IUCN Management Category IV (Managed nature reserve)

Biogeographical Province 2.38.12 (Himalayan Highlands)

Geographical Location Lies in the Rikize (Shigote) Prefecture of southern Tibet. The reserve includes Dingri (Tingri), Nelamu (Nyelam) and part of Dingjie (Dinggue) and Jilong (Kyirong) counties. It extends from the easternmost bend of the Pengqa (Punychu or Arun) River near Dingqye to the Jilongzangbu (Trisuli) River near Jilong in the west. The reserve is accessible by the Friendship Highway linking Lhasa with Kathmandu, Nepal. The northern boundary roughly parallels the 29°N latitude line just south of Lhasa, and the southern boundary is delimited by the international border with Nepal. 28°30'N, 86°10'E

Date and History of Establishment Established in 1989 by the Government of the Xizang Zizhiqu Autonomous Region. Two regions within Jilong and Zhangmu valleys had previously been gazetted as nature reserves in 1985, namely Jiangcun and Zham.

Area 3,500,000ha. The reserve is part of a 4,008,800ha protected areas complex, being contiguous to Nepal's Langtang and Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) national parks, as well as the proposed Makalu-Barun National Park and Conservation Area.

Land Tenure State

Altitude Range from 1,433m to 8,848m.

Physical Features The southernmost boundary comprises the High Himalaya which is an east-west-oriented, geologically young and seismically active range formed through the collision of the Indian shield and Eurasian mainland plate at the beginning of the Tertiary (63 million years BP). The presence of antecedent rivers, such as the Pengqu, glacial advances and retreats, and physical and chemical weathering processes have created the present topography, with schist, gneiss, granite and limestone peaks. The rate of uplift of the High Himalayan and Tibetan Plateau is estimated to be 0.7-10mm per year. Five valleys penetrate the Himalaya: these are, from east to west, Pengqu (Chentang), Rongxia (Rongshan), Poqu (Nielamu), Jilong and Gongdang. North of the High Himalayan chain is a plateau with numerous lakes, such as the 26,800ha Peikucuo, Meteli Tso and Duqian Tso. Large lake basins occur from west to east, including Jilong, Selong, Jenmu, Dingri, Dingjie and Takexun. Extensive plains are found along the northern slopes of Mount Xixiabangma (Shishapangma), the basin surrounding Peikucuo and the river valley of the Yarlung Tsangpo. To the west are steeply dissected mountains. The southern region is drained by the Pengqu River, which flows 275km river westward from its headwaters near Siling and the northern slopes of Mount Xixiabangma to become the Arun River as it cuts southwards through the High Himalaya (Woodlands Mountain Institute, 1991).

Climate Conditions are influenced by the Himalaya which acts as a meteorological barrier to the south-west monsoon. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 2000-2500mm on the southern aspects of the Himalaya exposed to the monsoon and 600-800mm in the Pengqu catchment to less than 250mm in the northern plateau region, where conditions are continental and semi-arid. There is a north-south temperature gradient, with lower mean annual air temperatures of 2-3°C north of the Himalayan chain (Woodlands Mountain Institute, 1991).

Vegetation The vegetation is summarised by Jackson (1991c) and comprises: an upper sub-tropical zone evergreen broadleaf forest, dominant species including Castanopsis hystrix, Engelhardia sp. and Machilis sp.; lower temperate zone of mixed evergreen oak forest, with Quercus oxydon, C. hystrix, Engelhardia sp. and Machilis sp.; upper temperate zone of oak, hemlock Tsuga dumosa, blue pine Pinus wallichiana and chir pine P. roxburghii; subalpine zone of spruce P. smithiana, silver fir Abies spectabilis, larch Larix griffithiana, birch Betula utilis, perennial grassland Stipa/Pennisetum spp. and riverine scrub Hippophae spp.; alpine zone of grassland Orinus thoroldii, low sage Artemisia spp., rhododendron Rhododendron spp., juniper Sabina spp., birch/willow Betula/Salix spp. and wet meadow Kobresia-Carex spp.; and a nival zone of pincushion plants, dominated by species of Androsace and Arenaria. In the southern region, subtropical forests occur between 1,100m and 1,800m, dominated by Castanopsis hystrix, C. tribuloides, Lithocarpus spp., Schima sp., Machilus sp., Michelia sp., Engelhardia sp. and Olea sp. Understorey shrubs include Ardisia sp., Vaccinum sp., Symplocos sp. and Viburnum sp. Some areas support rich stands of laurel Machilus yunnanensis. Where oaks have adapted to moist conditions, species include Quercus oxydon and Q. annulata. The Kama Valley in the south-west is renowned for its coniferous forests, dominated by blue pine Pinus wallichiana, spruce Picea smithiana and silver fir Abies spectabilis. Chir pine Pinus roxburghii occurs in the forests of Jilong, while at Chentang deciduous larch Larix griffithiana is found as high as 4,000m. Hemlock Tsuga dumosa occurs in the more humid valleys and mountain slopes. In the northern region, vegetation in the semi-arid plateau consists of steppe grassland and shrub trees, dominated by grasses such as Stipa purpurea, Orinus thoroldii and Pennisetum flaccidum, and shrubs such as Artemisia spp., Potentilla fructicosa and Caragana versicolor. River valleys and high mountain basins support a lush growth of the sedges Kobresia pymaea, Carex moorcroftii and C. montis-everestii.

