CHARACTERISTICS OF VEGETATION TYPES IN THE COC SAN HYDROPOWER PLANT PROJECT LAO CAI PROVINCE

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1 3 D rendering of Coc San Hydropower Plant Projiect CHARACTERISTICS OF VEGETATION TYPES IN THE COC SAN HYDROPOWER PLANT PROJECT LAO CAI PROVINCE Nguyen ThuyLanChi 1, Nguyen LuuPhuong 2, Grace Yang 3, Pham AnhDuc 1 * 1 Faculty of Environment and Labor Safety Ton DucThang University 2 Department of Botany Southern Institute of Ecology 3 Hong Kong Environment Resources Management * Corresponding author:phamanhduc@tdt.edu.vn ABSTRACT The Coc San Hydropower Plant Project area is located in Trung Chai Commune, Sapa District, Lao Cai Province. This project will add 33 MW of capacity to the region s stressed power grid. There are the Dum River and small streams in this particular area. This study arms to armed to suggest approaches for the terrestrial ecosystem protection. Based on flora surveys and habitat mapping, the characteristics of vegetation types were considered. These results showed that the natural habitats in the Coc San Hydropower Plant Project area have influenced by the impacts of socio-economic activities. 1. INTRODUCTION The Coc San Hydropower Plant Project area is located in Trung Chai Commune, Sapa District, Lao Cai Province. There are Dum River and small streams in this particular area (Fig. 1). This project will add 33 MW of capacity to the region s stressed power grid. The run-of-river project s potential to generate peaking power will further add to the stability of the grid in this part of the country [1]. Besides these benefits, the impacts of the Coc San Hydropower Plant Project on aquatic ecosystems cannot be avoided. The biodiversity of flora in the Studied Area was not high because of narrow terrain, developed area, cultivated land, village... However, there were two species these found in the Vietnam Red Data Book (2007): Cunninghamia lanceolata (VU); the IUCNRedlist of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2010): Cedrela odorata(vu).the finding could be a scientific reference for the selection of effective approaches to minimize the impacts of the Coc San Hydropower Plant Project on the terrestrial ecosystems. Keywords: Coc San Hydropower Plant Project, habitat mapping, vegetation types, terrestrial ecosystems Flora surveys and habitat mapping have been applied to evaluate the status of vegetation types in the Studied Area. Additionally, the finding could be a scientific reference for the selection of effective approaches to minimize the impacts of the Coc San Hydropower Plant Project on the terrestrial ecosystems.the objectiveof the research was to describe the vegetation status inthe Coc San Hydropower Plant Project areaby (i) surveying the vegetationtypes of the Study Area, (ii) building the habitat map, and (iii) determining the important economic and dangerous species of the flora. 18 Khoa học & Ứng dụng

2 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS 2.1. Study area The Coc San Hydropower Plant Project arealocated around of Lao Cai Province, the mountainous region of Vietnam, as shown in Fig 1.The study area is located in Trung Chai Commune, Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province, covering aquatic habitats. The project site is approximately 99.6 km 2. Field surveys of the Study Area were carried out in January 2013 and included flora surveys and habitat mapping. Coc San/ Lao Cai Sapa Proposed Habitat Map boundary 2.2. Habitat mapping Figure 1.Study area. Habitats identified within the Study Area were mapped based on aerial photos (Google Earth) and updated during the field surveys to identify and delineate the distribution of different ecological habitats found within the Study Area. Colour photographs were taken of all habitat types 2.3. Vegetation survey Surveys were undertaken to identify the common and dominant plant species in each habitat type found within the Study Area, as well as to identify the presence of any protected or rare plant species. Representative areas of identified habitats within the Study Area were surveyed on foot. All plant species encountered were identified and surveyed as well as other features or species of ecological importance or conservation value or conservation value encountered [2], [3]. conservation value encountered [2], [3]. their relative abundance recorded in five nominal scales, namely; very common, common, frequent, uncommon, and sparse. The location of plant species of conservation interest was also recorded [4], [5], [6], [7].The assessment of specie relative abundance was presented in Table 1 [2], [3]. Table 1.Specie relative abundance assessment. Code R O C A D Specie abundance Absense Rare Occasional Common Abundant Dominant 2.4. Laboratory Analysis The identification of some plant samples had not been completed in the field, were done in the lab to complete the plant list. And, the habitat mapping was implemented [2], [3]. Khoa học & Ứng dụng 19

