was based oncuticular and medullary characteristics of hairs(Mukherjee et al., 1994; Nishith, 2000, Nishith etal., 2005). The hairs were separated and washedand slides were prepared by taking cross sections;observations were made under 45X magnificationand compared with the reference slides preparedfor all the mammals found in the study area.

Table 1: Habitat use by hyena on the basis of direct sighting and indirect evidence

Habitat Type # Direct sighting # Indirect Evidence Total Status

Dry Forest 7 (53.84%) 76 (61.78%) 83 (61.02%) F

Saline Desert 4 (30.76%) 33 (26.82%) 37 (27.20%) M

Mixed Habitat 1 (7.60%) 9 (7.31%) 10 (7.35%) R

Rural Habitat 1 (7.60%) 5 (4.06%) 6 (4.41%) R

(F= Frequent, M= Moderate, R= Rarely used)

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Results and discussion

The distribution and den study showed a wideoccurrence of hyena in the study area. As reportedby Prater (1971), we found that hyena occurredless frequently in the dense forests. However,mixed habitat and rural areas were also found tohave fewer hyena signs. As the area isgeographically configured by a plain with heavydeposition of soil by rivers, the boulders whichare generally preferred by hyena to construct theirdens are virtually absent. Furthermore, the ruralhabitats are also dominated by agricultural fields,which restrict the animals from preparing dens orusing the area.

The diet of the striped hyena is still a matter ofsome debate. It has been reported to consume awide variety of vertebrates, invertebrates,vegetables, fruit, and organic wastes of humanorigin (Flower, 1932; Harrison, 1968; Ilani, 1975;Kruuk, 1976; Macdonald, 1983; Leakey et al.,1999). In many areas, striped hyenas have alsobeen reported raiding human graves and carryingaway bones (Rosevear, 1974; Horwitz and Smith,1968; Leakey et al., 1999), and fruit and vegetablecrop raiding is considered a serious problem inIsrael (Kruuk, 1976). The overall reputation ofthe species, therefore, is that of an omnivorousscavenger. However, in central Kenya, analysis ofbone fragments and hairs from faecal samplesindicated that hyenas regularly consume smallermammals and birds that are unlikely to bescavenged.

Striped hyenas have been reported chasing hares,porcupines, bat-eared foxes, domestic cats,

cheetah cubs, dikdik, reedbuck, and young gazelles(Kruuk, 1976; Skinner and Ilani, 1979). There isalso strong evidence that small livestock (goats andsheep) and dogs are often killed by striped hyenas(Rosevear, 1974; Leakey et al., 1999; Kuhn, 2005).

In the scat analysis in present study, the evidenceof two to three prey species were found in a scat.However, more than three species were seldomobserved. This confirms that hyenas feed onmultiple prey species as available in the study area.Hyenas mainly consume smaller sized mammalsas prey, followed by arthropods, reptiles and fruits.There was much less evidence of birds found inthe hyena’s diet compared to other prey species.Among the mammals, 58% of the prey remainswere of domestic livestock, followed by rodents(11%), hares (7%) and dogs (2%). The higherpercentage of livestock in the hyena’s diet showsthe dependency of hyenas on domestic animalslike goats, cattle, etc. As large carnivores do notoccur in the study area, it is presumed that thehyena may kill the calves of cattle or feed on cattlecarcasses dumped by the villagers. This is alsocorrelates with the habitat use pattern of hyena;the dry forest patches which are frequently usedby hyena also have high grazing pressure by cattlethat make them the victims of the predators likehyena.

The study revealed that hyenas in the area mainlyconsume insects, invertebrates, small vertebrates,and actively hunt small mammals and ground-nesting and/or ground-feeding birds. In addition,they scavenge off carcasses of larger mammalsand this activity appears to account for a significantportion of the bones found at the den sites. There

Table 2: Characteristics of Hyena dens in the study area No Habitat Type # Den Recorded Average Dimension

(ft) Status

L W D 1 Saline Desert 02 15 2.5 2.25 Active, one with cubs

2 Dry Forest 17 16.23 3.4 3.36 65% of the dens were active, the rest had

been abandoned

3 Mixed Habitat 01 19 4.6 3.4 Active

4 Rural Habitat 00 -- -- -- --

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is no seasonal variation in the feeding pattern ofhyena.

According to the data collected from the study,open dry forest in the hilly areas is found to bemore suitable for hyenas to construct their dens.However, two dens were observed in saline desertlocated on uplands or islands locally called bets,which are land mass systems in the saline desertsof Kutch (Singh, 2001). These bets are composedof saline grassland and herbaceous cover alongwith scrub vegetation. They remain above the waterlevel during the monsoon and hence are probablyideal sites to construct dens by the animals likethe hyena.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Gujarat ForestResearch Institute, Gandhinagar for financialsupport and the Assistant Conservator of Forest,Patan and Deputy Conservator of Forest,Banaskantha and Sabarkantha Districts forpermission to carry out the study. The authorsare also grateful to the Head, Department of LifeSciences, Hemchandracharya North GujaratUniversity, for providing laboratory facilities andnecessary permission to carry out research.

References

Flower, S. 1932. Notes on the recent mammalsof Egypt, with a list of the species recordedfrom that Kingdom. Proceedings of theZoological Society of London 1932: 369-450.

Harrison, D.L. 1968. The mammals of ArabiaVolume II: Carnivora, Artiodactyla,Hyracoidea. Ernest Benn Ltd., London. 381pp.

Horwitz, L.K. and P. Smith. 1988. The effects ofstriped hyaena activity on human remains.Journal of archaeological science 15: 471-481.

Ilani, G. 1975. Hyenas in Israel. Israel-Land andNature 16: 10-18.

Korschgen, L.K. 1980. Procedures for foodhabits analysis. In: Schemnitz, S.D. (Ed).Wildlife management techniques manual: 113-128. The Wildlife Society. Washington, D.C.

Krebs, J.R. 1978. Optimal foraging: decisionrules for predators. In: Krebs, J.R. & Davies,

N.B. (Eds). An Introduction to BehaviouralEcology: 23-63. Sinauer Associates.Sunderland, Massachusetts. Journal ofZoology. Lond. 237:577-591.

Kruuk, H. 1976. Feeding and social behaviourof the striped hyaena (Hyaena vulgarisDesmarest). East African Wildlife Journal 14:91-111.

Kuhn, B. 2005. The faunal assemblages andtaphonomic signatures of five stripedhyaena (Hyaena hyaena syriaca) dens in thedesert of Eastern Jordan. Levant 37: 221-234.

Leakey, L.N., Milledge, S.A.H., Leakey, S.M.,Edung, J., Haynes, P., Kiptoo, D.K. and A.McGeorge. 1999. Diet of striped hyaena innorthern Kenya. African Journal of Ecology37:314-326.

Litvaitis, J.A., Titus, K. and E.M. Anderson. 1996.Measuring vertebrate use of terrestrialhabitats and foods. In: Theodore A.Bookhout (Ed.) Research and ManagementTechniques for Wildlife and Habitats. TheWildlife Society, Bethesda, Maryland. Pp.169-214.

Macdonald, D.W. 1983. The ecology of carnivoresocial behaviour. Nature, London 301: 379-384.

Mills, M.G.L. and H. Hofer. 1998. Hyaenas:Status Survey and Action Plan. IUCN/SSCHyaena Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland,Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Mukherjee, S., Goyal, S.P. and R. Chellam. 1994.Standardization of scat analysis techniquesfor leopard (Panthera pardus) in GirNational Park, Western India. Mammalia58: 139-143.

Nishith, Dharaiya. 2000. A study on the ecologyof satellitic lion metapopulation around GirPA and its Conseervation. Ph.D. ThesisSubmitted to Saurashtra University, Rajkot.175 Pp.

Nishith, Dharaiya. 2008. Study on occurrence,distribution and status of some small andrare mammals in the North Gujarat region.Final Report submitted to Gujarat ForestResearch Institute, Gandhinagar. 108 Pp.

Nishith, Dharaiya, Soni, V.C., Singh, M. and P.P.Raval. 2005. Seasonal changes of foodhabits of Asiatic Lion and leopard in theGir Protected Area. Wildli. Conservation

(continued on p.17)

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Res. and Management. A TechnicalPublication of Wildlife Inst. of India,Dehradun. (40-43)

Prater, S.H. 1971. The book of Indian animals.Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai,India 324 Pp.

Rosevear, D.R. 1974. The Carnivores of WestAfrica, No. 723. British Museum (NaturalHistory), London. 548 pp.

Singh, H.S. 2001. Natural Heritage of Gujarat.Published by Gujarat Ecological Education andResearch (GEER) Foundation, Gandhinagar.262 Pp.

Authors’ addresses: Nikunj Gajera, GujaratInstitute of Desert Ecology, Mundra Road, NewBhuj, Kachchh (Gujarat) India; S.M. Dave andDharaiya Nishith, Department of Life Sciences,Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University,Patan (Gujarat) 384 265 –[email protected]

Figure 1: Occurrence of Hyena in different habitat studied

0 20 40 60 80 100

Dry Forest

Saline Desert

Mixed Habitat

Rural Habitat

Hab

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# Evidences

Scat Pug Marks Den # Direct Evidences

Figure 2 Food Composition of Hyena in scat study

Goat13%

Sheep8%

Camel3%

Cattle10%

Dog2%

wild animal6%

Hare7%

Rodent11%

STL11%

Birds3%

Arthropods14%

Plant12%

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MAMMALIAN DIVERSITY AND MANAGEMENT PLAN FORJASROTA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, KATHUA (J&K)

by Sanjeev Kumar and D.N. Sahi

Introduction

Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary, with an area of 10.04km2, is situated on the right bank of the Ujh

river in district Kathua, J&K State, between 32o27’and 32o31’ N latitudes and 75o22’ and 75o26’ Elongitudes. The elevation ranges from 356 to 520m. Climatic conditions in study area are generallydry sub-humid. The summer season runs fromApril to mid-July, with maximum summertemperatures varying between 36oC to 42oC. Thewinter season runs from November to February.Spring is from mid-February to mid-April. Theaverage cumulative rainfall is 100 cm.

The flora is comprised of broad-leaved associates,namely Lannea coromandelica, Dendro-calamus strictus, Acacia catechu, A. arabica,Dalbergia sissoo, Bombax ceiba, Ficusreligiosa, Zizyphus jujuba, etc. along with shrubslike Adhatoda vasica, Lantana camara,Parthenium hysterophorus, Calotropis procera,etc.

Methodology

The following methods were used for inventoryand survey of mammalian species in the study area:

Line transect methodIn this method a predetermined transect wastraversed either by foot or vehicle. The differentmammalian species encountered were recorded.These line transects were used in different habitatsto determine the presence or absence of differentspecies in the particular habitats. Sometimesevidences such as burrows, quills, bones,defecation, signs of destruction of habitat wereencountered and recorded. These evidences alsoindicate the presence of particular animals. Thespot where such evidences were found is then

marked and later surveyed for the presence of theanimal.

Roadside surveysThese surveys were made both on foot and byvehicle. These were successful particularly in caseof Rhesus monkeys, which can tolerate thepresence of humans and allow the observationsto be made from close quarters. Counting wasdone and members of different troops wereidentified by wounds on exposed parts, broken legsor arms, scars or by some other deformity. Manytimes, jackals and hares were also encounteredduring the roadside surveys.

Point transect methodThis method was also tried, but did not prove aseffective as the line transect method and roadsidesurvey.

Water hole techniqueThis method was also used for the study ofmammals. It was applied more efficiently duringpinch periods when water acts as limiting factor.

All the methods were applied during early morninghours and late evening hours, except the waterhole technique, which was applied during the noonhours in the summer season.

Indirect methodsThe presence of mammalian species was alsonoted by other signs, e.g., quills of porcupine, scats,presence of hair, bones, pug marks, etc. Villagersand nomads were also interviewed over wideareas regarding the presence or absence ofmammals by providing them with the pictorialguides and photographs of different mammals foridentification that are likely to be found in the area.For identification and classification purposes,

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colourful plates by Prater (1971) and Tikader(1983) proved helpful.

Binoculars (12x50 Super Zenith) were used torecord the observations from a distance to avoidany disturbance to mammals.

Observations

Census

The census surveys were conducted for three daysfrom 21 to 23 April 2006 in predeterminedtransects. Overall, 9 transects were laid down atconsiderable distances from each other to avoiddouble counts of the animals. The transects wereof variable length (mean length = 2 km) with afixed width of 80 m. Forty-five observers wereinvolved in data collection, 5 in each transect.

