Priority Outcomes for CEPF Investment 

Since the funds available from CEPF cannot support conservation in all 175 sites and 13 landscapes, the overall lists of outcomes were prioritized to obtain a parsimonious portfolio of species, sites and landscapes. A major criterion for prioritizing the species outcomes was the importance of the population within the Eastern Himalayas Region, relative to the global population. The premise is that species with marginal ranges and rare, non-breeding visitors or vagrants in the region are more effectively conserved elsewhere in their ranges.

Priority Species Outcomes

The experts prioritized the species outcomes at the regional roundtables. Criteria for selecting priority species outcomes were: a) species that are represented by globally important populations in the region; b) important focal species for conservation (such as endemic species, keystone species, umbrella species, landscape species) or c) need for species-specific action. A globally important population was considered to be an approximated or estimated presence of 10 percent or more of the global population within the region. If the population status of a species, relative to the global population, was unknown, but it had a range distribution where at least an estimated 30 percent lay within the eastern Himalayas—as in the case of several reptiles—it was considered to be a priority species outcome. Of the 163 species outcomes, 19 mammals, 28 birds, 17 reptiles and 12 amphibians were selected as priorities for CEPF investment (Table 4). The plant species were not included as priority species because of lack of information about their needed conservation actions; however, re-assessing the conservation status of the region’s plants is a priority. There are inconsistencies between the global IUCN Red List and national Red Lists that should be resolved; for example, the national Red Lists are much more extensive.

Several species that can usually be conserved at site level but require special management regimes were also identified. These include species such as the globally threatened bat colonies in caves, which require strict protection. The red panda requires a specific habitat type consisting of mature mixed and subalpine conifer forests with Arundinaria bamboo undergrowth, which has to be included and managed within protected areas. The assemblage of Terai grassland birds and the endemic hispid hare and pygmy hog require specific management regimes to maintain suitable grassland conditions.

Priority Site Outcomes

The presence of species identified as outcomes within key biodiversity areas were used to prioritize the site outcomes at the four regional expert roundtable consultations. Where possible at least two sites, representing two discrete populations or metapopulations , were identified for each species outcome. Where information about the status of the site- or corridor-level population was available, this was used as a criterion to identify the most suitable site or corridor outcomes for the species. Exceptions were the species for which only a single site was identified or the few species for which no sites were identified.

A total of 60 sites (from the overall 175) were identified as priority site outcomes (Table 5, Figure 3). These included 12 from Bhutan, 38 from northeastern India and 10 from Nepal. Seven sites—Mouling National Park, Namdapha National Park and Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary, Upper Renging, Upper Rottung, Cherapunjee cliffs, gorges and sacred groves [including Mawsmai], Khasi Hills [including Shillong Peak National Park], Tura-Nokrek range—were identified to include known populations of amphibian species considered threatened by the Global Amphibian Assessment (IUCN-SSC and CI-CABS 2003). Since the amphibians are a poorly surveyed and studied group, it is strongly suggested that dedicated amphibian surveys be supported in the region since the taxon represents a good bioindicator of ecosystem integrity. The sites that harbor amphibians should then be updated on the basis of survey results.

Similarly, several priority sites were identified for globally threatened turtles. Almost all these sites are protected areas (the exception being Gainda Tal in Nepal which was identified as the only site for the Indian eyed turtle). Although many of these turtles are killed for food, their status and current distribution of populations is also poorly known. Given their wide distribution across the region, surveys of these species are recommended to ascertain whether they can be conserved in other sites.

The eight sites identified as being important for plants during the Gantok expert roundtable were considered in prioritizing of site and corridor outcomes. Because sites were not identified for globally threatened plants in the other expert workshops, these could not be factored into the prioritization of the sites.

Appendix 3 provides a separate listing of the priority site outcomes, including the criteria by which they were selected.

Forty-three of the 60 priority site outcomes are formally protected areas, the exceptions being Popjika and Khatekha valleys, Ada Lake, and the Sarbhang-Gelephu foothills in Bhutan; Upper Renging, Upper Rottung, East Karbi Anlong & North Karbi Anlong, Jatinga, Lumding, Ripu-Chirang, Upper Dihing (East) and Kakojan, Jamjing and Sengagan, Dzuko, Siroi, Cherapunjee cliffs, and Teesta-Rangit Valley in northeastern India; and the Gainda Tal, and Dang Deukhuri foothills in southern Nepal. Fifty-six of the sites are IBAs. Very few sites other than protected areas or IBAs were identified because of a lack of knowledge about most taxonomic groups and the distribution of biodiversity of the region in general, even among the regional scientists and conservationists.

