Current view: Text account
Site description (2003 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA is located in the Cardamom Mountains, between Phnom Samkos (KH012) and Phnom Aural IBAs (KH014). The IBA comprises all areas of evergreen and semi-evergreen forest in the central Cardamom Mountains above 400 m asl, which is thought to be the lower altitudinal limit of Chestnut-headed Partridge Arborophila cambodiana. The topography of the IBA is mountainous, although maximum elevations are lower than within the adjacent IBAs. The vegetation of the IBA is dominated by lowland evergreen forest, with hill evergreen forest above 1,000 m asl. The IBA supports Chestnut-headed Partridge one of the two restricted-range species found in the Cambodia-Thailand Mountains Endemic Bird Area. Furthermore, the large expanses of relatively intact lowland evergreen forest within the IBA make it a potentially important site for the conservation of Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis. Historically both White-winged Duck Cairina scutulata and White-shouldered Ibis Pseudibis davisoni were recorded along rivers within the IBA in 1944, but their current status is unknown. Most of the IBA is included within the Central Cardamoms Protected Forest.
Non-bird biodiversity: Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis), Pig-tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina), Silvered Langur (Semnopithecus cristatus), Bear Macaque (Macaca arctoides), Slow Loris (Nycticebus coucang), Pileated Gibbon (Hylobates pileatus).Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis), Impressed Tortoise (Manouria impressaand) and Asiatic Softshell Turtle (Amyda cartilaginea).Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), Gaur (Bos gaurus), Southern Serow (Naemorhedus sumatraensis).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The construction of new roads and logging roads is facilitating access to the area for returning refugees and, particularly in the lowland areas, forest is being converted to agriculture. Hunting, often linked with new roads and increasing access is also a problem. Much of it is for local consumption, and linked with the collection of kresna (Aquilaria malaccensis), but hunting for trade, particularly from Thailand is thought to be increasing.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Recommendations;- Law enforcement on the crackdown of wildlife hunting, trade and illegal logging should be strengthened in the whole Cardamom Mountains.- Any development in the area without biodiversity impact assessment is to be prohibited or stopped- Land encroachment and forest clearance for agricultural purposes should be discouraged
verlaps with Central Cardamoms Protected Forest
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Central Cardamoms (Cambodia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/central-cardamoms-iba-cambodia on 22/11/2024.
