Heritage to the World Home to more than 800 species of wildlife, the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex has substantial tropical forest ecosystems to provide a viable habitat for the long-term survival of these species Congratulations Thailand! The Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex _ which includes Khao Yai, Thap Lan, Pang Sida and Ta Phraya national parks as well as Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary _ has recently been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. This is the second time the UN agency has accorded the prestigious status to a natural site in the Kingdom. And it marked the end of more than 10 years of waiting for Khao Yai, one of Thailand's most well-known national parks, which was first nominated for the World Heritage Site title in 1991.Back then Khao Yai by itself did not quality. Now, as part of a larger complex, it has finally recieved the final approval of the World Heritage Committee. Perseverance and good management has finally paid off. The tropical forest complex is home to more than 800 species of fauna, including 112 mammal species, 392 species of birds (100 more than found in the whole of British Isles) and 200 reptiles and amphibians. Twenty-four of these species _ including the Asian elephant, the Siamese crocodile, tiger, leopard cat, clouded leopard, pileated gibbon, black bear, wild dog, guar, green peafowl and the silver oriole _ are globally threatened or facing extinction. Like us humans, animals have four basic wants _ a home, food, water and a mate so that they can reproduce. They can find all of these in the forests, streams, grasslands and wetlands of the forest complex. For the score, several years ago, Thung Yai-Huai Kha Khaeng wildlife sanctuaries were together the first natural site in Thailand to make the Unesco's list. But unlike Thung Yai - Huai Kha Khaeng which are out of bounds to the public, the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex mostly comprises national parks and hence is more accessible to tourists. As anyone who has visited one of these parks will know _ the complexity of relationships in the forest is quite astounding. Take the elephant for example. Nobody can call it a fussy eater _ its feeds on grass, leaves, fruits, vines, bark, roots and young shoots. The Wild Elephant Research and Rescue Fund (WERF) in Khao Yai has found that elephants eat at least 103 different species of plants, although they are known to have a preference for bamboo, most plants of the ginger family, banana trees and rattan. Finding enough food to feed an animal this large is no easy task _ about 300kg per day for a fully grown pachyderm. So the elephant's life is spent walking and eating, and these two activities play a vital role in forest life. Have you ever walked an elephant trail in Khao Yai? Humans have modified the trails in many places, but originally it were the elephants that bulldozed the trails. Along the trail you may meet tourists enjoying the rich plant and animal life; a researcher studying hornbills, gibbons, lichens, elephants or even leeches; or perhaps a group of students discovering the excitement and wonders of the forest. Humans are not the only ones to use these forest highways. WERF researchers have put camera traps along some of the trails and found that many other animals also favour these easy-to walk-on paths. Some animals almost seem to specialise in following the elephants. Forest rangers have seen guars following them and wondered why. Their investigation pointed to one possible answer _ bamboo. Guars seem to like the leaves and base of young bamboo stems, but it can be quite hard for them to get either of these parts. The elephant likes the middle part of the stem and is quite capable of pulling down stems and crunching up the middle section, leaving the top and bottom end for the guar following not far behind. Further along the trail you might run into a huge pile of fibrous dung-balls _ the after-effect of elephants eating all those plants. Take a close look for the life inside the dung _ fungi, termites and beetles all feed on elephant dung. Then along comes the jungle fowl or silver pheasant, scratching the dung-ball open to peck on the termite and beetles. Being a rung in the forest food web is not the only role of elephant dung. Seeds of plants eaten by the elephant often germinate in this rich pile of fertiliser, growing in an area far from the parent plant, thus finding a new home. It means they don't need to compete for survival. In this intricate web of life, all the animals and plants have a role to play and all are important in sustaining the ecosystem. If there were no predators to keep the population of deer from multiplying rapidly, then the deer may eat the seedlings, gradually killing the forest. If there were no animals, the forest would die a slow death due to the loss of creatures that help pollinate flowers and disperse seeds. Man, arguably, have the biggest role to play when it comes to survival of the forest. He must let nature runs its course, not destroy it for short-term gain and protect it and ensure that others do the same as well. This is why we have designations such as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries and why achieving World Heritage status seems so important _ it is a promise from us humans to the forests and wildlife of Khao Yai, Thap