Xuan Lien Proposed Nature Reserve
| Alternative site name(s) None Province(s) Thanh Hoa Area 23,610 ha Coordinates 19°52' - 20°02'N, 104°58' - 105°15'E Agro-ecological zone North Central Coast Decreed by government No Management board established Yes |
Investment plan prepared Yes VCF eligibility criteria met A, B, C Social screening criteria met None Conservation needs assessment prepared No Operational management plan prepared No Tracking tool completed No Yes |
Management history
Xuan Lien is not included on any official government decision regarding the Special-use Forests system. However, in 1997, Thanh Hoa Provincial FPD submitted a proposal to MARD to establish the upstream area of the Chu river catchment in Thuong Xuan district as Xuan Lien Nature Reserve. Consequently, in October and November 1998, the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute (FIPI) and the BirdLife International Vietnam Programme, in collaboration with Thanh Hoa Provincial FPD, compiled a feasibility study for Xuan Lien proposed nature reserve (Le Trong Trai et al. 1999).
After the feasibility study was approved by Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, an investment plan was prepared by FIPI. This investment plan was approved by MARD on 9 December 1999, by Official Letter No. 4511/BNN-KH, and by the provincial people's committee on 17 December 1999, by Decision No. 3029/QD-UB (Thanh Hoa Provincial FPD in litt. 2000). Subsequently, a nature reserve management board was established by Decision No. 1476/QD-UB of the provincial people's committee, dated 15 June 2000. The management board currently has 29 members of staff, based at five guard stations, and is under the management of Thanh Hoa Provincial FPD (Nguyen Dinh Hai, Director of Xuan Lien Nature Reserve in litt. 2003).
Xuan Lien is included on a list of Special-use Forests to be established by the year 2010, prepared by the FPD of MARD, as a 23,610 ha nature reserve (FPD 2003); this list has not yet been approved by the government. According to Nguyen Dinh Hai, Director of Xuan Lien Nature Reserve (in litt. 2003), however, the total area of the site is 27,668 ha, comprising a strict protection area of 19,800 ha, a forest rehabilitation area of 7,848 ha, and administration and services area of 20 ha. In addition, there is a buffer zone of 33,591 ha.
Topography and hydrology
Xuan Lien proposed nature reserve is situated in western Thanh Hoa province, close to the international border with Laos. The area is bounded by the Cao river to the north, and the border with Nghe An province to the south and west (Le Trong Trai et al. 1999).
The proposed nature reserve is situated in a belt of mountains running from Laos to Thuong Xuan and Nhu Xuan districts in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam. These mountains contain many peaks, such as Mount Ta Leo (1,400 m), Mount Bu Cho (1,563 m), Mount Bu Hon Han (1,208 m) and an unnamed 1,605 m peak, which is the highest point in the proposed nature reserve. The geology of the area is varied and includes sedimentary material, schist, spilite, aldezite, and other metamorphic rocks such as marble and mica (Le Trong Trai et al. 1999).
The topography of the site is characterised by medium-high mountains, which reach elevations of 800 to 1,600 m, and are dissected by deep, narrow valleys, sloping steeply from west to east. The topography of the east of the site is characterised by gently sloping foothills. Many of the numerous rivers in the area have relatively flat, fertile valleys in their lower sections. The proposed nature reserve is drained by the Chu river and its tributaries. The Chu river originates in Laos and flows through Nghe An province before passing through the proposed nature reserve (Le Trong Trai et al. 1999).
Biodiversity values
During October and November 1998, BirdLife and FIPI conducted a field survey of Xuan Lien proposed nature reserve. During this survey, 560 species of vascular plants were recorded. The flora of Xuan Lien proposed nature reserve is characterised by taxa endemic to northern Vietnam and southern China. Two other major elements to the flora include an Indo-Malayan element and a Sino-Himalayan element, which is characteristic of Yunnan province and the Himalayan foothills. This later includes several conifers and a number of broadleaf deciduous tree species. The 560 plant species recorded at Xuan Lien include four species endemic to Vietnam: Cinnamomum balansae, Colona poilanei, Croton boniana and Macaranga balansae (Le Trong Trai et al. 1999).