Fauna Primates include langur Presbytis entellus, Assam macaque Macaca assamensis and rhesus macaque M. mulatta. Carnivores include Himalayan black bear Selenarctos thibetanus (V), brown bear Ursus arctos, snow leopard Panthera uncia (E), leopard Panthera pardus (T), clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa (V), Pallas's cat Felis manul, wolf Canis lupus (V), Asiatic cat Felis temmincki (I), jungle cat Felis chaus, wild dog Cuon alpinus (V), leopard cat Felis bengalensis and jackal Canis aureus. Lynx Felis lynx is found in lower forested valleys, while fox Vulpes vulpes and Tibetan fox Vulpes ferrilata are widespread. Mountain weasel Mustela altaica, Siberian weasel M. sibirica, beech marten Martes foina, and yellow-throated marten M. flavigula are present, and European otter Lutra lutra (V) occurs in rivers at lower elevations (Jackson, 1991c). Herbivores include red panda Ailurus fulgene (K) and Asiatic wild ass Equus hemionus (V), of which 50 now roam the plains surrounding Pegu Tso (Jackson, 1991b), Tibetan gazelle Procapra piticaudata, bharal Pseudois nayaur, serow Capricornis sumatraensis, common in forested gorges, goral Nemorhaedus goral, Himalayan tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus, Indian muntjac Muntiacus muntjak and musk deer Moschus chrysogaster. Other species include Himalayan marmot Marmota himalayensis, black-lipped pika Ochotona curzoniae, Moupin pika O. thibethana, Royle's pika O. roylei, Stoliczka's mountain vole Alticola stoliczkanus, Sikkim vole Pitymys sikimensis, Blyth's vole P. leucurus, Hodgson's flying squirrel Petaurista magnificus and Himalayan striped squirrel Callosciurus macclellandi. Orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel Dremomys lokriah is found in low elevation forests, together with wild boar Sus scrofa (Jackson, 1991c).

Birds are distributed according to habitat and altitude. Species include peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus, lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus, Eurasian griffon vulture Gyps fulvus Himalayan monal pheasant Lophophorus impejanis, satyr tragopan Tragopan satyra, blood pheasant Ithaginus cruentus, koklass pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha, Tibetan snowcock Tetraogallus tibetanus, and Himalayan snowcock T. himalayensis. West of Peku Tso a small freshwater lake supports oriental white stork Ciconia ciconia boyciana (R), blacked-necked crane Grus nigricollis (R) and brown-headed gull Larus brunnicephalus. Python Python molurus (V) is present (Jackson, 1991c).

Cultural Heritage Qomolangma is rich in cultural sites and artifacts, human activities having been traced back 50,000 years with the discovery of Palaeolithic stone tools near Dingri. Recorded history in the region dates back to before 700 AD, based upon the mention of the Xiangxiong culture in Tibetan literature. Several monasteries (gompas) occur within the reserve, including Lapchi, Tho-sam-ling, the 575-year old Laangkhor, Ronbuk (Dzasong) and Milarepa's hermitage in the village of Changdong (Woodlands Mountain Institute, 1991).

Local Human Population Tibetan is the major ethnic group, accounting for 99% of the population (Working Commission, 1991). Approximately 12,000 families (total population 67,468) live within the reserve, involved mainly in agriculture and animal husbandry. The livestock population totalled 182,518 animals in 1989, with yak grazed seasonally in summer pastures by semi-nomadic groups of pastoralists (Woodlands Mountain Institute, 1991).

Visitors and Visitor Facilities Since 1985, tourism has expanded significantly, with lodges and hotels now located in Dingri, Neilamu, Pazhuo (Paljor), Rongbu, Xegar and Zhangmar (Woodlands Mountain Institute, 1991).

Scientific Research and Facilities A number of scientific surveys have been carried out, including floral studies by Zhang et al. (1988). Scientific expeditions have been conducted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Surveys have been instigated by the participating agencies and include a socio-economic survey by the Tibet Academy of Social Sciences, vegetation mapping and geographical surveys by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, cultural survey by the Culture Department, health survey by the Health Department, education survey by the Education Department, tourism survey by the Tibet Mountaineering Association, environmental pollution survey by the Environmental Protection Bureau and management survey by the Management Bureau, resulting in a number of reports being published in 1989 (Working Commission, 1991).

