Unique dipterocarp forest ecosystem at Yok Don National Park

DAK LAK Yok Don National Park has high biodiversity with many endemic species of animals and plants, and is the only dry dipterocarp forest ecosystem conservation area in Vietnam.

Mr. Pham Tuan Linh, Director of Yok Don National Park, said that Yok Don National Park has a total area of ​​115,545 hectares, located in the two provinces of Dak Lak and Lam Dong (formerly Dak Nong province), with a border with Cambodia of nearly 70 km and over 250 km of border with villages, residential areas, fields, and roads.

Yok Don National Park is the only dipterocarp forest ecosystem conservation area in Vietnam, with high biodiversity with 1,006 plant species, 650 animal species, including many endemic, endangered, precious and rare animal and plant species such as elephants, gaurs, ungulates, and precious timber species.

'Living museum' of flora and fauna

Regarding flora, Yok Don National Park is considered a vivid living museum to study the origin of evolutionary history, the relationships between evergreen forests, semi-evergreen forests and tropical dry deciduous broadleaf forests (dipterocarp forests), this is a unique ecosystem typical of Vietnam and the world .

Yok Don National Park is the only dry dipterocarp forest ecosystem conservation area in Vietnam. Photo: Yok Don National Park.

Biodiversity studies conducted in the garden have discovered 1,006 plant species, belonging to 132 families and 464 genera. The number of plant species capable of providing wood with a diameter of 20cm or more is 120 species, including many wood species such as tea tree oil, hair oil, cam lien, cate, rosewood, rosewood,... and 64 plant species that can be used as medicinal materials.

According to Mr. Pham Tuan Linh, at Yok Don National Park, scientists have discovered that the above plant species combine to form a large forest covering more than 90% of the entire area of ​​the Park and are divided into 3 main types: sparse broadleaf, deciduous forest (dipterocarp forest); closed, broadleaf evergreen forest (evergreen forest) and closed semi-deciduous forest. In which, dipterocarp forest is the dominant forest type in the entire Yok Don National Park. The characteristics of this forest type are sparse tree layer, discontinuous foliage, and deciduous in the dry season. Thanks to that, a large amount of light can penetrate the ground, creating conditions for the forest to regenerate and the grass layer to grow well.

The fauna in Yok Don National Park is also very rich and unique with 92 species of mammals belonging to 30 families, 12 orders; 373 species of birds belonging to 70 families, 7 orders; 55 species of reptiles, 18 species of frogs, 112 species of fish and about 437 species of insects. Of these, there are 41 species of mammals, 22 species of birds, and some rare reptiles that have been listed in the Vietnam Red Book such as Ca Toong deer, gray cow, gaur, wild cow, wild buffalo, leopard, tiger, peacock, pheasant, pheasant (purple-chested), flying squirrel, hornbill, freshwater crocodile.

The special thing about the precious animals here is that they live in large and concentrated populations such as gaur, bison, large muntjac, red wolf, langur and especially the Asian elephant, a precious animal that has been associated with Yok Don National Park. This is the only area in Vietnam that preserves dry dipterocarp forests with many rare large animals with large and concentrated populations such as: large muntjac, Ca Toong deer, Asian elephant, tiger, red wolf...

Cultural and tourism values

Along with its high biodiversity values, Yok Don National Park is a place to explore the unique cultural values ​​of the Central Highlands ethnic groups. Here, many traditional architectural features from thousands of years ago, as well as the customs and practices of local residents are still preserved intact.

Elephants at Yok Don National Park. Photo: Yok Don National Park.

According to Mr. Pham Tuan Linh, Director of Yok Don National Park, Yok Don National Park is considered a place of exchange and convergence of ethnic communities, and is considered the first capital of Dak Lak province. In the National Park, there are still historical revolutionary relics formed during the resistance wars against foreign invaders such as the Ho Chi Minh trail, the ferry... These are historical relics, full of attraction for tourists.

Regarding the environment and landscape, Yok Don National Park has a poetic and lyrical landscape amidst the dense forest with the legendary Serepok River created by two branches of the Krong No and Krong Ana rivers flowing through and forming many majestic waterfalls and rapids, with water flowing all year round and a relatively cool and fresh climate.

Mr. Pham Tuan Linh said that most of the people living around Yok Don National Park are households with difficult circumstances, lack of land for production, and their lives depend heavily on the unsustainable exploitation of forest resources. Therefore, developing ecotourism with the participation of people in Yok Don National Park is one of the optimal solutions to help people develop a sustainable economy, thereby minimizing negative impacts on natural resources, contributing significantly to hunger eradication, poverty reduction and new rural construction, ensuring social security, maintaining national defense, security and social order and safety.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/he-sinh-thai-rung-khop-doc-dao-tai-vuon-quoc-gia-yok-don-d787743.html