Cát Tiên National Park
Cat Tien National Park | |
---|---|
Tan Phu | |
Coordinates | 11°30′N 107°20′E / 11.500°N 107.333°E |
Area | 720 km2 (280 sq mi) |
Established | 1992 (present extent) |
Governing body | Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) |
Official name | Bau Sau Wetlands and Seasonal Floodplain |
Designated | 4 August 2005 |
Reference no. | 1499[1] |
Cát Tiên National Park (Vietnamese: Vườn quốc gia Cát Tiên) is a national park located in the south of Vietnam, in the provinces of Đồng Nai, Bình Phước and Lâm Đồng. It is approximately 150 km north of Ho Chi Minh City.[2] It has an area of about 720 km2 and protects one of the largest areas of lowland tropical forests left in Vietnam. Since 2011, Cát Tiên National Park has been a part of Đồng Nai Biosphere Reserve.[3]
History
The surrounding area was originally occupied by the
Cát Tiên National Park (CTNP) was protected initially in 1978 as two sectors, Nam Cat Tien and Tay Cat Tien. Another sector, Cat Loc, was gazetted as a rhinoceros reserve in 1992 upon the discovery of a population of the
Parts of the park area suffered historically during the Vietnam War when it was extensively sprayed with defoliant herbicides. However, substantial further damage was done by logging up until the 1990s. To this day these areas have extensive bamboo and grassland cover and trees have not yet grown back.
Archaeology
The Cát Tiên archaeological site is located just outside the park boundary on the northern bank of the Dong Nai river (between Cat Loc and Nam Cat Tien, facing towards the latter). Excavations carried out between 1994 and 2003 revealed a group of temples, belonging to a previously unknown Shaiva Hindu civilization which probably inhabited the area between the 4th century and 9th centuries AD (possibly later). A large number of gold, bronze, ceramic, coloured stone, and glass artefacts are currently displayed in the Da Lat museum.[5]
Habitats and flora
Cát Tiên National Park (CTNP) consists of
1.
- Dalbergia mammosa.
- Dipterocarpaceae: notably Dipterocarpus alatus, which occurs naturally, but with a good survival rate,[7] it is widely used for replanting; Hopea odorata is also used for replanting.
2. Primary and secondary mixed or deciduous forest (dry season): Where soils are well-drained the following trees are common:
- Lagerstroemia calyculata (Lythraceae),
- Tetrameles nudiflora (Tetramelaceae), of there are spectacularly large specimen trees,
- Anogeissus acuminata (Combretaceae).
The abundance L. calyculata is discussed by Blanc et al.[8] especially as an indicator of secondary forest. "It appears to be a very good competitive species able to regenerate on denuded areas: along roads and on land abandoned after cultivation. Human disturbances have mostly affected Dipterocarpaceae for resin and Fabaceae for their wood."
The
3.
4.
5. Seasonally flooded grasslands: CTNP has substantial (approximately 10%) area of grassland (including disused farmland) and wetlands[6][9]
- In the rainy season, Dong Nai river water floods into an area of 2,500 ha area of northern Nam Cat Tien, along the Da Kluo which is a reverse flow stream (like Tonlé Sap) replenishing the lakes: Bau Sau (crocodile lake), Bau Chim, Bau Co and the surrounding grasslands.
- In the flat eastern half of Nam Cat Tien especially, there are a number of swamp forest and may also contain vernal pools.
Lianas and epiphytes
As in most
Riparian areas
In flat lowland areas and especially along streams, areas of
Scientific and conservation activities
Numerous endemic species, having their
Between the park headquarters and
Fauna
Mammals
The park hosts many mammal species; the following may be encountered:[12]
- black-shanked douc langurs Pygathrix nigripes
- Indochinese lutung(silvered langur) Trachypithecus germaini
- stump-tailed macaque (=bear macaque) Macaca arctoides
- crab-eating macaque (=long-tailed macaque) Macaca fascicularis
- northern pig-tailed macaque Macaca leonina
- pygmy slow loris Nycticebus pygmaeus
Scandentia ("tree shrews", family Tupaiidae: more related to primates than shrews):
- Dendrogale murina- Northern smooth-tailed treeshrew
- Tupaia belangeri- Northern treeshrew
Carnivores:
- sun bear Helarctos malayanus
- asiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus (in the bear sanctuary: but wild status is debated)
- Large-toothed Ferret Badger Melogale personatapierrei
- Yellow-throated MartenMartes flavigula subsp. indochinensis
- oriental small-clawed otterAonyx cinerea
- crab-eating mongoose Herpestes urva
- binturong Arctictis binturong
- large Indian civet Viverra zibetha
- Asian Palm CivetParadoxurus hermaphroditus
- small-toothed palm civet Arctogalidia trivirgata
- leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis
Bats (confirmed records):
- fruit bats Pteropodidae4 spp.
