Ream National Park Twelve Month Report

Discussion
Ream National Park contains a variety of habitat-types; most of them modified by human
activity to a greater or lesser extent. The majority of the terrestrial surveys conducted for this
study have focused on lowland forest, with additional surveying taking place on the estuary
and coast.
Ream is a key site for reptile s and amphibians. These groups may be under-represented in the
IUCN’s Red Data List (IUCN 2000), due to a lack of investigation into their population
status, etc. However it is clear that the Park’s populations of koh tao caecilian, bengal
monitor and Indochinese water dragon, three Red Listed species of turtle and Endangered
elongated tortoise, and variety of large snakes are noteworthy. All of these species are at risk
from hunting, and the freshwater turtles in particular are very vulnerable due to their lack of
mobility and slow life-cycle. Ream’s beaches are thought to support populations of four
species of sea-turtle (Guy 1995).
Two terrestrial sites (trapsite three of phase CBF042 and trapsite four of phase CBF043) have
been indicated by the survey as particularly rich in vegetation, reptile and amphibian diversity
(see figure 11). These were both relatively wet sites which may have been less disturbed due
to the difficulty of access for logging, cultivation or settlement. However this factor cannot
be relied upon to provide continued protection, and due to the limitations of our sample there
are likely to be many other areas of the Park with as great, or greater priority for conservation.
Ream also contains a large number of Lepidoptera species, perhaps due to its variety of
habitats and large number of “edges” due to the fragmentation of the forest. Our sample,
which discovered 90 species of butterfly and 40 species of moth, is limited to relatively low
canopy and predominantly diurnal species. An exploration of different ecological niches such
as the mid to upper canopy, as well as night-time moth-trapping would yield a much greater
diversity of species.
The vegetation at all sites studied during this survey has been degraded, yet most sites
appeared to be regenerating successfully. Even the heavily-modified third trap-site of phase
043 contained some members of the native, endangered dipterocarp, ko-kee saik. Reams
lowland evergreen forests may need effective protection from further human encroachment,
to ensure that they continue to develop as an important plant community and a habitat for
native animal species. For instance the great hornbill, one of the few Red Listed woodland
bird species to be found at Ream, depends upon the protection of mature native trees in which
to build nests in order to sustain a breeding population.
Specifically, those parts of the Park that have been previously cultivated, (usually with fruit
plantations), probably represent the poorest-quality habitat, being least diverse in species and
in structure and most likely to contain non-native species. In contrast, some forest sites have
been identified which have much greater regeneration potential. The most useful way to
determine these sites seems to be by investigating key parameters such as diversity,
naturalness, rarity and threat. In addition, six conservation-priority species have been
identified as proxies for assessing the conservation value of the forest sites studied.
Our surveys have also indicated that the designation of Ream’s wetlands as an IBA appears
justified. The area supports a high diversity of bird species including many endangered and
regionally-threatened water-birds. Prek Toek Sap is important both as a year-round habitat
for breeding populations and as a temporary site for migratory species. It is also an important
site for the brahminy kite, (threatened in neighbouring Laos and Thailand), which seems to
congregate around centres of human population, perhaps relying on scavenging from fishing
boats for part of its diet. The importance of the estuarine mudflats as a feeding-ground is
shown by the increase in bird sightings when these are exposed by the low tide. Mangroves,
(which line the estuary), are also a crucial habitat for birds, a nursery for fish species, and in
protecting the rest of the Park from ocean encroachment.
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