Krian Rice-fields
Location:
4°57'-5°08'N, 100°25'-100°37'E; north of Sungei Kurau, stretching from coastal mangroves in the west to Krian in the east, northern Perak State.
Area:
c.23,100 ha.
Altitude:
Sea level
Biogeographical Province:
19.
Wetland type:
02, 06, 07, 11, 13, 18 & 21.
Description of site:
A large area of rice-fields in northern Perak which receives its water supply directly from rainfall and indirectly from the Bukit Merah Reservoir. The rice-fields are interspersed with small lakes, marshes and patches of scrub.
Climatic conditions:
Humid tropical climate with the annual rainfall ranging from 2,500 mm to over 3,500 mm. At Taiping, the wettest month is April with over 500 mm, and the driest is June with less than 200 mm. There are two wet periods; February-May and September-December.
Principal vegetation:
Rice.
Land tenure:
No information.
Conservation measures taken:
None.
Conservation measures proposed:
None.
Land use:
Rice-growing and fish production; cultivation of rubber and oil palms in surrounding areas.
Possible Changes in Land use:
No information.
Disturbances and threats:
Uncontrolled use of pesticides.
Economic and social values:
Rice and fish production.
Fauna:
A major feeding area for large numbers of migratory waterfowl and a breeding and feeding area for many resident waterbirds. Birds known to occur in the area include eight species of herons and egrets (Ardeidae), Leptoptilos javanicus, five species of rails and crakes (Rallidae), five species of shorebirds, three species of terns (Laridae) and three species of kingfishers (Alcedinidae). The rice-fields provide feeding grounds for a large proportion of the Black-crowned Night-Herons Nycticorax nycticorax from the breeding colony near Kuala Kurau (5,000-6,000 nests).
Special floral values:
None known.
Research and facilities:
Some research has been carried out on paddy and paddy-field fish production for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Tan et al., 1973).
References:
Tan et al. (1973); Wong (1974).
Criteria for Inclusion:
3b.
Source:
Asian Wetland Bureau.