Current view: Text account
Site description (2002 baseline):
Site location and context
Lang Sen is situated in the Mekong Delta region, in the area known as the Plain of Reeds. This area , which was originally dominated by seasonally inundated grasslands, has mostly been converted to agricultural land. Lang Sen was proposed a nature reserve by Long An Provincial People's Committee in 1994. The investment plan proposed establishing a 1,124 ha nature reserve, with the name Dong Thap Muoi. A further 1,723 ha were proposed as a bufferzone. Buckton at al. (1999) mention an area of 3,280 ha (and since the birdcounts given here come from this paper the area is given as 3,280 ha in site details).
Non-bird biodiversity: During a survey of the key wetland sites in the Mekong Delta by BirdLife and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR), Lang Sen was the only site visited where semi-natural Melaleuca forest occurs along a natural river channel, and, as such is of notable biodiversity value.
Semi-natural Melaleuca forest occurs in patches in swampy areas, together with Syzygium spp., Eleocarpus hygrophilus, Ficus microcarpa and Cassia grandis. The majority of the Melaleuca forest is, however, plantation forest. Substantial areas of lotus swamp are also present at Lang Sen. This vegetation type is characteristic of the Plain of Reeds but is now seldom found anywhere to any great extent.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The site has yet to receive any significant protection, and the mature Melaleuca plantation is still being felled.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
IUCN are currently implementing a full-scale GEF project entitled Mekong River Basin Wetland Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use. The goal of this project is to assist countries in the Lower Mekong sub-region to incrementally develop new approaches to integrating the protection and sustainable use of wetland biodiversity with economic development. In Vietnam the demonstration sites will be Lang Sen and Tram Chim national Park. The main demonstration activities implemented at Lang Sen will focus on ecotourism.
The provincial authorities have expressed an interest in establishing a protected area and have produced an investment plan.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lang Sen (Vietnam). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lang-sen-iba-vietnam on 23/12/2024.
