Lang Sen (12010)
Vietnam, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Lang Sen
Central coordinates: Latitude: 10.7833, Longitude: 105.7833
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 2
Area of KBA (km2): 32.80052
Protected area coverage (%): 25.28
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Lang Sen is situated in the Mekong Delta region, in the area known as the Plain of Reeds. This area , which was originally dominated by seasonally inundated grasslands, has mostly been converted to agricultural land. Lang Sen was proposed a nature reserve by Long An Provincial People's Committee in 1994. The investment plan proposed establishing a 1,124 ha nature reserve, with the name Dong Thap Muoi. A further 1,723 ha were proposed as a bufferzone. Buckton at al. (1999) mention an area of 3,280 ha (and since the birdcounts given here come from this paper the area is given as 3,280 ha in site details).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) The site has been reviewed and re-confirmed as a KBA in the process of compiling the revised 2011 CEPF Ecosystem Profile for the Indo-Burma Hotspot.
Additional biodiversity: Non-bird biodiversity: During a survey of the key wetland sites in the Mekong Delta by BirdLife and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR), Lang Sen was the only site visited where semi-natural Melaleuca forest occurs along a natural river channel, and, as such is of notable biodiversity value.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Semi-natural Melaleuca forest occurs in patches in swampy areas, together with Syzygium spp., Eleocarpus hygrophilus, Ficus microcarpa and Cassia grandis. The majority of the Melaleuca forest is, however, plantation forest. Substantial areas of lotus swamp are also present at Lang Sen. This vegetation type is characteristic of the Plain of Reeds but is now seldom found anywhere to any great extent.
Land use: agriculture (66%) | forestry (27%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 5 | |
| Forest | 5 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 90 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The site has yet to receive any significant protection, and the mature Melaleuca plantation is still being felled.
Additional information
References: Birdlife International and the Forest Inventory and Planning Instutute (2001) Sourcebook of existing and proposed protected areas in Vietnam. Hanoi, Vietnam: BirdLife International Vietnam Programme and the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute.Buckton, S. T., Ngyuyen Cu, Nguyen Duc Tu and Ha Quy Quynh (1999) The conservation of key wetland sites in the Mekong delta. Hanoi: Birdlife International Vietnam programme.