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Tree diversity and species composition of tropical dry forests in Vietnam's Central Highlands Region

Nguyen Thanh Tuan
Nguyen Thanh Tuan
, 
Tran Quang Bao
Tran Quang Bao
, 
Diego I. Rodríguez-Hernández
Diego I. Rodríguez-Hernández
 and 
Ilaria Gliottone
Ilaria Gliottone
   | Jun 04, 2022
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Article Category: Research paper
Published Online: Jun 04, 2022
Page range: 80 - 103
Received: Oct 20, 2021
Accepted: Dec 23, 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fsmu-2021-0013
Keywords
© 2021 Nguyen Thanh Tuan et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Figure 1

Geographic location of the study area. The upper left panel shows the location of Vietnam's Central Highlands Region (pink colour); the lower left panel shows the location of the study area (light green colour) and the right panel shows the vegetation cover of tropical dry dipterocarp forests (fluorescent green colour) and the distribution of sampled plots for the four different dry forest (DF) types.
Geographic location of the study area. The upper left panel shows the location of Vietnam's Central Highlands Region (pink colour); the lower left panel shows the location of the study area (light green colour) and the right panel shows the vegetation cover of tropical dry dipterocarp forests (fluorescent green colour) and the distribution of sampled plots for the four different dry forest (DF) types.

Figure 2

Tree species-area curve between species richness and the 103 main plots that were sampled within a total of 10.3 ha of natural forest in Vietnam's Central Highlands Region.
Tree species-area curve between species richness and the 103 main plots that were sampled within a total of 10.3 ha of natural forest in Vietnam's Central Highlands Region.

Figure 3

Species richness (number of species per plot); stem density (number of individual stems per plot); family richness (number of families per plot); basal area (sum of basal area per plot); mean diameter (mean diameter per plot); mean height (mean height per plot) for the four dry forest (DF) types studied.
Species richness (number of species per plot); stem density (number of individual stems per plot); family richness (number of families per plot); basal area (sum of basal area per plot); mean diameter (mean diameter per plot); mean height (mean height per plot) for the four dry forest (DF) types studied.

Figure 4

Relationship between species relative importance and species rank in abundance for the top 5 tree species recorded in the four dry forest (DF) types studied.
Relationship between species relative importance and species rank in abundance for the top 5 tree species recorded in the four dry forest (DF) types studied.

Figure 5

Top ten tree species and their contribution based on their importance value index (IVI), in terms of relative basal area (RBA), relative density (RD) and relative frequency (RF) for the four dry forest (DF) types studied in Vietnam's Central Highlands Region.
Top ten tree species and their contribution based on their importance value index (IVI), in terms of relative basal area (RBA), relative density (RD) and relative frequency (RF) for the four dry forest (DF) types studied in Vietnam's Central Highlands Region.

Figure 6

Frequency (%) of trees according to different DBH classes for the four dry forest (DF) types studied. Notes: DFR: rich dry forest; DFM: medium dry forest; DFP: poor dry forest; DFV: very poor dry forest.
Frequency (%) of trees according to different DBH classes for the four dry forest (DF) types studied. Notes: DFR: rich dry forest; DFM: medium dry forest; DFP: poor dry forest; DFV: very poor dry forest.

Figure 7

Regeneration status for the top 10 tree species recorded in the four dry forest (DF) types studied. Notes: DFR: rich dry forest; DFM: medium dry forest; DFP: poor dry forest; DFV: very poor dry forest.
Regeneration status for the top 10 tree species recorded in the four dry forest (DF) types studied. Notes: DFR: rich dry forest; DFM: medium dry forest; DFP: poor dry forest; DFV: very poor dry forest.

Similarity Index (J’) matrix between four dry forest (DF) types in Vietnam's Central Highlands Region.

Forest types DFR DFM DFP DFV
DFR 45.76% 43.10% 36.11%
DFM 59.09% 53.85%
DFP 58.11%
DFV

Structure, composition, and diversity of tree species in tropical dry forests of the present and previous studies.

