sourcebook

Nam Nung Nature Reserve

Alternative site name(s)

Nam Lung

Province(s)

Dak Lak

Area

10,849 ha

Coordinates

12°12' - 12°20'N, 107°44' - 107°53'E

Agro-ecological zone

Central Highlands

Decreed by government

Yes

Management board established

Yes

Investment plan prepared

Yes

VCF eligibility criteria met

B, C

Social screening criteria met

None

Conservation needs assessment prepared

Operational management plan prepared

Tracking tool completed

Map available

Yes

Management history

Nam Nung Nature Reserve was included on Decision No. 194/CT of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, dated 9 August 1986, with a proposed area of 20,000 ha (MARD 1997). The Forest Inventory and Planning Institute, in collaboration with Dak Lak Provincial DARD, Xuan Mai Forestry College and Dak Lak Provincial Forest Inventory Department, prepared an investment plan for Nam Nung Nature Reserve in 1994. This investment plan proposed establishing a 10,849 ha nature reserve, comprising a strict protection area of 6,156 ha and a forest rehabilitation area of 4,693 ha (Anon. 1994). The investment plan was approved by MARD on 21 February 1995, following Official Letter No. 335/KH, and by Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee on 30 October 1996, following Decision 2067/QD-UB (Dak Lak Provincial DARD in litt. 2000).

Upon approval of the investment plan by Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee, a management board for the nature reserve was formed. The management board currently has 14 members of staff, based at the headquarters and three guard stations (Dak Lak Provincial DARD in litt. 2000). Nam Nung is included on a list of Special-use Forests to be established by the year 2010, prepared by the FPD of MARD, as a 10,849 ha nature reserve (FPD 2003); this list has not yet been approved by the government.

Topography and hydrology

Nam Nung Nature Reserve is located in south-western Dak Lak province, in Quang Son commune, Dak Nong district, and Duc Xuyen and Nam Nung communes, Krong No district. The nature reserve is situated in the Central Highlands and has a mountainous topography. The nature reserve is centred on a massif that rises from the surrounding plateau to an elevation of 1,578 m at the summit of Mount Nam Jer Bri. The average elevation of the surrounding plateau is about 800 m.

There are two major hydrological systems within the nature reserve. Streams in the northern part of the nature reserve flow into the Dak Pri stream, while those in the southern part flow into the Dak N’Tao stream. Both of these streams flow into the lower Krong No river.

Biodiversity values

Nam Nung Nature Reserve supports three main forest types: lower montane evergreen forest, lowland evergreen forest and lowland semi-evergreen forest. Lower montane evergreen forest is distributed at elevations above 1,000 m. This forest type is dominated by tree species from several families, including the Lauraceae, Fagaceae, Theaceae, Magnoliaceae, Podocarpaceae and Ericaceae. This forest type contains a mixed broadleaf and coniferous forest sub-type, which occurs on mountain ridges between 1,000 and 1,300 m. This forest sub-type is characterised by such conifers as Podocarpus imbricatus and Decussocarpus fleuyri. Dominant broadleaf tree species include Phoebe sp., Castanopsis indica and Michelia mediocris. Lowland evergreen forest is distributed at elevations between 800 and 1,000 m. The tree flora of this forest type is dominated by Hopea odorata, Dipterocarpus alatus and members of the Lauraceae and Fagaceae families. Finally, semi-evergreen forest occurs at elevations below 800 m, and is dominated by tree species from the Dipterocarpaceae family (Anon. 1994).

The investment plan for Nam Nung Nature Reserve lists a total of 408 vascular plant species, 58 mammal species, 127 bird species and 33 reptile species (Anon. 1994). However, the source of these data is not clear, and the continued presence at the site of many of the species of conservation concern listed in the investment plan must be considered unconfirmed.

Conservation issues

The investment plan for Nam Nung Nature Reserve defines a buffer zone of 9,307 ha in three communes: Nam Nung, Duc Xuyen and Quang Son. This buffer zone is inhabited by only 356 people from the Mnong ethnic group (Anon. 1994), while there are no people living inside the boundaries of the nature reserve (Dak Lak Provincial DARD in litt. 2000). Therefore, the pressures from local people on the natural resources of the nature reserve can be considered fairly low. The four principal threats to biodiversity at Nam Nung identified by Dak Lak Provincial DARD (in litt. 2000) are clearance of forest for coffee plantations, hunting, over-exploitation of forest products and forest fire.