The census began simultaneously across all thenine transects at 5:15 am, and ended dependingon the length of transect. The observers walkedalong the transects at a fixed 20 m distance fromeach other and each searched 10 m of the transecton both sides. The total number of animals seen,time of their sighting, direction of their movement,etc. were recorded by the observers. The resultswere calculated and presented in tabular form.

Calculations:Mean length of each transect:2 kmWidth of each transect0.08 kmArea traversed in each transect:0.16 km2

Total area of the sanctuary traversed0.16 km2 x 9 = 1.44 km2

in all the nine transects

Threats to biodiversity in and near JasrotaWildlife Sanctuary

Lopping and grazing

The rural people practice agricultural and pastoraloccupations to earn their living. Quite a goodnumber of cattle, goats and sheep are kept formilk, manure and wool. The uncontrolled increasein the bovine population in the close vicinity of the

sanctuary has resulted in excessive biotic pressureon the area. Excessive lopping of Grewia optiva,Ficus palmata, Acacia catechu, A. modesta,Albizia lebbeck, Bauhinia variegata, Buteamonosperma and Dalbergia sissoo is performedfor feeding cattle. Both the grazers and browsersowned by the tribals are brought to the forest inthe morning and left there for the whole day. Theseanimals are confined to 1 to 2 km inside thesanctuary. The browsers cause maximum damageto the forest ecosystem

Removal of forest floor litter

The leaf litter and worn out twigs of plants areremoved from the forest floor as a source of fuel,for heating houses and cowsheds during wintermonths and as compost. This practice brings aboutchanges in the physicochemical properties of soil.It halts the process of decomposition.

In the Kandi area this practice disturbs the groundwater regime, as the thick layer of sponge (litter)is removed periodically. The soils are washed awayin gullies during the monsoon months.

Plantations and weed infestation

Plants such as Eucalyptus lanceolatus, Dalbergiasissoo, Albezia lebbeck, Leucinea leucocephala,Eucalyptus sp. and Acacia catechu have beenplanted within the sanctuary limits, to meet short-term requirements at the cost of long-termecological damage. Lantana camara andParthenum hysterophorous have left no spaceunoccupied along all national and village roads andalong village/forest buffers. The dense growth ofthese weeds poses a main obstacle in the migrationof wild animals, besides deteriorating the soil strata.These plants also draw up moisture from variouslayers of soil and transport it to the air, therebyrendering the soil stratum dry and affecting thegrowth of mesophytes. The infestation ofPartheniunm hysterophorous has become amenace to wildlife, as they fall prey to severestomach ailments.

Encroachments

Development activities around the sanctuary andthe expanding urban sprawl are taking a heavy

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toll on the nearby forest fringes and have led toshrinkage of Jasrota forest range.

Pilgrimages within the sanctuary

An ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva andKaliveer attracts thousands of people fromadjoining localities and different states. The roadand walking tracks for the pilgrimage in thesanctuary have fragmented some portions of theforest. These tracks are used by the people duringmorning and evening hours, which results in thedisturbance of daily schedule or activity of variousbirds and animals.

Lack of fruit trees

The lack of fruit trees in the sanctuary was noticedduring the course of fieldwork. These fruit treesact as a good source for attracting the variousbird species.

Scarcity of water

During the course of the survey, no permanentsource of water was found in the sanctuary area.Various ponds have existed since time immemorialand some new ones have been constructed in thesanctuary as sources of drinking water. These dryup during the hot season and the animals have tocross the roads or enter the nearby villages to getto the nearby river Ujh to quench their thirst; onthe way they sometimes meet accidental deathsand sometimes are hunted.

No proper drainage system

No proper drainage system was found in thesanctuary area. During the course of the surveyit was found that during the monsoons when thereis heavy rainfall a lot of soil gets eroded.

Interference by Gujjars and Bakerwals

In winter, the Gujjar and Bakerwal tribes migratefrom the hills to the sanctuary every year. Theystay in the sanctuary and their livestock feeds onthe flora available in the sanctuary, thus resultingin a shortage of forage for the resident wildlife.Moreover, it disturbes the free movement ofwildlife.

Activity of villagers in the sanctuary area

Activity of villagers in the sanctuary was reportedduring the course of investigation. Humansettlements have also been reported.

Suggestions and recommendations:Improvement of habitat

Improvement of water resources bycreating more artificial water holes tosupply drinking water to wild animalsthroughout the year. The ponds should belined with cement so that water can beretained for long durations. Also, thereshould be provision for proper supply ofwater throughout the year.Rehabilitation of old water tanks byefficient rainwater harvesting andsustainable watershed managementpractices. Concept of rainwaterharvesting should be applied at thoseplaces where the natural water of rainscan be stored to be used by wildlife.

Improvement of coverEscape cover for the wildlife can be raisedwith due care and protection. But to hastenthe restoration of cover where it has beenexcessively depleted, artificial aids suchas barbed wire, cattle-proof fences andplantation of thorny hedges like Zizyphussp. should be used to prevent the entry ofpoachers / hunters and also livestock thatcompete with the wild animals.Artificial covers with natural lookingdesigns and color that blend with naturalsurroundings should be set up to provideshelter to wild fauna like Varanus,mongoose and porcupine.

Periodic evaluations of the habitat and wildfauna must be carried out to monitor changesin status of species and also the response ofpopulations to changes in the environment.Counts conducted over a wider area and indifferent seasons can help to determine therange of a species and its area of localabundance. This will also help to study thecomplete diversity of the animals and birds(winter migrants and summer migrants).Research programs are needed to gatherecological data pertaining to food habits,

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reproduction, habitat requirements, populationsize functions and relationships with otherspecies by studying the wildlife in their naturalenvironment.Local people may be encouraged to supportthe goals of the protected area by giving themtraining and employment so that they canbenefit from the protection of wildlife andregulation of activity within the sanctuary.Stringent legal measures should be taken toprevent the grazing of buffaloes by locals.Gujjars and Bakerwals are a major source ofdestruction of vegetation and disturbance inthe sanctuary; their entry into the sanctuaryshould be strictly restricted.A fully equipped veterinary unit should beestablished to inoculate the cattle entering thewildlife range against diseases like reindeerpest, foot-and-mouth disease and to carry outquarantine and other necessary measures inthe event of an outbreak of cattle-borneepidemic.Wild fruit trees such as Zizyphus, Guava,Jamun, Fig, etc. should be planted as theyattract various bird and other animal speciesthat feed on fruits.Tremendous growth of weeds like Lantanasp. and Parthenium sp. was noticed duringthe study. Growth of these weeds should bechecked at regular intervals as they causemany respiratory and skin problems amongwild animals.

Results and discussion

During the survey, 16 species of mammalsbelonging to 6 orders and 10 families wererecorded. Of the mammal species present, OrdersCarnivora and Rodentia are represented by 5species each (31.25%), Artiodactyla isrepresented by 3 species (18.75%) and Primata,Insectivora and Lagomorpha are each representedby 1 species (6.25%).

A census was conducted in the study area to getan estimation of the populations of differentelements. Six species come under the Commoncategory, 4 species are represented in the Rareand Uncommon category and 2 species areUncommon (Table 1).

An attempt has also been made to determine theconservation status of the mammalian speciesreported from the study area. Table 2 shows theconservation status of mammals according toIUCN Categorization and Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972 amended up to 2002.

An effort was made to get an insight into thevarious problems and drawbacks in themanagement of the study area, i.e. Jasrota WildlifeSanctuary, and various suggestions andrecommendations have been made for therestoration this important protected area which isthe only natural abode of the Chital in whole ofthe Jammu region.

To conclude, despite its small size the study areaappears to support a good and unique assemblageof mammalian fauna. The mammals of JasrotaWildlife Sanctuary represent 4.3% of the totalmammals (372 species) recorded by Hossetti(2002) from India. The observed mammaliandiversity in the relatively small study area underliesthe importance of this area for biodiversityconservation.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the GBPIHED andDept. of Wildlife, J&K State, for providingfinancial aid and various facilities to carry outthe present study.

References

Hosetti, B.B. 2002. Glimpses of biodiversity.Daya Publishing House, Delhi.

Prater, S.H. 1971. The Book of Indian Animals.Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc. Third Revised Edition.

Srinivasulu, C and V. Nagulu. 2002. Mammalianand Avian diversity of the Nallamala Hills,Andhra Pradesh. J. Zoos Print. 17(1): 675-684.

Tikader, B.K. 1983. A Book on ‘ThreatenedAnimals of India’. Zoological Survey ofIndia, Calcutta.

Authors’ address: c/o Dept. of Zoology,University of Jammu, Jammu-180006, India

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Table.1: Showing checklist, local status and distribution of mammals in Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary S. No. Name Local Status

Class: Mammals Order: Primata Family: Cercopithecidae 1. Rhesus Monkey C Macaca mulatta (Zimmermann)

Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae

2. Leopard R Panrthera pardus (Linnaeus) Family: Canidae

3. Asiatic Jackal UC Canis aureus aureus Linnaeus

4. Indian Fox R Vulpes bengalensis (Shaw) Family: Viverridae

5. Small Indian Civet O Viverricula indica (Desmarest) Family: Herpestidae

6. Common Grey Mongoose C Herpestes edwardsii nyula Hodgson Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae

7. Spotted Deer R Axis axis (Erxleben)

8. Barking Deer R Muntiacus muntjak (Zimmermann)

Family: Suidae 9. Wild Boar O

Sus scrofa Linnaeus Order: Lagomorpha

Family: Leporidae 10. Rufous-Tailed Hare UC

Lepus nigricollis ruficaudatus Geoffroy Order: Insectivora Family: Soricidae 11. Grey Musk Shrew UC

Suncus murinus murinus (Linnaeus) Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae 12. Five Striped Palm Squirrel C Funambulus pennanti Wroughton

Family: Hystricidae 13. Indian Crested Pocupine UC

Hystrix indica Kerr Family: Muridae

14. House Mouse C Mus musculus (Linnaeus)

15. House Rat C Rattus rattus Linnaeus

16. Indian Mole Rat C Bandicota bengalensis (Gray & Hardwicke) Note: For assigning status to the mammalian species recorded during the study period, the terminology of Srinivasulu and Nagulu (2002) was followed:

C: Common (fairly well distributed and sighted or evidence recorded once a day in the habitat). UC: Uncommon (well distributed and sighted, or evidence recorded once a week). O: Occasional (restricted distribution and sighted, or evidence recorded infrequently). R: Rare (fewer than 10 sightings, or evidence recorded or single sight records)

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Table 2: Conservation status of mammals according to IUCN categorization and Wildlife(Protection) Act, 1972 amended up to 2002.

S. No. Name Global Indian Wildlife

IUCN Status (Protection) Act 1. Rhesus Monkey LR-lc II 2. Leopard VU I 3. Asiatic Jackal LR-lc II 4. Indian Fox LR-nt II 5. Small Indian Civet LR-nt II 6. Common Grey Mongoose LR-lc IV 7. Spotted Deer LR-lc III 8. Barking Deer LR-lc III 9. Wild Boar LR-lc III 10. Rufous-Tailed Hare LR-lc IV 11. Grey Musk Shrew LR-lc V 12. Five Stripped Squirrel LR-lc IV 13. Indian Crested Porcupine LR-lc IV 14. House Mouse LR-lc V 15. House Rat LR-lc V 16. Indian Mole Rat LR-lc V LR-lc: Lower Risk-least concern LR-nt: Lower risk-near threatened VU: Vulnerable

STATUS OF THE LONG-TAILED GORAL (Naemorhedusgriseus) IN THAILAND

by Rattanawat Chaiyarat

Introduction

The long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus griseus) isa vulnerable species. The total world

population is in significant decline (probably at arate of more than 30% over three generations,taken in 21 years) because of over-hunting withinits range (Duckworth et al., 2008). Accordingly,the species is listed by the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species of WildFlora and Fauna (CITES, 2009) in Appendix I.

Thailand has recently been identified by IUCN asone of seven key areas for the protection of the

long-tailed goral (Duckworth et al., 2008). Otherareas include China, India, Myanmar, Vietnam,Bangladesh, and the Lao People’s DemocraticRepublic.

Former distribution in Thailand

In Thailand, the long-tailed goral was reported toexist in relatively small herds (Lekagul andMcNeely, 1977). A population was first recordedat the headwaters of the Mae Ping River inChiangmai province (Kloss, 1923).