ID Study area Sampled area (ha) Minimal DBH (cm) Number of species Number of families Stand density Stand basal area Shannon-Weiner Simpson Evenness Margalef's Seedling (individuals / ha) Sapling (individuals / ha)
1 Dadeldhura district, Western Nepal (Bhatta & Devkota, 2020) 1.05 >5 42 20 3162.9±194.3 13.77±0.88 15905±927.3 1876.2±143.4
2 3 provinces from Central Highlands of Vietnam (Do et al., 2017) 6.00 >10 157 622 2.06 0.80
3 Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand (Wanthongchai et al., 2014) 0.75 >4.5 54 667–1558 12.9–23.6 13000–40000 573–4570
4 Fasiakhali Wildlife Sanctuary, Bangladesh (Das et al., 2018) 3.2 >11 32 19 249 46.17 2.05 0.75
5 Eastern Ghats, Southern India (Gopalakrishna et al., 2015) 7.9 >10 128 45 994 5.1±3.6 1.1–3.5 0.4–1.0 0.5–0.9
6 The North-Western Coast of Costa Rica (Hilje et al., 2015) 0.9 >5 96 41
7 YokDon National Park, Vietnam (Nguyen & Baker, 2016) 2.8 >1 38 1229 ±523 19.12 ±5.89 13383
8 The Minas Gerais, Brazil (Calvo-Rodriguez et al., 2017) 1.8 >5 59 19 510–1091 3.13–25.34 0.9–1.3
9 Central America (Gillespie et al., 2000) 0.7 >2.5 204 58 1350–2650 17.7–25
10 Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica (Hubbell, 1979) 13.44 >2 135
11 Sri Lanka (Karthigesu et al., 2019) 0.12 >5 446–1500 11.4–44.8 0.6–0.9 694–3400 773–4475
12 The North West Region of Cameroon (Sainge et al., 2020) 12.3 >10 178 42 157–404 6.8–32.4 2.7–3.5
13 Michoacán, Mexico (Méndez-Toribio et al., 2014) 0.36 >1 78 24 700–5600 9–44 0.41–3.5 0.04–0.71
14 Bandipur, South India (Suresh et al., 2016) >1 66 2.46 0.81
15 The Accra Plains in South-East Ghana (Swaine et al., 1990) 0.49 >10 16 1332
16 Northern Sri Lanka (Thirukkumaran et al., 2017) 0.12 >5 32 18 446 1.54–2.29 0.86–0.94
17 Vindhyan Highlands, India (Chaturvedi & Raghubanshi, 2014) 20 >10 52 126–490 3.1–18 1.5–2.5 1.7–3.7 5040–14167 540–1383
18 Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil (Coelho et al., 2012) 0.3 >5 50 21 1076–1226 17.8–29.3 1.52–2.58 0.48–0.64

Nationally rare and IUCN red list of threatened species recorded in four different dry forest (DF) types of Vietnam's Central Highlands.

Species name IUCN DFR DFM DFP DFV
Dalbergia oliveri Gamble ex Prain EN - - - 1
Hopea recopei Pierre ex Laness EN - 1 - -
Dipterocarpus intricatus Dyer EN - - - 1
Pterocarpus macrocarpus Kurz. EN - 1 3 12
Dalbergia bariensis Pierre EN 5 2 21 41
Sindora siamensis Teysm. LR - 1 - -
Dipterocarpus tuberculatus Roxb. NT 8 157 250 376
Dipterocarpus obtusifolius Teijsm. NT 7 158 242 323
Shorea obtusa Wall. NT - 15 15 37
Vitex ajugaeflora Dop VU - 2 1 33
Dalbergia tonkinensis Prain VU - - - 1
Parashorea stellata Kurz VU - 1 - -
Dipterocarpus alatus Roxb. VU - 24 1 5
Hopea odorata Roxb. VU - - - 2
Shorea roxburghii G. Don VU 26 85 309 448

List of species richness found in four different dry forest (DF) types of Vietnam's Central Highlands. Tree species are ranked from the highest to the lowest based on their importance value index (IVI).

