Transcript Biodiversity in Vietnam

Biodiversity in Vietnam
Dang Thi An and Chu Thi Thu Ha
Department of Environmental Biology.
Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources.
Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology
(VAST)
Data used in this papers based on the 2005-report (the fourth)
of Vietnam Environmental Monitors (VEM).
Some main geographical
characteristics of Vietnam:
-Vietnam extends more than 1,650
km from north to south, it’s altitude
varies from sea level to a maximum
of 3,143 m.
-Three quarter of Vietnam is hilly
or mountainous. Forest cover is
about 12.3 million ha (over 37 % of
the total land area of the country).
- Vietnam has a dense river network: 2,300
rivers with a length over 10 km, 8 rivers
have large basins of more than 10,000
km2. Lowland areas are fed by two major
river systems: the Red River in the North
and Mekong River in the South.
- In Vietnam, there are over 3,260 km of
coastline and more than 3,000 islands.
Vietnam’s geographical conditions result
in high variation in climate, soil and
topography, and thus, a wide variety of
ecosystems, each of which has its own
flora and fauna.
Some main characteristics of Biodiversity in Vietnam
In 1992, the World Conservation Monitoring Center
evaluated Vietnam as one of the 16 most biologically
diverse countries in the world.
Vietnam’s Biodiversity is characterized by :
- Species diversity: about 11,458 species of fauna,
21,017 species of flora and 3,000 species of microorganisms have been recognized and every year many
new species are discovered. For example, in period of
1993-2002, 13 new genera, 222 species, 30
subspecies were described and 2 families, 19 genera,
over 70 species were added to the native flora. Five
new mammal, 3 bird species in mainland Southeast
Asia and large number of new species of reptiles,
amphibians, fishes and invertebrates have been
described for 30 years.
Table 1: Known species richness of selected
taxonomic groups in Vietnam
Species group
Terrestrial plants
Insects
Marine fishes
Reptiles
Amphibians
Birds
Mammals
Number of Number of
known
global species
species
described
(approx.)
(approx.)
13,766
220,000
7,750
750,000
3,170
30,000
266
6,300
162
4,186
840
9,040
310
4,000
Percent
of
global species
found
in
Vietnam
6.3
71.0
10.6
4.5
3.8
9.3
7.7
- Ecosystem diversity: in Vietnam 10 terrestrial
ecosystems (forests cover the largest area and
support the highest levels of biodiversity) and 9
coastal/ marine biodiversity regions adjusted to
follow provincial boundaries, 30 natural and 9
artificial wetlands were documented.
Vietnam has an exclusive marine economic zone of
about 20 types of marine ecosystems. There are
more than 11,000 species including 2,500 marine
fish, 225 shrimp, over 200 phytoplanton, nearly 700
zooplankton 100 mangrove plant, 15 sea grass and
over
6,000
benthic
inverterbrate
species.
Approximately 1,122 square km of coral reef
distributed from the North to the South, 90 % of hard
coral species in the Indo-Pacific has been found in
Vietnamese waters
- Vietnam’s natural ecosystem include a rich variety of
productive and beautiful forest types, marshes, rivers
and coral reefs, which together support nearly 10 % of
the global total mammal and bird species.
- Vietnam’s biodiversity is an important part of the
country’s economy and culture. Because it makes a
major contribution to forestry, fishery, agriculture,
health, industry and tourism. In Vietnam, more
than70% of habitants are farmers, about 25 million
people living depend on forests, 8 million get their
primary household income and other 12 million get
part of their income from fisheries.
- Ecological systems and biodiversity within them
provide not only much of the basic needs for people,
but insurance against natural disasters(as flood and
drought) as well.
- Today,Vietnamese have to face biodiversity’s loss
and degradation.
For examples: even forest cover in Vietnam is 37%
of total land area, but 18% of that is plantation, of
remaining forest only 7% is “primary” and about 70%
is poor quality forest. Between 1992 and 2002,
forest losses due to fire averaged 6,000 hectare
annually. About 700 species of animals and plants
are threatened with extinction nationally, while over
300 species are threatened with global extinction,
among them 49 species are classified as “critically
endangered”. This due to forest loss, illegal logging,
wildlife trade, habitat’s loss and fragmentation,
environmental pollution…
- Biodiversity’s degradation is one kind of serious
natural disasters. It’s reduction is urgent need not
only at country’s extent but worldwide. Thus,
Vietnam is recognized as high priority for global
conservation.
- National and international investment in Vietnam’s
Conservation Projects has been growing, 261 million
US Dollars was spent between1992 and 2004, .
Vietnam’s Government has established a solid
framework of laws and institutions. In 1995, a
National Biodiversity Action Plant (BAP) was
adopted to guide and focus the nation’s
conservation effort. A new BAP covering the period
2006-2015 with a vision to 2020 will be issued in
2006.
Thank you !