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In 1997, Chaiyarat et al. (1999) surveyed (on foot)the protected areas of the western part of NorthernThailand. The surveys indicated that the long-tailedgoral was distributed in seven reserve areas: MaeLao-Mae Sae Wildlife Sanctuary in dry dipterocarpand pine forest of Doi Mon Lium, at approximately1,265 m above mean sea level (MSL) in Mae Tangdistrict, Chiang Mai Province; Doi Chiang DaoWildlife Sanctuary in grassland and sub-alpine areasof Doi Luang limestone at approximately 2,100 mabove MSL in Chiang Dao District, Chiang MaiProvince; Lum Nam Pai Wildlife Sanctuary inmixed deciduous forest of Doi Laung limestone atapproximately 850 m above MSL (outside theprotected area) in Muang District, Mae Hong SonProvince; Mae Tuan Wildlife Sanctuary and MaePing National Park in mixed deciduous forest cleftsalong the Ping River above Bhumibol Dam atapproximately 600 m above MSL in Sam NgaoDistrict, Tak Province; Doi Inthanon National Parkin grassland on Kiw Mae Pan approximately 2,300m above MSL in Mae Jam District, Chiang MaiProvince; and Om Koi Wildlife Sanctuary on DoiMon Jong and Doi Lium at approximately 1,400-1,929 m above MSL in Om Koi District, ChiangMai Province and Sam Ngao District, TakProvince. Other areas where the long-tailed goralhas been found in Thailand include the SalawinWildlife Sanctuary, Mae Hong Son Province (A.Pattanavibool, pers. comm.) and Mae SurinNational Park, Muang District, Mae Hong SonProvince (Prateep Rojanadilok, Chief of ChiangDao Wildlife Research Station, pers. comm.,2007).

Habitat and ecology

This species inhabits steep mountainous areas andwill sometimes occupy evergreen forests near cliffs,but primarily stays within rugged rocky terrain.Long-tailed gorals are diurnal, and are most activein the early morning and late evening, but can beactive throughout overcast days. Group home rangesize is typically around 40 hectares, with malesoccupying marked territories of 22-25 hectaresduring the mating season (Duckworth et al., 2008).They typically live in small groups of 4-12individuals, with older males usually being solitary(Lekagul and McNeely, 1977; Duckworth et al.,2008).

At Om Koi, long-tailed gorals mostly utilizegrassland, rock outcrops and hill evergreen forestalong a deep valley. Long-tailed gorals arecommonly solitary but are sometimes observed inpairs or larger groups, especially during the ruttingseason. They utilize elevations ranging from 1,400to >1900 m above mean sea level (MSL) duringthe rainy season (May to October), but have notbeen found above 1,800 m above MSL during thedry season (November to April), possibly due tothe die-off of vegetative cover on the cliffs of DoiMon Jong (Chaiyarat et al. 1999). Recentobservations (dry season, 2009) in Doi Mon Jongdid not find any new signs of the long-tailed goralabove 1,800 m above MSL, possibly due to theincrease of visitor activities in the area.

Forage species

The long-tailed goral diet consists of grasses, leaves,twigs, and nuts (Lekagul and McNeely, 1977).They are both grazers and browsers, mostlyfeeding on grass, especially in the rainy season.During the dry season, they feed on annual herbsmore frequently than during the rainy season,because the quality of forage is lower with lesswater content than in the rainy season. In addition,some species of grass also die off during the dryseason. Thus, long-tailed gorals needs to feed onhigh quality forage species that have a high watercontent (Chaiyarat et al. 1999).

Threats

The decline in long-tailed goral numbers is believedto be due to over-hunting. These animals arefrequently hunted or snared by local people formeat, fur and medicines. Every year 1,200 to1,300 pelts are harvested each year in ShaanxiProvince, China, alone (Zhen, 1984). Besideshunting, deforestation (for logging and cultivation)is the other main threat. Not only does this reducethe area of long-tailed goral habitat, but it alsocauses fragmentation of habitat. This is especiallytrue in the region surrounding the great lake basinsalong the Changjiang River, in China (Duckworthet al., 2008).

In Thailand, hill tribe people still hunt the long-tailed goral for food and medicine, and use theirhorns as decorations in their homes. On Doi Mon

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Jong, in Chiang Mai Province, they occasionallyuse fire to burn grasslands in order to hunt long-tailed gorals. Hunting by spotlight occurs in MaeTuan Wildlife Sanctuary and Mae Ping NationalPark. Habitat degradation and shifting cultivationoccurs in many areas.

The goral sometimes has to compete for foragewith domestic animals. Domestic cattle commonlyutilize grasslands below 1,500 m above MSL onthe flat plains in Doi Mon Jong, Chiang MaiProvince. In 1997, more than 300 domestic cattlewere recorded feeding on grasses and annual herbs.During the dry season when the grass died-off,the domestic cattle moved higher to feed on grassesand annual herbs within the habitat of the long-tailed goral. During the dry season, the water supplyis located downhill and long-tailed gorals share itwith domestic cattle. If the domestic cattle havedisease, they could possibly pass it on to the long-tailed gorals very easily (Chaiyarat et al., 1999).This phenomenon of wild animals sharing watersources with domestic animals occurs in everyprotected area of Thailand. The number ofdomestic cattle is dramatically increasing as a resultof policies of the government (Chaiyarat andSrikosamatara, 2009). In the current year (2009),the number of domestic cattle in Om Koi WildlifeSanctuary is estimated to be more than 10,000animals (Dissakul Thammasanukul, Chief, Om KoiWildlife Sanctuary, pers. comm.). These animalsare also roaming in Mom Jong, an area of long-tailed goral habitat.

A negative influence in Om Koi Wildlife Sanctuaryand Doi Inthanon National Park is destructivetourism; the negative effects may cause the long-tailed goral population to become criticallyendangered (Chaiyarat et al., 1999). A currentpromotion of the Tourism Authority of Thailandis to encourage tourists to visit the “unseen” areasof Thailand. These motivation activities are notlinked to the carrying capacity of the area, especiallyin the dry season, which is a difficult period forwildlife.

Conservation and management

In Thailand, the long-tailed goral is listed as areserved animal under the Wild Animal Reservationand Protection Act. B.E.2535. The relationship

between the long-tailed goral and humans isnegative. The negative relationship affecting thelong tail goral population is at present on the vergeof rendering the long-tailed goral to be criticallyendangered. Thus, appropriate conservationmeasures are needed to ensure the survival of theirpopulation (Chaiyarat et al., 1999).

The way to manage and conserve the long-tailedgoral in Thailand is to ensure the long-term survivalof the ecosystems in which it occurs. Core areas(sanctuaries) must be protected and local peopleshould be restricted to buffer zones near thesanctuary boundaries. All domestic cattle must bemoved out of sanctuaries. Habitat manipulationsuch as food management, small water sourcedevelopment, artificial saltlicks and corridorimprovement must be undertaken to ensure thatlong-tailed gorals have adequate natural resourcesas well as exchange among gene pools. 4) Thepromotion of wildlife and habitat conservationthrough training and exhibitions should beestablished for all levels of people, and especiallyamong school students.

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to express great appreciationand thanks to L. Puangchit, S. Siripatanadilok,N. Bhumpakpan, V. Chimchom, W. Eiadthong andM. Kumsuk for providing field observations andcomments. Thanks also to Assist. Prof. Dr. JohnMilne, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University,Thailand, for technical support and friendship.This study was supported by grants from the SuebNakhasathien Foundation, Biodiversity Researchand Training Programme (BRT) and MahidolUniversity.

References

CITES. 2009 http://ww.cites.org/index.htmlChaiyaraat, R., Laohajinda, W., Kutintara, U. And

J. Nabhitabhata. 1999. Ecology of the goral(Naemorhedus goral) in Om Koi wildlifeSanctuary, Thailand. Natural History Bulletinof the Siam Society 47:191-205.

Chaiyarat, R. and S. Srikosamatara. 2009.Populations of domesticated cattle andbuffalo in the Western Forest Complex ofThailand and their possible impacts on the

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wildlife community. Journal of EnvironmentalManagement 90(03):1448-1453.

Duckworth, J.W., Steinmetz, R. and R. Chaiyarat.2008. Naemorhedus griseus. In: IUCN Red Listof Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org

Kloss, C.B. 1923. The goral in Siam. NaturalHistory Bulletin of the Siam Society 6(1):135-136.

Lekagul, B. and J.A. McNeely. 1977. Mammalsof Thailand. Kurusapha Ladprao Press,

Bangkok.Zhen, Y. 1984. Storage of economic birds and

mammals in Shaanxi Province. ChineseWildlife 14(3):53-55.

Author’s address: Faculty of Environment andResource Studies, Mahidol University, Salaya,Puttamonthon, Nakornprathom, Thailand 73170([email protected])

REPTILIAN DIVERSITY IN AND AROUND THE MARINENATIONAL PARK AND MARINE SANCTUARY, GUJARATSTATE

by Raju Vyas and J.N. Patel

Introduction

Today the world is developing very rapidly andpeople are using more and more natural

resources. This is resulting in the shrinkage of manynatural ecosystems and wildlife habitats. Therefore,certain natural areas or habitats with good potentialare reserved as Protected Areas (PAs). PAs arenot only refuges for wildlife but also help topreserve the natural resources for futuregenerations. However, once a PA is declared, thewildlife populations and biodiversity must beassessed in order to wisely manage the area.Therefore, the State Forest Department and GujaratEcological Educational Research (GEER)Foundation, Gandhinagar, have initiated a programto measure the biodiversity of PAs in Gujarat State.

Gujarat is bordered by two gulfs, i.e. the Gulf ofKhambhat and the Gulf of Kachchh. Both gulfshave their own identity and support a large numberof marine flora and fauna. From the viewpoint ofbiodiversity, the Gulf of Kachchh is richer and theGovernment of India has declared some parts ofthe Gulf of Kachchh as the first marine protectedarea (southern coast). However, the number ofspecies inhabiting this are have not yet beendocumented, so the GEER Foundation,

Gandhinagar, carried out a preliminary survey onthe biodiversity of the area. The results presentedhere on the reptilian fauna are part of those studies.

Study area

The Marine National Park (162.89 km2) andMarine Sanctuary (457.92 km2) of Gujarat Stateare unique marine ecosystems and importantprotected areas in the country. The entire protectedarea is located between the south coast of Kachchhdistrict and the north coast of Jamnagar district. Itis a complex ecosystem of varied habitats such asmarine, coastal, mangrove forest, savannagrassland and dry thorny forest, and is greatlyinfluenced by marine tidal conditions. In all, a total931.33 km2, including mangrove forests, isconsidered as a single marine ecosystem,collectively known as the Marine Protected Area(MPA). This complex habitat also contains 42islands of various sizes.

Information about the terrestrial reptilian fauna ofthe MPA is not available from any past relevantliterature, except for some scattered informationabout a few marine reptilian species such as seaturtles and sea snakes (Bhaskar, 1978, 1981a,1981b; Frazier, 1989; Smith, 1926, 1943; Sharma,

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1982; Vyas, 1998, 2005). Therefore, a systematicstudy was carried out in and around the MPA withthe following objectives: 1) to make an inventoryof the reptilian fauna of the MPA, especially theterrestrial reptiles on the islands; 2) to provide basicinformation on the relative abundance of reptilianspecies; and 3) to identify threats to the reptilianfauna of the MPA.

Methodology

The preliminary inventory was conducted over 40days of fieldwork from 2000-2002 during a seriesof visits to a few important coastal pockets andislands. During visits to each island an extensivesearch was made of all the important microhabitatsof the coastal beaches and island habitats forreptilian species. Any dead specimens of marinereptiles found on the beaches were also recordedalong with free-swimming reptiles observed in theseawaters. In addition, secondary information wasgathered from local fishermen in the surroundingvillages, forest personnel and wildlife enthusiastsabout the different species of reptiles throughinterviews.

Snakes and lizards were captured with a hook orsnake-stick and bare hands, respectively. All thecollected specimens of terrestrial reptiles wereexamined and carefully identified by using thediagnostic keys of Smith (1935, 1943) and releasedback into the same habitat. Nomenclatures of allspecies mentioned in this report followed that ofDas (1994, 2003).

Results

A total of 21 species of reptiles belonging to 12families and 17 genera were recorded during thesurvey, including 7 species of marine and 14species of terrestrial reptiles from the study area,which shows the richness of the area.