DFR DFM DFP DFV
No Species IVI No Species IVI No Species IVI No Species IVI
1 Shorea siamensis 52.1 1 Dipterocarpus tuberculatus 37.8 1 Shorea obtusa 52.2 1 Shorea obtusa 40.8
2 Shorea obtusa 42.8 2 Dipterocarpus obtusifolius 37.4 2 Dipterocarpus tuberculatus 41.6 2 Dipterocarpus tuberculatus 37.8
3 Xylia xylocarpa 35.6 3 Shorea obtusa 36.3 3 Dipterocarpus obtusifolius 40.9 3 Dipterocarpus obtusifolius 32.7
4 Terminalia alata 32.6 4 Xylia xylocarpa 19.1 4 Terminalia alata 22.6 4 Shorea siamensis 23.1
5 Dillenia sp. 15.2 5 Shorea siamensis 18.1 5 Terminalia chebula 17.8 5 Aporosa villosa 14.8
6 Dipterocarpus tuberculatus 13.1 6 Terminalia alata 15.6 6 Shorea siamensis 14.1 6 Xylia xylocarpa 13.8
7 Aporosa villosa 11.6 7 Aporosa villosa 11.2 7 Aporosa villosa 12.1 7 Terminalia alata 11.5
8 Dipterocarpus obtusifolius 8.6 8 Dipterocarpus alatus 10.2 8 Xylia xylocarpa 10.1 8 Terminalia chebula 10.2
9 Elaeocarpus hygrophilus 7.3 9 Irvingia malayana 8.8 9 Dillenia sp. 6.8 9 Morinda citrifolia 9.9
10 Syzygium cumini 6.3 10 Dillenia sp. 7.4 10 Neonauclea purpurea 6.1 10 Dalbergia bariensis 6.8
11 Dalbergia bariensis 6.3 11 Terminalia chebula 7.1 11 Dalbergia bariensis 5.8 11 Albizia lebbeck 6.3
12 Haldina cordiflora 5.3 12 Lagerstroemia calyculata 6.6 12 Strychnos nux–blanda 5.1 12 Dillenia sp. 5.9
13 Cratoxylon formosum 4.9 13 Lagerstroemia speciosa 6.5 13 Shorea roxburghii 4.3 13 Shorea roxburghii 5.6
14 Barringtonia acutangula 4.8 14 Terminalia corticosa 5.6 14 Morinda citrifolia 4.3 14 Syzygium cumini 4.6
15 Lagerstroemia speciosa 4.6 15 Shorea roxburghii 5.6 15 Lagerstroemia calyculata 3.5 15 Neonauclea purpurea 4.5
16 Schrebera swietenioides 4.5 16 Morinda citrifolia 5.0 16 Spondias pinnata 3.4 16 Lannea coromandelica 4.2
17 Neonauclea purpurea 4.1 17 Melia azedarach 4.2 17 Barringtonia acutangula 3.3 17 Cratoxylon formosum 4.1
18 Terminalia corticosa 3.5 18 Syzygium cumini 4.1 18 Cratoxylon formosum 2.9 18 Vitex ajugaeflora 4.0
19 Lagerstroemia calyculata 3.3 19 Spondias pinnata 3.9 19 Bombax ceiba 2.9 19 Barringtonia acutangula 3.9
20 Peristrophe bivalvis 3.3 20 Elaeocarpus hygrophilus 3.9 20 Semecarpus sp. 2.8 20 Strychnos nux–blanda 3.2
21 Shorea roxburghii 3.2 21 Cratoxylon formosum 3.4 21 Bauhinia malabarica 2.3 21 Melanorrhoea laccifera 3.1
22 Bauhinia malabarica 3.1 22 Neonauclea purpurea 3.4 22 Syzygium cumini 1.9 22 Castanopsis piriformis 3.1
23 Strychnos nux–blanda 3.0 23 Grewia nervosa 2.9 23 Anogeissus acuminata 1.9 23 Semecarpus sp. 2.5
24 Melia azedarach 2.6 24 Millingtonnia hortensis 2.7 24 Terminalia corticosa 1.8 24 Careya aborea 2.4
25 Diospyros maritima 2.5 25 Bombax ceiba 2.6 25 Grewia nervosa 1.8 25 Terminalia corticosa 2.3
26 Morinda citrifolia 2.5 26 Albizia lebbeck 2.5 26 Schrebera swietenioides 1.8 26 Spondias pinnata 2.2
27 Prunus arborea 2.4 27 Strychnos nux–blanda 2.1 27 Azadirachta indica 1.8 27 Pterocarpus macrocarpus 2.1
28 Artocarpus lakoocha 2.3 28 Peristrophe bivalvis 2.0 28 Pterocarpus macrocarpus 1.7 28 Bridelia balansae 1.9