- false vampire bats Megadermatidae 2 spp.
- horseshoe bats Rhinolophidae5 spp.
- leaf-nosed bats Hipposideridae 3 spp.
- evening bats Vespertilionidae 12 spp.
- squirrels Sciuridae5 spp.
- mice & rats Muridae 14 spp.
- porcupines Hystricidae:
- east Asian porcupine Hystrix brachyura
- brush-tailed porcupine Atherurus macrourus
- east Asian porcupine
- the Siamese hare Lepus peguensis (Lagomorpha: Leporidae)
Other notable mammal species, including some that are
- Sunda flying lemur (colugo) Galeopterus variegatus
- Asian elephant Elephas maximus (Proboscidea) - EN
- Pholidota) - CR
- Artiodactyla) - VU
Besides the gaur, recently confirmed even-toed ungulate records include:
- Eurasian wild boarSus scrofa
- lesser mouse-deer Tragulus kanchil
- barking deer(= red muntjac) Muntiacus muntjak annamensis
- sambar deer Rusa (=Cervus) unicolor
The park fauna included the
Birds
The park has an impressive list of bird species including:
- Red junglefowl
- Green peafowl
- Pheasants Phasianidae: include Germain's peacock-pheasant,
- Siamese firebacks (although found elsewhere, these are especially easy to see in the park)'
- Orange-necked partridge;
- tree kingfishers: Halcyon (4) spp
- Smaller - Alcedinidae: 3 spp. including the blue-eared kingfisherAlcedo meninting
- Smaller -
- Pied kingfisher - Ceryle rudis
- Bee-eaters Meropidae
- Pittas: Bar-bellied, blue rumped, blue-winged pitta
- Broadbills: including the black and red, dusky and banded species
- Endemic sub-species of the red-vented barbet
- Grey-faced tit babbler
- Woodpeckers: including:
- pale-headed, white-bellied woodpecker,
- black-and-buff, Heart-spotted woodpecker,
- great slaty woodpecker Mulleripicus pulverulentus
- Asian fairy-bluebird
- Lesser adjutant birds, various herons and egret species
- Milky stork and the woolly-necked stork have also been reported in recent years
- a wide variety of resident and migratory waterfowl; although recorded, white-winged ducks may no longer be present in the park
- Birds of prey including osprey, lesser fish eagle, grey-headed fish eagle, crested serpent eagle, collared and other falconets.
Reptiles
The reptile list includes the following notable species:
- Siamese crocodile Crocodylus siamensis
- Vietnamese leaf turtleCyclemys pulchristriata
and two endemic species:
- Cyrtodactylus cattienensis: the Cat Tien bent-toed gecko
- Hemiphyllodactylus cattien: the Cat Tien slender gecko
Note: the "Cat Tien kukri snake"[14] is now considered a colour morph of Oligodon cinereus.
Lizards:
- Agamidae
- Indo-Chinese spiny lizard, green pricklenape Acanthosaura capra
- crowned spiny lizard Acanthosaura coronata
- Indo-Chinese tree agama Calotes bachae
- Indo-Chinese water dragon Physignathus cocincinus
- spotted gliding lizard Draco maculatus
- Gekkonidae
- tokay Gekko gecko
- bent-toed gecko Cyrtodactylus cattienensis
- tokay
- Scincidae
- many-striped sun skink (and variants on the name) Eutropis (=Mabuya) multifasciata
- Indian forest skink Sphenomorphus indicus
- Lacertidae
- long-tailed lizard Takydromus sexlineatus
- Varanidae
- water monitorVaranus salvator macromaculatus
- clouded monitor Varanus nebulosus
Snakes - 43 species recorded including:
- Pythonidae
- reticulated python Python reticulatus
- Burmese python Malayopython bivittatus
- Colubridae
- oriental vine snake Ahaetulla prasina
- cat snakes: Boiga (4) spp.
- many-spotted cat snakeBoiga multomaculata
- green cat snakeBoiga cyanea
- golden tree snakeChrysopelea ornata
- wolf snakes: Lycodon (2) spp.