Priority Corridor Outcomes

The Eastern Himalayas Region has globally significant populations of landscape species. Because the populations are being confined to and isolated within sites (many of which are too small to support large, viable populations) due to habitat fragmentation, it is important to link the sites with habitat corridors to manage metapopulations of these species for long term persistence. These linkages will also help to conserve the natural ecology and behavior of these species, an important conservation target.

Five of the 13 landscapes were chosen as priorities for corridor outcomes. These five landscapes were prioritized because: a) each of these harbors the highest number of representative landscape species from the respective ecosystems; b) together, these landscapes contain all the landscape species in the Eastern Himalayas Region; c) each also includes the most number of other species outcomes; and d) as a suite, these five landscapes contain the most number of species outcomes from the region (Appendix 4). These are the Terai Arc Landscape, the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex, the Kangchenjunga-Singalila Complex, the Kaziranga-Karbi Anlong Landscape and the North Bank Landscape (Figure 4, Table 5). Habitat linkages forming biological corridors between the sites are important outcomes in these five landscapes. While habitat linkages for the Terai Arc Landscape have been identified, based on field surveys and GIS analyses, biological corridors for the other landscapes have not yet been defined.

The five priority corridors—Terai Arc Landscape, the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex, the Kangchenjunga-Singalila Complex, the Kaziranga-Karbi Anlong Landscape, and the North Bank Landscape—are described in detail below. It is worth highlighting why a couple of corridors were not selected as priorities. The Manas-Buxa Landscape was identified as extremely important during the regional roundtables because it contains a large number of landscape and other species outcomes. However, this long, narrow landscape also represents a tenuous link between the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex and the North Bank Landscape. An analysis of the existing habitat connectivity indicates that the Manas Tiger Reserve, which is the western anchor of the Manas-Buxa Landscape has better, more intact links with Royal Manas National Park, whereas the eastern extent of the Manas-Buxa Landscape has better habitat links with the North-Bank Landscape (Figure 4), and has been considered as part of the latter in WWF India’s conservation portfolio. Delineation of the Manas Buxa Landscape as distinct from the Bhutan Biological Conservation Comlex is more an artifact of national boundaries, than ecological boundaries. Secondly, the Upper Lohit-Changlang Landscape was identified as important for its populations of snow leopard, clouded leopard and takin. This region, which is contiguous with the Northern Forest Complex corridor in Myanmar, was also identified as a priority in previous WWF analyses. However, the area is unstable politically and it was considered that CEPF could not make an impact there in the next five years. However, as the area is poorly known biologically, it should be considered an important landscape for additional surveys and its status reassessed based on the surveys.

Thirty-six of the 60 priority site outcomes (from the overall 175) are in the five priority landscapes, and harbor important populations of all the landscape species amongst them (Table 5; Figure 4). Overall, the sites within the five landscapes include 34 of the 45 mammal species outcomes, 37 of 50 bird species outcomes, 14 of the 16 species of reptile species outcomes, one amphibian. It is also likely that several sites within the Terai Arc Landscape and the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex harbor the Himalaya dragonfly and Ludlow's Bhutan swallowtail butterfly, respectively. The lowland sites in the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex and North Bank Landscape that harbor the pygmy hog will, of course, be suitable areas to protect the pygmy hog sucking louse.

There were a few species outcomes that were not represented in priority landscapes because they do not have globally significant populations in the Eastern Himalayas Region. These include:

