Parks - IUCN

PARKS VOL 9 NO 3 • OCTOBER 1999
of fauna in Bhutan can be largely attributed to extreme variations in topographical
and climatic factors.
In 1993, Bhutan revised the national system of protected areas to encompass
representative samples of the full range of habitat types and ecosystems found in the
country. The revised system includes a strict nature reserve (IUCN category I), four
national parks (IUCN category II) and four wildlife sanctuaries (IUCN category IV).
In addition, several small scenic landscapes and conservation areas have been set
aside for aesthetic and nature conservation purposes. Jigme Dorji National Park,
Black Mountains National Park, and Royal Manas National Park were identified as
priority areas for scientifically-based management to conserve the major ecosystems
of the country ranging from the lowland tropical grasslands and forests in the south
to permanent snow fields in the north.
Three protected areas – Black Mountains National Park to the north, Royal Manas
National Park in the centre, and India’s Manas Tiger Reserve to the south, form an
integral protected natural complex. It features a wide range of habitats, from lowland
tropical forests all the way up to permanent ice fields; all located in one of the world’s
most important ecological regions. Together, these three protected areas constitute
possibly the most important protected region in all of Asia. Royal Manas National Park
is the richest and most biologically diverse of the three protected areas.
Similarly, Black Mountains National Park has the potential to be connected with
the Jigme Dorji National Park. The richly forested link area already includes forest
management units in Kotokha and Chendebji areas and a black-necked crane
conservation area in Phobjikha valley. The conservation importance of this link area
has become further evident from ongoing nationwide tiger surveys. These have
recorded tiger occurrence in several parts of the link area as well as in Jigme Dorji
National Park at elevations ranging up to 4,000 m. Tiger surveys are yet to be carried
out in the Black Mountains National Park. There are strong indications that the a
healthy tiger population exists in the park since tiger signs have been recorded in
the peripheral areas adjoining the northern, eastern, and southern boundaries of the
park. Contiguous tracts of intact natural habitat could be the primary reason for the
wide occurrence of tigers in Bhutan. Likewise, Asian elephants have been found at
2,000 m in the hills of Bhutan during the summer months when they migrate from
the plains of India. In addition, the biological corridor serves as an important
migratory route for several bird species such as the oriental turtledove and blackheaded
sibia.
Description of the linked areas
Royal Manas National Park
Royal Manas National Park, covering an area of 1,023 km 2 in south central Bhutan,
is linked with the Black Mountains National Park to the north and Manas Tiger
Reserve in India to the south. Much of the park is characterised by rugged,
mountainous terrain with moderately steep slopes, which peak at 2,707 m in the
northern part of the park. Running through the park is the Manas River, Bhutan’s
largest, draining about two-thirds of the country.
Tropical monsoon forests interspersed with swathes of natural grasslands,
evergreen tropical and subtropical forests, and warm and cool temperate broadleaf
forests characterise the park. The largely deciduous forests along the foothills give way
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