Nui Ong Nature Reserve
| Alternative site name(s) Bien Lac-Nui Ong, Tanh Linh Province(s) Binh Thuan Area 25,500 ha Coordinates 10°59' - 11°10'N, 107°41' - 107°53'E Agro-ecological zone South-eastern Decreed by government Yes Management board established Yes |
Investment plan prepared Yes VCF eligibility criteria met A, B, C Social screening criteria met None Conservation needs assessment prepared No Operational management plan prepared No Tracking tool completed No Yes |
Management history
The site was included on Decision No. 194/CT of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, dated 9 August 1986, which decreed the establishment of a 2,000 ha nature reserve under the name Tanh Linh (MARD 1997). On 6 October 1990, the former Ministry of Forestry sent Official Letter No. 1855/LN-KL to request the former Thuan Hai Provincial People's Committee to prepare an investment plan for a nature reserve with the name Bien Lac-Nui Ong (Anon. 1992). On 16 September 1991, the provincial people's committee established a management board for the nature reserve (Binh Thuan Provincial FPD in litt. 2000). Following this, an investment plan was prepared by FIPI in 1992 (Anon. 1992). This investment plan was approved by Decision No. 14/TTg of the Prime Minister, dated 19 October 1992, and then by Decision No. 598/TT/UB-BT of the provincial people's committee, dated 30 November 1992 (Binh Thuan Provincial FPD in litt. 2000).
According to the investment plan, the nature reserve comprised two sub-areas, Bien Lac and Nui Ong, with a total area of 35,377 ha (Anon. 1992). However, the Bien Lac sub-area was extensively deforested during the late 1990s. Consequently, a revised investment plan was prepared, in which the nature reserve comprised only the Nui Ong sector, 25,469 ha in area. This investment plan was approved by Decision No. 3747/QD-UB of Binh Thuan People's Committee, dated 31 December 2001 (Binh Thuan Provincial FPD in litt. 2003). On the list of Special-use Forests to be established by the year 2010, prepared by the FPD of MARD, the site is listed as 25,500 ha nature reserve, under the name Nui Ong (FPD 2003); this list has not yet been approved by the government.
Topography and hydrology
Nui Ong Nature Reserve is situated in the lowlands of south-central Vietnam. The nature reserve is centred on Nui Ong mountain (1,302 m). Streams originating in the north of the nature reserve feed the La Nga river, which is a tributary of the Dong Nai river. Streams originating in the south of the nature reserve feed the Phan and Cai rivers, which flow south, into the East Sea.
Biodiversity values
Nui Ong Nature Reserve supports 23,194 ha of forest, equivalent to 91% of the total area (Binh Thuan Provincial FPD in litt. 2003). The major vegetation types at the nature reserve are evergreen forest, semi- evergreen forest and deciduous forest (Anon. 1992). The most widespread forest type is lowland evergreen forest, although areas that have been heavily disturbed by logging support semi-evergreen forest dominated by species in the Dipterocarpaceae family. There is also a small area of primary lowland deciduous forest in the extreme south-east of the nature reserve. Lower montane evergreen forest is found at higher altitudes, with elfin forest at the highest elevations around the summit of Nui Ong. There are also areas of scrub, grassland and scrub with scattered trees at lower elevations.
A total of 332 species of vascular plants have been recorded at the nature reserve, including a number of globally threatened species, such as Afzelia xylocarpa and Dalbergia bariensis. With regard to the fauna of the nature reserve, the investment plan lists the occurrence of 52 species of mammal, 96 species of bird, 21 species of reptile, seven species of amphibian and 22 species of fish. These include a number of globally threatened mammal species, including Black-shanked Douc Pygathrix nigripes and Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon Hylobates gabriellae (Anon. 1992). However, the current status of these species at the site requires clarification.
Conservation issues
The human population of the buffer zone comprises members of the Kinh, K'ho, Cham and Ra-glai ethnic groups, who practice a mixture of wet rice and shifting cultivation. A number of households live within the boundaries of the nature reserve and practice shifting, fixed and cash crop cultivation (Binh Thuan Province FPD in litt. 2000).
Other documented values
The Bien Lac sub-area, which was previously included in the nature reserve, is scenic; the investment plan recommends developing it for tourism (Anon. 1992).
Related projects
No information.
Conservation needs assessment
A conservation needs assessment has not been conducted for the site.
Operational management plan
An operational management plan has not been prepared for the site.
Eligibility against VCF criteria
The site is eligible for VCF support because it meets criteria A, B and C.
| Criterion |
Eligibility |
| AI |
SA6 - Di Linh Corridor |
| AII |
|
| BI |
Decision No. 194/CT, dated 09/08/86 |
| BII |
Nature Reserve |
| BIII |
Under provincial management |
| CI |
Management board established |
| CII |
Social screening requirements
A social screening report has not been prepared for the site.
| Criterion |
Eligibility |
| A |
|
| B |
|
| C |
|
| D |
Literature sources
Anon. (1992) [Investment plan for Bien Lac-Nui Ong Nature Reserve]. Tuyen Hai: Tuyen Hai Forest Protection Department. In Vietnamese.
Vietnam News (2001) Elephants seek sanctuary. Vietnam News 2 June 2001.
Vietnam News (2001) Fierce elephants damage houses. Vietnam News 10 March 2001.
Vietnam News (2001) Govt mulls options for wild elephants. Vietnam News 16 June 2001.
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