DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.63.174035

Authors: Duong Thuy Thi Le, Thinh Gia Tran, Anh Phuong Tran Do, Hung Manh Pham

Abstract: Ophryophryne gerti, an endangered toad endemic to the Langbian Plateau, Vietnam, has been known only from a restricted range in Bidoup Nui Ba and Chu Yang Sin National Parks. The conservation and sustainability of the species require knowledge of its true distribution, life history, and genetic diversity. During field surveys from July 2022 to September 2023 on the Di Linh Plateau, the southernmost extent of the Truong Son Range, adult and tadpole specimens of O. gerti were collected. A 940 bp fragment of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA–16S rRNA region was sequenced for phylogenetic and population genetic analyses. Our findings extend the species’ known range approximately 66 km southward, documenting its presence at lower elevations (500–2000 m). Tadpoles of O. gerti are characterized by an oval, depressed body; dorsolateral eyes; sinistral spiracle; pointed tail tip; and keratodont-free oral disc with serrated jaw sheaths. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed that the newly collected Di Linh specimens belong to O. gerti, which is closely related to O. synoria. Ten haplotypes were detected across populations, with Di Linh showing higher haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.993) but slightly lower nucleotide diversity (π = 0.00465) than Bidoup–Chu Yang Sin (Hd = 0.791; π = 0.00485). Both genetic indices and neutrality tests revealed that populations of this species are threatened in the wild, including Di Linh and well-protected areas such as Bidoup–Nui Ba and Chu Yang Sin National Parks. The Di Linh populations carried excess rare variation or low-frequency polymorphisms due to habitat fragmentation. These results highlight the Di Linh Plateau as an important conservation unit for O. gerti and emphasize the need to protect fragmented forest habitats to preserve the species’ genetic diversity and adaptive potential.

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DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.55.114746

Authors: Minh Duc Le, Dennis Rödder, Tao Thien Nguyen, Cuong The Pham, Truong Quang Nguyen, An Vinh Ong, Timothy E. M. McCormack, Thang Tai Nguyen, Mai Huyen Le, Hanh Thi Ngo, Thomas Ziegler

Abstract: The Spotted Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus variegatus) has been recognised since 2019 from Vietnam and Hainan Island, China, but little information about its population status and distribution range is currently available. The species has been provisionally listed as Critically Endangered by the Turtle and Tortoise Working Group, although the status has not been officially accepted by the IUCN, due to the threats the species is facing, including habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation for food, competition with other non-native softshell turtles and pollution. To identify conservation priority sites for P. variegatus in mainland Indochina, this study combines molecular analyses and species distribution modelling. Our results show that, in Vietnam, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park has the largest suitable area and high probability of species occurrence, followed by Vu Quang National Park and Song Thanh and Ke Go Nature Reserves. In addition, the central provinces, from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien Hue in Vietnam, constitute a key part of the species distribution and should be prioritised for conservation actions. According to the study’s findings, although P. variegatus is possibly found in Laos, the probability decreases sharply at the border between both countries and there is also a gap in the occurrence of wetlands, arguing for strong natural barriers. Unfortunately, to date, only part of the species potential distribution is protected, while no records are known from protected areas, highlighting the need for extended or even new reserves. To recover natural populations of the species and following the IUCN’s One Plan Approach to Conservation, breeding programmes have been established in Vietnam with a potential to expand to other facilities in the country and abroad. Once suitable sites are identified, offspring can be released into the protected areas to improve the current conservation status of this highly-threatened softshell turtle.

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DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.49.82145

Authors: Marie Krzikowski, Truong Q. Nguyen, Cuong T. Pham, Dennis Rödder, Anna Rauhaus, Minh D. Le, Thomas Ziegler

Abstract: The current decline in global biodiversity is most evident in amphibians with 41% percent of all species worldwide classified as threatened with extinction. Hence, a major challenge in amphibian conservation is the high number of threatened species, leading to a common approach of identifying priority species and regions for conservation efforts. As a part of one of 36 globally designated biodiversity hotspots, Vietnam is considered to be of particular importance for conservation action. To improve amphibian conservation in Vietnam, this study provides an updated species list and assesses their threat status by compiling data from a variety of sources. Furthermore, a Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) analysis was conducted to determine the representation of extant amphibians from Vietnam in zoos worldwide. The batrachofauna of Vietnam is characterized by a high level of species richness and local endemism as well as a high rate of new discoveries, with more than half of the endemic species reported exclusively from their type locality, making them especially vulnerable to extinction. Up to 18% of all amphibians extant in Vietnam and 28% of endemic species are classified as threatened with extinction by the IUCN. In many cases, the IUCN Red List status is either missing or outdated, highlighting the urgent need of action. Around 14% of endemic amphibian species have been recorded exclusively from unprotected areas, suggesting prioritization for further research and conservation measures. The continuing decline in many species remains an unresolved problem. As a guide for future research and conservation measures, a list of the top 57 species was compiled. In addition, according to the ZIMS analysis, only 8% of threatened and 3% of endemic amphibian taxa from Vietnam are currently kept in zoos worldwide, and a richness analysis revealed that the highest density of husbandries is found in Europe and North America. To achieve maximum outcome for the conservation of threatened species, this study recommends a general shift by zoos towards maintaining species in greater need of captive assurance populations and breeding programs to support integrative strategies that combine in situ and ex situ conservation efforts following the IUCN’s One Plan Approach.

