Bio-diversity

Shorea falcata Vid. belongs to the plant family of Dipterocarpaceae, which is a typical plant family of tropical forest in South East Asia. It is listed in the Plant Red Book (1996) as a critically threatened species which requires immediate protection measures. Shorea falcata Vid. grows into pure stand on sandy soil and sand dunes along the coast. It can tolerate drought and other harsh conditions as well as poor soil. In Viet Nam, Shorea falcata Vid. is found in only two areas in My Ca, Cam Hai Dong Commune, Cam Ranh Township, Khanh Hoa Province, and Xuan Hoa and Xuan Hai Communes, Song Cau District, Phu Yen Province. According to the local people in these areas, before 1965, Shorea falcata Vid. formed pure forest on white sandy soil. Shorea falcata forest was seriously destroyed because of deforestation and the over-exploitation of the forest resources. Conserving this species is significant to forest ecosystem rehabilitation programmes on sandy soil by complementing to the groups of species which can grow on sandy soil and in the harsh climatic conditions of the central coastal areas of Viet Nam. However, due to the low awareness and lack of understanding of the local authorities and community about the high scientific and economic value of Shorea falcata, and limited technical and financial resources of Government relevant agencies, no conservation efforts have been made so far to conserve this critically threatened species facing danger of extinction. The main purpose of the project is to contribute to rehabilitating the semi-arid ecosystem, conserving Shorea falcata and developing a model of sustainable protection forest in coastal sandy areas. The project will promote conservation of Shorea falcata by establishing two areas to conserve the genetic resources of this species and to provide seed for growing Shorea falcata at the present and in the future. It will also test a sustainable protection forest model on sandy soil of mixed Shorea falcata and C. Equisetifolia. Shorea falcata will be introduced in the crop structure of the agroforestry model aiming to develop community forestry as an additional source of income for the community living in the coastal sandy areas. The project will give priority to raising awareness among the local authorities, relevant agencies and community about the importance in conserving Shorea falcata and restoration of the forest ecosystem in coastal sandy areas for sustainable development of the community.

Vietnam