Myanmar Protected Areas: Context, Current Status ... - Istituto Oikos

(MEP, 2009-2010), belonging to evergreen forest and beach and dune forest and 63 species were
identified in the mangrove forest. The evergreen forest is the dominant vegetation type in Lampi Island
MNP, characterized by large trees that can reach more than 26 meter in height. Common species are
Bouea burmanica, Cinnamonum sp., Dipterocarpus costatus, Dipterocarpus obtusifolius, Firmicana colorata,
Homalium griffithianum, Lophopetalum filiforme, Macaranga gigantean, Phoebe tavoyana, Pterospermum
acerifolium, Parashorea stellata, Strombosia javanica, Shorea farinose, Vatica dyeri, Xerospermum
noronhianum, Wendlandia glabrata.
Evergreen Forest in Lampi Island MNP (A. Bonetti)
17 tree species found in Lampi Island MNP are threatened according to IUCN categories:
Scientific name Status (Red List 2010)
Anisoptera curtisii CR
Dipterocarpus dyeri CR
Dipterocarpus grandiflorus CR
Dipterocarpus turbinatus CR
Hopea helferi CR
Hopea sangal CR
Parashorea stellata CR
Shorea farinosa CR
Diospyros crumenata EN
Dipterocarpus alatus EN
Dipterocarpus costatus EN
Shorea gratissima EN
Syzygium zeylanicum EN
Ternstroemia penangiana EN
Abarema bigemina VU
Hopea odorata VU
Memecylon grande VU
Table 6
Threatened tree species
of Lampi Island MNP
CR = Critically Endangered
EN = Endangered
VU = Vulnerable
Scientific name Status (Red List 2010)
Sonneratia griffithii CR
Heritiera fomes EN
Aegialitis rotundifolia NT
Brownlowia tersa NT
In-depth Study of Lampi Island Marine National Park
The beach and dune forest is found along narrow strips on beaches and dunes along the coast in
the locality of Baik Aw or Tourist River, Balaik Aw and Bawin Aw. It supports pure stands of Casuarina
equisetifolia and species of Dillenia and Calophyllum.
Beach and dune forest in Lampi Island MNP (L. Beffasti)
The mangrove forest, although minor in terms of extension, is in almost intact conditions with high
ecological value. The pristine areas are located at Labi Chaung, Khe Chaung, Mi Gyaung Aw and Thit
Wa Aw on the west coast and in Bulet Aw on the east coast of Lampi Island. The mangrove survey
conducted in Lampi Island MNP area in February-April 2010 recorded a total of 63 species belonging
to 31 families, comprising both woody species (40 species) and mangrove associates (23 species of
shrubs and climbers), which is a reflection of the fact that the Myeik Archipelago is located within
the Indo-Malayan biogeographic region which has the highest diversity of mangroves in the world.
Two community types of mangrove forests are found in Lampi Island MNP, the Rhizophora apiculata
community and the Bruguiera cylindrica community, well correlated to the level of tidal zone and the
sediment types. Dominant species of mangroves are Rhizophora apiculata (Byu-che-dauk-apo) and
Rhizophora mucronata (Byu-che-dauk-ama), species that in the seashore where salinity is very high are
the only ones present. One species Pemphis acidula recorded during the mangrove study is of particular
interest since it is known to occur in East Africa but absent from South India to Sumatra, and it reappears
in East Malaysia. Its presence on Lampi and adjacent islands fills a critical gap in the available information
about the distribution of this species. On the other hand, some mangrove species such as Sonneratia
apuitala (Kan-pa-la), Sonneratia cassiolaris (La-mu), Xylocarpus mulocensis (Kya-na) and Amoora cucullata
(Pan-tha-ka), present in other mangrove areas of Myanmar, are not found in Lampi area, due to high
salinity (3.5% - 3.8%) and soil types (loamy sand and sandy loam soils are common).
Table 7
Threatened and near threatened
mangrove species of Lampi Island MNP
CR = Critically Endangered
EN = Endangered
NT = Near Threatened
104 105