Pheasants: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan ... - IUCN

were done, and observer bias produced by different
individuals participating in successive surveys may all
have reduced the reliability of the data (Kaul 1995, Shakya
and Kaul 1999).
The practical problems encountered in these studies
illustrate how difficult and labour intensive such work can
be, but the potential benefits of long-term and well-designed
monitoring programmes are immense. Such monitoring
exercises could cover most or all of the vocal species, such
as the cheer pheasant, koklass, the tragopans, crested
argus, great argus, and the peafowls.
Wider dissemination of conservation
recommendations
In order to make full use of species information and
conservation recommendations arising from the various
types of action suggested above, there is a need to place
them in a wider context. In the past, this has usually been
done at the national governmental level, but, increasingly,
conservation problems are being tackled at even larger
scales. There are now many global, regional, and national
conservation initiatives that deal with much bigger issues
than any single species (or species group) covered by this
Action Plan. These programmes involve the incorporation
of additional conservation policy into many governments’
agendas simultaneously through international treaties,
and centre largely on the issue of limiting the damaging
impacts of development programmes on a dwindling global
natural resource base. The overall objective of these
Box 1.1. The Convention on Biological Diversity.
Key articles relating to the conservation of
biodiversity.
• Article 6: General measures of conservation and
sustainable use
Requires the development of national strategies, plans, or
programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity.
• Article 7: Identification and monitoring
Requires the identification and monitoring of biodiversity
and of impacts upon it. It also considers the knowledge
necessary for conservation and sustainable use.
• Article 8: In situ conservation (i.e., conservation of
biological diversity within natural habitats and
ecosystems)
Requires the management of biodiversity where it occurs
naturally, and includes the need for protected areas and
the needs of threatened species.
• Article 9: Ex situ conservation (i.e., conservation of
biological diversity outside natural habitats)
Requires the management of biodiversity in places such as
zoos and botanical gardens. It also deals with collection
from the wild.
conventions is to maintain and, where possible, enhance
biodiversity. Information and recommendations contained
in Action Plans, like this one, should have some impact on
larger scale conservation policy formulation. There is also
a need to ensure that reliable data on threatened species
are used when planning development projects; in particular,
making sure that they are available to those charged with
carrying out related environmental impact assessments.
The prime example of a global initiative that is having
an increasingly local impact is the Convention on Biological
Diversity, which was framed during the United Nations
Convention on Environment and Development (popularly
known as the ‘Earth Summit’) at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil
during 1992. The objectives of this Convention are to
ensure the conservation of biodiversity, its sustainable use,
and the equal sharing of benefits from its use. Four key
articles outline how this should be achieved (see Box 1.1).
The global importance of this convention is now being
demonstrated in several ways. One way is the degree to
which many countries rich in biodiversity are developing
national biodiversity strategies and action plans as required
under Article 6. The first step in this process is the
production of a biodiversity assessment for the country.
There is a clear need to ensure that comprehensive and
updated information on pheasants is made available for
such national biodiversity assessments. The production
and wide distribution of this Action Plan by the SSC is an
attempt to ensure that this happens. Subsequently, the
Pheasant Specialist Group must strive to bring its collective
expertise to bear on any national conservation or
development plans insofar as they are likely to affect
threatened pheasant species.
Summary of conservation action
The Pheasant Specialist Group has concluded that of the
different conservation actions considered, the most urgent
in terms of assisting threatened species conservation are
surveys (all of the 24 threatened species), habitat protection
(21 species), basic biological research (14 species),
conservation awareness programmes (14 species),
taxonomic clarification (eight species, including the Data
Deficient imperial pheasant), and monitoring programmes
(seven species).
Although, at present, the remaining 26 species are not
considered in need of conservation action on a global
scale, action may already be needed locally to prevent
them from becoming threatened or even extinct in certain
parts of their ranges. In addition, it must be stressed that
the vast majority of pheasant species are very poorly
known in the wild. Hence, species at lower risk present an
ideal opportunity for research training. Such studies may
also lead to the development of techniques beneficial in the
context of threatened pheasant conservation.
15