Marine reptiles: Seven species of marine reptileswere found in the study area, including two speciesof sea turtles and five species of sea snakes. TheGreen turtle (Chelonia mydas) and Olive Ridleysea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) were recordedby direct sighting, but there was no direct or indirectevidence of Leatherback turtle (Dermochelyscoriacea) in the area except for a small piece of

plastron of this species that was examined at theoffice of the Conservator of Forest, MarineNational park, Jamnagar. A great number of deadsea turtles and sea snakes were found in differentareas of the MPA.

Terrestrial reptiles: Fourteen species of terrestrialreptiles belonging to nine families and 11 generawere recorded from the MPA, including a singlespecies of freshwater turtle, 10 species of lizardsand 3 species of snakes. Nine species of reptileswere recorded from the islands, while thevenomous Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) isquite widely distributed in the MPA and is foundin abundant numbers on all the big islands. Thesecond most abundant species is the Snake-eyedlacerta (Ophisops jerdonii), which was recordedin many parts of the area. This diurnal lizard isquite common in some areas of sandy beach invery high numbers. The density of this species atNarara Island was 25 per hundred meters, whileat the rocky beach of Balachadi it was 5 perhundred meters.

Conclusion and discussion

The present reptile fauna of the MPA consists of21 species of reptiles belonging to 12 families and16 genera, including 7 species of marine and 14species of terrestrial reptiles, which shows therichness and diversity of the area.

A detailed long-term study is needed to determinethe cause of death of the sea snakes and sea turtlesrecorded during the survey. The data of dead turtlesfrom different areas of the MPA shows that asignificant number of dead Green turtles are foundthroughout the year. Olive Ridley sea turtle deathsare lower compared to Green turtle, which mayindicate that the Green turtle uses the gulf ofKachchh not only for breeding purposes, but alsofor foraging. The Green turtle is the only speciesof sea turtle that extensively feeds on a wide varietyof sea vegetation. According to Singh (2002), thereare 120 different types of algae and grassesrecorded in the gulf of Kachchh that provide agood feeding ground for the Green turtles. Thesandy beach of Okha Mandal and 42 remote islandsof the MPA, especially Bhaidar, Nora, Chank, Dani,Kalubhar and Pirotan islands, provide good nestinggrounds for the sea turtles.

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During the survey, all freshly dead turtles werecarefully examined, but no injuries were found onthe bodies. The large number of dead adult turtlesbelonging to the two species found in the studyarea may indicate some kind of threat to thespecies. A detailed study of those threats is needed.This phenomena of death among sea turtles pointsto the possibility that perhaps the turtles are dyingdue to some kind of suffocation. It is possible thatthe animals are being trapped in the fishing nets,especially of motorized or mechanized gill andtrawler nets which have no turtle excluder devices(TED) (Kannans et al., 2004). According to theState Fisheries Department, Jamnagar(unpublished data: 1997-98), about 3,428fishermen work around the south coast of the Gulfof Kachchh, from 23 centers. They used a largenumber of fishing gear and nets, which might havea negative impact on the adult population of seaturtles. None of these fishermen are aware of TEDand so none have TED facilities. More study isneeded in order to form an opinion about thismatter.

Murray (1886) and Vyas (1998) recorded sevenspecies of sea snakes from the Gulf of Kachchh.The present record of five species of sea snakesfrom the MPA is less than earlier records. Twospecies previously recorded, namely Hydrophisgracilis and Lapemis curtus, are not listed in thisstudy because it was confined to the north coastof the Gulf of Kachchh.

The terrestrial reptiles inhabit many coastal pocketsof the mainland but there are very few reptilianspecies inhabiting the islands of the MPA, whichindicates that the species were brought to the islandsthrough anthropogenic activities or drifted ashoreon floating wood during the floods.

Acknowledgements

The author is highly indebted to Mr. C.N. Pandey,Director, and Dr. H.S. Singh (Ex-Director),Gujarat Ecological Education and Research(GEER) Foundation, Gandhinagar. Thanks arealso given to R.J. Asari, Conservator of Forestand S.P. Jani, Deputy Conservator of Forest,Marine National Park, Jamnagar for theirlogistical help and permission to carry out thisstudy.

References

Bhaskar, S. 1978. Notes from the Gulf of Kutch.Hamadryad 4(1):3-6.

Bhaskar, S. 1981. Sea turtles in Gujarat State,Western India. Report to the WWF-I, 1-11.

Bhaskar, S. 1981. Survey of sea turtle nestingbeaches on the West Coast of Saurashtra.Report to the WWF-I, 3pp.

Das, I. 1994. The reptiles of South Asia,checklist and distributional summary.Hamadryad 19:15-40.

Das, I. 2003. Growth of knowledge on theReptiles of India, with an introduction tosystematics, taxonomy and nomenclature.Journal of the Bombay Natural HistorySociety 100(2&3):446-501.

Frazier, J. 1989. Observation on stranded greenturtles, Chelonia mydas, in the Gulf ofKutch. Journal of the Bombay NaturalHistory Society 86:250-251.

Kannan, P., Venkanandan, S., Rajagopalan, M.and E. Vivekanandan. 2004. Size compositionand morphometry of incidentally caughtGreen turtles (Chelonia mydas Linnaeus)along the Saurashtra Coast, Gujarat.Cobra (58):14-17.

Murray, J.A. 1886. The reptiles of Sindh. TheEducation Society’s Press, Bombay, 192 pp.

Sharma, R.C. 1982. Taxonomic and ecologicalstudies on the reptiles of Gujarat. Recordsof Zoological Survey India 80:85-108.

Smith, M.A. 1926. A Monograph of the sea-snakes. London 130pp., text-figs & pls.

Smith, M.A. 1931. The fauna of British India,including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia andAmphibia. Vol.I, Loricata, Testudines.Taylor and Francis, London. 185 pp.

Smith, M.A. 1943. The fauna of British India,including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia andAmphibia. Vol.III. Serpentes. Taylor andFrancis, London. 583 pp.

Vyas, R. 1998. The reptiles of Gujarat state:Updated distribution. Tigerpaper 25(1):8-14.

Vyas, R. 2005. First record of Asian house geckoHemidactylus frenatus (Schlegel) fromGujarat State, Western India. Cobra 60:13-17.

Singh, H.S. 2002. Marine Protected Area inIndia: status of coastal wetlands and their

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conservation. Gujarat Ecological Educationand Research Foundation, Gandhinagar,Gujarat, India. 62pp.

Authors’ addresses: Raju Vyas, 505, KrishnadeepTower, Mission Road, Fatehgunj, Vadodara-2,email:[email protected]; J.N. Patel, G/7Akash Flats, Nr. Gulab Tower, Sola Road,Ahmedabad-61, email: [email protected]

Table 1: List of reptiles recorded at Marine National Park & Marine Sanctuary, Gujarat (*species recorded only on mainland; **species recorded on mainland and islands) No. Family/Common English Name (Scientific Name) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.

Marine Reptiles I: Dermochelyidae Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coreacea) II: Chelonidae Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) III: Hydrophyidae Many-toothed sea snake (Hydrophis caerulescens) Annulated sea snake (Hydrophis cyanocinctus) Bombay sea snake (Hydrophis mamillaris) Yellow snake (Hydrophis spiralis) Pelagic sea snake (Pelamis platurus) Terrestrial Reptiles IV: Trionychidae Indian softshell turtle* (Lissemys punctata) V: Gekkonidae Brook’s house gecko** (Hemidactylus brookii) Yellow-green gecko** (Hemidactylus flaviviridis) Asian house gecko* (Hemidactylus frenatus) VI: Agamidae Common garden lizard** (Calotes versicolor) Lesser agama* (Brachysaura (=Laudakia) minor) Fan-throated lizard* (Sitana ponticeriana) VII: Scinicidae Co. Keeled grass skink** (Mabuya carinata) VIII: Lacertidae Indian fringe-toed lizard** (Acanthodactylus cantoris) Snake-eyed lacerta** (Ophisops jerdonii) IX: Varanidae Bengal monitor* (Varanus bengalensis) X: Colubridae Co. Sand or ribbon snake** (Psammophis leithii) XI: Elapidae Indian cobra* (Naja naja) XII: Viperidae Saw-scaled viper** (Echis carinatus)


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31

List of surveyed coastal beaches and islands of Marine National Park & Marine Sanctuary, Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat, India No. Name of Area No. Name of Area 1 Bet Dwarka Is 15 Shiyadri Is 2 Okha 16 Panero Is 3 Dabdaba Is 17 Gandiya Kado Is 4 Devdi Is 18 Rozi 5 Asab Is 19 Dhani Is 6 Man Marodi Is 20 Narara Is 7 Langa Marodi Is 21 Kalubhar Is 8 Leffa Is 22 Pirotan Is 9 Khara Chusana Is 23 Jindra Is 10 Mitha Chusana Is 24 Chhad Is 11 Bhaidar Is 25 Dedeka Mundeka Is 12 Ajad Is 26 Bhains Bid Is 13 Khimra Ghat Is 27 Sikka 14 Garu Is 28 Balachadi

ORDER TESTUDINES: FIRST RECORDED INSTANCE INSIKKIM

by Ajeya Jha

Introduction

Sikkim, with an area of 7,096 km2, is the second smallest state of India, located between

27º5’N to 28º9’N and 87º59’E to 88º56’E.Geographically, it lies at the head of the Bay ofBengal, with deep valleys and tall mountains. Atits eastern frontier, the Richipangola range formsan ill-defined boundary to separate it from Bhutan.The Kanhanjunga and Singalila ranges separate itfrom Nepal, and Tibet lies to its north. The stateof West Bengal defines its southern boundaries.

Sikkim is a land predominantly alpine in character,offering almost all possible mountain panoramas.The altitude ranges from 300 to 8,580 m. Sikkimis very well endowed with a rich biologicalheritage, which includes 4,500 species of floweringplants, 450 species of orchids, 36 species ofrhododendron, 158 species of mammals, 550species of butterflies, almost 600 species of birds,

61 species of reptiles and 20 species ofamphibians. It is a globally recognized biodiversity“hotspot.”

Reptilian fauna of Sikkim

The reptilian heritage of this state is rich, attestedto by the presence of 61 species in a geographicalarea of just 7,096 km2. However, of the fourreptilian orders, namely Testudines,Rhyncocephalia, Crocodylia and Squamata thatexist in the world today, only representatives ofSquamata (Lizards and Snakes) were believed toexist in Sikkim until recently.

Although 32 species of turtles and tortoisesbelonging to Order Testudines have been recordedin India, no naturalists or scientists had everrecorded a turtle or tortoise from Sikkim. However,the possibility was first reported in 2003 (Jha &Thapa, 2003). This assertion was based on


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consistent information provided by Lepchas, theoriginal inhabitants of this state, that at least onespecies of land tortoise existed there. As it hasbeen noted that Lepcha information is seldomunfounded, an extensive survey was subsequentlyundertaken to confirm it. However, the survey didnot find any evidence of tortoises. On the basis ofgeographical possibilities and physical description,the species was envisaged to be Indotestudoelongata (Indraneil Das, personalcommunication).

Failure of the survey to record Order Testudinesin Sikkim gave rise to two possibilities. One wasthat the Lepcha were mistaken in their geographicalrange and had perhaps noted the tortoise’sexistence in Siliguri and other adjoining areaswhich at one point were inhabited by Lepchas andonce part of Sikkim. Or alternatively, whateverspecies of Order Testudines that had once existedin Sikkim had become extinct over the course oftime.

First record of Order Testudinidae in Sikkim

In July 2007, two laborers employed to constructa rock garden near Tarey Bhir, located in southSikkim, adjacent to a rivulet named Khanni Khola,came across a couple of tiny tortoises. These werelater identified as belonging to speciesIndotestudo elongata (Blyth) of the FamilyTestudinidae. This cold-blooded reptile is one ofonly four land tortoise species found in India. It islegally protected under Schedule IV of the IndianWildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 as amended up to2006.

“Fat ruba,” its Lepcha name, is indicative of itstendency to live in self-dug burrows (“Fat” meansearth). The length of its shell is 120 mm, breadthabout 80 mm, and depth about 60 mm. It can beeasily recognized by its light brown carapace withblack blotches. It depends very largely onvegetation in its diet, but is believed to also eat

snails and perhaps other soft creatures. Its matingseason coincides with the arrival of the rains. Maleshave been known to become aggressive towardseach other and they attempt to upturn their rivalsby shoving them. A female will lay 3-7 eggs in ahole she digs herself. Little information has beencollected about its behavior as it generally remainsdormant during the winter months. It is most activeduring the rainy season.

