Medicinal seedlings in nursery.

The World Wildlife Fund has identified Bach Ma National Park as one of the highest conservation priorities within the Greater Annamite ecoregion. The flora in general and medicinal plants in particular of Central Truong Son (Annamite) Range is extremely diverse. However, the biodiversity of medicinal plants in this area has been declining at a rapid rate due primarily to habitat loss and degradation; especially in natural forests, and unsustainable harvesting for its exclusively high market demand. Thus, improving the conservation of rare and threatened medicinal plants with participation of local communities in the area is a contemporary issue of concern.

Survey the seedlings in nursery.

The primary goal of this project is to conserve the indigenous medicinal plants with high economic value and threatened with extinction through conservation of their natural habitats combined with planting them in the natural forests with participation of local people.

Through this study, we intend:

(i) to protect existing individuals of rare and threatened medicinal plants in their original habitats.

(ii) to increase the population size of these species in nature through rehabilitation.

(iii) to improve public awareness through training courses and establishment of a local threatened-species conservation network.

By using participatory approach, we hope that participants, especially local people will learn by directly implementing the project activities. We together with local communities will identify the solutions to resolve the conservation problems.

For in-situ and ex-situ conservation purposes, cultivation of selected medicinal plants will be carried out in their original habitat and similar habitats by communities. In addition, training courses will increase the capability of rangers, conservationists, researchers, students and local people in propagating, planting, and conserving medicinal plants. In addition, we will facilitate a local network on threatened species conservation so that conservation initiatives will be disseminated broadly. Furthermore, the databases of these species will be documented and identified threats would be reduced. The success of project will be a premise for building up other studies on conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants in the central region of Vietnam.