Song Thanh Nature Reserve
Summary
- Northern yellow‐cheeked gibbons (Nomascus annamensis) are present in Song Thanh Nature Reserve.
- It has been estimated that 443 (95% CI, 278–707) groups occur in the site.
- The gibbon population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 765.93 km².
- Key threats to gibbons are illegal logging, agricultural expansion, and hunting.
- Conservation activities are not documented.
Site characteristics
Song Thanh Nature Reserve is located in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam. The site is bordered by Highway 14D to the north, Highway AH17 to the south, Lao PDR to the west, and the Thanh river to the east (Van Tran & Tien Vu 2020). The forest cover is about 90% of the total area of the reserve. The topography of the area is complex, with altitudes ranging from 80 to 2,032 m above sea level (Van Tran & Tien Vu 2020). The reserve is a Key Biodiversity Area. Field surveys have documented 73 mammal species, 177 bird species, 118 reptile and amphibian species and 671 plant species at the site (USAID 2018). Species records include three mammals found only in this landscape; Owston’s civet, Chrotogale owstoni, the Annamite striped rabbit, Nesolagus timminsi, and the large-antlered muntjac, Muntiacus vuquangensis (USAID).
Table 1. Basic site information for Song Thanh Nature Reserve
| Area | 765.93 km² |
| Coordinates | 15.546228 N, 107.482601 E |
| Designation | Nature Reserve |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest |
Ape status
A 2019 survey determined a total suitable habitat for gibbons of 302.32 sq.km (Van Tran & Tien Vu 2020). The survey team detected 36 gibbon groups through field surveys and estimated 443 (95% CI, 278–707) gibbon groups in Song Thanh Nature Reserve. The results indicate that the gibbon population in Song Thanh Nature Reserve is the largest known population of N. annamensis in Vietnam (Van Tran & Tien Vu 2020). Furthermore, it was estimated that the total area of suitable habitat for the northern yellow‐cheeked gibbon was 302.32 km2, or 39.47% of the reserve's area (Van Tran & Tien Vu 2020).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Song Thanh Nature Reserve
| Species | Year | Total number indiv. (95% CI) | Total number groups (95% CI) | Density [groups/km²] (95% CI) | Area | Method | Source | Comments | A.P.E.S. database ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nomascus annamensis | 2019 | 443 (95% CI, 278–707) | 1.46 group/km2 (95% CI, 0.92–2.34) | Song Thanh Nature Reserve | Fixed-point triangulation | Van Tran & Tien Vu 2020 |
Threats
The density distribution of gibbons at the site has been shown to be influenced by the distance to villages (Van Tran & Tien Vu 2020). Local people depend heavily on forest resources. Activities such as illegal logging, wildlife trapping, shifting cultivation and wood collection are the main threats to wildlife in the reserve; especially hunting and trade of wildlife (Hoang et al. 2010).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Song Thanh Nature Reserve
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | 1.1 Housing & urban areas | Present, but threat severity unknown | The density distribution of gibbons at the site has been shown to be influenced by the distance to villages (Van Tran & Tien Vu 2020). | Ongoing (2020) | |
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Medium | Shifting agriculture; slow but significant deterioration (KBA 2020). | Ongoing (2020) | |
| 3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | 4.1 Roads & railroads | Low | Construction and upgrade of roads in the area (Hoang et al. 2010, KBA 2020). | Unknown | |
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | High | Hunting with snares (other animals are targeted) (Hoang et al. 2010, KBA 2020). | Ongoing (2020) | |
| 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | Present, but threat severity unknown | Between 2012 and 2016, Song Thanh NR has lost approximately 153 ha of forest cover, equivalent to 0.2% of the forest cover (USAID 2018). | Ongoing (2018) | ||
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Unknown | ||||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Unknown | ||||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Unknown | ||||
| 9. Pollution | Unknown | ||||
| 10. Geological Events | Absent | ||||
| 11. Climate change & severe weather | Unknown | ||||
| 12. Other options | Absent |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities in Song Thanh Nature Reserve
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Not reported | ||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Not reported | ||
| 3. Energy production & mining | Not reported | ||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Not reported | ||
| 5. Biological resource use | Not reported | ||
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Not reported | ||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Not reported | ||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Not reported | ||
| 9. Pollution | Not reported | ||
| 10. Education & Awareness | Not reported | ||
| 11. Habitat Protection | Not reported | ||
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Song Thanh Nature Reserve
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Song Thanh Nature Reserve
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
Relevant datasets
References
Tran, D. V., & Vu, T. T. (2020). Combining species distribution modeling and distance sampling to assess wildlife population size: A case study with the northern yellow‐cheeked gibbon (Nomascus annamensis). American Journal of Primatology, 82(9), e23169.
USAID (2018). PA FACT SHEET SONG THANH NATURE RESERVE. Online: https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TSDW.pdf
Key Biodiversity Areas Partnership (2020). Key Biodiversity Areas factsheet: Song Thanh. Extracted from the World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas. Developed by the Key Biodiversity Areas Partnership: BirdLife International, IUCN, American Bird Conservancy, Amphibian Survival Alliance, Conservation International, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Global Environment Facility, Global Wildlife Conservation, NatureServe, Rainforest Trust, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, World Wildlife Fund and Wildlife Conservation Society. Downloaded from http://www.keybiodiversityareas.org/ on 14/12/2021.
Hoang, C., Trang, L., & Tinh, N. (2010). Technical Report on Wildlife hunting and Trading in Song Thanh Nature Reserve, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. Interim report for phase 1 MacArthur foundation, Education for Nature, Ha Noi, Vietnam.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 29/12/2021