• Back-striped weasel (Mustela strigidorsa)— Known from across the region and into Myanmar, it should occur in the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex, Kangchenjunga-Singalila Complex, North Bank Landscape and in Namdapha.
• Mandelli’s mouse-eared bat (Myotis sicarius)— Known from Bumthang in the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex, Kangchenjunga-Singalila Complex and in Teesta-Rangit Valley.
• Rattus sikkimensis — Widespread across the Eastern Himalayas Region and extends into Myanmar, with isolated populations known from Thailand and possibly in Indochina, it should occur in the Kangchenjunga-Singalila Complex, Kaziranga-Karbi Anlong and Namdapha.
• Baikal teal (Anas formosa) is a winter visitor to the region’s large rivers and can be conserved in the North Bank and Kaziranga-Karbi Anlong landscapes. But its main winter range is outside the Eastern Himalayas Region, being in China and Korea.
• Oriental stork (Ciconia boyciana) is a winter visitor that uses wetlands in the North Bank and Kaziranga-Karbi Anlong landscapes, but its main winter range extends into China and onto Taiwan, Korea and Japan.
• Spoon-billed sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus) is a winter visitor to the region and is likely included in the North Bank and Kaziranga-Karbi Anlong landscapes, but the winter range extends south to Sri Lanka and east to Vietnam and Singapore.
• Cheer pheasant (Catreus wallichii) is a western Himalayas species and the populations in the Eastern Himalayas Region are not significant.

In addition to the five priority landscapes overlapping with the Level 1 TCUs in the region, two of the landscapes—the Terai Arc Landscape and the Kaziranga-Karbi Anlong Landscape—include four World Heritage sites amongst them, namely Chitwan National Park, Lumbini and Corbett National Park in the Terai Arc and Kaziranga National Park in the Kaziranga-Karbi Anlong Landscape.

Although the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex, as defined by the roundtable participants, excludes Manas Tiger Reserve in India, the two are ecologically linked because the Tiger Reserve is contiguous with Bhutan’s Royal Manas National Park. Thus, ecologically and functionally the Manas Tiger Reserve can be considered to be part of the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex. Manas Tiger Reserve is also a World Heritage Site.

The priority landscapes are described in detail below.

1. Terai Arc Landscape
   The Terai Arc Landscape includes five priority sites, within the Eastern Himalayas Region, that harbor landscape species (Table 5). But the entire landscape extends further west to Corbett National Park. Thus, it is anchored in the east and west by two World Heritage sites: Chitwan National Park in Nepal and Corbett National Park and Tiger Reserve in Uttaranchal Pradesh, India. Between these two are 11 protected areas—including a third World Heritage Site, Lumbini—that provide nodes of core protection for important species and create transboundary links between Nepal and India. Although the list of site outcomes compiled by BirdLife did not consider important sites in India, such as Dudhwa and Katerniaghat, these protected areas nevertheless represent important sites for the focal landscape species of the Terai Arc landscape. The important corridors that link the site outcomes in this landscape are those between; Chitwan and Bardia, Bardia and Katerniaghat, Bardia and Suklaphanta, and Suklaphanta and Dudwa.
   The 14 mammal, 20 bird and seven reptile species outcomes in this landscape include a globally significant tiger metapopulation (Wikramanayake et al. 1999) and four important populations of the greater one-horned rhinoceros. The rhinoceros population in Chitwan National Park is the second largest in the world. The two populations in Bardia National Park and Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve are being augmented through successful translocations of rhinoceros from Chitwan. Although the rhinoceros is now more-or-less confined to protected areas across its range, in the Terai Arc Landscape, some animals have begun to wander out of the confines of these core refuges and live in buffer zones — the emergence of conservation program of the rhinoceros as a landscape species.
   The Terai Arc Landscape also harbors several elephant populations that still seem to undertake seasonal migrations. The elephant population in the western extent of the landscape was identified as a rangewide conservation priority (WWF 1998). The Terai Arc overlaps with Level 1 TCUs and its tiger population is globally important.
   Other priority species outcomes include the swamp deer in Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal and in Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary, India (which lies outside of the region of analysis for this assessment, but has habitat linkages with Sukla Phanta). Several sites within the landscape have populations of hispid hare, and the rivers that flow within Chitwan and Bardia National Parks in Nepal harbor populations of the Gangetic dolphin.
   Among the priority bird species in this landscape are several grassland specialist birds, including the globally threatened Bengal florican and the smaller bristled grass warbler, Finn’s weaver (Ploceus megarhynchus), slender-billed babbler (Turdoides longirostris), Jerdon’s babbler (Chrysomma altirostre) and white-throated bushchat (Saxicola insignis). Wetlands, especially near the Lumbini World Heritage Site—the birthplace of Lord Buddha— support a population of saurus crane (Grus antigone). There are also several priority reptile species—three-striped roof turtle (Kachuga dhongoka), red-crowned roof turtle (Kachuga dhongoka), Indian eyed turtle, three-keeled land tortoise (Melanochelys tricarinata), elongated tortoise, gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palustris)—in the landscape, with the gharial being an aquatic flagship species.