The tortoise is distributed in the Sal forest beltacross the Himalaya foothills and is known to beover-exploited for food, especially by tribal people.Today it is best represented in Bihar, especially inthe Saranda and Champaran areas. The tortoiseis also recorded from West Bengal. Its western-most limits are the Rajaji National Park ElephantCorridor and Simbalwada Wildlife Reserve inHimachal Pradesh, where it has been collectedby Wildlife Institute of India researchers, and oneunconfirmed record from Nahan, H.P. at c. 650m altitude (B.C. Choudhury, personalcommunication).

Conclusion

Recording of an Order for the first time in ageographical location is an important and rareevent in the chronicle of its natural history. Sikkim,an intensely rich biodiversity region, acquiresfurther importance by the recording of the OrderTestudines in its geographical boundaries. Lepchasneed to be recognized for their knowledge of floraand fauna and for providing scientifically authenticinformation. It is essential to document theirknowledge as it will help in making a completeand correct faunal map of Sikkim. Efforts need tobe made to identify more specimens of thisspecies and a conservation plan made andimplemented to safeguard this Order in Sikkim.

Author’s address: Sikkim Manipal Institute ofTechnology, Majitar, Rangpo, Sikkim 737 136,India.

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Vol. XXIII: No.1 January-March 2009

1

FOREST NEWSFOREST NEWS

Vol. XXIII: No. 1 Jan-Mar 2009

World’s forestry leaders meet in Rome

The nineteenth session of the Committee onForestry (COFO) and the first World Forest Weekwere convened concurrently 16-20 March 2009,in Rome. The overarching theme of the eventswas “Forests in a changing world.” The eventswere well attended by 555 participants, from 129countries.

Major COFO agenda topics featured discussionson the state of the world’s forests, sustainable forestmanagement and climate change, adapting forestpolicy and institutions to change, FAO’s forestryprograms and activities, and preparations for theXIII World Forestry Congress. Formal COFOsessions were complemented by several “specialevents” organized as part of World Forest Week.Discussions throughout the week focused heavilyon forests and climate change, various facets ofinstitutional and policy adaptation to change, andforestry in relation to the global economic crisis.

The 2009 edition of the State of the World’s Forests(SOFO) was released during COFO, under thetheme of “Society, forests and forestry: adaptingfor the future.”

Related to forests and climate change, discussionstressed that sustainable forest managementprovides an effective framework for forest-basedclimate change mitigation and adaptation. COFOrecommended that FAO strengthen capacities ofmember countries to implement sustainable forestmanagement, in accordance with national contexts.Specific to forests and climate change, such supportcould include assistance in carrying out forestcarbon assessments, mainstreaming climate change

in national forest programmes, enhancingunderstanding of the effects of climate changeon forests, and implementing effective mitigationand adaptation measures.

COFO noted the economic, political, social,environmental, and technological changes takingplace at national, regional, and global levels, andthe consequent need to adapt forest policies andinstitutions. The meeting drew attention to theneed for timely changes to make public sectorforestry agencies more responsive to thechanging needs of societies and to enhanceefficiency in the delivery of economic andenvironmental services. The Committeerecommended that FAO facilitate the sharingof experience among countries, particularlythrough regional and sub-regional reviews andanalyses.

The Committee endorsed the new FAO Strategyfor Forests and Forestry, and appreciated theinclusive process that had been used to draftthe strategy, particularly its review by all sixregional forestry commissions.

The Committee supported the recommendationof the FAO Panel of Experts on Forest GeneticResources that FAO prepare a report on theState of World Forest Genetic Resources, for2013, which would serve as a reference foraction at national, regional, and global levels.

It was proposed that COFO hold its next sessionin October 2010.

Vol. XXIII: No. 1 January-March 2009

22


Meeting of the Bureaux of the Regional ForestryCommissions

A meeting of officers from the six Regional ForestryCommissions (RFCs) and FAO regional andheadquarters forestry staff was convened 16 March2009, prior to the start of the COFO session.

Representatives of each commission presentedsummaries of ongoing, planned, and recentlycompleted activities. The Asia-Pacific ForestryCommission report highlighted the following recentand ongoing activities:

Outcome of the twenty-second session ofthe APFC and the first-ever Asia-Pacific

Forestry Week, convened in Hanoi,Vietnam, in April 2008Asia-Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook StudyAsia-Pacific Forest Invasive SpeciesNetworkRegional policy studies on reinventingforestry agencies and removing constraintsto private sector investment in forestryContinued support for development andimplementation of codes of practice forforest harvestingDevelopment of the Asia-Pacific ForestPolicy Think Tank

Glimpses of developments in Asia-Pacific forestry

Forests and forestry in the Asia-Pacific region arebeing reshaped by the rapid social and economicchanges occurring both within and outside thesector and the region. The ever-growing demandfor wood and wood products has boostedinvestments in wood production and processing.The region has become a leader in afforestationand reforestation, although deforestation continuesto be a major problem. Several initiatives areunderway in support of sustainable forestmanagement. New challenges are emerging, butso are new opportunities.

“Glimpses of Developments in Asia-PacificForestry” was organized by the Asia-PacificForestry Commission (APFC) as a special eventduring the 19th Session of the Committee onForestry (COFO) and the first World Forest Weekheld at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy, 16-20March 2009. Member countries, forestryorganizations and initiatives in the region wereinvited to share information and experiences, anddiscuss cooperation and collaboration. During the

event, participants were briefed on some of therecent developments in the region and variousinitiatives.

Patrick Durst, Senior Forestry Officer, FAORegional Office for Asia and the Pacific, introducedthe concept for the Asia-Pacific Policy Think Tank.This initiative will facilitate the sharing of forestpolicy-related information, knowledge, experienceand expertise among countries and institutions inthe Asia-Pacific region. Gathering information,improving understanding, influencing policydecisions and building in-country capacity in policyanalysis are the core objectives of the Think Tank.The Think Tank also aims to give a stronger voiceto Asian perspectives in forest policy. The initiativewill function as a highly flexible regional network,initially coordinated by the FAO Regional Officefor Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok. In due course,the initiative will expand to become a “network ofnetworks” with various institutions in the regionassuming key functions.

Prepared by Fan Xiaoxie, National Forest Programme Facility Adviser

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3


Liu Xin, Deputy Director of the APFNetSecretariat, informed the participants about thenewly established Asia-Pacific Network forSustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation(APFNet), which was proposed at the 15th APECEconomic Leaders’ Meeting held in September2007 in Sydney, Australia. APFNet was co-sponsored by Australia and the United States, andwas officially launched in Beijing, China, inSeptember 2008. An open organization, APFNetwill serve as a platform for members to exchangeinformation and expertise. The network iscommitted to: i) promoting forest rehabilitation,reforestation and afforestation in the region toincrease the regional forest area; ii) strengtheningsustainable forest management andimproving forest quality in the region(including activities related to climatechange mitigation and adaptationresponse and to increasing carbonsequestration); and iii) improving theproductive capacity and socio-economic benefits of forestecosystems and enhancingbiodiversity conservation in theregion.

Rowena Soriaga, from the AsiaForest Network (AFN), describedAFN’s networking strategy “Seekingto Accompany, Seeking Synergy.”AFN “accompanies” partners fromgovernments and civil society throughsharing stories, revealing trends andpatterns, and managing knowledge ina common search for justice andhope. AFN catalyzes learning andsynergy through regional and cross-country exchange visits, monitorsinternational trends, informs globalmechanisms about local actions, andreviews global recommendations forlocal action. Current interests andinitiatives include: poverty reductionand human security in forestlands; local peopleand protected areas; partnerships for localdevelopment; and governance and forest lawenforcement in the context of supporting indigenouspeoples’ rights and justice. Outputs and lessonsfrom recent AFN activities were also shared.

Dr. CTS Nair, Chief Economist, FAO ForestryDepartment, Rome, provided an overview of theAsia-Pacific Forestry Outlook Study and some ofthe general trends and findings from the study.Most of the major steps, including the preparationof the country outlook papers and thematic studies,collection of information and a broad-basedconsultative process (especially through theInternational Conference held at Chiang Mai inOctober 2007) have been completed. Drafting ofthe sub-regional and regional reports is in progressand early drafts will be discussed during the nextmeeting of the Scientific Committee scheduled forJune 2009. Dr. Nair outlined some of the key pointsemerging from the preliminary analysis ofinformation, including the following: i) the global

economic down-turn will havesignificant direct and indirect impactson the forest sector and there isconsiderable uncertainty about howlong this will last; ii) depending onthe different situations in Asia-Pacificcountries and the differingapproaches to managing forestresources, several paths ofdevelopment are likely; iii) forest areawill continue to shrink in mostcountries, although some gains mayoccur in a small number of countries;iv) degradation will be a major issue,especially in the more denselypopulated agrarian economies; v)wider application of sustainable forestmanagement will be a drawn-outprocess; and vi) although there hasbeen some short-term decline in thedemand for wood and woodproducts, in the long term demandincreases will be significant.

Two APFC publications were alsoreleased at the meeting: 1) Futureof Forests; and 2) Summary of theAsia- Pacific Forestry Week.

During the discussions, the participants expressedtheir appreciation for the efforts made by FAOand APFC to bring members and interestedpartners together and welcomed the new initiativeswith the belief that they will contribute to thefurther development of forestry in the region.


44


Addressing fire management needs and actions in SoutheastAsia

Background

The Fire Management Voluntary Guidelines -Principles and Strategic Actions set out aninternational framework of legally non-bindingprinciples and internationally accepted strategicactions, which provide a holistic approach to firemanagement. They can also be used to supportpolicy reviews, planning and management of fires.

The 18th Committee on Forestry (COFO) (March2007) and participants at the Asia-Pacific ForestryWeek associated with the 23rd Session of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission, held in Hanoi,Vietnam, 21-25 April 2008, recommended thatFAO should work with members and partners,including the private sector, forest owners andnon-governmental and inter-governmentalorganizations to promote wider understanding andimplementation of these Voluntary Guidelines.

In keeping with the recommendations, a regionalworkshop for Southeast Asia was held 10-13November 2008 in Pekanbaru, Indonesia. The

workshop was organized by FAO in technicalcollaboration with the Asia-Pacific Association ofForestry Research Institutions (APAFRI). Thepurpose of the meeting was to present and discussthe Fire Management Voluntary Guidelines, assessand prioritize needs, and prepare an actionframework to strengthen fire management policies,planning and practices. The four-day workshopwas the final phase of the planning process whichstarted with a national-level, multi-stakeholderorientation process in the participating countries.

Activities and results

Twenty-five senior- and mid-level fire managementofficers responsible for forest fire management inIndonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines andVietnam participated in the workshop. Theworkshop was assisted by resource persons fromthe ASEAN Secretariat, The Nature Conservancy(TNC), Asia Pacific Resources International Ltd(APRIL) and the International Tropical TimberOrganization (ITTO). There was also arepresentative from Singapore.

Prepared by Petteri Vuorinen Forestry Officer, Fire Management, FAO HQs ([email protected]),Pieter van Lierop Forestry Officer, Fire Management, FAO HQs ([email protected]) and JimCarle, Chief, Forest Resources Development, FAO HQs ([email protected])

(Photo: Cristal Palmberg Lerche)

5


5


In breakaway country discussion groups, theparticipants undertook needs assessments basedon the Voluntary Guidelines and prioritizedproblems critical to the fire management sector intheir respective contexts. After agreeing on priorityneeds, the country groups developed 1- to 5-yearaction frameworks for fire management. Theseframeworks will form the basis for future firemanagement projects or program proposals to bepromoted by the participants in their countries.

Although the fire management sectors in the fiveparticipating countries were very different withregard to the burned area, land tenure, socio-economic context, political engagement, etc., therewere common areas that the countries couldpinpoint as being most important to address,including the following:

interaction between fire and climate change;fire awareness and education;fire and resource management planning;fire monitoring and assessment (includingecological effects of fire and fire danger ratingsystems); andlinkages between fire and sustainablelivelihoods in order to improve firemanagement in their countries.

The workshop included a one-day field trip toAsia Pacific Resources International Ltd to visit

their fibre plantations, conservation forest areas,community development programmes and firesuppression activities aimed at protecting plantationand conservation assets.

