Kim Hy Proposed Nature Reserve - Frontier-publications.co.uk

limestone forest and thus provides an extended area of contiguous habitat for the faunal
and floral species it supports.
Vegetation work was aimed primarily at those areas within the limestone forest, rather
than the areas of non-limestone forest, scrub forest and bare land which lie on the rim of
the limestone area. The latter areas were surveyed to some extent during the formulation
of the Feasibility Study for the proposed Nature Reserve, and are much more amenable to
study on a regular basis by the Forest Protection Department responsible for the area,
given time and available resources. Basic information on these areas, based upon
previous surveys by FIPI and the local Forest Protection Department, is provided in the
discussion of this chapter so as to provide a comprehensive synopsis. Within the
limestone forest area, logistical constraints meant that the full altitudinal gradient
affecting structure and dominance of forest ecosystems on limestone could not be
quantitatively recorded by means of vegetation plots. The plots therefore tended to
concentrate upon the valley floor edges and slopes of the limestone karst, the highest
plots being situated at approximately 780masl. Sites for survey were selected according
to considerations of health and safety of the survey team, and as to how representative the
site was of the surrounding forest.
3.2.1.2 Forest trees
At each site, a 50m x 50m (1/4 hectare) plot was established. Plot boundaries were
measured using compasses starting in the southwest corner and marked out using barrier
tape. Within each plot the ‘diameter at breast height’ (DBH) of each tree with a DBH of
6cm or greater at 1.3m above ground level was measured and identified to genus level (or
species level where possible) and its position mapped within the plot. Plot characteristics
were also recorded (canopy height, aspect, slope, altitude).
3.2.1.3 Ground flora
In each of the forest plots, the ground flora was studied using 25 2m x 2m quadrats
placed diagonally through the plot starting in the southwest corner (covering 4% of the
plot area). Within each quadrat all tree seedlings, shrubs, herbs, lianas and palms were
identified and the number of individuals recorded.
3.2.2 Botanical Collection
No botanical specimens were collected during the present survey. However, some
opportunistic observation and collection for field identification was carried out by the
research teams in more inaccessible, higher altitude areas where vegetation plots could
not be done. Identifications in the field were made using Vietnam Forest Trees (FIPI,
1996) and Cay Co Vietnam (Pham Hoang Ho, 1991).
Frontier Vietnam Forest Research Programme Technical Report No.24. 25