2. Kangchenjunga-Singalila Complex
   This landscape includes five priority sites and represents a complex of transboundary reserves in eastern Nepal and Sikkim and Darjeeling in India. The landscape extends from Kangchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA) in Nepal, which is contiguous with Khanchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in Sikkim, India, to the forest patches in south and southwest of KCA in Illam, Panchthar (continuous with Singhalila National park, India) and Jhapa districts (continuous with the forests of Bengal Terai). The landscape has the potential to extend south and eastward in India to include Senchal, Neora and Mahananda in Darjeeling district (Yonzon 2000a). Although the approximate bounds of the landscape have been identified, the corridor outcomes in the landscape have to be defined through a combination of GIS analyses and ground surveys.
   The landscape in Nepal provides both north-south and east-west connectivity and includes some of the last remaining areas of relatively intact subtropical and temperate forests that have become highly fragmented and degraded throughout the Himalaya. One of the most outstanding features of this landscape in Nepal is the altitudinal gradient, from the tropical broadleaf forests of Jhapa district to the eastern subtropical and lower temperate forests of Illam and Panchthar districts and the diverse forest types of KCA. These subtropical and temperate forests and the small patches of tropical evergreen forests are important for bird conservation (Yonzon 2000a). There are also several floral hotspots, (especially in Kangchenjunga), in this landscape, which also contains large expanses of Endangered Himalayas larch forest.
   The 17 mammal species outcomes in the landscape include red panda, tiger, clouded leopard and snow leopard. Elephants migrate into the southern forests in Jhapa from West Bengal, but with forest fragmentation the numbers have dwindled and human-elephant conflicts have increased as the remaining animals are pocketed in small patches of habitat (Yonzon 2000a). Recently takin has been documented from this region (reported during the expert roundtable in Gangtok). The Mandelli’s short-eared bat is probably found in this landscape.
   Thirteen bird species outcomes are present in this landscape. The birds include the chestnut-breasted partridge and the rusty-bellied shortwing. In addition, to these species, in the Nepal portion of the landscape, there is a high diversity of birds which includes 34-35 species of birds considered at risk in Nepal including 14 categorized as Endangered (Yonzon 2000a)

3. Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex
   This large landscape extends as a network of corridors that link the protected areas system of Bhutan, which consists of nine national parks and wildlife sanctuaries and have been identified as priority site outcomes. The corridors that link these sites are priority outcomes.
   The southernmost protected area in the landscape, Royal Manas National Park, is directly linked with the Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam, India, which is immediately across the international border between India and Bhutan. Thus, Manas Tiger Reserve is included within this landscape.
   The landscape supports 17 mammal, 10 bird, 4 reptile, and likely one globally threatened invertebrate species. Recent surveys have shown that tigers occur in this landscape at elevations over 3,000 m (Yonzon 2000b) Thus, the habitat linkages between the protected areas were designed to allow an important landscape species, the tiger to disperse between, and even reside outside the core protected areas, in temperate broadleaf forests.
   The temperate forests also support several priority bird species outcomes, including important populations of the globally threatened rufous-necked hornbill (Aceros nipalensis), white-bellied heron, dark-rumped swift (Apus acuticauda), chestnut-breasted partridge (Arborophila mandellii), grey-crowned prinia (Prinia cinereocapilla) and the beautiful nuthatch (Sitta formosa). It also includes two wintering sites for the globally threatened black-necked crane.
   The corridors also provide altitudinal habitat connectivity between the range of ecoregions represented in Bhutan (WWF and ICIMOD 2001), from the lowland grassland and savannas to the alpine meadows, and the subtropical and temperate broadleaf forests, mixed conifer and subalpine conifer forests in-between. The mid-montane temperate broadleaf forests that have been cleared throughout the eastern Himalayas are still relatively intact in Bhutan. Many of the birds in these forests are not found at comparable elevations in Nepal, where the broadleaf forests are highly fragmented; most likely a result of fragmentation that prevents movements and distribution (Carol Inskipp, pers comm).
   The Manas reserve complex—Royal Manas National Park and Manas Tiger Reserve/World Heritage Site—also harbors elephants. It used to support an important population of the greater one-horned rhinoceros, which has now been extirpated by poachers who have taken advantage of an ongoing, two-decade insurgency. But there is good potential to re-establish the species if poaching can be brought under control. Manas also harbor important populations of the pygmy hog and hispid hare, and a small, nevertheless important population of wild water buffalo. The Manas reserve complex and the surrounding forests harbor important populations of capped langurs (Trachypithecus pileatus) and the endemic golden langur.
   In the north, Jigme Dorji National Park and Bumdaling provide large areas of snow leopard habitat. These northern reserves also support takin and the charismatic Himalayas endemic, the red panda, both of which are priority species outcomes. The Mandelli’s short-eared bat may occur in the middle areas of this landscape.

