Du Gia Proposed Nature Reserve
| Alternative site name(s) None Province(s) Ha Giang Area 24,293 ha Coordinates 22°49' - 22°58'N, 105°03' - 105°21'E Agro-ecological zone North-eastern 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
Du Gia is not listed on any government decree. However, on 27 March 1993, Ha Giang Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 137/UB-QD to establish and develop four Special-use Forests in the province, including Du Gia (Dinh Van Manh 1994).
An investment plan for Du Gia was prepared by North-western Sub-FIPI in early 1994. This investment plan was approved by Ha Giang Provincial People's Committee on 8 March 1994, and by MARD on 31 March 1994. Subsequently, on 24 November 1994, a nature reserve management board was established following Decision No. 647/QD-UB of Ha Giang Provincial People’s Committee (Dinh Van Manh 1994, Ha Giang Provincial FPD in litt. 2000). The management board currently has six members of staff, based at two guard stations, and is under the management of the provincial FPD (Du Gia Nature Reserve Management Board in litt. 2003).
According to the investment plan, the total area of the proposed nature reserve is 24,293 ha, comprising a strict protection area of 7,652 ha, a forest rehabilitation area of 14,294 ha and an administration and services area of 2,347 ha. In addition, there is a buffer zone of 19,700 ha (Dinh Van Manh 1994).
Du Gia is included on a list of Special-use Forests to be established by the year 2010, prepared by the FPD of MARD, as a 24,293 ha nature reserve (FPD 2003); this list has not yet been approved by the government.
Topography and hydrology
Du Gia proposed nature reserve is located in Du Gia commune, Yen Minh district, Minh Son commune, Bac Me district and Tung Ba commune, Vi Xuyen district, Ha Giang province. The topography of the proposed nature reserve is steep and mountainous. Altitudes range from around 400 m in south of the nature reserve to 2,275 m at the summit of Mount Pu Tha Ca. The nature reserve is bisected by a valley, which runs from north to south and contains provincial road 176. The highest areas in the proposed nature reserve are to the west of this valley, around Mount Pu Tha Ca. Elevations to the east of the valley are generally lower, although they increase towards the border with Cao Bang province, which forms the eastern boundary of the proposed nature reserve. The geology of the proposed nature reserve is predominantly sandstone, with smaller areas of limestone in the centre and the east.
The proposed nature reserve is drained by numerous small streams flowing through steep-sided valleys. Most of the proposed nature reserve is situated in the watershed of the Gam river, although a small area in the north-west is situated in the watershed of the Lo river. These two rivers meet near Tuyen Quang town, from where they join the Red River at Viet Tri town.
Biodiversity values
Du Gia proposed nature reserve supports lowland evergreen forest, lower and upper montane evergreen forest, and limestone forest. On the higher peaks, there are some patches of forest characterised by the conifer Fokienia hodginsii. The investment plan mentions that 289 plant, 57 mammal, 82 bird, 18 reptile and 14 amphibian species occur at the nature reserve, although the source of this data is not clear (Dinh Van Manh 1994).
Between March and May 2000, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR) carried out a biodiversity survey of Du Gia proposed nature reserve. During the survey a total of 61 bird species were recorded in and around the proposed nature reserve, including the globally threatened Beautiful Nuthatch Sitta formosa (Vogel et al. 2003). During May 2002, a further rapid biodiversity survey was conducted by IEBR and BirdLife International. This survey recorded an additional 55 bird species, bringing to 116 the number of bird species recorded at the site (Le Mang Hung et al. 2002). Because of its importance for Beautiful Nuthatch and biome-restricted species, Du Gia qualifies as an Important Bird Area (Tordoff 2002).
In 2001, Du Gia proposed nature reserve was confirmed to support a significant population of Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey Rhinopithecus avunculus (Le Khac Quyet verbally 2001). This globally critically endangered species is endemic to northern Vietnam, and the population at Du Gia is believed to be one of the largest remaining.
Conservation issues
A total of 7,500 people live inside the proposed nature reserve, and a further 14,300 live inside the buffer zone (Du Gia Nature Reserve Management Board in litt. 2003). These people comprise members of the Hmong, Tay, Dao and Kinh ethnic groups. On average, local households experience three months of food shortages per year. These food shortages, coupled with low levels of education and socio-economic development, are considered to contribute to illegal exploitation of forest resources by local people (Ha Giang Provincial FPD in litt. 2000).
Other documented values
The forest at Du Gia proposed nature reserve has a role in protecting the watersheds of the Gam and, to a lesser degree, the Lo rivers.
Related projects
No information.
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
Du Gia is eligible for VCF support because it meets criteria A, B and C.
| Criterion |
Eligibility |
| AI |
NH2 - Northern Highlands Limestone |
| AII |
VN055 - Du Gia |
| 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
Anon. (undated) [Du Gia Nature Reserve, Ha Giang province]. Unpublished report. In Vietnamese.
Dinh Van Manh (1994) [Investment plan for Du Gia Nature Reserve, Ha Giang province]. Hanoi: Forest Inventory and Planning Institute. In Vietnamese.
Le Manh Hung, Tran Thieu Du and Vu Huu Trac (2002) A rapid field survey of Xin Man and Yen Minh districts, Ha Giang province, Vietnam. Unpublished report to the BirdLife International Vietnam Programme and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources.
Le Manh Hung, Tran Thieu Du and Vu Huu Trac (2002) [A rapid field survey of Xin Man and Yen Minh districts, Ha Giang province, Vietnam]. Unpublished report to the BirdLife International Vietnam Programme and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources. In Vietnamese.
Tordoff, A. W. ed. (2002) Directory of important bird areas in Vietnam: key sites for conservation. Hanoi: BirdLife International in Indochina and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources.
Vogel, C. J., Sweet, P. R., Le Manh Hung and Hurley, M. M. (2003) Ornithological records from Ha Giang province, north-east Vietnam, during March-June 2000. Forktail 19: 21-30.
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