- Blanford's bridle snake Lycodon davisonii
- common wolf snake Lycodon capucinus
- red-tailed racer Gonyosoma oxycephalum
- kukri snakes: Oligodon (5) spp.
- keelback snakes: (2) spp.
- red-necked keelbackRhabdophis subminiatus
- yellow-spotted keelback Fowlea flavipunctatus
- checkered keelback Fowlea piscator
- Pareatidae: 2 spp. of slug-eating snakes (Pareas)
- Lamprophiidae: mock-viper Psammodynastes pulverulentus
- Elapidae
- banded krait Bungarus fasciatus
- Malayan krait(VN form) Bungarus candidus
- king cobra Ophiophagus hannah
- Indo-Chinese spitting cobra Naja siamensis
- Viperidae
- ruby-eyed green pit viper Trimeresurus rubeus
Invertebrates
The most developed insect lists currently cover ants, butterflies, dragonflies, mosquitoes and termites; of the latter, Macrotermes spp. have an important ecological role, with large colony mounds very commonly encountered in the forest.
In 2007, the velvet-worm Eoperipatus totoro was discovered in the Crocodile Lake area by scientists of the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre.
Threats
Cat Tien comprises an important reserve in Vietnam, both for the
Since the early 1990s, partly as a result of the discovery of rhinos in the park, international
In 2008 the Forestry Protection Department collaborating with the Endangered Asian Species Trust (UK), Monkey World Ape Rescue (UK) and Pingtung Wildlife Rescue Centre (Taiwan) founded the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Species Centre. The centre focusses on the rescue, rehabilitation and release of the four endangered primates found in Cat Tien (golden-cheeked gibbon, black-shanked douc, pygmy loris and silvered langur), developing Government guidelines for release of primates. The centre conducts informative daily educational tours explaining the centre's work, with a chance to see young rehabilitated gibbons in the trees.
References
- ^ "Bau Sau Wetlands and Seasonal Floodplain". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ "Cat Tien National Park - master". www.namcattien.org. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
- ^ "Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve recognized by UNESCO". Vietnam National Administration of tourism's official website.
- ^ Boulbet J (1967) Pays des Maa’, Domaine des Génies: Nggar Maa’, Nggar Yaang. Publ. École Français d’Extrême Orient, Paris. Vol.LXII, 143 pp + An.
- ^ "Cat Tien Archaeological Site".
- ^ a b "Cat Tien National Park". UNESCO. 2006. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ Millet, J Reforestation of Dipterocarp forests on denuded area of Cat Tien National Park in Dong Nai Province, Viet Nam. [1] (accessed 28/12/2016)
- ^ Blanc L, Maury-Lechon G, Pascal JP (2000). "Structure, floristic composition and natural regeneration in the forests of Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam: an analysis of the successional trends". Journal of Biogeography. 27: 141–157.
- ^ "Ecology - Forest Floor Lodge". Archived from the original on 2016-07-25. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
- ^ Kuznetsov AN, Khoi SV, Vasiliev BD, Luong P, Borissenko AV, Thinh NV, Bobrov VV, Zinoviev AV. (2002) Results of complex zoological-botanical expedition in Cat Loc, Cat Tien National Park. Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre, Cat Tien National Park conservation project: Technical report no. 36. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236331047
- ^ Project no. VNM/B7-5041/I/95/19: see Millet ibid.
- ^ "Cat Tien National Park - mammals". www.namcattien.org. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ Nguyen, M., H., (2009). The status of Vulnerable gaur Bos gaurus and endangered banteng Bos javanicus in Ea So Nature Reserve and Yok Don and Cat Tien National Parks, Vietnam. Oryx 43 (1), 129-135.
- ^ Vassilieva AB, Geissler P, Galoyan EA, Poyarkov NA, van Devender RW, Böhme W (2013) A new species of Kukri Snake (Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826; Squamata: Colubridae) from the Cat Tien National Park, southern Vietnam. Zootaxa 3702(3):233–246 (ISSN 1175-5326)
- ^ Polet & Ling (2004). Protecting mammal diversity: opportunities and constraints for pragmatic conservation management in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, Oryx, 38
External links
- Media related to Cat Tien National Park at Wikimedia Commons
- Cat Tien National Park travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Cat Tien National Park: further information including species lists
- Video: Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam
- Gibbon rehabilitation at Cat Tien
- WWF in Cat Tien
- Wildlife rescue centre based in HCMC - helps fund moon bear project in Cat Tien National Park.