Current view: Text account
Site description (2002 baseline):
Site location and context
This IBA comprises Dakrong proposed nature reserve. Dakrong proposed nature reserve is situated on a ridge of low mountains, which extend south-east from the Annamite mountains.
Dakrong proposed nature reserve is located in the southern part of the Annamese Lowlands Endemic Bird Area (EBA). Bird species of conservation concern inhabiting Dakrong proposed nature reserve include Edwards's Pheasant Lophura edwardsi and Imperial Pheasant Lophura imperialis.In 1996, Edwards's Pheasant Lophura edwardsi was rediscovered in Phong My commune, Thua Thien Hue province, and in Huong hoa commune, Quang Tri province. In December 1997, at least four specimens were trapped in Ba Long commune, Quang Tri province. Phong Dien and Dakrong proposed nature reserves support the only known population of Edwards's Pheasant in the world.One juvenile male Imperial Pheasant Lophura imperialis was captured at Dakrong in February 2000.
Non-bird biodiversity: Le Trong Trai et al. (1999) reported the occurrence of four threatened primate species at Dakrong proposed nature reserve: Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta, Stump-tailed Macaque Macaca arctoides, Red-shanked Douc Langur Pygathrix nemaeus nemaeus and Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon Nomascus gabrielle. Four threatened ungulate species have been reported to occur at Dakrong: Giant Muntjac Megamuntiacus vuquangensis, Gaur Bos gaurus, Southern Serow Naemorhedus sumatraensis ans Saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis.Podocarpus neriifolius has also been recorded at Dakrong by Le Trong Trai et al. (1999).
The forest at Dakrong has been heavily disturbed, and primary forest only occupies around 60% of the total area of the proposed nature reserve. Previously, forest cover has been reduced by the spraying of chemical defoliants during the Second Indochina War. Forest cover has been considerably reduced, degraded and fragmented throughout most of Dakrong proposed nature reserve by a combination of logging, shifting cultivation, collection of non-timber forest products and aerial spraying of defoliants. However, not only are the fragments of primary forest relatively large, but they are contiguous with most remaining areas of mature secondary forest (Le Trong Trai et al., 1999).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Current threats to biodiversity at Dakrong include small-scale timber extraction, trapping and hunting, clearance of land for agriculture, mining and livestock grazing.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
In June and July 1998, Birdlife International worked in collaboration with FIPI to assess the feasibility of upgrading Dakrong Watershed Protection Forest to Nature Reserve status. This feasibility study, funded by the European Union and BirdLife International, was part of the government's commitment to increase Vietnam's protected area coverage to 2 million hectares by the year 2000. The study comprised an inventory of the area's flora and fauna and an evaluation of the site's landuse and current threats to biodiversity.
In combination with Phong Dien proposed nature reserve in Thua Thien Hue province, Dakrong proposed nature reserve supports the largest remaining area of lowland evergreen forest in central Vietnam. Dakrong proposed nature reserve is contiguous with Phong Dien proposed nature reserve. This extends the effective protection coverage of the combined area to over 80,000 ha. The two proposed nature reserves are isolated from forest areas in southern Quang Binh province by large expanses of agricultural land, scrub and grassland. However, Le Trong Trai et al. (1999) suggested that the possibility of establishing forest corridors to link the two proposed nature reserves to forest blocks to the west, in Laos, and south, in southern Thua Thien Hue province should be investigated.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Dakrong (Vietnam). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/dakrong-iba-vietnam on 23/11/2024.