Follow-up activities

The importance of follow-up activities was stressedduring the last day of the workshop. The workshopwas highlighted as only the beginning of theimplementation process that will continue duringthe coming months and years. The participantswere given guidance in funding opportunities fortechnical support, including possible projectsupport through FAO (e.g., TCP, GCP and UTFprojects, nfp Facility). The countries were,however, advised to also pursue fundingopportunities with governments, international andbilateral agencies, development banks and otherdonors, NGOs and private enterprises toincorporate integrated approaches to firemanagement within their projects or programs.

The anticipated outcomes from the workshop andthe program of action include:

greater stakeholder participation;more clear and consistent policy, legal andregulatory frameworks; andbetter planning and improved field practicesin fire management.

Bioenergy on the agenda of FAO Regional Conference

As part of the 29th FAO Asia-Pacific RegionalConference, a Round Table debate on bioenergywas held on 30 March 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand.This Round Table was a continuation of discussionsheld during ministerial meetings earlier that day;several high-level representatives from the membercountries participated.

The special attention FAO has given to the themereflects the importance of bioenergy issues ingeneral, and biofuels in particular, in many FAO

member countries. Over the last few years,bioenergy production has been a very hot topic onthe international agenda, as conditions related toits impact on food security, climate changemitigation, poverty reduction and natural resourceshave been discussed intensively.

The exchange of information and perspectivesrevealed a wide range of bioenergy programs andactivities in the region. However, it also becameclear that the status and scale of bioenergy

Prepared by Sverre Tvinnereim, Associate Professional Officer, RAP


66


Promoting wood-based bioenergy in Asia-Pacific

production differs among countries. Indeed, oneof the strongest recommendations derived fromthe discussion was to create mechanisms so thatinformation and knowledge could be dispersed, inorder for less developed countries to catch up inthe development of the bioenergy sector. Similarly,it was outlined that a “one-size-fits-all” approachwould not be productive.

The Round Table discussed various approachesfor developing biofuels without imperiling foodsecurity. These included agricultural zoning,definition and identification of marginal anddegraded lands, as well as clear policies andlegislation favoring the use of non-food feed stocks.In this regard, participants noted the advantages

of energy crops such as jatropha, the use of surplusmolasses from sugarcane and oil-producing algae.The long-awaited “second generation” bioenergytechnologies, which are based on lignocellulosicconversion techniques, also inspired the participantswith their anticipated characteristics of being moreefficient and less land-demanding.

The Round Table recognized FAO’s role in thebioenergy arena. It stressed the need for FAO toassist in bioenergy policy formulation and capacitybuilding, and to continue technical work inpartnership with other regional and globalorganizations. And above all, it was stressed thatFAO needs to also maintain its focus on food securityand rural development when it comes to bioenergy.

FAO and the International Tropical TimberOrganization (ITTO) jointly organized the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Promoting Wood-BasedBioenergy Using Wood Residues and Wastes inJakarta, Indonesia, 14-17 October 2008. Theforum was attended by over 120 participants anddistinguished keynote speakers and presenters fromAsia, Europe, and North and South America. Themeeting was opened by Mr. Emmanuel Ze Meka,Executive Director of ITTO, and Mr. MalamSambat Kaban, Indonesia’s Minister of Forestry.

The forum stemmed from the recommendationsof the International Conference on Wood-BasedBioenergy held in Hanover, Germany in 2007 inconjunction with LIGNA 2007 – a leadinginternational event for forestry and woodindustries. Following up the results andrecommendations of the Hanover conference,ITTO and FAO agreed to convene three regionalfora on wood-based energy – in Africa, Asia-Pacificand Latin America. The first wood energy forum

Contributed by Maxim Loboviko, Chief, Forest Products Service, FAO HQs ([email protected]),Peter Schroeder (ITTO consultant) and Tetra Yanuariadi (ITTO)

took place in Africa in Duala, Cameroon, 2-4September 2008. The third ITTO/FAO forum isplanned to be held in Brazil in June 2009.

The main objective of the forums is to raiseawareness on resources, technical and economicperspectives and the potentials of utilizing loggingresidues and wood-processing wastes for energygeneration. ITTO and FAO member countries areexpected to develop policies and build capacity toadopt appropriate technologies for more efficientbioenergy generation from wood residues andwastes. This approach should help meet both socio-economic and environmental developmentobjectives at local and regional levels.

The Asia-Pacific forum addressed the current statusand policies to develop wood-based bioenergy inAsia-Pacific countries. Country reports weredelivered and presented by representatives fromCambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar,Philippines, Thailand and Nepal. In-depth technical

7


7


Danao, an interior town of Bohol, in the centralPhilippines, has been declared the country’s first-ever “ANR municipality” through a resolutionmade by the Sangguniang Bayan (town council).

ANR, short for “assisted natural regeneration,” isan alternative approach that is cheaper thanconventional reforestation. An emergingtechnology, ANR helps speed up the growth ofyoung tree seedlings and other plants that liedormant under the grass, such as the ever-presentImperata cylindrica, more commonly known ascogon. Cogon, a highly invasive grass, infestsmillions of hectares of Philippine forests,suppressing the natural growth of wildings. Thegrass is also easy prey to both intentional andaccidental fires that hinder forest regeneration.

The announcement declaring Danao as thePhilippines’ first ANR municipality was made byDanao Mayor Louis Thomas R. Gonzaga duringa recent ANR training held at the Danao TouristAccommodation Center. Danao is one of threeANR training and demonstration sites in the

country. The two others are in similar cogonal andfire-prone grasslands of Limay, Bataan, and Sto.Tomas, Davao del Norte.

The ANR training envisions empowering a corpsof ANR practioners from the Department ofEnvironment and Natural Resources (DENR),NGOs, academe, research institutions, peoplesorganizations and other stakeholders throughoutthe country. They are being trained and equippedwith the knowledge and skills to help acceleratethe application of ANR and demonstrate the simple,low-cost methods for forest rehabilitation. Thetraining forms part of the ANR program jointlyrun by the ANR-National Coordinating Office ofDENR, FAO and the Bagong Pagasa Foundation.

For more information, please contact:Mr. Paul L. Manalo, Documentation and MediaRelations Consultant for the ANR Project (FAO), E-mail: [email protected]; or [email protected];or Forester Emma N. Castillo, ANR NationalCoordinating Office, FMB-DENR, Visayas Avenue,Quezon City, E-mail: [email protected].

Bohol town is Philippines’ first ANR municipality

presentations were given by Hoi Why Kong(Canada), Peter Schroeder (Germany), HirasSidabutar (Indonesia), and Sudrajat (FORDA-Indonesia). The participants formed workinggroups to discuss the main elements of a “roadmap” to developing sustainable use of wood wastesand residues for energy generation.

The main conclusions and recommendations ofthe Asia-Pacific forum fall into three categories:1) resources and resource information; 2) policiesand strategies; and 3) technology development. Therecommendations will be integrated in the final

report of the three regional fora (Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America). The forum concludedwith an address by the host country presented byMr. Boen M. Purnama, Secretary-General of theMinistry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia.

For more information about the Asia-PacificRegional Forum on Promoting Wood-BasedBioenergy Using Wood Residues and Wastes,please visit the website www.itto.or.jp or contactMr. Peter Schroeder [email protected],Mr. Tetra Yanuariadi [email protected] or Mr. MaximLobovikov at [email protected]


88


Beginning in 2000, the FAO Forestry Departmenthas built up a significant capacity to respond tocountries’ requests for assistance to set up NationalForest Monitoring and Assessment (NFMA)systems to support national decision makingprocesses and strategic planning. Forty nationaland regional workshops on NFMA have beenorganized, NFMA projectswere completed in 9countries and 10 moreprojects are currentlyunderway. In Asia, FAOprovided support to thePhilippines, Bangladesh andVietnam. Four global expertconsultations or technicalmeetings were convened toadapt the concept andapproach of NFMA to meetpresent needs.

FAO convened aninternational expert con-sultation 26-28 November2008, gathering 34 externalexperts from 16 countriesand 8 internationalorganizations at FAOHeadquarters. Asia was represented by India,Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea andVietnam. The objective of the meeting was toreview FAO’s support to NFMA activities in lightof the new demands on countries to assess forestcarbon, land use and land-use changes, and otherreporting requirements.

The rationale for the expert consultation originatedfrom the globally recognized need for improvingnational forest monitoring systems, as the needfor information has never been greater. Thedemand for forestry-related information comesfrom a variety of stakeholders at the international,national and local levels. However, few countries

National forest monitoring and assessments (NFMAs):meeting evolving needs

Prepared by Mohamed Saket, NFMA ([email protected])

in the world today generate systematic data on thechanging characteristics of their forest and landresources, and even fewer countries collect andanalyze information on the factors that helpdetermine the drivers of change and theeffectiveness of public policy in supportingsustainable forest management. FAO estimates that

only 15 percent of the forestsin developing countries havebeen covered by regular field-based forest inventories.

With this in mind,increasingly detailed anddiverse forest informationrequirements necessitatecontinued flexibility fromNFMA systems in order tooptimally serve allstakeholders. The mainobjective of the expertconsultation was to exploreways to enhance the NFMAprogram to meet increasingcountry needs throughmonitoring forest cover andland-use change and ingenerating the required

information for national planning purposes andinternational negotiations. Specifically, the expertconsultation focused on the following objectives: Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the

FAO approach to NFMA in relation tomonitoring Reduced Emissions fromDeforestation and Forest Degradation(REDD).

Identify the requirements of national andinternational policy, strategic planning andreporting, and assess the NFMA program’scapacity to meet these requirements.

Provide guidance on how to effectively presentand disseminate NFMA’s information andresults to make them accessible to policy and

(Photo: Bugi K. Sumirat)

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decision makers in countries for domestic useand for reporting to international processes.

The Expert Consultation consisted of plenarysessions and working groups. The three plenarysessions addressed: i) information needs; ii)methodology; and iii) information disseminationand packaging. Each of the three themes wasaddressed at the national level, international leveland within the context of the REDD mechanism.Background papers included a technical review ofthe NFMA approach and statistical methods (E.Tomppo and K. Andersson, 2008); a cost and timeanalysis of the NFMA approach (Saket et al.,2008); and NFMA’s knowledge reference,dissemination and networking (Piazza, 2008).

During the plenary sessions, the participantsreceived a broad understanding of the NFMAapproach and process. Country experiences werepresented by Zambia on integrated land-useassessment and by Nicaragua on national forestresources monitoring and assessment. Otherpresentations provided valuable background oncurrent information requirements at theinternational level, as well as for REDDmechanisms and strategies for data dissemination.

During plenary sessions and within the nine workinggroups, the participants made numerousrecommendations to the FAO Forestry Departmentand its NFMA program. In the final session of the

meeting, the plenary adopted 16 priorityrecommendations. These recommendations maybe organized into four overarching themes:

Methodological development;REDD readiness;Policy relevance; andManagement issues.

The participants actively contributed to asuccessful expert consultation. Therecommendations will help to further improve theapproach and methodology of FAO’s support toNational Forest Monitoring and Assessment so thatit can continue to play a crucial role in the field offorest and land use assessment. The relevance ofthe programme was widely recognized and acontinued discussion among experts ensures thatit will continue to be an efficient and effectiveapproach in line with emerging needs andresponding to countries requests. The ExpertConsultation will be followed up by thedevelopment of a strategy to involve morecountries, especially from Asia, wishing tocollaborate with FAO to actively engage in settingup NFMA systems.

More information regarding the Expert Consultationas well as the complete Proceedings andrecommendations can be accessed at the followingwebsite: http://www.fao.org/forestry/52821/en/

Poplars, willows and people’s wellbeing

Contributed by Jim Carle, Chief, Forest Resources Development Service, FAO HQs ([email protected])

Background

Poplars and willows account for at least 80 millionhectares of natural and planted forests globally(natural forests 90 percent, planted forests 7percent and agroforestry systems 3 percent). Chinaalone accounts for 85 percent of all poplar andwillow resources in planted forests and agroforestrysystems. These species are among the fastest-growing trees in temperate regions, are easy to

cultivate, and form an important component offorestry and agricultural systems – often for small-scale farmers.

Poplars and willows provide a valuable feedstockto industries for a diverse range of forest productsranging from poles, pulp and paper, panel boards,plywood, veneer, sawn timber, packing crates,pallets, furniture manufacturing and increasinglyfor bioenergy/biofuel production. They also


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provide a range of non-wood products such asfodder for livestock and important medicines.

