Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park (formerly Black Mountains National Park) covers an area of in central Bhutan. It protects a large area of the Black Mountains, a sub-range of the Himalayan Range System.
The park occupies most of the Trongsa District, as well as parts of Sarpang, Tsirang, Wangdue Phodrang, and Zhemgang Districts.
The park is bounded to the east by the Mangde Chhu and reaches the Sankosh River−Punatsangchu basin to the west. Jigme Singye abuts Royal Manas National Park to the southeast.
Along the border of the park, from north to southeast run Bhutan's main east-west and north-south highways. It is also connected via biological corridors to other national parks in northern, eastern, central, and southern Bhutan. Habitats of the Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests ecoregion are protected within the park
Geography Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park is the most centrally located among the national parks of Bhutan. Covering an area of 1,730 km2, it forms a contiguous belt linking Royal Manas National Park in the south to the temperate and alpine vegetation in the north. The park mainly falls under the political jurisdiction of five districts, Tsirang, Sarpang, Wangdue, Zhemgang and Trongsa.
Significance JSWNP represents the best example of the mid-Himalayan ecosystems of the Eastern Himalaya that contain several ecological biomes ranging from subtropical forests at lower altitudes to alpine meadows at their highest altitudes. It is the only park that contains an old-growth Chir pine forest (Pinus roxburghii). The park is also vital for various migratory faunal species, particularly migratory birds, due to its wide range in altitude and vegetation, as well as its central location in the country. It covers a wide range of habitat types from permanent ice atop Durshingla peak (Black Mountain) and alpine lakes and pastures, down through conifer and broad-leaved forests to temperate and sub-tropical forests. The park protects the largest and biodiversity richest temperate forest area in the entire Himalayas.
The high mountains in the central regions of the national park are an important watershed for the streams and rivers that become the headwaters and tributaries of the Mangde Chhu River to the west. The Nika Cchu joins the Mangde Chhu from the north.
Administration Head Office The park's head office is located in Tshangkha, near the national highway in Trongsa District.
The park has four administrative Park Ranges (divisions), each with its own range office (shown in map 2).
Taksha Park Range Oversees the Athang Gewog of Wangdiphodrang Dzongkhag and Sergithang Gewog of Tsirang Dzongkhag .
Langthel Park Range Oversees the Tangsibji Gewog and Langthil Gewogs. Tingtibi Park Range Covers the Trong Gewog in Zhemgang Dzongkhag. Nabji Park Range Covers Korphu Gewog in Trongsa and Jigmechhoeling Gewog in Sarpang Dzongkhag. This range covers the most remote areas of the park. This range is also home to some of the most important historic sites, such as the Nabji Lhakhang.
In addition to the 4 Park Ranges, the park also has 2 administrative Deputy Ranges (subdistricts), the Chendebji Deputy Range, located within the Langthel Park Range, and the Athang Deputy Range, located within the Taksha Park Range.
Staffing
Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park is currently staffed by 38 personnel, comprising 34 technical staff members and 4 non-technical staff members. They are spread throughout the park and are based at the Park Headquarters or one of the six Park Range or Deputy Range offices.
Mission and goals The mission of the park is to "Conserve and manage its Natural Biodiversity in Harmony with People's Values and Aspirations". The following goals support the mission: Conserve, protect and maintain the viability of specific ecosystems and animal and plant communities in a manner that allows natural processes of succession and evolution to continue with minimal human influence. Protect cultural, historical and religious sites. Contribute to the socio-economic development of park residents by promoting the sustainable use of park natural resources.
Future plans The park emphasizes research and monitoring, wildlife management, conservation education, sustainable livelihoods, and enhancing social welfare within and around the park. It encourages local inhabitants to engage in community-based ecotourism projects and services, thereby enhancing their living standards and sustaining their local environment and biodiversity.
Achievements Since its gazettement in 1995, Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park has effectively delivered the forestry service to the park residents and efficiently managed the natural heritage through tireless efforts. The national park has delivered many Integrated Conservation and Development Programmes through various funding agencies to the local communities, the striking ones being the establishment of Nabji-Korphu Community-based Ecotourism, Adha-Rukha Community Trail, and the supply of CGI Sheets to the economically backward residents.
In terms of conservation, the national park has conducted many surveys like biological corridor survey to assess the functionality of various corridors connecting other protected area systems, biodiversity survey to ascertain the biodiversity richness of the national park, tiger survey to relate predator prey dynamics, anti-poaching patrolling activities to inspect poaching incidents and apprehend the culprits, thus securing a wildlife habitats.
Functional Sections The Park has four functional sections located within the head Office, besides the park range offices.
These are;
Research and Monitoring Section This is the unit which oversees and coordinates all the research within the national park.
Forest Protection and Land Use Section This section serves as the main body of the park, protecting its flora and fauna. It is also responsible for managing the data on resource utilization by park residents. This section also oversees the issuance of forestry clearances and deals with various wildlife offences which occur in the park.
