The Cambodian population of Bengal Florican is thought to number less than 500 individuals (Photo Allan Michaud)30-05-2006
Cambodia's floricans under fire
Birdlife International
The Cambodian government's decision to endorse commercial dry-season rice production around the world's greatest flood-plain lake, Ton Le Sap Lake, is threatening the future of the globally Endangered Bengal Florican Eupodotis bengalensis.
"These man-made, seasonally flooded grasslands currently support most of the global population," explained Jonathan Eames, Programme Manager for BirdLife in Indochina. "Many Important Bird Areas (IBAs) vital for floricans have been affected."
On a visit to Chi Kreng IBA, Eames found evidence of recent ploughing almost everywhere, although much of this is for traditional deep-water rice. "Some larger more extensive ploughed areas were clearly the work of tractors with ploughs. In some places there was merely a narrow scar in the land only a few metres long, with marker flags, where villagers fearful of a land-grab by an outsider had staked their claim."
In four places he found male Bengal Floricans, one of which was still displaying. "I had the feeling they were being forced into ever smaller remaining grassland patches. Were the females sitting tight on eggs or crouching with recently fledged young, or had many of them already lost nests to the ploughing? One can only guess, but I felt sure that this year's breeding success would be welldown on previous years."
Eames understands that much of the rice will go for export, and do little to promote domestic food security. "Many of these developments can be viewed in context of the land grab in full swing across the entire country. Traditionally the grasslands around the Great Lake (Ton Le Sap) have been communally owned, and a unique agricultural ecology has evolved over the centuries that has provided a niche for the Bengal Florican. However, land-use change may now be too rapid and unsuitable for floricans to survive beyond a few years more."
Work recently undertaken by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Cambodia Programme has revealed that at least 50% of Stoung Chikreng IBA has been lost, and more than 90% of Veal Srangai IBA. University of East Anglia PhD student Tom Gray is conducting a lake-wide survey of grasslands and Bengal Florican populations, with support from the BirdLife and WCS Cambodia Programmes, and in conjunction with Wildlife Protection office staff from the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). Early indications suggest that all major grasslands and florican populations had already been identified as part of BirdLife's Important Bird Area programme. The survey has failed to find important new areas, and seems to have mainly documented the decline of grasslands since the national IBA directory was published in 2003.
Eames says the conversion of grasslands is opposed by many local communities and provincial government officials, since it threatens a traditional way of life that has been proved to be good for people and wildlife alike. "Herein lies the kernel of the WCS proposal to promote the establishment of Integrated Farming and Biodiversity Areas (IFBAs). BirdLife endorses this approach as the only practical short term solution to the current crisis." In a relatively short-time, he says, WCS have obtained a great deal of official support for this idea, and it now awaits final endorsement from on high.
"If these areas are sanctioned and granted legal status, they will need funding and technical support to maintain their conservation importance. BirdLife and WCS have agreed to tackle these issues." But he adds: "If we don't act rapidly all the florican habitat in Siem Riep and Kompong Thom provinces may eventually be lost. With at least some areas conserved, floricans would have a theoretical chance of dispersing into a more sympathetic future landscape."
Before we declare this another lost conservation cause, Eames reminds us that the Ton Le Sap grasslands are themselves manmade. "Without regular grazing and burning they rapidly revert to scrub and forest. This is also not the first time there have been attempts at growing irrigated paddy within the Great Lake's inundation zone, and many of these areas, I am told, have reverted to grasslands suitable for floricans."
But with population growth rates of 2.5%, he fears Cambodia's people will continue to make unsustainable demands on their environment well into the future. "On balance, the hope that we can look on and do nothing while the Bengal Florican somehow hangs on in Cambodia in the face of land-use change is outweighed by our knowledge of its fragile ecology, and the history of the species's decline elsewhere in the region. Fifteen years ago I watched one of Vietnam's last Bengal Floricans defiantly display to a white flag on a marker post set out by a settler in the Mekong Delta. Déjà vu? I hope not."
"These man-made, seasonally flooded grasslands currently support most of the global population," explained Jonathan Eames, Programme Manager for BirdLife in Indochina. "Many Important Bird Areas (IBAs) vital for floricans have been affected."
On a visit to Chi Kreng IBA, Eames found evidence of recent ploughing almost everywhere, although much of this is for traditional deep-water rice. "Some larger more extensive ploughed areas were clearly the work of tractors with ploughs. In some places there was merely a narrow scar in the land only a few metres long, with marker flags, where villagers fearful of a land-grab by an outsider had staked their claim."