Poplars and willows can also provide valuableenvironmental and social services. They provideshelter, shade and protection of soil, water, crops,livestock and dwellings. They play an importantrole in the phyto-remediation of severely degradedsites, rehabilitation of fragile ecosystems (includingcombating desertification) and in forest landscaperestoration (often integrated with agriculture,horticulture, viticulture and apiculture). As fastgrowing species, they are particularly effective atsequestering carbon. They create employment,boost exports and contribute to social andeconomic development and sustainable livelihoodsin rural areas. They are also used to beautify urbanand peri-urban parks, schools, lakes, waterways,recreational areas and highways as green buffers.Poplars, in particular, are also leading the way inthe application of advanced biotechnology, genomicresearch, molecular breeding and development.

23rd Session of the International PoplarCommission

The Chinese Forestry Society, Beijing ForestryUniversity, Chinese Academy of Forestry andFAO, supported by the Ministry of Agriculture andthe State Forest Administration, hosted the 23rd

Session of the International Poplar Commission(IPC) and associated events in Beijing, China, 22October - 4 November 2008. About 300 policymakers, forest managers, forest scientists andacademics from public and private institutions,landowners, indigenous people and students withan interest in growing and using poplars and willowsattended the meeting. The Beijing session includedplenary and concurrent sessions on topical technicalissues, and business meetings for the six workingparties and sub-committee on registration andnomenclature.

Prior to the 23rd Session, the “Working Party onHarvesting and Utilization” and Nanjing ForestryUniversity hosted a very successful conference inNanjing, 21-24 October, on “Engineered WoodProducts Based on Poplar/Willow Wood” thatattracted strong support from the private sector,both internationally and from China.

In addition, the 44th Executive Committee Meetingof the IPC was held on the 26 October in Beijingto review IPC and Working Party progress 2004-07, and to guide programs of work for 2008-2011.Progress on the IPC-coordinated book, “Poplarsand Willows in the World: Meeting the Needs ofSociety and the Environment,” was also reported.

Study tours

Participants took part in a pre-session study tour,22-25 October, to the Three North Shelterbeltregion in the Naiman Banner of Inner Mongolia,which demonstrated the diverse application ofpoplar and willow culture in combatingdesertification in a combination of plantations,shelterbelts and agroforestry systems.

A post-session study tour to Puyang and SiyangCounties and Nanjing Municipality, 31 October -4 November, highlighted the rich culture of poplarsand willows in protecting the embankments alongthe Yangtze, Huai and Yellow Rivers and theirintegration into fisheries, horticulture, apiary,livestock, agricultural crops and poultrymanagement. The family-based growingmechanisms and the village-based wood industrysupply chains to large private sector wood industrieswere well adapted to the Chinese rural conditions.

The importance of poplars and willows inbeautifying parks, walkways, motorways and publicareas around Chinese cities was a highlight. Thebeautification of Beijing for the 29th OlympicGames was largely based on poplar and willowplantings.

Recommendations

The International Poplar Commission, through theSecretariat, Working Parties and National PoplarCommissions made the followingrecommendations:

Strengthen the transfer of science, policy,planning and management knowledge andtechnology through effective implementationof Phase I of the FAO-Italy supported project“Poplars and Willows for SustainableLivelihoods and Land-use” in the EastMediterranean and Central Asian regions, andassist in preparation of Phase II of the project.

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Recognize the Chinese Academy of Forestry,Beijing Forestry University, Nanjing ForestryUniversity, and the State Forest Administrationas international centers of excellence in forestryeducation, training and outreach, and welcomethem into the international networks to transferknowledge and technology, particularly withregards to the research, development andmanagement of poplars and willows.Support networks and partnerships amongresearchers, academics, policy makers,planners, managers (including the privatesector and smallholders) to achieve sustainable

management of poplar and willow resourcesin natural and planted forests, agroforestrysystems and trees outside forests, to betterintegrate forestry and agriculture in morediversified landscapes, with emphasis ondeveloping countries.

For further information please visit the followingwebsites:23rd Session website: http://www.fao.org/forestry/ipc2008 and http://www.ipc2008bj.com.cn/IPC website: http://www.fao.org/forestry/ipc

RAP forestry staff movement

Michael Pescott, a national of Australia, joinedthe RAP forestry group in March 2009 as aForestry Policy Officer under the Australian YouthAmbassadors for Development (AYAD)Programme. He has been charged with supportingRAPO’s various forestry policy related activitiesover the coming year, including the Asia-PacificForest Policy Think Tank, and a number ofthematic workshops on forestry activities withpolicy implications.

Prior to joining the forestry group, Mr. Pescottworked as a freelance forestry consultantspecializing in climate change and carbonaccounting. He has also worked with the VictorianParliament’s Environment and Natural ResourceCommittee, Australia, and the Department ofSustainability and Environment, Victoria, Australia.He holds a Bachelor of Forestry (Honours) andBachelor of Science from The University ofMelbourne, Australia.

Marija Spirovska-Kono, a national ofMacedonia, joined the RAP forestry group in

January 2009 as a consultant. Her main dutiesinclude preparation of project proposal for forestinvasive species, support meetings and workshopsorganization and developing the guidelines for theprogram “Champions of Asia-Pacific forests”.

Prior to joining the forestry group, Marija has beenworking on establishment and management ofprotected areas in the Balkan region under differentprograms of the Swiss Development andCooperation Agency, Pro Natura – Friends of theEarth and trans-boundary projects such as theIUCN Green Belt initiative. She has been workingwith different stakeholders involved in sustainablemanagement of natural resources in projectssupported by the World Bank, IFAD and USAID.

After two years with the RAP forestry group,Regan Suzuki has now taken up a new assignmentwith the Regional Community Forestry TrainingCenter for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC) inBangkok.


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Alfred John Leslie (5 February 1921 - 24 January 2009)

Alfred (Alf) John Leslie, ex-Director, ForestIndustries Division, Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations (FAO), passedaway peacefully in Te Awamutu, New Zealand onSaturday, 24 January, approaching his 88th

birthday. The forestry family will miss him as adynamic, inspirational forestry icon with boundlessenergy and wise and considered counsel. He leavesa proud forestry legacy – to aspire for, and applyknowledge, challenge the norms, inspire others,and above all, be accountable for one’s owndecisions and actions.

Alf was born in Princes Hill,Melbourne, Victoria. He waseducated at University High Schooland accepted a Victoria ForestsCommission cadetship to the Schoolof Forestry, Creswick, Victoria(1938-1940).

Alf attended Melbourne University,Australia, and graduated with aBachelor of Forestry Science (1947-1949). On graduating, Alf wasemployed by the Victorian ForestsCommission as a Field Officer inMansfield and then Beech Forest in the Otways inVictoria, Australia (1949-1951) then as WoodSuperintendent and the Chief Forester withAustralian Paper Mills (APM) in Gippsland, Victoria(1951-1958) that gave him a sound fieldperspective, particularly in plantation forestry. Heheld posts as Lecturer and then Senior Lecturer atthe University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia(1958-1964) and completed his Master of ForestryScience post-graduate degree. While holding thepost as Senior Lecturer, University of Ibadan,Nigeria (1964-1966), he gained a thoroughunderstanding of international forestry, particularlyin developing countries. Alf returned to Australiaas Officer in Charge, Regional Stations at the ForestResearch Institute, Canberra, Australia (1966-1968). Thereafter, he pursued further internationalchallenges and accepted the post as ForestEconomist at FAO, Rome, Italy (1968-1974)before accepting the post as Reader, University of

Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand (1974-1976). He returned to Rome as Director, ForestIndustries Division, FAO, (1977-1981) where heserved with distinction before retiring. He continuedas an active and respected international consultantto FAO and ITTO until 2008.

Alf communicated easily and enjoyed challengingand inspiring young minds as a guest lecturerer atvarious universities. In recognition of his servicesto international forestry, Alf was awarded an

honorary doctorate in ForestryScience from the University ofMelbourne, Australia in 1994. In2001, he was a recipient of theCommonwealth ForestryAssociation Regional Medal for hiscontributions to forestry worldwide.Additionally, in 2007, he was arecipient of the Council of ForestEngineering, International ForestEngineering Achievement Award.

Alf was mentored by his good friendand FAO colleague, Jack Westoby,former Director of the ProgrammeCoordination and Operations

Division, Forestry Department, FAO. Togetherthey challenged conventional forestry views of theday. Most foresters’ work and forestry writings ofthe day were concerned with how to do things inforestry. However, Alf and Jack concernedthemselves with the why. Their work helped mouldmodern international forestry policies andchallenged younger generations of foresters aroundthe world to do likewise, in their own contexts.

It is a fitting tribute to Alf’s contribution to forestrythat his family and forestry colleagues from aroundthe globe, are contributing to the Alf LeslieMemorial Fund to establish a grove of trees atCreswick School of Forestry, Victoria, Australia.He planted rich and challenging ideas in the mindsof young foresters. Even following Alf’s passing,the grove will continue to serve young foresters intheir learning.

Source: http://www.fao.org/forestry/54181/en/

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Vietnam sees REDD

The acronym “REDD” stands for “ReducedEmissions from Deforestation and ForestDegradation.” A Google search for “REDD” yieldsapproximately 6,640,000 results today. While thisis not in the same league as “Global Warming,” itrepresents an important landmark event forforestry, with both being intricately connected aswell. As we all recall, the Clean DevelopmentMechanism (CDM) arrangement under the KyotoProtocol of 1997 practically excluded forestryprojects by keeping out forest conservation anddeforestation considerations. This, de facto, killedthe potential role of forests in climate changemitigation – so far, only a few forestry projectshave been approved. The mechanism has turnedout to be administratively heavy and costly forindividual projects.

The situation has since been reversed followingthe release of the Stern Review in October 2006.The review and later other organizations such asIPCC pointed out that deforestation, includingforest degradation, was responsible for around 20percent of global carbon emissions. You may besurprised to learn that this is much higher thanthat from the transport industry, which is currentlyaround 13 percent only. The Review concludedthat reducing emissions from deforestation anddegradation (REDD) could play a significant rolein climate change mitigation. Considering its costeffectiveness, REDD would be the mitigationoption for now – it will buy us the time now untilthe world transitions to a low carbon economy.

The Stern Review recommended that theinternational community should compensate theopportunity costs of alternative land use and formanaging and enforcing forest protection. Basedon this, in 2007 at the 13th session of theConference of Parties to the United NationsFramework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) (also called the Bali Conference),countries adopted a decision to explore a range ofactions, identify options and undertake efforts to

address the drivers of deforestation. These arecalled the REDD approaches (Bali Action Plan),and the Parties were mandated to negotiate a post-2012 instrument to provide financial incentives formitigation of climate change from forest actions indeveloping countries.

In response to the COP 13 decision, and requestsfrom rainforest countries and encouragement fromdonors, FAO, UNDP and UNEP have developedthe collaborative UN-REDD Programme. Thecollaborative programme will have twocomponents: (i) assisting developing countriesdevelop and implement national REDD strategiesand mechanisms; and (ii) supporting thedevelopment of standardized approaches for aREDD instrument that is linked to the UNFCCC.The task of the collaborative programme is indeedcomplex and extremely challenging. In the firstplace, the countries’ efforts to reduce deforestationand forest degradation have to be successful. Theymust be actual, lasting, reliable, and the emissionreductions measurable with some scientific veracity.The payment structures designed thereof shouldmerit the efforts of the countries as well as deliverincentives for local communities. Thedemonstrations should give enough confidence tothe UNFCCC COP Negotiators to include REDDinto the post-2012 regime. You might as well callthis forestry’s last chance.

In order to get the UN-REDD programme intomotion, the Government of Norway provided thefirst grant in April 2008. Under this “Quick Start”arrangement, nine countries worldwide applied forthe pilot scheme. The three Asian countries areIndonesia, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam. FAO,UNDP and UNEP mounted planning missions toall three countries in 2008/2009 to evaluate theirREDD “readiness” and what further action wouldbe needed for them to implement the programme.The planning missions looked for the key elementsfor REDD readiness and gaps among other donorprojects and opportunities in the three countries.

Prepared by S. Appanah (FAO/RAP) and M. Leppanen (FAO HQs)


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They first looked at the state of the forests, policiesand institutions, and the drivers of deforestationand degradation. Next, the missions reviewed theinstitutional and technical capacity for managingREDD, reference scenarios, basis for forestmonitoring, benefit sharing payment systems fromnational to local levels, and sites where all therelated mechanisms can be pilot tested in the field.

