The wildlife of
Vietnam
is rich in flora and fauna as reflected by its unique biodiversity.
Saola
, rare and antelope-like animal categorized under the
bovine subfamily
, was found in 1992 in
V? Quang National Park
. In the 1990s, three other
muntjac
species, the deer-like
Truong Son muntjac
(found in
B?ch Ma National Park
),
giant muntjac
(found in
V? Quang National Park
) and
Pu Hoat muntjac
(found in Pu Ho?t,
Ngh? An
), were also discovered.
[1]
Conservation protection and scientific studies of the ecology of Vietnam, particularly in the protected forest areas, have been given priority attention by the Government of Vietnam. Laws were enacted to set up
Xuan Th?y Wetland National Park
, four
UNESCO Biosphere Reserves
, and
H? Long Bay
and
Phong Nha-K? Bang National Parks
; the last two are also designated as
UNESCO
World Heritage Sites
.
[1]
The rich diversity of Vietnam's wildlife includes 11,400 species of
vascular plants
, 1030 species of
moss
, 310 species of mammals, 296 reptile species, 162 amphibian species, 700 freshwater species of fish and 2000 species of marine fish.
[3]
There are about 889 species of birds
[4]
and over 850 species of land
mollusks
.
[5]
However, a study by the
WWF
has reported that nearly 10% of the wildlife in the country is threatened with extinction. Vietnam is placed 16th highest among 152 countries studied in terms of the proportion of its wildlife species found to be in danger.
[6]
National parks
[
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]
While the national reserves cover small areas of scientific significance with restricted access, the national parks also cover wetlands of
Ramsar designated areas
and
BirdLife International
inscribed bird areas. The largest of the national parks initially covered were the Cuc Phuong National Park, the Cat Tien National Park, the Con Dao National Park and Con Dao National Park, which to start with, were forest areas along with being reserves or prohibited areas. The objective for creating national parks was to allow access to the reserved areas as a part of
ecotourism
and cultural needs with full attention to the basic approach of conservation of natural environmental resources.
[1]
The national parks and reserves, as per present status, (as reported by the national parks of Vietnam) conforming to the topography of the country which cover terrestrial, deltas of rivers, and coastal zones are:
[7]
[8]
Five national parks and four reserves in the
Mekong Delta
;
[9]
two national parks in the northeastern area;
[10]
five reserves in the north western area;
[11]
three parks in the
Red River Delta
;
[12]
two parks and one reserve in the North Central Coastal area;
[13]
two reserves in South Central Coastal area;
[14]
three parks and one reserve in Central Highlands;
[15]
one park and one reserve in south eastern area.
[16]
Flora
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The flora of Vietnam has existed in its current form since at least the Oligocene, as evidenced by the assemblage known as the Ha Long megafossil flora from the Oligocene-aged Dong Ho Formation, which outcrops in the Ha Long region.
[17]
The country was once totally covered with forests but over the years due to the war and deforestation and anthropological pressures some areas have lost their biodiversity value.
The floral richness of the rain forest habitats comprise a broad range of evergreens.
[19]
According to the Conservation International List Vietnam is identified as the fifth biodiversity hot spot in the world, on account of its exotic flora and fauna. Between 1997 and 2007, almost 1000 new species have been discovered. However, many areas still remain to be explored, and more species are likely to appear in the future. Natural forests are at higher elevations in the northwest and mangrove swamps are in the coastal areas. Rainforest in the hilly region has wild
rhododendrons
in the northwest along with dwarf
bamboos
and numerous types of
orchids
. The central dry region has
pines
and the river deltas have mangrove forests. The largest and the most conspicuous find in recent years is of the plant species in the
Halong Bay
area known as
Halong fan palm
.
The largest species was the gum tree.
Considered one of the world biological diversification centers, the flora estimated is of the order of 12,000 species (veined flora) of which 9,628 have been recorded under 291 families. It includes 1000 endemic species. Trees, which provide timber, are of 1,000 species. Timber plants are 100 species. Commercially usable species are 352 species including 42 listed as precious tree species. Further categorization of the flora relates to 76 aromatic spices, 160 species providing vegetable oils, and also herbal species. Some of the well known herbal species are:
ginseng
,
Coscinium fenestratum
,
Coptis teeta
,
Panax vietnamensis
, and
Stephania
.
[20]
Fauna
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]
Faunal species noted are accounted as 11,217 species of animals, in Vietnam's hot and humid climate. These are broadly:
Indian elephants
,
bears
(
black bear
and
honey bear
),
Indochinese tigers
and
Indochinese leopards
as well as smaller animals like pygmy lorises,
[21]
monkeys
(such as snub-nosed monkey), bats, flying
squirrels
,
turtles
and
otters
. Reptiles such as
crocodiles
,
snakes
and
lizards
are also reported.
