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Society for Conservation Biology: 2002 Annual Meeting

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Society for Conservation Biology: 2002 Annual Meeting



Society for Conservation Biology 16th Annual Meeting July 14-July 19 2002
co-hosted by DICE and the British Ecological Society


Abstracts for Symposium Twelve

Protected areas, conservation, and people within a rural society: case studies from Myanmar

Eliot Lecture Theatre 2
Tuesday 16th July: 10.15 - 12.15




(BLOCK CAPITALS indicate the presenting author)

10.15 - 10.30
U GA, Conservation & Research Center, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630 USA <mggar@hotmail.com>

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN MYANMAR: ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED AND ACTIONS TO BE IMPLEMENTED"

Myanmar is in a dilemma. On one hand, wildlife and forest resources are being depleted at an alarming rate and on the other hand, all the stakeholders (particularly the majority of people living in rural areas) are not able to participate in planning and management of the resources. Lack of clear land-use policy, funds, trained staff and researchers, and adequate political will are common issues in mainland Southeast Asian countries and Myanmar is no exception. Despite many hindrances and obstacles, staff of the Wildlife Division of the Forest Department of Myanmar, with the help of a few international organizations, are trying their best to achieve crucial goals of biodiversity conservation. My talk identifies the following conservation needs for Myanmar: improved standards of protected area management; adequate representation of habitats and to encompass a broader range of habitat types; adequate operational budgets and funding for basic scientific surveys; assistance from international organizations both in terms of monetary and expertise; and encouraging international development agencies to co-ordinate their financial and technical assistance for conservation activities.



10.30 - 10.45
SAW TUN KHAING and Madhu Rao. Wildlife Conservation Society-International Programs, 185th Street and S.Blvd., Bronx, New York NY 10460. (mrao@wcs.org)

A STATUS REVIEW OF THE PROTECTED AREA SYSTEM IN MYANMAR

With large areas of forest cover remaining, Myanmar represents a unique opportunity to conserve biodiversity within protected areas. Deforestation, unrestricted hunting, and destructive agricultural practices have resulted in significant wildlife declines and rapid loss of natural habitats. We analyzed the status of a representative sample of protected areas in Myanmar to identify factors threatening the integrity of existing protected areas. Hunting for subsistence and trade is a serious threat affecting wildlife declines both within and outside protected areas. In addition, permanent settlements, roads and timber extraction activities result in habitat loss and fragmentation. Analysis of the existing management capacity revealed significant gaps in reserve management capabilities. We identify key threats and potential conservation strategies that need to be implemented to strengthen the protected area system in Myanmar. Major recommendations include: the critical need to address the issue of hunting; involving local communities in the management of protected areas and buffer zones; building the technical capacity of protected area staff and implementing a comprehensive land-use plan focused on stabilizing land-use.



10.45 - 11.00
AUNG U MYINT, Aung Than, Khaing Khaing Swe, Teri Allendorf, Peter Leimgruber, Chris Wemmer. Division of Wildlife and Nature Conservation, Ministry of Forestry, West Gyogone, Insein, Yangon, Myanmar <SST@mptmail.net.mm> (UMA, KKS), USAID, Washington, D.C. (TA), and Conservation & Research Center, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal VA 22630 USA (PL, CW)

LOSING IT BY USING IT: CHATTHIN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, A PROTECTED AREA IN MYANMAR

Habitat quality and the large vertebrate community of Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) have declined significantly since the park was established 80 years ago. We reconstructed the ecological and socio-economic history of the area by interviewing 230 elders from 28 villages in April-May 2000. Railroad construction opened the region to timber extraction in 1900. Most pristine indaing forest was degraded during the next four decades. From WWII until the mid-1960s, villagers hunted large mammals using military forearms, and 15 species of vertebrates ,including tigers and wild cattle, disappeared regionally. In the 1990s the construction of a local sugar refinery precipitated a migration of villages to the park boundary, encroachment, and attempts to farm sugar cane within the park. Recent park management-local community dialogue has helped to identify local resource needs, and buffer zone development needed to manage CWS for wildlife and people.



11.00 - 11.15
BRUNNER, JAKE, Peter Leimgruber, Daniel Kelly, and Marc Steininger. Conservation International, 1919 M St, NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA (JB, MS) <j.brunner@conservation.org> and Conservation and Research Center, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA, (PL, DK).

DEFORESTATION TRENDS AND PATTERNS IN BURMA: 1990-2000

Burma holds half of Mainland Southeast Asia’s forest cover, but various sources suggest that the country is also experiencing unprecedented levels of deforestation. With support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Conservation and Research Center and Conservation International are carrying out an analysis of deforestation trends and patterns for all of Burma using Landsat data acquired in 1990 and 2000. The methodology is based on established techniques for distinguishing forest from non-forest land cover using multi-spectral data in topographically complex environments. The GIS files and a short technical report will be published on the Internet. Users can download these data to serve as the basis for their own studies and applications. However, the present project will not attempt to attribute cause to the observed deforestation trends and patterns.