Of the three countries, Vietnam appeared to bemost advanced on all counts to be ready for apilot programme for REDD. Followingconsultation with all stakeholders, a jointprogramme document was finalized “to assist theGovernment of Vietnam in developing an effectiveREDD regime in Vietnam and to contribute toreduction of regional leakage.” The UN-REDDProgramme Vietnam (2009-2010) will assist thecountry to develop readiness for an effectiveREDD regime that will contribute to reducingemissions from deforestation and forestdegradation nationally and regionally, and developthe financial mechanisms for sharing benefits withthe stakeholders. Support will be provided toimprove institutional capacity, mainstream REDDinto district-level sustainable development planningand implementation, and improving regionalcooperation on trans-boundary leakages mainly byillegal wood trade. The UN agencies are makingpreparations to initiate the work.

While few would dispute the joint-UN mission’sfinding of the “REDD-readiness” of Vietnam, somereservations still remain. One question is whatwould be the advantage for Vietnam, a relativelylow carbon-producing country, to engage inREDD? The benefits are not clearly known andthere will be transaction costs preparing readinessand implementing the REDD regime. Wouldn’t itbe better off to pursue the Clean DevelopmentMechanism’s afforestation and reforestation

The second concern that overhangs testing ofREDD programme is the overzealousness on thepart of UN to please all parties, from human-rightsissues, gender equality, environmental sustainabilityand questions of equity. When many demands areplaced on a pilot programme, the core issues thatmake REDD workable become obscured andunachievable. It would be preferable to get thebasic REDD mechanism going before otherdemands are placed over it.

And finally, there is the prickly issue of trans-boundary leakage. Vietnam, with its strongreforestation programme, may become a net gainerof carbon, but many of its wood industries areabsorbing timber from neighbouring countries,where legality and sustainability remainquestionable. In that sense, Vietnam’s initiative tobring about REDD readiness would require it topay attention to the ongoing problems beyond itsborders. This may be somewhat problematic, butwould be an achievement on the part of REDD ifsome solutions are forthcoming as result of thisjoint initiative. The world would be watchingVietnam turning REDD.

opportunities which are likely to come on line post-2012? It is indeed correct to state that in the lastdecade, Vietnam has actually increased its forestarea through a massive reforestation programme.However, its REDD candidacy still applies – theremaining natural forests are under threat from avariety of forces, shifting cultivation being onemajor immediate causative factor. The otheradvantage is Vietnam provides an easier templateto pilot the REDD programme, as many of theforestry problems are easier to handle. Attemptingto pioneer a REDD programme in a difficultenvironment would be a recipe for possible failureanyway.

ForestryForestry’’ s role in global carb ons role in global carb on

ReservoirsReservoirs 1650 1650 G tCGtC((nearly twicenearly twicethe carbon in the the carbo n in the atmo sphere)atm osphere)

SinksSinks 2.6 2.6 G tCG tC/yr/yr

Sources Sources 1.6 1.6 GtCG tC/yr /yr (m ainly (m ainly

deforestatio n)defo restation)

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ASIA-PACIFIC FORESTRY CHIPS AND CLIPS

INDONESIA REOPENS PEAT LAND TOPALM OIL PLANTATIONSThe Indonesian Government has lifted a year-longfreeze on the use of peat land for palm oilplantations. Environmental groups are concernedthat renewed clearing of peat land will create largeincreases in greenhouse gas emissions. To besuitable for palm oil production, peat land must becleared and drained, thereby releasing CO

2 into

the atmosphere. Indonesia’s agriculture ministryindicated it has set tighter controls for issuing newpermits for palm oil plantations.– The Guardian –

NEW FOREST PLAN FOR FELLING OFTREES IN GOADespite a complete moratorium on tree-felling ingovernment forests, a new working plan for forestsin the Indian state of Goa proposes to allow forestthinning in existing plantations and the felling ofgrown trees. The plan is currently being consideredby state-level authorities before being submittedto the central government for final approval. Onceapproved, the plan will be in force for a period of20 years.– The Times of India –

TIMBER PAOCHING PERSISTS IN ISABELDESPITE CRACKDOWNDespite efforts by the provincial government toend illegal logging in Isabel, Philippines, treepoachers continue to smuggle contraband forestproducts according to a local Taskforce onEnvironmental Protection. The Taskforce recentlyconfiscated some 10,000 board feet of illegally cuttrees believed to have originated from the SierraMadre Forest. The confiscations came followinga recent forest stakeholders meeting with theDepartment of Environment and NaturalResources.– GMANews.TV –

DEFORESTATION BEHIND TIGERATTACKSConservation group WWF has blameddeforestation and human encroachment into tiger

habitats for recent attacks by Sumatran tigers inIndonesia. Six people were killed by the rare tigersin Jambi province in less than a month. TheSumatran tiger is the most critically endangered ofthe world’s tiger subspecies. Conservationistsbelieve that deforestation, killings due to human-tiger conflict and illegal hunting for trade in tigerparts have halved the tiger population on the islandof Sumatra since the 1970s.– Reuters –

MALAYSIA HOPES FOR VPA WITH EUSOONMalaysia hopes to conclude a bilateral voluntarypartnership agreement (VPA) with the EuropeanUnion (EU) this year. The agreement aims toensure that Malaysian timber exports to Europeare legally and sustainably produced. Under theVPA negotiations, Malaysia has requested the EUgive special preference to Malaysian timberproducts in European markets over tropical timberproducts from other countries such as Indonesiaand African states.– illegal-logging.info –

CLAIMS INDIGENOUS MALAYSIANSFORCED OFF LAND DENIEDThe forestry department of the Malaysian state ofSabah denied claims by the Human RightsCommission of Malaysia that indigenous peopleliving within forests are being forced off their landto make way for private enterprise. Director ofthe Sabah Forestry Department, Datuk SamMannan, indicated that settlements in the region’sforest reserves are left untouched under theprovision the settlements do not expand. Ifsettlements have to be vacated for whatever reason,he indicated that alternative housing and land isprovided for under the Sabah’s community forestinitiative.– The New Straits Times –


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FOREST NEWS is issued by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific as part of TIGERPAPER. This issueof FOREST NEWS was compiled by Patrick B. Durst, Senior Forestry Officer, FAO/RAP.

FAO ASIA-PACIFIC FORESTRY CALENDAR

5-7 May 2009. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ASEAN C&I Training Workshop. Contact: Masahiro Otsuka,Forestry Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200,Thailand; Tel.(662) 697-4130; Fax: (662) 697-4445; E-mail. [email protected]

13 May 2009. Beijing, China. Workshop to launch China’s 2nd Partnership with NFP Facility. Contact:Fan Xiaojie, nfp Facilitator, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok10200, Thailand; Tel.(662) 697-4254; Fax: (662) 697-4445; E-mail. [email protected]

19-22 May 2009. Bohol, Philippines. Regional Workshop on Assisted Natural Regeneration. Contact:Patrick Durst, Senior Forestry Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 39 Phra Atit Road,Bangkok 10200, Thailand; Tel.(662) 697-4139; Fax: (662) 697-4445; E-mail. [email protected]

26 May 2009. Rome, Italy. Advisory Committee on Paper and Wood Products – 50th Session. Contact:Joachim Lorbach, FOIP, FAO Forestry Department, Via della Terme di Caracalla, 00100, Rome, Italy; E-mail: [email protected]

3-5 June 2009. Chiang Mai, Thailand. APFSOS Scientific Committee Meeting. Contact: Patrick Durst,Senior Forestry Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200,Thailand; Tel.(662) 697-4139; Fax: (662) 697-4445; E-mail. [email protected]

11-12 June 2009. Bangkok, Thailand (tbc). nfps for All Workshop. Contact: Fan Xiaojie, nfp Facilitator,FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand; Tel.(662)697-4254; Fax: (662) 697-4445; E-mail. [email protected]

16-19 June 2009. Workshop to launch partnership between Bhutan and the nfp Facility. Contact: FanXiaojie, nfp Facilitator, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200,Thailand; Tel.(662) 697-4254; Fax: (662) 697-4445; E-mail. [email protected]

5-7 August 2009 (tbc). Thailand. Workshop on removing constraints to private investment in forestry.Contact: Patrick Durst, Senior Forestry Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 39 Phra AtitRoad, Bangkok 10200, Thailand; Tel.(662) 697-4139; Fax: (662) 697-4445; E-mail. [email protected]

18-25 October 2009. Buenos Aires, Argentina. XIII World Forestry Congress. Contact: Olman Serrano,Associate Secretary General; E-mail: [email protected]

23-28 August 2010. Seoul, Korea. XXIII IUFRO World Congress. Contact: Secretariat, IUFRO Head-quarters;, Mariabrunn (BFW), Haupstrasse 7, A-1140, Vienna, Austria; E-mail: [email protected]

FORESTRY PUBLICATIONS: FAO REGIONALOFFICE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (RAP)

For copies please write to: Senior Forestry Officer for Asia and the Pacific,FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand.

Or visit the FAO website for an electronic version: http://www.fao.or.th/publications/publications.htm

Report of the twenty-second session of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (RAP Publication2008/06)Re-inventing forestry agencies. Experiences ofinstitutional restructuring in Asia and the Pacific(RAP Publication 2008/05)Forest faces. Hopes and regrets in Philippineforestry (RAP Publication 2008/04Reaching consensus. Multi-stakeholderprocesses in forestry: experiences from the Asia-Pacific region (RAP Publication 2007/31)Trees and shrubs of the Maldives (RAPPublication 2007/12)Coastal protection in the aftermath of the IndianOcean tsunami: What role for forests and trees?(RAP Publication 2007/07Developing an Asia-Pacific strategy for forestinvasive species: The coconut beetle problem –bridging agriculture and forestry (RAP Publication2007/02The role of coastal forests in the mitigation oftsunami impacts (RAP Publication 2007/01)Taking stock: Assessing progress in developingand implementing codes of practice for forestharvesting in ASEAN member countries (RAPPublication 2006/10)Mangrove guidebook for Southeast Asia (RAP2006/07)Proceedings of the workshop on forests forpoverty reduction: changing role for research,development and training institutions (RAPPublication - 2005/19)APFC - The unwelcome guests: Proceedings ofthe Asia-Pacific Forest Invasive SpeciesConference (RAP Publication 2005/18)Helping forests take cover (RAP Publication2005/13)Elephant care manual for mahouts and campmanagers (RAP Publication 2005/10)Forest certification in China: latest developmentsand future strategies (RAP Publication 2005/08)Waves of hope – report of the regionalcoordination workshop on rehabilitation oftsunami-affected forest ecosystems: strategiesand new directions (RAP Publication 2005/07)Forests and floods – drowning in fiction orthriving on facts? (RAP Publication 2005/03)

In search of excellence: exemplary forestmanagement in Asia and the Pacific (RAPPublication 2005/02)What does it take? The role of incentives in forestplantation development in Asia and the Pacific(RAP Publication 2004/27)Forests for poverty reduction: opportunities forClean Development Mechanism, environmentalservices and biodiversity (RAP Publication 2004/22)Forests for poverty reduction: can communityforestry make money? (RAP Publication: 2004/04)Advancing assisted natural regeneration (ANR) inAsia and the Pacific (RAP Publication 2003/19) -2nd editionBringing back the forests: policies and practicesfor degraded lands and forests (RAP Publication2003/14) out of printPractical guidelines for the assessment,monitoring and reporting on national level criteriaand indicators for sustainable forest managementin dry forests in Asia (RAP Publication: 2003/05)Giants on our hands: proceedings of theinternational workshop on the domesticated Asianelephant (RAP Publication: 2002/30)Communities in flames: proceedings of aninternational conference on communityinvolvement in fire management (RAP Publication:2002/25)Applying reduced impact logging to advancesustainable forest management (RAP Publication:2002/14)Trash or treasure? Logging and mill residues inAsia-Pacific (RAP Publication: 2001/16)Regional training strategy: supporting theimplementation of the Code of Practice for forestharvesting in Asia-Pacific (RAP Publication: 2001/15)Forest out of bounds: impacts and effectivenessof logging bans in natural forests in Asia-Pacific:executive summary (RAP Publication: 2001/10)Forest out of bounds: impacts and effectivenessof logging bans in natural forests in Asia-Pacific(RAP Publication: 2001/08)Trees commonly cultivated in Southeast Asia: anillustrated field guide - 2nd edition (RAPPublication: 1999/13)

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