3 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 3.1. Habitat mapping A habitat map illustrating the distribution of habitats with the Study Area was shown in Fig Vegetation types General characteristics 192 species of plant species were found in the habitats identified within the Study Area, comprised of over 78 families from 4 divisions (Table 2). The Shrubland and Stream habitats had the most diverse flora (120 and 87 different species respectively). (Table 3) Table 2.Flora taxon in the Study Area. Taxon No. of families No. of species LYCOPODIOPHYTA 2 2 POLYPODIOPHYTA PINOPHYTA 1 1 MAGNOLIOPHYTA Dicotyledonae Monocotyledon TOTAL Table 3.Abundance of flora in each habitat in the Study Area NUMBER OF SPECIES PER HABITAT Abundance Forest plantation Shrublands Agricultrual lands Rare Occasional Common Abundant Dominant TOTAL Rivers and streams 20 Khoa học & Ứng dụng

4 Agricutural lands (No.1 on the Habitat Map) Agricultural lands includedterrace fields, milpas, banana plantations. Terrace fields in the Study Area were located on mounts and hills. Most rice crops were grown on terraced fields-level strips of land cut out of the hillsides in the rainy season, using the rainfall. Rainfall was kept for planting rice. Some wild grasses associated with terrace fields were recorded such as Centella asiatica, Marsile aminuta, Oxalis corniculata, Hedyotis corymbosa, Commelina diffusa, Lindernia antipoda, Lindernia crustacea Milpa agriculture lands in the Study Area were located on mounts and hills, milpa agriculture, weresmall fields, produces maize, beans. They were cleared from the forests and shrublands, cropped for a few seasons, and then abandoned for a fresh clearing. Some wild grasses associated with milpas were recorded, including Eupatorium adenophorum, Osbecki astellata, Melastoma imbricatum, Ageratum conyzoides, Bidens pilosa, Borreria latifolia, Emila sonchifolia, Buddleja asiatica, Solanum incanum, Eupatorium odoratum, Hedychium forrestii Forest plantations of Manglietia glauca (No.2 on the Habitat Map) Manglietia plantations were mainly located on mounts and hills Youngtrees and seedlings of wood tree species also within in the Study Area, dominated by Manglietiatrees (Manglieti this habitat included Litsea cubeba, Mallotus tetracoccus, aglauca). This specieswas the main species used for supplying Alnus nepalensis... wood chip materials for pulp-plants. It was also used by local A layer of wild ferns, grasses, and shrubs were recorded households, and a small amount of the wood from these trees under the canopy. A dominant fern in this layer was was used for woodwork in famers houses (such as columns of Dicranopteris linearis, Pteridium aquilinu, Cyathera house, furniture) and firewood. It was used for replanting forest gigantea. Some dominant shrubs included Buddleja on bare mounts and hills to protect watershed. asiatica, Musa acuminata,osbeckia stellata, Oxyspora Planting density of trees in these areas was approximately paniculata. Dominant grasses included Thysanolaena 2,000 2,500 trees per hectare, and the average survival rate maxima, Eupatorium adenophorum, Eupatorium odoratum, of stands was 50 75%. The average DBH was approximately Arundinella nepalensis, Miscanthus floridulus. Dominant cm (Dmin = 7 cm; Dmax = 20 cm) and the average climbers included Rubus alcaefolius, Pothos. Other species height of stands was approximately m (Hmin = 5.0 also recorded under the canopy such as Schefflera petelotii, m; Hmax = 15 m). Alangium chinensis, Euodia l epta Shrublands(No.3 on the Habitat Map) There were many patches of shrublands in the study area, almost of them located on hillsides in Southern East of the study area. They formed after harvesting the previous forests. They included a layer of shrub trees and some wood trees of the previous forests. Wood trees included Litsea cubeba,mallotus tetracoccus, Macaranga indica, Dunbanga grandiflora, Alnus nepalensis, Alangium chinense, Broussonetia papyrifera,trema angustifolia, Ficus hispida. Shrub trees included: Buddleja asiatica, Psidium gujava,musa acuminata,osbeckia stellata, Melastoma imbricatum, Oxyspora paniculata, Aralia chinensis, Callicarpa macrophylla, Solanum incanum, Bambusa sp Grasses and ferns included Thysanolaena maxima, Eupatorium adenophorum, Eupatorium odoratum, Arundinella nepalensis, Miscanthus floridulus, Dicranopteris linearis, Pteridium aquilinu, Cyathera gigantea. And, liana included Rubus alcaefolius, Dioscorea River and streams (No.4 on the Habitat Map) Dum River runs from Southern West to Northern East Arundinella nepalensis, Miscanthus floridulus through the Study Area. Along these streamswere Additionally, the other habitats did not show on the vegetativecorridors. Flora included species of previous habitat map such as settlements (several local houses, forests such as Bambusa arundinacea, Erianthus almost were located along the National Highway 4D) arundinaceus, Ficus subpyriformis, Ficushispida, and traffic corridors (shading trees, planted along the Polygonum barbatum, Pyrrosia lanceolata, Diplazium National Highway 4D. sp., Musa acuminata, Thysanolaena maxima, 3.3. Important economic species Several plants located within the Study Area had important economic uses, either as wood to chip for paper pulp, burn or build with, or as food sources and medicinal uses. Table 4listed some of the plant species found in the Study Area that had important economic uses. For wood For medicine For fruit For food and Vegetable Manglietia conifer Piper lolot Musa nana Oryza sativa Cedrela odorata Artemisia vulgaris Artocarpus heterophyllus Zea mays Cunninghamia lanceolata Hedychium forrestii Citrus grandis Musa acuminata Choerospondias axillaris Cinnamomum camphora Khoa học & Ứng dụng 21

