Recording many rare plant species in Dakrong

The meeting to report the results of the investigation to supplement endangered and rare species to the Plant List in Dakrong Nature Reserve took place recently.

The investigation activity was implemented by a consulting group from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR) and the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute (FIPI), with coordination and support for implementation by the Dakrong Nature Reserve Management Board.

Here, the parties reported the results of the investigation and updated and supplemented the list of rare plant species, especially endangered species in Dakrong Nature Reserve (Quang Tri), serving as a basis for proposing solutions for species conservation and sustainable development of biodiversity. At the same time, hand over the specimen set collected after the processing of additional recorded plant species and missing species in the Reserve's specimen set. Instruct on preserving and arranging the specimens for display.

The investigation activity is carried out from December 2023 to June 2024, with the goal of recording the diversity of plant species, identifying priority areas for conservation, and proposing appropriate measures. At the same time, improving the professional capacity of plant investigation for technical staff and supplementing about 200 specimens of 30–35 species for Dakrong Nature Reserve.

After the investigation, 337 specimens were collected for Dakrong Nature Reserve. In addition, the project team supplemented 121 plant species, bringing the total number of species in the Plant List of Dakrong Nature Reserve to 1,576 species belonging to 735 genera in 162 families. In particular, among these, there are two species that are suspected to be new to science, including one species of the Apocynaceae family and one species of the Begoniaceae family.

Dakrong Nature Reserve also records the diversity of plant resource values, with 746 species with medicinal uses, 317 edible species, 175 species that can be ornamental or decorative, and 133 species that can produce oleoresin, essential oil, tannin, and dye.

Through this investigation, relevant units also updated and assessed the threat level of plant species, with a total of 306 species recorded in documents such as the Vietnam Red Book 2007, the Report of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2024, Decree No. 06/2019/ND-CP, and Decree No. 84/2021/ND-CP. Of which, the investigation results showed that there are up to 136 rare and endangered species and, at the same time, identified 5 priority areas for conservation. 

Measures to preserve rare species of animals and plants have been proposed, including strengthening the management and protection of the entire existing forest area of Dakrong Nature Reserve. This aims to prevent forest loss, maintain existing forest states, and investigate and evaluate the current status of population distribution and structure. At the same time, managing and protecting new, narrowly endemic species and endangered and rare species with high conservation value. Besides, building a forest botanical garden and collecting rare and endemic indigenous genetic resources for nursery, propagation, and planting also need to be implemented.

"This investigation will be a premise for efforts to protect and sustainably develop rare plant resources in Dakrong Nature Reserve, making an important contribution to realizing the goal of preserving Vietnam's biodiversity, which ranks 14^th in the world," emphasized Mr. Truong Quang Trung, Director of Dakrong Nature Reserve.

The Biodiversity Conservation (BCA) Component of the Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation (VFBC) Project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is implemented from July 2021 to June 2026. The goal is to maintain and improve forest quality and, at the same time, maintain the stability of wildlife populations in provinces with high conservation value.

The project focuses on 14 special-use forests and 7 protection forests, linking forest management boards across the region's landscape to maintain forest coverage and connect habitats for protecting endemic and endangered animal species in Vietnam.

The Biodiversity Conservation Component is implemented by WWF-USA and other partners such as WWF-Vietnam, Helvetas Vietnam Organization, the Leibniz Institute for Animal Research, Re:wild, Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Fauna & Flora.