Integrated Conservation and Development Programme Section This section looks after all socio-economic activities within the park. It also acts as a functional link between the conservation and the developmental activities within the national park.
Social Forestry and Extension Section This section oversees all activities related to plantations, private forestry and the community forests within the national park.
Natural history The park's north-central region has an exceptionally rugged topography, with peaks rising to almost in elevation, while the southern areas are relatively less steep and rugged.
Geologically, the mountains are moderately recent and steep-sided, consisting largely of Pre-Cambrian and early Paleozoic quartzite and gneiss, with some areas featuring sedimentary limestone, dolomite, sandstone and shales. The soils are generally clay loam, with good permeability and moderate moisture retention.
Hydrology The eastern boundary of the park, from Trongsa to Tingtibi, is defined by the Mangde Chhu River, whereas Punatsangchu touches the mid-western part of the park in Taksha. The Nika chhu river drains the Chendebji valley in the northern part of the park by joining the Mangdechu river. Numerous other streams and rivulets originate from the snow-fed alpine lakes in the Black Mountain area, with melting snow and monsoon rain contributing to the water volume. This network of small perennial and annual tributaries flows down the steep slopes, often as waterfalls, and along the valleys to become tributaries of the larger rivers. The distinct rainy and dry seasons result in wide seasonal variations in the river flows, with large volumes of sediment-laden water flowing during the monsoon and low volumes during the dry, winter season.
The local communities also rely on the water from these rivers for domestic and irrigation purposes, contributing to the withdrawal from the rivers.
Several major hydropower plants are being constructed along the Rivers of Punatsangchu, Mangdechu and the Nika chu, which fall on the border of the national park.
Climate The wide elevation range and mountainous terrain create complex climatic conditions, ranging from wet subtropical in the south to cold temperate in the northern high-elevation areas. The southwest monsoon from June to September contributes most of the annual rainfall. The rain shadows imposed by the high mountain ranges result in localized rainfall gradients during this period.
Ecology The park has a large area of relatively undisturbed natural habitats. Together with Manas Tiger Reserve and the Royal Manas National Park in the south and the Jigme Dorji National Park and Wangchuck Centennial National Park in the north, Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park is centrally located in one of the largest, most diverse protected area complexes in Asia, with dramatically different but contiguous habitats and ecotones changing across massive altitudinal differences that rise from the low tropical to high alpine elevations.
The park includes portions of six ecoregions. They include: Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests Himalayan subtropical pine forests — predominant flora is a thin woodland of drought-resistant Pinus roxburghii (Chir pines). Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests Warm broadleaf forests Cool temperate broadleaf forests Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests. Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows.
Biodiversity The wide altitudinal range, highly dissected and complex terrain, and representation of 6 ecoregions and 2 zoogeographical realms within the national park create notable biodiversity, with diverse flora and fauna species found in various ecosystems, habitats, and plant communities.
The native plants and animals include several rare and endangered species listed in Schedule 1 of the 'Forest and Nature Conservation Act of Bhutan, 1995, as implemented in the 'Forest and nature conservation Rules of Bhutan, 2006' Ecolex.org: Forest and Nature Conservation Act of Bhutan, 1995, with link to full text−. Ecolex.org: Forest and nature conservation Rules of Bhutan, 2006, with link to full text−. and the IUCN Red List. IUCN Red List.org: "Bhutan: more than half", article on Bhutan setting aside over half its land into protected areas & biological corridors; 20 April 2016.
The Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan mandates the country to maintain at least 60% of Bhutan under forest cover for all times to come and to maintain the country as carbon neutral and a net carbon sink over time.
Mammals
The mammal fauna includes a mix of Palearctic and Indo-Malayan species. The first Conservation Management Plan (Jan 2001-June 2010) for the park enlisted 57 mammals, but most of which are yet unconfirmed. The presence of 19 mammals was confirmed based on direct sightings and indirect evidence. A rapid biodiversity survey conducted in 2002 listed 22 mammals, of which 11 were identified as mammals of conservation interest. The 2012 mammal survey confirmed the presence of 26 mammals in the park. The current figure of 39 mammals was reached following intensive camera trapping conducted from 2013 to 2015 for the Tiger Revalidation Survey.
Mammal distribution Sub-tropical broadleaf forests Mammal species found in this type of forest are tiger, clouded leopard, leopard, dhole, golden cat, jungle cat, leopard, gaur, muntjac, sambar, golden langur, grey langur and black giant squirrel. Chir pine forests The chir pine forests are found in the southwestern and southeastern parts of the national park and are usually found in drier areas. Camera trap surveys recorded the presence of muntjac, sambar, serow, wild boar, goral, leopard, golden cat, leopard cat, dhole, yellow-throated marten and black panther Warm broadleaf forests