11.15 - 11.30
LEIMGRUBER, PETER, Khin Maung Zaw, Ye Htut, Myint Aung, and Chris Wemmer. Conservation and Research Center, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA, <leimgruberp@crc.si.edu> (PL, CW), Division of Wildlife and Nature Conservation, Ministry of Forestry, West Gyogone, Insein, Yangon, Myanmar (KMZ, YH, MA).
THE HUMAN FOOTPRINT IN MYANMAR’S ELEPHANT RANGES–PRIORITIZING ELEPHANT CONSERVATION
Asian elephants have declined dramatically during the past two decades due to habitat loss. We used satellite imagery and geographic data for regional and countrywide mapping of the human footprint and its impact on elephant habitats in SE Asia and Myanmar. We prioritize areas in Myanmar by their potential for elephant conservation. Our analysis demonstrates the importance of Myanmar’s elephant habitats for regional conservation. Myanmar is the country with the largest amount of elephant habitat remaining and has the greatest potential for preserving large wild herds. But the percentage of protected area within its elephant ranges is lower than in other countries. Protection gaps may be linked to lack of international aid. Myanmar elephant ranges can be divided into pristine, threatened and degraded. Threats and conservation potential differ between these categories. Threatened habitats have highest priority for immediate action with focus on habitat protection and community-based conservation. Pristine habitats offer the greatest potential for developing large protected elephant ranges with little impact on local communities. Degraded habitats have little conservation potential but may be considered for restoration in the long-term.



11.30 - 11.45
BATES, PAUL and Khin Maung Swe
Harrison Insitute, Bowerwood House, St Botolph’s Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 3AQ, UK. (info@harrison-institute.org) (PB)
Zoology Department, Yangon University, Yangon, Myanmar (KMS).

BAT CONSERVATION IN SOUTH-EAST MYANMAR

With a rich diversity of species and numerous large colonies, the extensive limestone karst areas of south-east Myanmar are of global significance in the conservation of tropical bats. Recent studies indicate that bat and man currently live in an essentially sustainable relationship. Local communities harvest some bats for food and medicinal purposes but also protect many roosting sites. These sites are either of religious significance, being Buddhist shrines within caves, or have an economic value. Many villages and/or Buddhist monasteries generate significant income from the collection and sale of bat guano. Unfortunately, this protection tends to be afforded only to the roosting sites of the larger colonies, which are generally dominated by one or two bat species. In contrast, smaller colonies, often with more diverse bat faunas and home to rarer, internationally threatened species, are more frequently targeted by local bat catchers. Currently, there is a need for an education programme to reinforce the community protection of bats. Future requirements include management plans to minimise the environmental impact of two recently completed cement factories.



11.45 - 12.00
Platt, Steven, U Saw Tun Khaing, Win Ko Ko, JOHN THORBJARNARSON, John Behler and William Holmstrom. Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York, 10460 USA (jthorbjarnarson@wcs.org)

REPTILE CONSERVATION ISSUES IN MYANMAR: FOCUS ON TURTLES AND CROCODILIANS

Myanmar contains a spectacular diversity of reptiles, and one of the world’s highest rates of endemism for certain groups, such as turtles. Little biological work has been conducted on this group, and the lack of information on the current status, distribution, and ecology of Myanmar’s reptiles has significant repercussions for their conservation, particularly for the most threatened groups, turtles and crocodiles. While historical information suggests that these reptiles were at one time widespread and relatively common, all available evidence suggests that they are now severely depleted, and some species may be on the verge of extirpation. This situation is particularly alarming for the turtles, given their high degree of diversity and endemism in the country, and the enormous volume of animals in trade to supply the eastern Asian food markets. Since 1997, in conjunction with the Myanmar Forestry Department, we have carried out status surveys of some of the highest priority species, including the Arakan forest turtle, the Burmese star tortoise, the Burmese roofed turtle, and the saltwater crocodile. Emphasis has been placed on identifying critical habitats for these species, conducting training courses, and curbing the collection of remaining animals for trade.



12.00 - 12.15
RABINOWITZ, ALAN, Tony Lynam and U Saw Tun Khaing
Wildlife Conservation Society, Science and Exploration/Asia Program, 185th St. & Southern Blvd., Bronx Zoo, Bronx, New York, 10460 (arabin1045@aol.com)

EXPLORATION, SURVEYS, AND CONSERVATION OF LARGE FOREST BLOCKS IN MYANMAR

High species diversity and endemism within intact landscapes have long pointed to Myanmar as one of the most important countries in the Indo-Pacific region for conservation. However by 1990, uncontrolled forest loss, resource use, and hunting, coupled with an inadequate protected area system had created an uncertain future for wildlife. In 1994 the Wildlife Conservation Society initiated a joint effort with the Myanmar Forest Department to explore and survey the largest intact wild areas remaining in the country. Emphasis was placed on the status of large mammals, particularly tigers, and identifying important sites for conservation. By 2001, eight new protected areas had been designated, containing at least four newly discovered large mammal species. Unfortunately most of the large mammal species thought to be abundant were in severe decline, particularly tigers, which were absent from most areas surveyed. This work clearly indicates the importance of basic exploration and survey activities as a first step for conservation planning and actions in any country.