|
The protected areas of Bhutan comprises
four national parks, four wildlife
sanctuaries and one strict nature
reserve. Revised in 1993 to represent
Bhutan's complete ecosystems, the parks
network encompasses 26.3 percent of the
land (10,758 square km). In 1999, an
additional 9.5 percent of the country
was demarcated as biological corridors
linking all nine protected areas, and
declared a gift to the earth from the
Bhutanese people.
All parks are legally protected with
varying management prescriptions based
on the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature's categories for
protected areas, with a majority of
parks zoned into core, administrative,
buffer and multiple-use zones. The
common conservation approach integrating
conservation priorities with economic
development needs, aims to ensure the
long-term conservation of the parks'
natural resources while bringing
sustainable economic development to
local communities. The trust fund
supported the legal gazettement of the
parks and demarcating their boundaries,
and is currently financing the
recruitment and specialised training of
crucial human resources to manage these
parks.
Torsa Strict Nature Reserve (644
sq. km) protects the westernmost
temperate forests of the country, from
broadleaf forests to alpine meadows
within an altitude range of
1,400-4,800m, and includes the small
lakes of Sinchulungpa. Unlike Bhutan's
other protected areas, Torsa has no
resident human population.
Jigme Dorji National Park (4,329
sq. km), is the largest protected area
in Bhutan with an altitude range of
1,400 to above 7,000 m. The park is a
vital watershed covering almost half of
northern Bhutan, and is an important
natural conservatory of glaciers, alpine
meadows and scrublands, sub-alpine and
temperate conifer forests, warm and cool
temperate broadleaf forests, major
rivers and streams, and the flora and
fauna that inhabit these ecosystems.
Jigme Dorji harbors numerous charismatic
species of wildlife, many of which are
endangered or extinct elsewhere in the
world. These include the tiger (Panthera
tigris), snow leopard (Uncia uncia),
takin (Budorcas taxicolor), blue sheep (Pseudouis
nayaur), musk deer (Moshcus chrysogaster),
Himalayan black bear (Selenarctos
thibetanus), marmot (Marmota himalayana),
red panda (Ailurus fulgens) and several
species of pheasant. The park also is
famous for its flora, and more than 300
species of plants found here are used in
indigenous medicine. Jigme Dorji has a
resident human population of more than
1,000 households. The integrated
management of the park, initially
supported by the trust fund, is now
financed by the Global Environment
Facility and the United Nations
Development Program. The conservation
strategy adopted here is to support the
park management to address the main
threats to the park's biodiversity and
remove the causes of these threats by
implementing various activities,
including recruitment and training
staff, infrastructure development,
enforcement of legal systems to mitigate
poaching, and implementation of
community resources management plans to
promote sustainable livelihoods and
alternative approaches to help conserve
and sustainably utilise the park's
resources.
Royal Manas National Park (1,000
sq. km), Bhutan's oldest protected area
is also the conservation showpiece of
the Kingdom. Its location is strategic
as it is adjacent to Jigme Singye
Wangchuck National Park and, to the
south, it forms a trans-frontier reserve
with Manas National Park in India, an
important World Heritage Site. Thus,
Royal Manas is an integral part of a
protected areas complex ranging from 150
to 2,600m altitude, that includes
habitats from lowland tropical forests
to permanent ice fields. It is also the
only park in Bhutan where the greater
one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros
unicornis) and water buffalo (Bubalus
bubalis) occur. The rare golden langur (Presbytis
geei), pygmy hog (Sus salvanius) and
hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus) also
are found in Manas. The park contains
more significant species than any other
park, and already 362 species of birds,
including four species of hornbills (rufousnecked,
wreathed, pied and great indian), have
been confirmed. Several plant species
are valued as food crops, while a number
are of commercial, medicinal, and
religious significance. Thus, the park
will serve as a genetic depository for
these valuable plants. The trust fund
supported infrastructure development and
preliminary biological and
socio-economic assessments. Bhutan's
first park management plan was prepared
based on data from these surveys, and is
currently being implemented with
financial assistance from the World
Wildlife Fund. The National Women's
Association of Bhutan is implementing
community development activities for the
park's resident 215 households, such as
enhancing rural income through
increasing farmland productivity,
promoting cottage industries and
providing rural credit facilities.
Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park
(1,400 sq. km) covers a wide range of
habitat types, from broadleaf forests at
600m to coniferous forests, alpine
pasture and lakes to permanent ice on
the peak of Dorshingla at 4,925m. The
park constitutes the largest and richest
temperate forest reserve in the entire
Himalayas. More than 449 species of
birds, including the endangered
black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis),
inhabit the combined area of Jigme
Singye Wangchuck National Park and Royal
Manas National Parks - more than any
other reserve in Asia. Most preliminary
biological assessments and
socio-economic surveys of the 410
resident households have been completed
here, and a park management plan is
being prepared under a project financed
by the Government of the Netherlands.
Thrumshingla National Park (768
sq. km), with an altitude range of
700-4,400m, is the second major
temperate park in Bhutan and protects
large tracts of old-growth fir forests.
Six species of globally threatened birds
are found here: rofous necked hornbill (Aceros
nepalensis), rofous-throated
wren-babbler (Spelaeomis caudatus),
Satyr tragopan (Tragopan satyra),
beautiful nuthatch (Sitta formosa),
Ward's trogon (Harpactes wardii) and
chestnut-breasted partridge (Aroborphila
mandellii). A new species for Bhutan,
the wedge-billed wren-babbler (Spenocichla
humei), was recently discovered in the
park. The Park contains some spectacular
scenic views, including beautiful
forests from alpine to subtropical
broadleaf types. The soil of this area
is particularly fragile, rendering it
unsuitable for logging or other
development, although it has excellent
tourism potential. A park management
plan is currently being developed for
Thrumshingla, and is supported by World
Wildlife Fund. Comparatively, the park's
resident 20 households makes it one of
Bhutan's lesser populated protected
areas.
Bumdelling Wildlife Sanctuary
(1,545 sq. km), ranging from 1,400 to
6,000m contains a rich diversity of
flora and fauna as well as some of
Bhutan's most scenic alpine lakes.
Bumdelling Valley, located within the
sanctuary is also one of Bhutan's two
wintering spots for the endangered
black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis).
The sanctuary contains 190 resident
households and several cultural and
religious sites of international
significance. The trust fund is
supplementing Denmark's financial
assistance to the park to establish
crucial infrastructure.
Sakten Wildlife Sanctuary (650
sq. km), ranging from 1,800 through
4,400m is designed to protect the
easternmost temperate ecosystems of
Bhutan where some endemic species are
found, including the eastern blue pine (Pinus
bhutanica) and black-rumped magpie (Pica
pica bottanensis), among others. These
inhabit only the eastern part of Bhutan.
Khaling Wildlife Sanctuary (273
sq. km), the smallest of Bhutan's
protected areas with an altitude range
of 400-2,200 meters, is important for
elephant (Elephas maximus), gaur and
other tropical wildlife and may also
contain the rare pygmy hog (Sus
salvanius) and hispid hare (Caprolagus
hispidus). Both are known from the
Khaling reserve on the Indian side of
the border, with which this forms a
trans-border reserve.
Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary (278
sq. km), a relatively small protected
area ranging from 200 through 1,600
meters, is known for its especially
important biogeographic position. It is
the only reserve in Bhutan to have
chital (Axis axis) or spotted deer, as
well as the only remaining natural sal (Shorea
robusta) forest in the country. Like the
Manas region, Phibsoo is also home to
the elephant, tiger and gaur (Bos gaurus).
|