In four places he found male Bengal Floricans, one of which was still displaying. "I had the feeling they were being forced into ever smaller remaining grassland patches. Were the females sitting tight on eggs or crouching with recently fledged young, or had many of them already lost nests to the ploughing? One can only guess, but I felt sure that this year's breeding success would be welldown on previous years."
"Traditionally the grasslands around the Great Lake have been communally owned, and a unique agricultural ecology has evolved over the centuries that has provided a niche for the Bengal Florican." —Jonathan Eames, Programme Manager, BirdLife in Indochina
Eames understands that much of the rice will go for export, and do little to promote domestic food security. "Many of these developments can be viewed in context of the land grab in full swing across the entire country. Traditionally the grasslands around the Great Lake (Ton Le Sap) have been communally owned, and a unique agricultural ecology has evolved over the centuries that has provided a niche for the Bengal Florican. However, land-use change may now be too rapid and unsuitable for floricans to survive beyond a few years more."
Work recently undertaken by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Cambodia Programme has revealed that at least 50% of Stoung Chikreng IBA has been lost, and more than 90% of Veal Srangai IBA. University of East Anglia PhD student Tom Gray is conducting a lake-wide survey of grasslands and Bengal Florican populations, with support from the BirdLife and WCS Cambodia Programmes, and in conjunction with Wildlife Protection office staff from the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). Early indications suggest that all major grasslands and florican populations had already been identified as part of BirdLife's Important Bird Area programme. The survey has failed to find important new areas, and seems to have mainly documented the decline of grasslands since the national IBA directory was published in 2003.
"Some very big people have bought the remaining grassland areas at Stoung, and we have discovered all Veal Srangai has been sold as well. If no large
populations are found it's probably
not over the top to say Bengal Florican will be extinct in Cambodia in five years."
—Tom Gray , UEA
populations are found it's probably
not over the top to say Bengal Florican will be extinct in Cambodia in five years."
—Tom Gray , UEA
Eames says the conversion of grasslands is opposed by many local communities and provincial government officials, since it threatens a traditional way of life that has been proved to be good for people and wildlife alike. "Herein lies the kernel of the WCS proposal to promote the establishment of Integrated Farming and Biodiversity Areas (IFBAs). BirdLife endorses this approach as the only practical short term solution to the current crisis." In a relatively short-time, he says, WCS have obtained a great deal of official support for this idea, and it now awaits final endorsement from on high.
"If these areas are sanctioned and granted legal status, they will need funding and technical support to maintain their conservation importance. BirdLife and WCS have agreed to tackle these issues." But he adds: "If we don't act rapidly all the florican habitat in Siem Riep and Kompong Thom provinces may eventually be lost. With at least some areas conserved, floricans would have a theoretical chance of dispersing into a more sympathetic future landscape."
"On balance, the hope that we can look
on and do nothing while the Bengal Florican
somehow hangs on in Cambodia in the
face of land-use change is outweighed
by our knowledge of its fragile ecology,
and the history of the species's
decline elsewhere in the region."
—Jonathan Eames
on and do nothing while the Bengal Florican
somehow hangs on in Cambodia in the
face of land-use change is outweighed
by our knowledge of its fragile ecology,
and the history of the species's
decline elsewhere in the region."
—Jonathan Eames
Before we declare this another lost conservation cause, Eames reminds us that the Ton Le Sap grasslands are themselves manmade. "Without regular grazing and burning they rapidly revert to scrub and forest. This is also not the first time there have been attempts at growing irrigated paddy within the Great Lake's inundation zone, and many of these areas, I am told, have reverted to grasslands suitable for floricans."
But with population growth rates of 2.5%, he fears Cambodia's people will continue to make unsustainable demands on their environment well into the future. "On balance, the hope that we can look on and do nothing while the Bengal Florican somehow hangs on in Cambodia in the face of land-use change is outweighed by our knowledge of its fragile ecology, and the history of the species's decline elsewhere in the region. Fifteen years ago I watched one of Vietnam's last Bengal Floricans defiantly display to a white flag on a marker post set out by a settler in the Mekong Delta. Déjà vu? I hope not."
1 comment:
How sad, birddies....I will get rid off that Hun Shit for you....
nite nite nite birddies
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