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Site description (2002 baseline):
Site location and context
The Ban Thi-Xuan Lac area is situated within the Na Hang/Ba Be Forest Complex. The site is characterised by limestone karst topography and supports 2,200 ha of limestone forest in a good condition. The globally threatened primate Francois' Leaf Monkey Trachypithecus francoisi francoisi has been recorded at Ban Thi-Xuan Lac, and the site is of potential importance for the conservation of this primate.
White-eared Night Heron has been recorded at Ban-Thi Xuan Lac and this is significant for two main reasons. Firstly, this is the first record of this species in Vietnam for 25 years. Prior to its rediscovery at the site, it was thought to be possibly extinct in Vietnam. However, there is still very little information available about the species in Vietnam, and further surveys are required of areas of suitable habitat in the Na Hang/Ba Be Forest Complex, in order to more fully understand the species' status in the area. Secondly, the rediscovery of White-eared Night Heron in the Ban Thi-Xuan Lac area reveals that the Na Hang/Ba Be Forest Complex should be included within the South-east China Mountains endemic Bird Area (EBA). To date, however, there is no evidence to indicate that any of the other four restricted-range species that occur in this EBA (White-necklaced Partridge Arborophila gingica, Cabot's Tragopan Tragopan caboti, Elliot;s Pheasant Syrmaticus ellioti and Brown-chested Jungle flycatcher Rhinomyias brunneata) also occur in Vietnam.
Non-bird biodiversity: Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta, Stump-tailed Macaque Macaca arctoides and Francois' Leaf Monkey Trachypithecus francoisi francoisi have been recorded at Ban Thi-Xuan Lac on the basis of interviews and captive specimens (Le Trong Trai et al., 2001). Le Trong Trai et al. (2001) recorded the occurrence of Southern Serow Naemorhedus sumatraensis at Ban Thi-Xuan Lac on the basis of interviews with local people and remains observed at a village.A form of Amenotaxus was found growing in the Ban Thi-Xuan Lac area, provisionally identified as A. argotaenia.
The landscape of the Ban Thi-Xuan Lac area is comprised of limestone karst formations, interspersed with flat valleys. The fertile soils of the flat valleys are suitable for agriculture, and, as a result, the primary vegetation has been almost totally cleared from these areas. However, the steep limestone karst slopes, which are unsuitable for agriculture, still support extensive areas of mixed closed canopy forest; the Ban Thi-Xuan Lac proposed IBA consists almost entirely of such habitat.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The major threats to biodiversity at Ban Thi-Xuan Lac are clearance of forest for agriculture, hunting, over-exploitation of non-timber forest products, timber extraction, and isolation from nearby forest areas.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
In 2001, a biodiversity survey was conducted at the Ban Thi-Xuan Lac area as part of the Creating Protected Areas for Resource Conservation using Landscape Ecology (PARC) Project at Na Hang proposed nature reserve and Ba Be National Park (Le Trong Trai et al., 2001). The PARC project is being implemented by the Forest Protection Department (FPD) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in association with Scott Wilson Asia-Pacific Ltd, and with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ban Thi - Xuan Lac (Vietnam). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ban-thi--xuan-lac-iba-vietnam on 22/11/2024.
