Chang Riec Proposed Cultural and Historical Site
| Alternative site name(s) None Province(s) Tay Ninh Area 11,488 ha Coordinates 11°35' - 11°47'N, 105°59' - 106°07'E Agro-ecological zone South-eastern Decreed by government No Management board established No |
Investment plan prepared No VCF eligibility criteria met None Social screening criteria met None Conservation needs assessment prepared No Operational management plan prepared No Tracking tool completed No Yes |
Management history
Chang Riec is an 11,659 ha protection forest in Tan Bien district, Tay Ninh province. A protection forest management board has been established, with six permanent members of staff and 41 contracted staff (Tordoff et al. 2002).
In October 2002, Chang Riec was the focus of a rapid survey by BirdLife International, the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR) and Tay Ninh Provincial Department of Science, Technology and the Environment (DOSTE). The survey team concluded that, due to the heavily disturbed nature of the habitats, the high levels of hunting and the relatively small area of the site, Chang Riec may not be an appropriate site for Special-use Forest status (Tordoff et al. 2002). However, Chang Riec is included on a list of Special-use Forests to be established by the year 2010, prepared by the FPD of MARD, as a 11,488 ha cultural and historical site (FPD 2003); this list has not yet been approved by the government.
Topography and hydrology
Chang Riec is situated in the lowlands of south-eastern Vietnam, adjacent to the international border with Cambodia. The topography of most of the site is relatively flat, although there are a series of very low, rolling hills in the east. The site includes a number of seasonally inundated grasslands.
Biodiversity values
Chang Riec Protection Forest includes 6,510 ha of natural forest, 824 ha of deforested land managed for natural regeneration, 983 ha of plantation forest and 1,456 ha of new plantations. The principal plantation species are Hopea sp., Dipterocarpus obtusifolius and teak Tectona grandis. The principal natural habitats at Chang Riec comprise lowland semi-evergreen and deciduous forest and seasonally inundated grassland. These habitats, particularly the seasonally inundated grasslands, are relatively heavily disturbed by human activities (Tordoff et al. 2002).
During the BirdLife/IEBR/Tay Ninh Provincial DOSTE survey, a total of 75 bird species were recorded at Chang Riec, including the globally near-threatened Siamese Fireback Lophura diardi. In addition, the globally threatened mammal species, Black-shanked Douc Pygathrix nigripes was provisionally recorded on the basis of reports by local people (Tordoff et al. 2002).
Conservation issues
One of the major threats to biodiversity at Chang Riec is conversion of natural habitats to agriculture. Prior to 1999, the area of the protection forest was c.16,000 ha. In that year, however, c. 4,000 ha of the protection forest were converted into agricultural land, mainly sugarcane (Tordoff et al. 2002).
The seasonally inundated grasslands at the site are also severely threatened by infrastructure development. For instance, the largest grassland at the site has been bisected by a road and a significant area has been destroyed by the construction of a series of historical monuments. Infrastructure development has taken place at the site without sufficient environmental safeguards, and further development is planned, which will undoubtedly lead to further loss of wetland habitat (Tordoff et al. 2002).
Hunting is another major threat to biodiversity at Chang Riec. Due to the high density of roads, flat topography and weak enforcement of anti-hunting regulations, hunters operate at the site with apparent impunity. A number of birds species of conservation concern, including Green Peafowl Pavo muticus and Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis appear to have been eradicated from Chang Riec as a result of over-hunting (Tordoff et al.2002).
Chang Riec is located to the east of Lo Go-Xa Mat National Park (see site card). The two sites are separated by National Highway 22, which is bordered by human settlement, agriculture and a rubber plantation. Consequently, there is currently no contiguity of natural habitat between the two sites
Other documented values
Chang Riec Protection Forest includes two historical sites commemorating the revolutionary government of southern Vietnam, which was based in the area during the Second Indochina War. Both sites are under the management of Tay Ninh Provincial Department of Culture and Information, and attract significant numbers of domestic tourists.
Related projects
The national 661 Programme is currently funding the activities of the protection forest management board, including the salaries of the contracted staff and forest protection contracts with 341 local households.
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 ineligible for VCF support because it does not meet the criteria for supporting forest biodiversity of international importance. In addition, the site is a cultural and historical site, and it is not under appropriate conservation management.
| Criterion |
Eligibility |
| AI |
|
| AII |
|
| BI |
Proposed Special-use Forest |
| BII |
|
| BIII |
Under provincial management |
| CI |
|
| CII |
Social screening requirements
A social screening report has not been prepared for the site.
| Criterion |
Eligibility |
| A |
|
| B |
|
| C |
|
| D |
Literature sources
Anon. (1999) [Chang Riec border and environmental protection forest, Tay Ninh province.] Tay Ninh: Tay Ninh Provincial Department of Science, Technology and the Environment. In Vietnamese.
Anon. (2001) [The situation of forest and biodiversity protection in Tay Ninh province in recent years]. Unpublished report. In Vietnamese.
Tordoff, A. W., Pham Trong Anh, Le Manh Hung, Nguyen Dinh Xuan and Tran Khac Phuc (2002) A rapid bird and mammal survey of Lo Go Sa Mat Special-use Forest and Chang Riec Protection Forest, Tay Ninh province, Vietnam. Unpublished report to the BirdLife International Vietnam Programme and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources.
Tordoff, A. W., Pham Trong Anh, Le Manh Hung, Nguyen Dinh Xuan and Tran Khac Phuc (2002) [A rapid bird and mammal survey of Lo Go Sa Mat Special-use Forest and Chang Riec Protection Forest, Tay Ninh province, Vietnam]. Unpublished report to the BirdLife International Vietnam Programme and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources. In Vietnamese.
Click here to download pdf file