Lan, Pangsida, Ta Phraya and Dong Yai _ to protect them from harm and ensure that they have a long-term future. Some people might ask why Khao Yai could not qualify as a World Heritage Site on its own, and only made the grade after it was made part of a much larger forest complex. The answer is, as far as ecosystems are concerned, size is very important _ the larger the area that is protected and maintained as an intact working system, the better. Intact is a key word for ecosystems _ small islands of forest surrounded by oceans of human activity don't work as many animals find it hard to cross the human sea between potential island homes. However, if corridors of natural habitat exist between the patches of forest, then the animals can move to find sufficient food, water and mates. This idea of a natural corridor was the key to Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex receiving World Heritage status. Plans are afoot to create three such corridors. Two of them entail crossing the Korat-Kabinburi Road that cuts a vehicle-filled swathe between Khao Yai and Tap Lan national parks, and the third will connect Dong Yai and Tha Phraya, also linked by road. For large animals like the elephant, Khao Yai has been a forest island since the Korat-Kabin Buri Road was built decades ago. This road effectively stopped elephants from Khao Yai and Tap Lan from inter-breeding, resulting in poor genetic diversity and possible helth problems. At the moment WERF researchers are surveying the demographics of elephants in Khao Yai _ how many of them are there; where do they live; do they use different parts of the park at different times of the year; and how many elephants live in each area? _ are some of the questions they are trying to answer through monitoring dung decay and density and following the elephants, when possible, to see how many times they defecate a day. It will take the researchers about two years to complete the survey. So those who want to know the answers, please be patient. Once done, the team can offer the park management scientifically correct information such as whether wildlife corridors between Khao Yai and Thap Lan are likely to be used by elephants, and advise what actions will be needed to increase the use of this area by elephants. Just as the rating of the forest complex as a World Heritage destination is a triumph for the entire nation, it's also the duty of every Thai citizen to demonstrate a commitment to protect and safeguard this natural heritage. Obviously, the Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) and the government have a major role to play in protecting forests from encroachers and loggers and stopping the poaching of wildlife through good patrolling and law enforcement. Research and monitoring of wildlife and plants are critical to sustaining biodiversity and ensuring the survival of endangered species. Managing tourist traffic is equally important. Visitors' desire to admire natural beauty and wild animals should not upset the forest's ecological balance. But the DNP and the government cannot do these things alone. Visitors need to take responsibility and not destroy the forest complex through careless throwing of litter, speeding along roads, feeding wild animals, removing plants and flowers, releasing pets or washing in streams. And, if at any point in time the DNP finds that park capacity _ the amount of tourists an area can take without causing it harm _ was being breached, visitors should support and respect decisions the DNP makes to eliminate or minimise the adverse impact. Likewise, resorts and tourist attractions in the vicinity also have a role _ to dispense visitors accurate information about the do's and don'ts when visiting national parks; collecting water in the rainy season and using it responsibly so that streams and groundwater sources are not depleted; reducing waste and managing it through recycling, discouraging use of plastic bags and styrofoam containers; taking care not to encroach protected areas, and finally ensuring that they do not introduce alien plant or animal species to national parks. Local communities, from the villager, farmer and village head to monk, second-home owner and government official, all have a part: they should be actively involved in forest management and protection. Without the assistance of local communities, illegal activities such as encroachment, logging, poaching and cattle grazing inside the park will occur unchecked and the DNP will have an endless battle on their hands. Fortunately, community participation in managing protected areas is now increasingly accepted in Thailand. On a broader scale, academics and ecological researchers should also be called upon to play a part. We should support and, if need be, challenge the work of the DNP to ensure that the forest complex is being managed and protected in the best possible way. And last, but not least, the international community should pitch in with its expertise to ensure sound management of Thailand's newest World Heritage Site. If all groups work together, the Dong Phayayen - Khao Yai Forest Complex can be assured of a great future. Our great grandchildren and their children in turn will be able to experience and enjoy the amazing diversity of life in these forests that in more ways than one have now become a privileged part of our existence. Bangkok Post August 2005 www.bangkokpost.com |