1. Introduction
In 1943 the forest area of Vietnam was estimated to be about 14.3 million hectares, or 43% of the total land area. Owing to long-lasting wars, shifting cultivation, land clearances and over-exploitation, forest coverage was reduced at a rate of about 100,000 ha each year to 27.1% in 1980 and 26.2% in 1985 (Ministry of Forestry 1991). At present, total forest land is about 16 million ha which occupies 48.3% o0f the country’s total land area. By the end of 1999, statistical data relating to forest can be seen as follows,
Total forest area : 10,915,592 ha (forest coverage: 33.2%)
Natural forest : 9,444,198 ha (occupies 86.5% of forest area)
Protection forest : 4,812,671 ha,
Special-use forest : 1,463,746 ha,
Production forest : 3,167,781 ha.
Plantation forest : 1,471,394 ha (occupies 13.5% of forest area)
Protection forest : 537,997 ha,
Special-use forest : 61,122 ha,
Production forest : 872,275 ha.
Table 1. The targets of the forest development plan by 2010.
Parameter | Dec. 1999 | 2001-2005 | 2006-2010 |
Forest coverage | 33.2% | 39% | 43% |
Protection forest | 5,350,668 ha | 5.4 million ha | 6.0 million ha |
Special-use forest | 1,524,868 ha | 1.6 million ha | 2.0 million ha |
Production forest | 4,040,056 ha | 6.2 million ha | 8.0 million ha |
2. Biodiversity conservation in Vietnam
Vietnam has an abundant and diverse forest flora. According to the Flore Générale de L’Indochine, the country has more than 7,000 plant species in 1,850 genera and 290 families. Of these, 64 genera and 2,084 species are endemic. According to the Ecological and Plant Resources Institute (Tran Dinh Ly 1993), there are 11,000 species in the Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae and Angiospermae. The National Biodiversity Action Plan, approved by the government in 1995, estimated that there are about 12,000 plant species in Vietnam (7,000 of which have been named), as well as 275 animal species, 800 bird species, 180 reptile species, 80 amphibian species, 2,470 fish species, and 5,500 insect species (Vietnam Government & GEF 1995). Of these, 40% are endemic.
Latest news
- Project: Study on integrated management of insect pests and diseases on Docynia indica in northern Vietnam
- Project: Study on integrated pest management of major leaf insect pests and stem borer beetles in Acacia hybrid, A. mangium and A. auriculiformis in Vietnam
- Project: Research and develop an integrated management program for control of cinnamon pests in some main cinnamon growing areas (Northern mountainous region and Quang Nam province)
- Project: Pilot plantation and completion of planting techniques of technologically advanced germplasm of Acacia auriculiformis (AA42, AA53, AA56, AA92, AA95) for sawlog in the southeast and south central.
- Project "Research on selection of varieties and intensive afforestation techniques of Prunus arborea (Blume) Kalkman for providing lager timber in the Northeast and Northwest regions, Vietnam"
Oldest news
- Research for the establishment of swiddening systems to shorten Their fallow cycle in the north west
- Trial planting of Cinnamomum cassia for high essential oil productivity from the leaves
- planting Technique for Fokienia hodginsii
- Research on Bamboo planting tecnique for bamboo shoot production
- Research on planting of Anisoptera cochinchinensis for veneer raw material supply
