Ta Dung National Park located at administrative boundary of Dak Som village – Dak G’long district – Dak Nong, 50 km far away from center of Gia Nghia town to the northeast.
Total natural area of Ta Dung National Park is 20,937.7 ha. Area of sub-region of Ta Dung National Park is 24,582.91 ha, on the land of 7 villages that border with this park, belongs to Dak Nong and Lam Dong provinces.
Ta Dung has huge vegetation, with cover level that reaches to 85 percentage of core area of the Reserve, includes primitive forest of 48 percent, secondary forest of 36 percent. Comparing to cover level of Viet Nam forest (33.6 percent) and primitive forest of country (10 percent), this area has a high cover level with diversity of ecosystem and habitat that is suitable for residence, growth and development of diverse fauna.
On ecological diversity, National Park includes:
- Broadleaf evergreen natural forestry ecosystem;
- Broadleaf half drop natural forestry ecosystem;
- Coniferous natural forestry ecosystem;
- Natural bamboo forestry;
- Natural bamboo mixed forestry;
Amongst them, broadleaf evergreen natural forestry ecosystem is major with area of 8,416.2 ha, accounts for 44.6 percentage of national park area.
Diversity of flora
According to investigation result of Center of Biodiversity and Development – Institute of Tropical Biology in 2011 and Vietnam National University of Forestry in 2012 addressed 1,406 vascular plants belongs to 760 genera and 192 families of 06 different vegetation branches in Ta Dung National Park. Angiosperm is the most popular (1,251 species), followed by ferns and gymnosperms.
In 1406 plant species at Ta Dung Natural Park, 89 species would be extinction, accounts for 6.3 percent. Amongst them, 69 species are written in Vietnam Red Book (2007); 27
species are named in IUCN Red List and 14 species are in Decree No. 32/2006/NĐ-CP of Government dated 30 March 2006. At global, 05 species are critically endangered (CR), 02 species are endangered (EN) and 04 species are vulnerable (VU). At national level, 28 species are endangered and 14 species are vulnerable.
Compared to some national parks and natural reserves in the northern mountainous region, it addressed the diversity of species composition in Ta Dung Natural Park.
Diversity of fauna
According to research result, Ta Dung Natural Reserve has 574 animal species belongs to 38 sets and 124 families.
The Beast: The investigation result at Ta Dung Natural Reserve showed that 37 of 88 beast species are rare and precious that need to be protected, accounting for almost half of number of beast in Ta Dung. Including:
- The number in Vietnam Red Book (2007) is 34 species that includes 02 species at critically endangered level (CR), 15 species at endangered level (EN), 15 species ar vulnerable level (VU) and 02 species ar lower risk (LR,nt).
- The number in IUCN Red List (2012) is 37 species that includes 06 species at endangered level (EN), 12 species at vulnerable level (VU), 07 speceis at nearly threatened level (LR,nt), 11 species at less concerned level (LR, lc) and 01 species at data deficient (DD).
In rare and precious species, Ta Dung has 03 endemic beast species for Vietnam: Central Silvered Langur (Trachypithecus magarita), orange-cheecked gibbon (Hylobates gabriellar), Black Shanked Douc Langur (Pygathrix nigripes). Especially, Ta Dung is one of three protected areas of Vietnam, which has gold deer or marshy deer (Axis porcinus), an endemic species of Indochina and Thailand. They are becoming extinction due to decreased habitat and being hunted.
The Bird: In list of 202 bird, 16 species are in Vietnam Red Book (2007) and IUCN Red List, 2012. Bird species of Ta Dung characterizes for the Bird of Central Highlands and the South Central, typically: Lophura nycthemera annamensis, Germain’s Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron germaini), the endemic laughingthrush with limited distribution region: Black-hooded laughingthrush (Garrulax millet), Garrulax merulinus annamensis and Jabouileis danjoui.
There are 05 endemic species of Vietnam includes Germain’s Peacock Pheasant
(Polyplectron germaini), Lophura nycthemera annamensis, Black-hooded laughingthrush (Garrulax millet), Garrulax annamensis, Jabouileia danjoui and other interested endemic species in the world. The endemic ones are rare and precious species and most of them are threatened at different level. (Dang Huy Huynh et.al, 1998)
The Reptile, Frog: The first result found 87 species, amongst them: 49 reptiles, 38 frogs. There are 05 species in addition of list of reptile and frog of Central Highlands (Nguyen Van Sang and Ho Thu Cuc, 1982) that include 02 reptiles: Elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongate) and Mamouria impressa) and 03 frogs: long-leg toad (Megophrys longipes), M.major and Rana toumanoffi.
The 16 of 87 species are written in Vietnam Red Book (2007) 06 species named in IUCN Red List, 2012 and 01 endemic species of Vietnam: Bronchocale vetnamensis.
The Insect has 153 species belongs to 09 families, 01 set; 04 species are in Vietnam Red Book. Therein, there are many beautiful butterflies. Especially, butterfly Lamproptera is
newly added into Vietnam Red Book and butterfly Papilio paris is only in this region, in the belt at 700m elevation and near the spring.
The earthworm has 19 species, mainly distributed in the forest. It is one of the feature that make soil in the forest more porous than bare-land.
Diversity of gene
Forest plants: There are 232 endemic species of Vietnam and Indochina. In 1406 species, 1177 species are identified for different values. Thus, this flora is typical for both the north and south regions.
Forest animals: 09 identified species are endemic of Vietnam. Amongst them, there are 03 species of the Beast: Silvered Langur (Trachypithecus margarita), Black Shanked Douc Langur (Pygathrix nigripes) and Gibbon Nomascus gabriellea. There are 05 species of the Bird: Germain’s Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron germaini), Lophura nycthemera annamensis, Black-hoode laughingthrush (Garrulax millet), Garrulax annamensis and Jabouileia danjoui. There is 01 species of the Reptile (Bronchocela vetnamensis) and some species of bird, reptile, frog at limited distribution, are interested by the world.