26 Sep 2007 - Gland, Switzerland
– Scientists have discovered 11 new species
of animals and plants in a remote area in
central Vietnam, WWF said today.
The species were found in the Thua Thien
Hue Province — a region known as the Green
Corridor. They include two butterflies and
a snake, as well as five orchids and three
other plants, all of which are exclusive
to tropical forests in Vietnam’s Annamites
Mountain Range.
Ten other plant species, including four
orchids, are still under examination but
also appear to be new species.
“You only discover so many new species
in very special places, and the Green Corridor
is one of them,” said Chris Dickinson, WWF’s
Chief Technical Adviser in the area.
“Several large mammal species were discovered
in the 11000s in the same forests, which
means that these latest discoveries could
be just the tip of the iceberg.”
Rainforest discoveries
The rainforests of the Central Annamites
likely existed as continuous undisturbed
forest cover for thousands of years, and,
as a result, offer unique habitats for many
species, WWF says.
The new snake species, called the white-lipped
keelback, tends to live by streams where
it catches frogs and other small animals.
It has a beautiful yellow-white stripe that
sweeps along its head and red dots cover
its body. It can reach about 80 centimetres
in length.
The butterfly species are among eight discovered
in the province since 1996. One is a skipper
— a butterfly with quick, darting flight
habits — from the genus Zela, the other
is a new genus in the subfamily of Satyrinae.
Three of the new orchid species are entirely
leafless, which is rare for orchids. They
contain no chlorophyll and live on decaying
matter, like many fungal species. The other
new plants include an aspidistra, which
produces a flower that is nearly black.
Aspidistra-relatives plants are used as
houseplants and are able to withstand very
low light conditions. And a newly discovered
species of arum has beautiful yellow flowers.
Arum plants have funnel-shaped leaves surrounding
the flowers.
Species at risk
According to WWF, all these species are
at risk from illegal logging, hunting, unsustainable
extraction of natural resources and conflicting
development interests. However, the Thua
Thien Hue Province authorities — in particular
the Forest Protection Department — have
committed to conserve and sustainably manage
these valuable forests.
“The area is extremely important for conservation
and the province wants to protect the forests
and their environmental services, as well
as contribute to sustainable development,”
said Hoang Ngoc Khanh, Director of Thua
Thien Hue Provincial Forest Protection Department.
Recent surveys have shown that many threatened
species are found in the Green Corridor,
including 15 reptiles and amphibians and
six bird species. The area is also home
to Vietnam’s greatest number of white-cheeked
crested gibbons, one of the world’s most
endangered primates. The Green Corridor
is believed to be the best location in Vietnam
to conserve the saola, a unique type of
wild cattle only discovered by scientists
in 1992.
According to WWF, forests in the Annamites
also help preserve critical environmental
services, such as water supplies for thousand
of people who depend on the region’s rivers.
They also provide non-timber forest resources
for local ethnic minority groups who earn
more than half of their income from these
products.
END NOTES:
• The new species were discovered between
2005 and 2006.
• The Green Corridor is one of the last
remaining lowland wet evergreen forests,
and supports significant populations of
threatened species. The area also includes
some of the longest remaining stretches
of lowland river with intact forest habitat
in Vietnam, which feed into the Perfume
River.
• The Green Corridor project is a four-year
initiative that started in June 2004, implemented
by the WWF Greater Mekong Programme and
Thua Thien Hue Provincial Forest Protection
Department. The project receives funding
from the World Bank/Global Environmental
Facility, WWF, Thua Thien Hue Provincial
People’s Committee, and SNV - the Dutch
Development Organization. The aim of the
project is to protect and maintain the biodiversity
rich forests of the Green Corridor. In addition,
funds have been provided by the US Fish
and Wildlife Service, under the Multinational
Species Conservation Fund and the Concannon
Foundation, for primate surveys and conservation
work.
Dr Chris Dickinson, Chief Technical Adviser
WWF Vietnam
Olivier van Bogaert, Senior Press Officer
WWF International
+ More
New reserves in Vietnam provide lifeline
for endangered wild ox
28 Sep 2007 - Hoi An, Vietnam – Twenty
years after its discovery in the forested
mountains of Vietnam, local authorities
here have agreed to establish new nature
reserves to protect a critically endangered
wild ox.
As part of a plan to protect the saola
(Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), the central Vietnamese
provinces of Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam
will create two 121km2 reserves. The reserves
will link up with the Bach Ma National Park
to cover a continuous protected landscape
covering approximately 2,920km2 — stretching
from the Vietnamese coast to the Xe Sap
National Biodiversity Conservation Area
in neighbouring Laos.
“This secures a landscape corridor which
is less vulnerable to the impacts of development,
climate change and human pressure,” said
Dr Barney Long, Central Truong Son Conservation
Landscape Coordinator for WWF Vietnam.
“The saola population in Thue Thien Hue
and Quang Nam provinces offers the best,
if not the only, chance for this unique
flagship species to survive.”
Found only in the Annamite Mountains of
Vietnam and Laos, the saola was discovered
in 1992 by a team of scientists from the
Vietnamese Ministry of Forestry and WWF;
the first large mammal to be discovered
anywhere in the world since 1936.
The saola is a primitive member of the
Bovidae family, which includes antelopes,
buffalo, bison, cattle, goats and sheep.
Although very little is known about the
species, its global population is thought
to be no more than 250 individuals, and
its distribution highly restricted to only
six provinces in Vietnam and four in Laos.
The largest population is found in the far
south of the saola's distribution range
in Vietnam on the border between Thua Thien
Hue and Quang Nam provinces where the nature
reserves will be established.
Other species that will be protected by
this enhanced green corridor include the
Truongson muntjac, red-shanked douc and
white-cheeked crested gibbon, as well as
many other newly and yet to be described
species.
Earlier this week, WWF announced the discovery
of 11 new species of animals and plants
in this remote area of Vietnam, including
butterflies, orchids and a snake.
“The saola acts as an emblem of conservation
efforts in Vietnam, yet it remains on the
brink of extinction,” added Tran Minh Hien,
WWF Vietnam’s Programme Director.
“We are committed to supporting local agencies
to develop locally appropriate interventions
to ensure its survival.”
In recognition of their conservation work
to protect the saola and its habitat, WWF
has honoured Vietnam’s Forest Protection
Departments of Thua Thien Hue and Quang
Nam, as well as Bach Ma National Park, with
a Leaders for a Living Planet Award.
END NOTES:
• WWF has been working in the two central
Vietnamese provinces of Thua Thien Hue and
Quang Nam as part of its Central Truong
Son (Vietnamese for Annamites) Conservation
Landscape Initiative since 2001.
• Over the last three years WWF has been
working closely with provincial authorities,
and through funding from USAID, World Bank/Global
Environmental Facility, USFWS, the MacArthur
Foundation and others, to secure the southern-most
population of saola through research, community-based
forest management, ranger capacity building
and law enforcement strengthening.
Dr Barney Long, Central Truong Son Conservation
Landscape Coordinator
WWF Greater Mekong – Vietnam Programme
Dr Chris Dickinson, Green Corridor Project
Technical Advisor
WWF Greater Mekong – Vietnam Programme
