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Eastern Plains Dry Forest

Eastern Plains Dry Forests

Country: Cambodia and Viet Nam

Provinces/Districts: Mondul Kiri, Kracheh, and Rotank Kiri (Cambodia); Dac Lac, Binh Phouc, and Gia Lai (Viet Nam)

The Eastern Plains Dry Forests biodiversity conservation landscape represents the Central Indochina Dry Forests ecoregion, but also includes smaller extents of the Southeastern Indochina Dry Evergreen Forests ecoregion in the southern part of the landscape. The terrain is largely flat with a few scattered hills and small, seasonal wetlands.

The major protected areas in the landscape include Yok Don National Park, Yok Don extension, and Bu Gia Map in Viet Nam and Snoul Wildlife Sanctuary (WS), Lomphat WS, Phnom Prich WS, and Phnom Nam Lyr WS and the Mondulkiri protected forest in Cambodia. The Mondulkiri Protected Forests link Lomphat, Phnom Prich, Phnom Nam Lyr and the Yok Don complex in Viet Nam.

The landscape supports many large and wide-ranging species, especially the large mammals and birds that are characteristic of the dry forests of Indochina, such as the Asian Elephant, Tiger, Banteng, Gaur, Wild Water Buffalo, and several large birds such as Sarus Crane, Giant Ibis, Lesser Adjutant, Green Peafowl, Long-billed Vulture, White-rumped Vulture, and White-shouldered Ibis.. Many of these species are Globally Threatened landscape species.

Key Conservation Issues and Threats to Biodiversity
Hunting is common and animals are hunted for both subsistence and trade. Immigration into the region is resulting in widespread conversion of the habitat into agriculture. The valuable wetlands are especially vulnerable to conversion into rice cultivation.

Impact of the GMSEC
The R6 road runs parallel to, but outside, the western boundary of the landscape. But Route R9 heads east into Viet Nam through the Lomphat WS, which is an important core protected area in the landscape. The zones of influence of both roads extend deep into the core protected areas complex of the landscape.

Five dams have been planned or proposed within this landscape. Six others are within 10km of the biodiversity conservation landscape. Three of the dams, the Lower Sre Pok 3, Sre Pok, and Ea Tung along the Sre Pok River will have serious impacts on the protected areas complex by inundating important wildlife habitat.