4. Kaziranga-Karbi Anlong Landscape
   The landscape includes six priority site outcomes that support landscape species. Kaziranga National Park is a World Heritage Site. The landscape was defined and designed to allow seasonal migrations of an important population of elephants that move from Kaziranga to Karbi Anlong. However, these corridors have to be defined on the basis of field research on seasonal elephant movements, GIS analyses of current land use and land cover, and field surveys.
   The sites within the landscape harbor several other priority species outcomes, comprising nine mammal, 26 bird and seven reptile species outcomes. Notable among these is the world’s largest population of greater one-horned rhinoceros, secured in Kaziranga National Park. The park also harbors globally important populations of wild water buffalo, swamp deer and tiger.
   Among the bird species outcomes represented in this landscape are the white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) and the greater and lesser adjutant storks. The large spatial areas associated with landscapes are more conducive to conservation of these big birds than the smaller site outcomes. Another landscape bird species in this landscape is the rufous-necked hornbill, which inhabits the forested areas, especially in Intanki, Maratlongi and Dhansiri. Important populations of the white-winged duck are known to occur in several site outcomes—Garampani, Nambor, Intanki, Maratlongi and Dhansiri—within the landscape, although its distribution may be more widespread across the landscape. Kaziranga itself is rich in globally threatened bird species, with several grassland specialists such as the bristled grass warbler (Chaetomis striatus), slender-billed babbler, Jerdon’s babbler, Bengal florican, Finn’s weaver and white-throated bush chat, and several birds associated with wetlands, especially the white-bellied heron, swamp francolin (Francolinus gularis) and Marsh babbler (Pellomeum palustre).

5. North Bank Landscape
   This landscape harbors one of the world’s most important Asian elephant populations (Sukumar 1992). It also overlaps with a Level 1 TCU and supports an important tiger population. With nine priority sites, the landscape extends along the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River in Assam, and up into Arunachal Pradesh to include forest and alpine habitats in the Himalayas mountains. The habitat linkages within the landscape have to be defined on the basis of field research on seasonal elephant movements, tiger distribution, GIS analyses of current land use and land cover, and field surveys.
   Because the landscape includes a variety of ecosystems, from the wetlands and riverine habitat along the Brahmaputra River, and alluvial grasslands and subtropical broadleaf forests in Assam, to temperate broadleaf forests, mixed conifer forests, and even alpine habitats in Arunachal Pradesh, species diversity is high. The landscape species include elephants and tigers in the lowlands to snow leopards and takin in the montane areas. Overall, the landscape includes 22 mammal species outcomes. Bird species diversity is also high. The low elevation species include the grassland and wetland birds, such as the Bengal florican, slender-billed babbler, Finn's weaver, bristled grass-warbler, grey-crowned prinia, Jerdon's babbler and Sarus crane (Grus antigone), white-bellied heron, marsh babbler, black-breasted parrotbill (Paradoxomis flavirostris), swamp francolin, spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis), white-winged duck and Pallas's fish eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus). The lowlands also harbor wide-ranging large birds such as the slender-billed vulture, white-rumped vulture, and greater and lesser adjutants. In the forested submontane areas, birds such as the rufous-necked hornbill, wood snipe (Gallinago nemoricola), rusty-bellied shortwing, Blyth's tragopan, chestnut-breasted partridge, beautiful nuthatch are identified as important conservation outcomes. The landscape also includes sites with 10 reptile species outcomes and one amphibian species outcome.

Previous: Conservation Outcomes / Next: Socioeconomic Features