Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology

Project's information

Project's title	Research on structure, and assessment of the process of ecological succession in ecosystems at The Me Linh Station for Biodiversity creating a scientific basis for proposing models of natural forest regeneration
Project’s code	CT0000.05/21-23
Research hosting institution	Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources
Project leader’s name	Nguyen The Cuong
Project duration	01/01/2021 - 31/12/2023
Project’s budget	2,700 million VND
Classify	Grade B
Goal and objectives of the project	Obtain a scientific basis for the succession process, spatial structure (cross-section and vertical section) and landscape structure of forest ecosystems at the Me Linh Station for Biodiversity. Building a geo-ecological database of forest ecosystems at the Me Linh Station that qualify for building a management and succession assessment model. Propose models for natural forest regeneration
Main results	- Theoretical results: All the vegetation types at Me Linh Station for Biodiversity have been identified which included: 1) Evergreen tropical broad-leaved shrublands; 2) Open semi-deciduous forests in the dry season in low terrain and mountains; 3) Open evergreen forests in in low terrain and mountains; 4) Mix of bamboo and broad-leaved forests, and 5) Broad-leaved forests belong to the Subclass: Evergreen tropical forest in low terrain and low mountains. Trends of vegetation succession at Me Linh Station for Biodiversity ares mainly in the direction: Grassland Shrublands Open forest Medium forest Closed forest. and Planted forests Open forests Medium forests Closed forests. Me Linh Station for Biodiversity is an area with high biodiversity. The project has recorded 852 species and subspecies of plants, 44 species of mammals, 122 species of birds, 39 species of reptiles, 23 species of amphibians, 33 species of fish, 38 species of zooplankton, 20 species of benthos, 1607 species of insects. coincide. Of which, 36 species of plants, 5 species of mammals, 14 species of birds, 7 species of reptiles, 1 species of amphibians are threatened. The antioxidant activity of 5 plant extract samples and antibacterial activity of 5 other plant extract samples has evaluated, all of which showed good activity. Seven compounds have been isolated from Elaeagnus tonkinensis species, and all the structure of those compounds has been determined. The project has developed technical steps for using UAV to reasearch on the structure of ecosystems (photography process, image processing, image stitching) and buiding the ecosystem database. The project has built the ecosystem database of Me Linh Station for Biodiversity and saved in ARCGIS (Station boundary, main-contour lines, sub-contour lines, atitude points, streams, Me Linh DEM, mountain shadows, patrol lines, plots, location of trees in plots, UAV flight points, vegetation succession in 2002-2023 period). - Applied results: Four plots (100 x 100 m2) at different types of forest has been established at Me Linh Station for Biodiversity. All parameters of trees were measure (DBH, Hdc, Hvn, canopy diameter) for all trees (DBH>6 cm) in each plot to study vegetation structure and monitor forest changes in the next years The project has built 4 maps of forest structure for 4 plots (scale 1: 750), 2 maps of forest vegetation, map of vegetation succession in the period 2002-2022; 6 maps of structural ecosystems (by altitude, habitat, and group of organisms) (scale 1: 10,000). The project has proposed some models of intercropping and supplementing timber tree species to help the natural forest regeneration process.
Novelty and actuality and scientific meaningfulness of the results	For the first time, the vegetation succession map, the ecosystem structural map (by altitude, habitat, and group of organisms at Me Linh Station for Biodiversity) were built. For the first time, Elaeagnus tonkiensis species was evaluated for biological activity and its compounds werer isolation and structural determination.
Products of the project	- Scientific papers in referred journals (list): Do Van Hai, Nguyen The Cưong, Ritesh Kumar Choudhary, Zheli Lin & Yunfei Deng (2022). Cosmianthemum melinhense (Acanthaceae), a new species from the Me Linh Station for Biodiversity in northeastern Vietnam. Phytotaxa, 538(2): 124-132. Nguyen The Cuong, Do Van Hai, Nguyen Quang Hung, Duong Thi Hoan (2022). Schisandra grandiflora (Wall.) Hook. f. & Thomson (Schisandraceae: sect. Pleiostema), a new record for the flora of Vietnam. Academia Journal Of Biology, 44(4): 47–52. Dawson JE, Gaillard D, Gong S, Lin L., McCormack TEM, Nanthavong C, Nguyen TT, Nguyen TQ, Pham TV, Shi H. 2022. Geographical and elevational distributions of the Black-breasted Leaf Turtle, Geoemyda spengleri (Gmelin, 1789) (Testudines: Geoemydidae). Amphibian & Reptile Conservation, 16(1) [General Section]: 235–244 (e312). - Technological products (describe in details: technical characteristics, place): 04 plots (size 100 x 100 m2) representing ecosystem types Report on the structure and status of vegetation at Me Linh Station for Biodiversity (with a map of vegetation, scale 1/10,000). Report on the composition of animal and plant species at Me Linh Station for Biodiversity . Report on the succession process of ecosystems at Me Linh Station for Biodiversity (with map of vegetation succession for the period 2002-2022, scale 1/10,000). The database of ecosystems at Me Linh Station for Biodiversity which saved in ARCGIS 04 Map of vegetation changes at 04 plots, 05 Maps of ecosystem structure, 01 Topographic map, 01 Slope map, 01 Slope direction map. Report of vegetation structure changes at 04 plots (with maps)
Research area	Me Linh Station for Biodiversity
Recommendations	Continue to propose that Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology provides funding for research on structure and evaluate the succession process of ecosystems at Me Linh Station for Biodiversity in the next period.
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