This IBA encompasses Mount Bi Dup and Mount Gia Rich in the east of Bi Dup-Nui Ba Nature Reserve on the Da Lat Plateau. The main forest type of this IBA is evergreen forest, of which a large proportion belongs to the mixed broadleaf and coniferous subtype. The area is known for its high levels of plant diversity and endemism. The fauna of the area is also very species rich, and exhibits high levels of endemism.
This IBA is centred on Mount Lang Bian (also known as Nui Ba) in the west of Bi Dup-Nui Ba Nature Reserve on the Da Lat plateau. The main forest types occurring at Lang Bian are coniferous forest and evergreen forest. The area is known for its high levels of plant diversity and endemism. The fauna of the area is also very species rich, and exhibits high levels of endemism.
Key biodiversity
Mt Bi Dup lies within the Da Lat Plateau Endemic Bird Area (EBA). Seven of the eight restricted-range bird species that occur in this EBA have been recorded at the site in recent times, including Crested Argus Rheinardia ocellata and Collared Laughingthrush Garrulax yersini.
Non-bird biodiversity: Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon Nomascus gabrielle and Black-shanked Douc Langur Pygathrix nigripes have been recorded at Mt Bi Dup (Eames and Nguyen Cu, 1994). Globally threatened gymnosperm species that occur at Mt Bi Dup include Fokienia hodginsii, Calocedrus macrolepis, Pinus dalatensis, Pinus krempfii and Podocarpus neriifolius.
Habitat and land use
A large proportion of the evergreen forest at the site belongs to the mixed broadleaf and coniferous forest subtype, containing such coniferous elements as Pinus dalatensis, Calocedrus macrolepis, Fokienia hodginsii and Podocarpus imbricatus.
Most of the habitat of the site consists of secondary scrub and coniferous forest. The coniferous forest is dominated by Pinus kesiya with smaller amounts of P. merkusii. Coniferous forest is a seral vegetation type, formed a result of repeated burning; if the forest was not burnt, succession to broadleaf evergreen forest would occur. The abolition of burning would be a major benefit to biodiversity conservation because the evergreen forest has a much higher biodiversity value than the pine forest (Eames, 1995).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The overall level of human impact at the site is moderate. Threats to biodiversity at the site include clearance of forest for for shifting cultivation, charcoal production, fuelwood collection, hunting and over-exploitation of non-timber forest products.
Threats to biodiversity at Lang Bian include charcoal production, clearance of forest for agriculture, hunting and over-exploitation of non-timber forest products. Charcoal production has already lead to the destruction of most of the evergreen forest on Mount Lang Bian, with the result that much of the habitat now consists of secondary scrub.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Between 1993 and 1994, Eames (1995) studied the avifauna of Bi Dup-Nui Ba Nature Reserve.
Protected areas
In 1986, Nui Ba and Thuong Da Nhim were decreed as separate nature reserves. These two proposals were later combined to form the basis for establishing Bi Dup-Nui Ba Nature Reserve. The investment plan for the nature reserve was approved in 1995.
