How can ecotourism help to protect Xe Pian NPA? Click here |
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On account of a relatively low human population density, Xe Pian has been fortunate to retain muchof its forest cover and diversity of habitats. Indeed, many of the important areas for biodiversity conservation inside the protected area remain currently uninhabited. Some areas, in the more remote corners, such as central block near the Cambodian border, are seldom visited by local people. Habitat loss is not, therefore, considered to be a major current issue or threat.
Probably the most conspicuous impact over the last several decades has been the decline in many wildlife populations and some non-timber forest products (NTFP), a fact readily affirmed by the local people themselves. This can be largely attributed to the impact of the Indochina War, an increasing human population, and a corresponding expansion of the cash economy that is putting great harvesting pressure on natural resources for both consumption and trade. In particular, areas and sites in Xe Pian which are the most accessible and most ecologically productive, such as mineral licks and perennial wetlands, are hardest hit.
A summary of some of the more important issues and threats currently facing Xe Pian’s biodiversity include:• High rates of population growth
• Activities of commercial wildlife traders
• Concentration of human activities in and around ecologically sensitive and
productive sites such as mineral licks, swamps, river banks and seasonal water pools
• Hunting for local consumption
• Hunting for local trade
• Lack of awareness of wildlife protection laws
• Inadequate management capacity and resources
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