Conservation Value Qomolangma is among the world's largest protected areas and, together with three adjacent protected areas in Nepal, protects much of the Everest ecosystem. It has a high biological diversity due to its location at the juxtaposition of the Palaearctic and Oriental biogeographical realms. Species diversity is particularily high in the temperate forests of the Karma and Kyirong valleys, and pristine forests occur in Chentang and Kyirong valleys. Other habitats range from grassland to wetland and alpine shrubland, and from cliffs to large lakes and rivers. Its spatial continuity with three Himalayan parks in Nepal enhances the long-term genetic viability of otherwise isolated plant and animal populations. The reserve also presents an opportunity to implement management using a participatory model of land management which integrates the needs of local people with the protection of the environment (Woodlands Mountain Institute, 1991; Jackson, 1991c).

Conservation Management The reserve was established through the efforts of the Working Commission of the Qomolangma Nature Reserve and Woodlands Mountain Institute, in conjunction with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Tibet Academy of Social Sciences, under a cooperative agreement signed on 26 October 1989 and effective until 31 December 2000. Overall authority lies with the Working Commission which includes representatives from 13 governmental departments holding executive powers. An eight-member 'Expert Group' of key scientists, planners and administrators, appointed by the Working Commission, is responsible for the project's applied research and planning needs. A management bureau, established in Xikeze Prefecture, is responsible for the administration of the reserve. Officials from the Bureau of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Forestry, run the management bureau through each county government. Two branch offices have been established: one in Xegar, the administrative centre of Dingri County, and one in Jilong (Working Commission, 1991). In Kyirong a system of recruiting village leaders as forest and wildlife guards has been successfully employed to protect the forests. Other employment opportunities include training Tibetans and Chinese as tour guides and support staff (Jackson, 1991c).

A management plan is due to be completed in 1991 and will cover management, research, community development, cultural conservation and tourism development. Six core zones of minimally disturbed and largely intact ecosystems are proposed within the reserve: Shishapangma (Xixiabangma), Xuebugang, Jiangum, Gongdang (Guntan) and Qomolangma (Jackson, 1991c). Immediate management objectives include regulating hunting by terminating all predator bounty programmes, banning the hunting of snow leopard and lynx, and protecting native ungulate populations.

Management Constraints Hunting is a major problem and has led to the decimation of populations of snow leopard, lynx, wolf, argali and brown bear. This is partly due to financial incentives: for example, a snow leopard is worth 400 yuan (US$ 85). Also herdsmen protect their livestock from predation, and from crop damage by wildlife such as wild boar, black bear, monkey and pheasant (Jackson, 1991c).

Staff Over 40 people were employed during 1989/1990.

Budget In 1989 the allocated budget was US$ 224,821 (838,582 yuan), of which capital costs accounted for US$ 61,293 (228,623 yuan) and recurrent costs US$ 163,528 (609,959 yuan). In 1990 the planned budget totalled US$ 428,700 (1,599,051 yuan) with capital costs of US$ 131,000 (488,630 yuan) and recurrent costs US$ 297,700 (1,110,421 yuan). The budget for 1991 is US$ 604,000 (2,252,920 yuan), with capital costs of US$ 192,500 (715,025 yuan) and recurrent costs US$ 425,000 (1,585,250 yuan). The reserve has received funding from international donors such as International Development Research Centre (Canada), Funding Exchange, Needmor Foundation, Sequoia Foundation, International Fund for Animal Welfare (England) and the Miflin Trust (Working Commission, 1991).

Local Addresses

Director, Qomolangma Nature Reserve, Shigatse, Xizang Zizhiqu Autonomous Region

References

Jackson, R. (1991a). Snow leopards on the roof of the world. Cat News (14): 16-17.

Jackson, R. (1991b). Snow leopards and other wildlife in the Qomolanga Nature Preserve of Tibet. Snow Line 9(1): 9-12.

Jackson, R. (1991c). A wildlife survey of the Qomolangma Nature Preserve, Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. Report prepared for Working Commission, Qomolangma Nature Preserve and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing. 15 March. 35 pp.

Woodlands Mountains Institute (1991). The Qomolangma Nature Preserve physical setting, culture, and contemporary environmental and community issues. Woodlands Mountain Institute, Franklin, USA. Unpublished report. 10 pp.

Working Commission. (1991). The Qomolangma Nature Preserve of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. The Working Commission, Qomolangma Nature Preserve, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Unpublished report. 61 pp.

Date June 1991