[22]
[20]
[19]
Specifically the faunal species which are endemic to Vietnam are the following.
[23]
While many variety of animals have become extinct like the
Northern Sumatran rhinoceros
, the protection of large animals have been addressed. The
Vietnamese Javan rhinoceros
used to live throughout the region of Vietnam but was declared extinct in 2010 when the last remaining individual was found dead with the horn removed.
There are also 2,470 species of fish, more than 23,000 species of
corals
and many species of invertebrates recorded in the wildlife of Vietnam.
[20]
Mammals
[
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]
Primates
[
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]
Cats
[
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]
Civets
[
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]
Deer
[
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]
Elephants
[
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]
Bovine
[
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]
Rhinoceros
[
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]
Cetacea
[
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]
Sirenia
[
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]
Reptiles
[
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]
Perhaps a third of Vietnam's 484 identified reptile species are endemic, and new species are regularly discovered. These species are often found in particular hotspots, for example 32 endemic species are found within the
Annamite Range
. The
IUCN Red List
has listings for 74 threatened species, which does not include species which are too data deficient for assessments to be made. Many species are known only from a single location, and only around a fifth of species (and 23% the Red List species) have captive populations. Such populations can be crucial for a species to survive, for example the
Vietnamese pond turtle
is present in captivity despite being rare or extinct in the wild.
[24]
Turtles/tortoises
[
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]
Lizards
[
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]
Agamids
[
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]
Geckos
[
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]
Monitors
[
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]
Skinks
[
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]
Snakes
[
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]
Venomous
[
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]
Non-venomous
[
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]
Crocodilians
[
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]
Birds
[
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]
Left:
Anastomus oscitans
in Tram Chim National Park, Dong Thap Province, Vietnam. Right: Wetland at Tram Chim National Park
Rare and little known birds have been identified such as the Edward's pheasant which was believed to be extinct, the white-winged wood duck and the white-shouldered ibis. The country lies on the east Asian flyway of Siberian birds and is an important stopover for migratory waders.
According to the
BirdLife International
records of 2011, the avifauna recorded are of 889 species, which includes 18 endemic species, 44 globally threatened species and 6 introduced species. The globally threatened species are listed under the following three categories, excluding vulnerable category.
[4]
- Near-threatened
- The near threatened species listed by IBA are:
[4]
- Endangered
- The endangered list covers the following species.
[4]
- Critically endangered
- The list of critically endangered species identified by IBA is given below.
[4]
Molluscs
[
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]
Marine molluscs
[
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]
The marine molluscan fauna of Vietnam includes numerous species of
chitons
,
gastropods
,
tusk shells
,
cephalopods
and
bivalves
.
[25]
Non-marine molluscs
[
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]
Vietnam's fauna of non-marine molluscs comprises various species of freshwater gastropods, freshwater bivalves and terrestrial gastropods.
[25]
The terrestrial gastropod fauna is highly diverse and includes more than 850 described land snail and slug species; many species inhabit
limestone karst
hills.
[5]
Threats and conservation
[
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]
The protected areas in Vietnam have suffered a decline over the past several decades. The reasons adduced to this situation are; the Vietnam war, deforestation, hunting, export of animals under
CITES
agreement which is generally violated by illegal activity due to inadequate patrolling.
[6]
Illegal trade in wildlife
is flourishing in Vietnam as there is great demand for these animals in China and also within the country. They have commercial value both at home and abroad
Trade in wildlife resources in Vietnam is of considerable value. In respect of faunal species, trade varies between 3,700 and 4,500 tons; the use of faunal species are also for medical purposes, pets, and as food and ornamentation but excludes trade in aquatic species. Insects are also a valuable source of trade with
beetle
and
Lepidoptera
species contributing towards a major share. Medicinal plants are also harvested and its trade is of the order of 20,000 tons.
[3]
Continuous conservation efforts by the Government of Vietnam have brought more and more areas under protected status. Logging operations have been banned. The conservation efforts are showing positive results with wildlife becoming re-established in many reforested areas.
Mangrove
forest areas are on the rise due to renewed planting. Fish fauna and
crustaceans
are proliferating and birds are seen more frequently. As a result of conservation efforts,
Siamese crocodile
numbers have recovered on account of their reintroduction to ponds within the parks.
See also
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]
References
[
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]
- ^
a
b
c
"Protected Areas Programme"
(PDF)
.