5 3.4. Endemic, rare, protected and dangerous species In the Study Area, there was one speciesthat listed in the Vietnam Red Book (RDBVN,2007): Cunninghamia lanceolata (VU); it was planted much along the nation highway 4D for shading (Fig. 3a) [8]. And, there was one species that recorded in the IUCNRedlist of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2012): Cedrela odorata(vu),it was also planted much along the nation highway 4D and in the forest plantations (Fig. 3b) [9]. Figure 3.Dangerous species.(a) Cunninghamia lanceolata; (b) Cedrela odorata CONCLUSION Based on the ecological baseline surveys in the Study Area, 192 species of plant species were found in the habitats identified within the Study Area, comprised of over 78 families from 4 divisions. The Shrubland and Stream habitats had the most diverse flora (120 and 87 different species respectively). In the Study Area, there was one speciesthat listed in the Vietnam Red Data Book (RDBVN,2007): Cunninghamia lanceolata (VU); it was planted much along the nation highway 4D for shading. And there was one species that recorded in the IUCNRedlist of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2010): Cedrela odorata (VU),it was also planted much along the nation highway 4D and in the forest plantations. The finding could be a scientific reference for the selection of effective approaches to minimize the impacts of the Coc San Hydropower Plant Project on the terrestrial ecosystems. REFERENCES 1.EVN Begin Construction of Coc San Hydropower Plant Project, EVN, Hanoi, 2010.(Article in Vietnamese) 2.Pham A. D. at al. The Characteristics of Terrestrial and Freshwater Ecosystems in the VungAngThermal Plant Project Area, Ha Tinh Province, Technical Report, Hong Kong Environmental Resources Management (Hong Kong ERM), HCMC, 2009,pp Pham A. D. at al. The Characteristics of Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems in the Mong Duong Thermal Plant Project Area, QuangNinh Province, Technical Report, Hong Kong Environmental Resources Management (Hong Kong ERM), HCMC, 2011,pp Lecomte H. Flore Generale de l Indochine, Paris, 1952, pp Maurand, P. - L Indochine forestiere, Imprimeried Extreme-Orient, Hanoi, 1943, pp Pham H. H. An Illustrated Flora of Vietnam Volume I, II, III, Youth Publishing House, HCMC, 1999.(Article in Vietnamese) 7.Thai V. T. Ecosystems of Tropical Forests in Vietnam, Science and Technics Publishing House, Hanoi, 1998(Article in Vietnamese) 8.Dang N.T., Tran K., Dang H.H., Nguyen C., Nguyen N.T., Nguyen H.Y. and Dang T.D. Vietnam Red Book. Volume I: Animal,Publisher of Science and Technics, Hanoi, 2007, pp.515. (Article in Vietnamese) 9.IUCN. Red List of Threatened Species, The World Conservation Union, Gland, Khoa học & Ứng dụng