29 Terminalia catappa 2.2 29 Semecarpus sp. 1.8 29 Engelhardtia chrysolepis 1.6 29 Prunus arborea 1.9
30 Castanopsis piriformis 2.1 30 Clausena excavata 1.5 30 Fructus Gleditschia 1.6 30 Grewia nervosa 1.7
31 Peltophorum pterocarpum 2.1 31 Vitex ajugaeflora 1.5 31 Phyllanthus emblica 1.6 31 Peristrophe bivalvis 1.6
32 Briedenia cambodiana 2.0 32 Barringtonia acutangula 1.4 32 Ficus 1.4 32 Bauhinia malabarica 1.5
33 Schrebera swietenioides 1.4 33 Lagerstroemia speciosa 1.4 33 Irvingia malayana 1.5
34 Dalbergia bariensis 1.2 34 Elaeocarpus hygrophilus 1.3 34 Catunaregam tomentosa 1.4
35 Parinari annamense 1.1 35 Albizia lebbeck 1.1 35 Lagerstroemia calyculata 1.4
36 Anogeissus acuminata 0.9 36 Catunaregam tomentosa 1.1 36 Bombax ceiba 1.3
37 Pterocarpus macrocarpus 0.9 37 Millingtonnia hortensis 1.0 37 Canthium horridum 1.3
38 Prunus arborea 0.9 38 Lannea coromandelica 1.0 38 Lagerstroemia speciosa 1.3
39 Parashorea stellata 0.9 39 Prunus arborea 1.0 39 Elaeocarpus hygrophilus 1.2
40 Hopea recopei 0.8 40 Canthium horridum 1.0 40 Anogeissus Acuminata 1.1
41 Engelhardtia roxburghiana 0.8 41 Rhamnus crenatus 0.8 41 Terminalia catappa 1.0
42 Neonauclea sessilifolia 0.8 42 Machilus odoratissima 0.7 42 Phyllanthus emblica 0.9
43 Peltophorum pterocarpum 0.8 43 Diospyros ehretioides 0.6 43 Quercus kerrii 0.9
44 Rhamnus crenatus 0.7 44 Vitex ajugaeflora 0.6 44 Senna siamea 0.9
45 Elaeocacpus macroceras 0.7 45 Briedenia cambodiana 0.6 45 Cratoxylon prunifolium 0.9
46 Stereospermum cylindricum 0.7 46 Buchanania latifolia 0.6 46 Garcinia oblongifolia 0.8
47 Bauhinia malabarica 0.7 47 Dipterocarpus alatus 0.6 47 Terminalia triptera 0.7
48 Machilus odoratissima 0.7 48 Mallotus philippinensis 0.6 48 Wrightia pubescens 0.7
49 Diospyros maritima 0.7 49 Terminalia calamansanai 0.5 49 Stereospermum cylindricum 0.7
50 Knema lenta 0.6 50 Terminalia catappa 0.5 50 Haldina cordiflora 0.6
51 Canarium subulatum 0.6 51 Peristrophe bivalvis 0.5 51 Rhamnus crenatus 0.6
52 Fructus Gleditschia 0.6 52 Polyalthia cerasoides 0.5 52 Parinari annamense 0.6
53 Lannea coromandelica 0.6 53 Terminalia calamansanai 0.6
54 Sindora siamensis 0.6 54 Dipterocarpus alatus 0.5
55 Hopea odorata 0.5
56 Clausena excavata 0.5
57 Azadirachta indica 0.5
58 Ficus superba 0.5
59 Mallotus philippinensis 0.4
60 Millingtonnia hortensis 0.4
61 Schefflera heptaphylla 0.3
62 Litsea cambodiana 0.3
63 Fructus Gleditschia 0.3
64 Dalbergia tonkinensis 0.3
65 Mangifera sp. 0.3
66 Dalbergia oliveri 0.3

Consolidated details of tree diversity in four types of tropical dry dipterocarp forests in Vietnam's Central Highland Region.

Forest types Margalef's Index (R) Shannon-Wiener diversity (H’) Simpson Index (D) Evenness Index (E)
DFR 8.43±1.03a 2.29±0.16a 0.87±0.02a 0.32±0.02a
DFM 5.90 ±1.62b 1.85±0.38b 0.78±0.12b 0.34±0.04a
DFP 5.44±1.80b 1.80±0.32b 0.77±0.08b 0.35±0.07a
DFV 5.88±2.00b 1.81±0.37b 0.76±0.11b 0.34±0.06a
Kruskal-Wallis chi-squared 10.553 10.572 9.9064 1.4935
p-value 0.0144 0.01428 0.01938 0.6838
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