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Site description (2004 baseline):

Nokrek National Park is located in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya state, covering parts of three districts, i.e. East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills. Nokrek was declared as a National Park in 1986 while the final notification was issued in 1997. The Park is very small, but it serves as the core area of the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve (82,000 ha). The area of the National Park has been acquired by outright purchase of land from the local communities by the Government of Meghalaya. The entire Park is hilly, the northern aspect has comparatively gentle slopes, while the southern aspect consists of moderate to very steep slopes. Dense clusters of low hills characterize the area, with a central ridge traversing from northwest to northeast. This is known as the Tura Ridge. The Tura Ridge constitutes the backbone of the Garo Hills, which lie at the western end of the Meghalaya plateau. The range has an elevation of c. 1,200 m. Numerous rivers and streams originate from these hills and flow over narrow, rocky beds to join the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. Major rivers are Simsang (the longest in the Garo Hills), Ganol, Dareng, Nitai and Bhugi (Lahkar et al. 2002). The terrain is rocky, and in many places the ridge is devoid of topsoil. Climatic conditions in the Garo Hills are tropical, characterized by high rainfall and humidity during monsoon (April- October). The forest can be described as Eastern Submontane Semi- Evergreen Forest grouped under Tropical Semi-evergreen Forests of Champion and Seth (1968). The hilltop forests are mostly cloud forest, i.e they are covered in clouds most of the time during the monsoon. Vegetation on the southern slopes is limited to occasional patches of Moist Deciduous forest, dominated by birch Betula sp. at higher altitudes and mixed secondary scrub at lower altitudes. Very little vegetation remains on the gentler northern slopes, and is restricted to a narrow fringe of Evergreen and Semi-evergreen forest along the ridge. Varieties of Citrus indica, a wild, primitive relative of cultivated citrus species, are present in large numbers (Gogoi 1981).

AVIFAUNA: About 150 bird species have been recorded from Nokrek NP, in a survey of the avifauna (Lahkar et al. 2002). One Restricted Range species and 36 Biome species were recorded from the Park during the survey. Though local people report the occurrence of Rufousnecked Hornbill Aceros nipalensis, Lahkar et al. (2002) could not find any bird. Both Oriental White-backed Gyps bengalensis and Slender-billed vultures G. tenuirostris were seen. More detailed surveys are required of this IBA. As the elevation of this site varies from 600 to 1400 m, it falls into two biomes: Biome-9 (Indo-Chinese Tropical Moist Forest, below c. 1,000 m) and Biome-8 (Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forests, c. 1000 to 2,000 m). BirdLife International (undated) has identified 95 bird species which represent Biome-8 assemblages, and 19 species of Biome-9. Based on the preliminary investigation of bird life (Lahkar et al. 2002), eight species of Biome-8 and three species of Biome-9 have been seen till now at this site. More species are likely to be present. This site is selected as IBA based on presence of threatened species and biome-restricted assemblages.

OTHER KEY FAUNA: The area is an important part of the range of the Indian Elephant Elephas maximus. Primates include Hoolock Gibbon Hylobates hoolock, Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus, Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta, and Stump-tailed macaque M. arctoides (Choudhury 2002). Nokrek is famed for its diversity of large and small cats, ranging from Tiger Panthera tigris, Leopard P. pardus, Clouded Leopard Neofelis nebulosa, Golden Cat Catopuma temmincki to Leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis. The main Canids are Golden Jackal Canis aureus and Wild dog Cuon alpinus. The Himalayan Black Bear Ursus thibetanus is another large carnivore. Large Indian civet Viverra zibetha, Small Indian civet Viverricula indica, Himalayan palm civet Paguma larvata, and Binturong Arctictis binturong are predators on smaller mammals and birds. Wild Boar Sus scrofa, Sambar Cervus unicolor, Barking deer Muntiacus muntjak, Serow Nemorhaedus sumatraensis and Gaur Bos frontalis are the major ungulates (Gogoi 1981).

MAIN THREATS: Livestock grazing; Disturbance to birds; Firewood collection; Fire; Shifting cultivation; Unsustainable exploitation of timber and Non Timber Forest Produce; Coal mining.

Nokrek NP is the principal watershed for the district. The area is also an important refuge for a variety of threatened mammals and herds of migratory elephants. The State Government is in the process of acquiring Akhing tribal land. Social forestry schemes are being developed for their benefit. Jhum or shifting cultivation is the primary agricultural practice in this hill range. Owing to human population pressure, the periodicity of jhuming has decreased to 3-5 years, not leaving much time for healing of the vegetation. It has been found that repeated jhuming increases the silt load. Vegetation on the lower slopes of the Tura Ridge has been heavily disturbed for shifting cultivation. Hunting is still a major problem. Teenagers are often seen with catapults, killing small birds. Timber smuggling is also on the increase. The Park does not have sufficient staff to patrol the forest. Coal mining is a common practice all over the Garo Hills, and this affects Nokrek (mainly the Biosphere Reserve), especially the southern range. Both open cast and traditional ‘rat hole’ mining were observed. Inclusion of Tura Peak Reserve Forest in the Protected Area Network would greatly help to save the primary forest of the hills. It is also recommended that the area of the Biosphere Reserve should be increased to link Nokrek with Balpakram National Park (an IBA), and Baghmara Reserve Forest.

Key contributors: Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, Hilloljyoti Singha, Praveen J. and Firoz Ahmed.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Nokrek National Park (India). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/nokrek-national-park-iba-india on 23/12/2024.