Protected Area Categories
. IUCN Organization. 2004
. Retrieved
1 April
2013
.
- ^
a
b
"Report on the Review of Vietnam's Wildlife Trade Policy"
(PDF)
. CITES: Convention on International Trade in EndangeredSpecies of Wild Fauna and Flora
. Retrieved
3 April
2013
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
"Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World Vietnam"
. Avibase The World Data Base Organization
. Retrieved
2 April
2013
.
- ^
a
b
Raheem, Dinarzarde C.; Backeljau, Thierry; Pearce-Kelly, Paul; Taylor, Harry; Fenn, Jonathan; Sutcharit, Chirasak; Panha, Somsak; von Oheimb, Katharina C. M.; von Oheimb, Parm Viktor; Ikebe, Chiho; Pall-Gergely, Barna; Gargominy, Olivier; L??ng, Hao V?n; Ph?m, Sang V?n; đ?, T? V?n; đinh, Phong Th?; Naggs, Manel; Ablett, Jon; Mackenzie Dodds, Jackie; Wade, Christopher M.; Naggs, Fred (2017).
An Illustrated Guide to the Land Snails and Slugs of Vietnam
. The Natural History Museum, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences & the Zoological Society of London.
ISBN
978-0-565-09458-4
.
- ^
a
b
"Vietnam Wildlife Found threatened"
. Triciaswaterdragon.com
. Retrieved
2 April
2013
.
- ^
"Vietnam: Wildlife Sanctuaries & National Parks"
. World-wildlife-adventures.com
. Retrieved
3 April
2013
.
- ^
"National Parks"
. Vietnam National Parks
. Retrieved
3 April
2013
.
- ^
"National Parks & Nature Reserves in Mekong Delta"
. Official website of Vietnam National Parks organization
. Retrieved
6 April
2013
.
- ^
"National Parks & Nature Reserves in North Eastern Area"
. Official website of Vietnam National Parks organization
. Retrieved
6 April
2013
.
- ^
"National Parks & Nature Reserves in North Western Area"
. Official website of Vietnam National Parks organization
. Retrieved
6 April
2013
.
- ^
"National Parks & Nature Reserves in Red River Delta"
. Official website of Vietnam National Parks organization
. Retrieved
6 April
2013
.
- ^
"National Parks & Nature Reserves in North Centre Coast"
. Official website of Vietnam National Parks organization
. Retrieved
6 April
2013
.
- ^
"National Parks & Nature Reserves in South Centre Coast"
. Official website of Vietnam National Parks organization
. Retrieved
6 April
2013
.
- ^
"National Parks & Nature Reserves in Centre Highlands"
. Official website of Vietnam National Parks organization
. Retrieved
6 April
2013
.
- ^
"National Parks & Nature Reserves in South Eastern Area"
. Official website of Vietnam National Parks organization
. Retrieved
6 April
2013
.
- ^
Huang, Jian; Spicer, Robert A.; Li, Shu-Feng; Liu, Jia; Do, Truong Van; Nguyen, Hung Ba; Zhou, Zhe-Kun; Su, Tao (1 May 2022).
"Long-term floristic and climatic stability of northern Indochina: Evidence from the Oligocene Ha Long flora, Vietnam"
.
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
.
593
: 110930.
doi
:
10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.110930
.
S2CID
247368063
. Retrieved
31 August
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Vietnam's Wildlife"
. Asiacopmasninfo.organization
. Retrieved
1 April
2013
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Conservation and Management of Wildlife In Vietnam"
(PDF)
. Official web site of Vietnam Forestry Organization. April 2003
. Retrieved
6 April
2013
.
- ^
Nekaris, K. Anne-Isola; Nijman, Vincent (2022-03-23).
"A new genus name for pygmy lorises, Xanthonycticebus gen. nov. (Mammalia, primates)"
.
Zoosystematics and Evolution
.
98
(1): 87?92.
doi
:
10.3897/zse.98.81942
.
ISSN
1860-0743
.
- ^
Joseph (2020-11-17).
"Top 7 Most Dangerous Animals in Vietnam: Deadliest Creatures"
.
Journeying The Globe
. Retrieved
2021-04-05
.
- ^
"Taxon Information"
. Animal Diversity Web
. Retrieved
1 April
2013
.
- ^
Carolyn Cowan (21 September 2023).
"For Vietnam's rare reptiles, lack of captive populations may spell doom"
.
Mongabay
. Retrieved
3 October
2023
.
- ^
a
b
Nguyen, Thach Ngoc (2005).
Shells of Vietnam
. ConchBooks.
ISBN
3-925919-71-6
.
Bibliography
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]