Resources of forest organisms

Forest live resources

Con Dao National Park covers a total area of 5,998 ha (mountainous and forestry section), among which forested land occupies 4,905 ha, bare land occupies 622 ha and other land occupies 471 ha. Among forested land area, the broad-leaved forests occupy 4,778 ha, bamboo forests occupy 109 ha and mangrove forests occupy 18 ha. Its islands are covered with forestry vegetation to 92% of their natural area, from the sea level to the highest point of the mountain. The forests and natural resources in Con Dao have the following characteristics:
-  The forest ecology of Con Dao National Park is in the range of the island tropical forest ecology, with two typical types:
+  Tropical rain closed evergreen forest.
+  Tropical rain closed semi-deciduous forest.

Con Dao is the name of an archipelago situated around 180 km off  Vung Tau City, Southeast of Vietnam, 83 km off Can Tho Province (Hau River estuary) and 230 km off Ho Chi Minh City.

Vegetation Components:

+  As recorded at the results of the inventory on the vegetation components in Con Dao National Report in 1993, 1997 and 2000 made by the Forest Inventory & Planning Sub-Institute II (Sub FIPI), Ho Chi Minh City, there are 1,077 species of 640 genera of 160 families of higher vascular vegetation, of which: woody trees: 420 species, shrubs: 273 species, vines: 137 species, plants & herbs: 137 species, algae, seaweeds: 53 species, lichen, mosses: 20 species.

+  The above vegetation represent for those from various areas as:

* Meliaceae species, particularly, Chukrasia tabularis (Lat hoa), represent for the native vegetation system of Northern Vietnam, are big wood trees of the precious, rare classified tree group widely distributed in the jungles in northern provinces, but rarely seen in southern provinces of Vietnam.
* Those represent for the vegetation in the Southeastern area of Vietnam are big wood trees of the Dipterocarpaceae (Dau) and Lythraceae (Tu vi) families. Among them, Dipterocarpus condorensis (Dau Con Son) are big endemic wood trees of Con Dao National Park and naturally distributed on the Con Son island.
* Those represent for the vegetation in the Mekong Delta are Rhizophora mucronata (Duoc xanh), Avicennia (Mam trang), Brughiera gymnorhiza (Vet du), Lumnitzera (Coc vang) as typical species of mangrove forests and Melaleuca cajeputi (Tram) represent for the aluminous wetland forests.

-   Biodiversity Features of the Forest Vegetation

+  Diversity in genetic sources
*Genetic sources of the ecdemic vegetation: There are typically 4 ecdemic vegetation systems:
-  Vegetation system from Malaysia-Indonesia: includes Dipterocarpaceae (ho Dau) family with 7 species;
- Vegetation system from India-Mianmar includes 3 typical families; Lythraceae (ho Tu vi) with 12 species; Comretaceae (ho Bang) with 9 species; Bombaceae (ho Gon) with 3 species;
-  Vegetation system from Himalaya-Yunnan-Guizhou (China) includes 5 typical families: Lauraceae (ho Re) with 16 species; Ecicaceae (ho Do quyen) with 1 species;
-  Vegetation system from North Vietnam-South China includes 6 typical families: Fabaceae (ho Dau) with 84 species; Euphorbiaceae (ho 3 manh vo) with 67 species; Ebenaceae (ho Thi) with 12 species; Rubiaceae (ho Ca phe) with 68 species, Poaceae (ho Co) with 30 species and Anacardiaceae (ho Xoai) with 14 species.

* Ancient vegetation genetic sources (Ancient tropical and subtropical) include following typical families: Annonaceae (ho Na), Clusiaceae (ho Bua), Acistroladaceae (ho Trung quan), Musaceae (ho Chuoi), Pandanaceae (ho Dua dai); Ancient subtropical vegetation includes 6 typical families: Cycadaceae (ho Thien tue) with 4 species, Lauraceae (ho Re) with 16 species, Theaceae (ho Che) with 8 species, and Ecicaceae (ho Do quyen) with 1 species.

* Rare and endemic genetic source: includes Chukrasia tabularia (Lat hoa), manilkara hexandra (Gang neo), Alangium salvifolium (Quang long). From the south coming upward is the familiar vegetation with the Malaysia-Indonesia originated vegetation with the typical trees of Dipterocarpaceae family.

Among the higher vascular vegetation found in Con Dao, 44 species of them have been discovered the first time by the scientists that include: Wood trees: 14 species, vines: 6 species, plants: 10 species, grass: 13 species, algae: 1 species. Among them, 11 species were named after Con sona s: Ilex condorensis (Bui Con son), Amoora poulocondorensis (Goi Con son), Petrocosmea condorensis (Thach trang Con son), Ophiorrhiza harrisiana var condorensis (Xa can Con son), Pavetta condorensis (Dot sanh Con son), Psychotria condorensis (Lau Con son), Lasianthas condorensis (Xu huong Con son), Glossogyne condorensis (Thiet thu Con son), Machilus thunbergii sieb-et-var condorensis (Khao Con son), Dipterocarpus condorensis (Dau Con son), Miristica guatterifolia (Dau khau Con son).
+Diversity in use: the forest vegetation of Con Dao National Park not only used as wood, firewood but 98 species of them are also used as medicinal plants (among which 4 species can be found at large amount like Schfflera (Ngu Gia Bi), Homolomena occulta (Thien nien kien), Ochrosia oppositifolia (Chay lan), Rauwolfia reflexa (Go sua/Ba gac). 90 species of them can be used for decoration, among which 18 species are of Orchidaceae family (ho Phong lan), several species are rich in sap, tannin, and can be used as food for men and animals with their flowers, fruits, rhizomes 

Fauna Components:

Terrestrial Regional fauna with vertebrae in Con Dao National Park has been recorded up to 160 species of 65 families, 32 groups. Among which, as to mammals, there are 29 species of 16 families, 10 groups; as to birds, there are 85 species of 32 families, 17 groups; as to reptiles, there are 38 species of 13 families, 4 groups, as to frogs, there are 8 species of 4 families, 1 group.

Con Dao endemic fauna:

There are three endemic mammals in Con Dao. Special protection should be given to these species because they are only seen in this area such as Callosciurus sp (Soc mun), This species has not been named but in Vietnam, it is only seen in Con Dao; the black squirrel, Ratufa bicolor condorensis (Soc den Con dao): a sub-species that can be seen only in Con Dao; Cyrtod tylus condorensis (Thach sung Con Dao): have just been discovered in Con Dao. This species is relatively popular now.

Precious, rare fauna:

There are 11 species of mammals, 8 species of birds and 12 species of reptiles.