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DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.41.54661

Authors: Minh Duc Le, Timothy E.M. McCormack, Ha Van Hoang, Ha Thuy Duong, Truong Quang Nguyen, Thomas Ziegler, Hanh Duc Nguyen, Hanh Thi Ngo

Abstract: Wildlife trade has been considered one of the largest threats to biodiversity in Southeast Asia. Many vertebrates, such as pangolins, elephants and turtles have been heavily hunted as a result of high demand from emerging markets in China and other countries in the region. In Vietnam, over-exploitation of turtles over several decades to supply the international trade has extirpated numerous populations and driven several species to the brink of extinction. To reverse this trend, conservation measures, such as re-introduction of confiscated or captive-bred animals to their native habitats, should be implemented to recover severely declined local populations. For species with a complex phylogeographic structure, however, it is crucial to understand geographic patterns of genetically-distinct populations to avoid releasing animals of unknown origin to wrong localities. In this study, we investigate the phylogeographic pattern of the Four-eyed Turtle (Sacalia quadriocellata), a widely traded species, which occurs in southern China, northern and central Laos and much of Vietnam, using samples with known localities and those collected from the local trade. Our range-wide phylogenetic and network study, based on the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, recovered at least three major clades and seven subclades within the species range. Amongst these, two subclades, one from northern Annamites, Vietnam and the other from north-eastern Laos, are newly discovered. The fine scale phylogeographic analysis helped us to assign misidentified sequences from GenBank and those from confiscated animals with unknown origin to well-defined geographic populations. The results highlight the importance of incorporating samples collected from the local trade and the wild in genetic analyses to support both ex-situ and in-situ conservation programmes of highly-threatened species in accordance with the IUCN’s One Plan Approach.

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DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.39.29551

Authors: Nguyen Minh Quang, Joop de Wit

Abstract: This paper aims to understand how T-learning helps communities achieve better sustainability outcomes. On the basis of an intensive literature review and field research conducted in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, the paper proposes a substantial linkage between T-learning and sustainability. It first outlines the environmental changes in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, which appear to serve as “disorienting dilemmas” that force local people to learn and gradually shift their farming practices to align with a climate-resilient development. The paper relies on the outcomes of household surveys, field observations and focus group discussions to explore the impacts of T-learning on building adaptive capacity and sustainability transition in two community-based projects in Can Tho City and Ca Mau province in the Mekong Delta. Our findings reveal that T-learning enables experts and practitioners to introduce new ideas and accordingly mobilize local people to make changes without inciting doubt, dismay or concern. In an ideal T-learning approach, small-scale farmers learn from being under the supervision of experts in “field-based schools” that offer real-life experience and encourage learners to shift their livelihoods to eco-friendly agricultural practices. The paper sheds new light on how a critical approach to education for sustainable development through T-learning can be, under specific conditions, one strategy. It concludes that T-learning should be acknowledged as a potentially important part of the broader approach to climate-resilient development in vulnerable grassroots communities.

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DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.32.30753

Authors: Le Thanh An, Janusz Markowski, Maciej Bartos, Agnieszka Rzenca, Piotr Namiecinski

Abstract: National parks are increasingly recognized as playing an important role in the development of nature-based tourism destinations that promote effective management of natural resources and socioeconomic development. The paper was designed to evaluate the tourism attractiveness and performance of national parks in Vietnam. The tourism performance of 30 Vietnamese national parks was evaluated using multiple criteria decision analysis with the stochastic multicriteria acceptability analysis (SMAA) and preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE) method; thirteen national park attributes were used to determine tourism attractiveness, measured by an exponential weighted acceptability index. It was found that the Phong Nha – Ke Bang, Cuc Phuong, and Ba Be National Parks were most attractive for more than 95% of all possible preference structures. In addition, 12 non-dominated national parks were identified, and for an average supporter of most non-dominated protected areas, the trail criterion appears to be the most important. A statistically significant correlation was found between tourism attractiveness and the number of tourists who visited national parks. Our findings offer potentially useful information for decision makers in developing effective tourism marketing and management strategies for national parks in Vietnam.

