Satellite view of the Red River Valley, Vietnam Photograph by USGS   Southeastern Asia: Vietnam Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   4,200 square miles (10,800 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of Delaware Critical/Endangered

· Disappearing Swamplands
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
More Photos

Disappearing Swamplands

Thick swamps once stretched as far as the eye could see along the plains of the Red River. The diversity of wildlife and plant life was outstanding. Today, however, this habitat has been devastated--almost all the forests and their wildlife replaced by human development.

Special Features

Inland of the mangroves, this ecoregion’s freshwater rivers and lakes are dominated by swamp forests, which grow in flooded or semi-flooded conditions. Melaleuca trees probably once dominated these forests, but there are so few bits of forest left that it is hard to know for sure.

	The leaves and stems of Melaleuca trees produce essential oils that have been used in medicines, soap, and insect repellent.

Wild Side

In addition to once sustaining a wide variety of plants, this specialized habitat also once supported a great diversity of fish, birds, and mammals. Without efforts to restore habitat, many of the species that have survived until today may find it hard to hang on in the future. Several swinging primates include the pygmy loris and Francois’ leaf monkey. The Owston palm civet, which looks similar to a cat, enjoys refreshing palm juice. Chinese pangolins, scaly mammals that love to eat ants, can also be found in this ecoregion. In Malayan, pangolin means "roll over" and refers to this animal’s habit of rolling into a ball when threatened.

Cause for Concern

This ecoregion has been almost totally cleared of its original habitat to make way for agricultural use and settlements. No areas of this ecoregion are currently protected.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.