Red River freshwater swamp forests
Published: April 18, 2007, 9:15 pm
Updated: April 18, 2007, 9:15 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Mark McGinley Introduction
Satellite view of the Red River Valley, Vietnam. (Photograph by USGS)
This ecoregion is nearly extinct. Representing the swamp forests of the Red River in northern Vietnam, the natural habitat has long been cleared for agriculture. Today it is nearly impossible to even ascertain the natural biodiversity that used to occur in this ecoregion.
Location and General Description
This ecoregion comprises the freshwater swamp forests along the lower Red River in northern Vietnam.
Swamp forest occurs inland of the mangroves in freshwater conditions. Freshwater swamp forest occurs on permanently or seasonally flooded mineral soils, often in zones up to 5 kilometers (km) wide, along rivers or around freshwater lakes. The original vegetation in these freshwater swamp forests may have been Melaleuca-dominated. This ecoregion used to provide habitat for several endangered species of mammals and birds.
Biodiversity Features
Freshwater swamps support a wide variety of plant species, many limited to this specialized habitat, and they support a great diversity of freshwater fish, birds, and mammals. There are no endemic birds or mammals in this ecoregion.
Current Status
This freshwater swamp forest ecoregion along the lower Red River in northern Vietnam has been almost totally cleared of its original habitat. There are no protected areas in this ecoregion, and little freshwater swamp forest remains.
Types and Severity of Threats
Most of these forests have been converted for agricultural use and settlements.
Additional information on this ecoregion
Further Reading
- References for this ecoregion are currently consolidated in one document for the entire Indo-Pacific realm: Indo-Pacific Reference List
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Disclaimer:
This article is taken wholly from, or contains information that was originally published by, the World Wildlife Fund. Topic editors and authors for the Encyclopedia of Earth may have edited its content or added new information. The use of information from the World Wildlife Fund should not be construed as support for or endorsement by that organization for any new information added by EoE personnel, or for any editing of the original content.
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Citation
World Wildlife Fund (Lead Author);Mark McGinley (Topic Editor) "Red River freshwater swamp forests". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth April 18, 2007; Last revised Date April 18, 2007; Retrieved June 20, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Red_River_freshwater_swamp_forests>
The Author
Known worldwide by its panda logo, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) leads international efforts to protect endangered species and their habitats. Now in its fifth decade, WWF works in more than 100 countries around the globe to conserve the diversity of life on Earth. With nearly 1.2 million members in the U.S. and another 4 million worldwide, WWF is the world's largest privately financed conservation organization. WWF directs its conservation efforts toward three global goals: 1) saving endangered ... (Full Bio)
Introduction
Satellite view of the Red River Valley, Vietnam. (Photograph by USGS)
This ecoregion is nearly extinct. Representing the swamp forests of the Red River in northern Vietnam, the natural habitat has long been cleared for agriculture. Today it is nearly impossible to even ascertain the natural biodiversity that used to occur in this ecoregion.
Location and General Description
This ecoregion comprises the freshwater swamp forests along the lower Red River in northern Vietnam.
Swamp forest occurs inland of the mangroves in freshwater conditions. Freshwater swamp forest occurs on permanently or seasonally flooded mineral soils, often in zones up to 5 kilometers (km) wide, along rivers or around freshwater lakes. The original vegetation in these freshwater swamp forests may have been Melaleuca-dominated. This ecoregion used to provide habitat for several endangered species of mammals and birds.
Biodiversity Features
Freshwater swamps support a wide variety of plant species, many limited to this specialized habitat, and they support a great diversity of freshwater fish, birds, and mammals. There are no endemic birds or mammals in this ecoregion.
Current Status
This freshwater swamp forest ecoregion along the lower Red River in northern Vietnam has been almost totally cleared of its original habitat. There are no protected areas in this ecoregion, and little freshwater swamp forest remains.
Types and Severity of Threats
Most of these forests have been converted for agricultural use and settlements.
Additional information on this ecoregion
Further Reading
- References for this ecoregion are currently consolidated in one document for the entire Indo-Pacific realm: Indo-Pacific Reference List
|
Disclaimer:
This article is taken wholly from, or contains information that was originally published by, the World Wildlife Fund. Topic editors and authors for the Encyclopedia of Earth may have edited its content or added new information. The use of information from the World Wildlife Fund should not be construed as support for or endorsement by that organization for any new information added by EoE personnel, or for any editing of the original content.
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