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DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.31.28145

Authors: Hai Ngoc Ngo, Truong Quang Nguyen, Tan Van Nguyen, Mona van Schingen, Thomas Ziegler

Abstract: The Psychedelic Rock Gecko, Cnemaspis psychedelica, was described in 2010 and certainly belongs to the most spectacular gecko discoveries worldwide. The species is endemic to two small offshore islands in Rach Gia Bay. Its striking colour pattern makes the species highly attractive for the international pet market. The existent Cnemaspis population is negatively affected by habitat degradation and predation by introduced macaques. We herein provide the first characterisation of microhabitat selection of this species, including seasonal variation on Hon Khoai and Hon Tuong islands, Ca Mau Province, Vietnam. We found that characteristics of the selected microhabitat, such as substrate type, temperature and canopy cover slightly differed between the wet and dry seasons. We also demonstrated age-related differences in the selection of perch heights. Communal nesting was, for the first time, reported for C. psychedelica, as well as natural predation by a snake species (Lycodon capucinus). In addition, we documented ongoing habitat destruction on Hon Khoai Island and recorded illegal trade of live Psychedelic Rock Geckos for the first time on local pet markets in both northern and southern Vietnam. Our findings highlight the need for improved conservation measures in order to reduce anthropogenic impacts on wild populations of C. psychedelica.

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DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.26.21818

Authors: Truong Quang Nguyen, Hai Ngoc Ngo, Cuong The Pham, Hoang Nguyen Van, Chung Dac Ngo, Mona van Schingen, Thomas Ziegler

Abstract: The Asian Water Dragon, Physignathus cocincinus Cuvier, 1829, was originally described from southern Vietnam. Wild populations of this species are strongly affected by harvesting, particularly in central Vietnam, while potential negative impacts are not yet foreseeable. This study provides the first population size estimation using a capture-recapture approach and an evaluation of threats to and trade levels in P. cocincinus in Thua Thien Hue Province, central Vietnam. Field surveys were conducted at 14 sites of known occurrences of the species in Thua Thien Hue during April and June of 2016 and 2017. The estimated population size of the species amongst these sites ranged from 232 to 250 individuals. The mean abundance varied from 1.98–2.64 individuals/100 m along inhabited streams. This study revealed harvest activities for local food consumption and to supply the pet trade. Accordingly, imports of several thousand living individuals per year from Vietnam into the EU were documented. It was further demonstrated that the level of negative impacts on different sub-populations is in accordance with respective abundances and the incidence of adults. This finding indicates that rising harvest levels in concert with decreasing habitat quality, might seriously affect the wild population of P. cocincinus in the future. Thus, the authors herein emphasise the necessity for increased conservation measures and for monitoring of the species as well as its natural habitat in order to warrant a sustainable use of the species in the future.

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DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.25.19973

Authors: Le Thanh An, Janusz Markowski, Maciej Bartos

Abstract: The national parks in Vietnam are protected areas in the national system of special-use forests created to protect natural resources and biodiversity. In order to improve the effectiveness of management of national parks, the study assesses some current aspects of conservation and management of natural resources with respect to management plans, financial sources, staff, cooperative activities, causes of limited management capacity and threats to natural resources. Out of the total of 30 national parks, six are under the responsibility of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) and 24 national parks are managed by provincial authorities. It was found that most of the national parks have updated their management plans. Financial sources of funding for national parks mainly originated from the central and provincial budgets, with an average of 51% and 76% respectively. Fifty percent of national parks spent 40–60% of their total funding on conservation activities. About 85% of national parks’ staff had academic degrees, typically in the fields of forestry, agriculture and fisheries. Biodiversity conservation was considered a priority cooperative action in national parks with scientific institutes. Major causes of a limited management capacity of national parks included human population growth and pressure associated with resources use, lack of funding, limited human and institutional capacity and land use conflict/land grab. Illegal hunting, trapping, poaching and fishing, the illegal wildlife trade, illegal logging and firewood collecting appeared to be the most serious threats to the conservation and management of natural resources. In addition to these results, significant differences were found between the VNFOREST and provincial parks in terms of financial sources, staff and the threat of illegal logging and firewood collecting. The authors’ findings offer useful information for national park planners and managers, as well as policy makers and researchers in seeking solutions for the sustainable management of natural resources in national parks.

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