Four main forest types are found at Xuan Lien. First, lower montane mixed coniferous and broadleaf evergreen forest covers roughly 18% of the proposed nature reserve, and is found at elevations from 800 m upwards. This forest type is dominated by broadleaf trees in the Fagaceae, Lauraceae and Dipterocarpaceae families, although coniferous trees, such as Podocarpus imbricatus, Cunninghamia konishii and Fokienia hodginsii are scattered throughout. On a few exposed ridges and summits above 1,400 m in altitude, elfin forest formations occur. The second main forest type is lowland evergreen forest, which is found below 800 m. This forest type has been extensively cleared and degraded, and only accounts for 3% of the total area of the site. The third and fourth main forest types are regenerating forest and mixed bamboo and timber forest, both of which are secondary vegetation types, developed following exploitation of the forest. The remaining vegetation at the site comprises pure bamboo, grassland and scrub (Le Trong Trai et al. 1999).
The FIPI/BirdLife survey revealed moderate levels of faunal diversity relative to other protected areas in northern and central Vietnam. In total, 38 species of mammals were recorded, ten of which are globally threatened. Mammal species of particular conservation significance recorded during the survey included Gaur Bos gaurus, Phayre's Leaf Monkey Trachypithecus phayrei, White-cheeked Crested Gibbon Hylobates leucogenys and Roosevelts' Muntjac Muntiacus rooseveltorum. The record of Roosevelts' Muntjac was the first since the discovery of this species in Laos 69 years previously, and the first record of this species from Vietnam. A total of 134 bird species were recorded during the survey, including one restricted-range species: Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler Jabouilleia danjoui (Le Trong Trai et al. 1999).
Conservation issues
Populations of many of the large mammal species recorded at Xuan Lien during the FIPI/BirdLife survey are considered to be small and fragmented as a result of high hunting pressure. Furthermore, it is possible that Xuan Lien proposed nature reserve is not large enough, by itself, to maintain viable populations of some of these species in the long-term. However, Xuan Lien proposed nature reserve is contiguous with Pu Hoat proposed nature reserve in Nghe An province, with a shared boundary of 20 km and a combined protected area coverage of around 90,000 ha (Le Trong Trai et al. 1999).
Thanh Hoa Provincial FPD (in litt. 2000) identify the biggest threats to biodiversity at Xuan Lien proposed nature reserve to be forest clearance for agriculture, hunting, over-exploitation of forest products and forest fire.
Other documented values
The forest at Xuan Lien proposed nature reserve plays an important role in protecting the watershed of the Chu river. This river is the second largest in Thanh Hoa province, and is important for the transportation of goods and produce, domestic use, irrigation and drainage. In addition, the Chu river will be the principal source of water for the proposed Cua Dat irrigation and hydroelectric dam (Le Trong Trai et al. 1999).
Related projects
There is a project to construct a dam on the Chu river at Cua Dat. As well as generating electricity, the dam will regulate the flow of water to a large area of agricultural land in Thanh Hoa province. If this project goes ahead, an area of 1,716 ha within the proposed nature reserve will be inundated by the resulting reservoir (Le Trong Trai et al. 1999).
Conservation needs assessment
A conservation needs assessment has not been conducted for the site.
Operational management plan
An operational management plan has not been prepared for the site.
Eligibility against VCF criteria
The site is eligible for VCF support because it meets criteria A, B and C.
| Criterion |
Eligibility |
| AI |
NA2 - Upper Chu River Watershed |
| AII |
|
| BI |
Proposed Special-use Forest |
| BII |
Nature Reserve |
| BIII |
Under provincial management |
| CI |
Management board established |
| CII |
Social screening requirements
A social screening report has not been prepared for the site.
| Criterion |
Eligibility |
| A |
|
| B |
|
| C |
|
| D |
Literature sources
Le Trong Trai, Le Van Cham, Bui Dac Tuyen, Tran Hieu Minh, Tran Quang Ngoc, Nguyen Van Sang, Monastyrskii, A. L. and Eames, J. C. (1998) [A feasibility study for the establishment of Xuan Lien Nature Reserve, Thanh Hoa province]. Hanoi: BirdLife International Vietnam Programme and the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute. In Vietnamese.
Le Trong Trai, Le Van Cham, Bui Dac Tuyen, Tran Hieu Minh, Tran Quang Ngoc, Nguyen Van Sang, Monastyrskii, A. L. and Eames, J. C. (1999) A feasibility study for the establishment of Xuan Lien Nature Reserve, Thanh Hoa province. Hanoi: BirdLife International Vietnam Programme and the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute.
Uemura, Y. and Monastyrskii, A. L. (2000) Description of two species of the genus Ypthima Hubner (Lepidoptera: Satyridae) from north and central Vietnam. Trans. Lepid. Soc. Japan 51(2): 150-156.
Vietnam News (2000) EC helps Vietnam establish three new nature reserves. Vietnam News 16 June 2000.
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