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Site description (2002 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA is centred on U Minh Thuong Nature Reserve, which comprises semi-natural Melaleuca forest, seasonally inundated grassland and open swamp. The IBA also includes the buffer zone of the nature reserve, most of which consists of paddyfields with small patches of Melaleuca plantation. Finally, the IBA includes a large block of Melaleuca plantation to the north-west of the nature reserve, which supports an important breeding colony of wetland birds but which is currently under the management of the local prison.
Non-bird biodiversity: U Minh Thuong harbours a diversity of flora, including many rare and endemic species. Safford et al (1998) indentified 155 plant species. These comprised 52 species in forest, 49 in grassland, 34 on riverbanks and 66 aquatics. Among these is the duckweed, Lemna tenera, which is rare throughout its range in South-East Asia but common in U Minh Thuong. The forest and wetlands of U Minh Thuong support many rare and endangered animal species. There is evidence for the continued occurance of the globally threatened Hairy-nosed Otter Lutra sumatrana (Nguyen Xuan Dang verbally). Safford et al. (1998) recorded Sunda Pangolin Manis javanicus and Fishing Cat Prionailurus viverrinus. In addition, Safford et al. (1998) received annecdotal reports of the occurrence of Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis and also recorded the Malayan Snail-eating Turtle Malayemys subtrijuga and Yellow-headed Temple Turtle Hiermemys annandalii.
U Minh Thuong Nature Reserve supports one of the last significant areas of peatswamp forest remaining in Vietnam. The vegetation in the core zone can be divided into four types: forest dominated by Melaleuca cajuputi on both peat and mineral soils; seasonally inundated grasslands dominated by Phragmites vallatoria and Eleocharis dulcis; open swamps dominated by Nymphaea nouchali, Pistia stratiotes, Salvinia cucullata and Typha domingensis; and natural streams and canals. The vegetation of the buffer zone consists of seasonally inundated grassland, open swamps, Melaleuca plantation, agricultural land, fishponds and canals.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Threats to the natural environment of U Minh Thuong Nature Reserve include: forest fires, degradation and decomposition of peat layers, illegal hunting and trapping of animals, and, development of tourism related infrastructure.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Within the north-west corner of the buffer zone is a 1,1190 ha area, which is uninhabited and supports one of the most important and largest bird colonies in the Mekong Delta. Although this area is effectively protected under management of a local prison, this part of the site should be incorporated into the nature reserve to ensure its long-term integrity.
U Minh Thuong Nature reserve was established in 1993 and is contained by the IBA (overlap = 8509 ha).The core zone of U Minh Thuong Nature Reserve, which covers an area of 8,509 ha, is currently under the management of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and protected by the provincial Forestry Protection Department (FPD). The core zone is surrounded by a bufferzone of 13,291. The bufferzone was defined in 1993, when a government- sponsored land allocation programme resulted in the settlement of nearly 20,000 landless people into the area. It is unclear whether the buffer zone is included within the nature reserve or not. The project document for the CARE U Minh Thuong Conservation and Community Development Project gives the total area of U Minh Thuong as 21,800 ha, which incudes both the core and buffer zones. According to the Ministry of Forestry, however, buffer zones are contiguous to, but outside of, special-use forests.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: U Minh Thuong (Vietnam). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/u-minh-thuong-iba-vietnam on 23/12/2024.
