Red River Delta Biosphere Reserve
| Red River Delta Biosphere Reserve | |
|---|---|
Red River Delta
|
|
 |
|
| Location | Red River Delta, Vietnam |
| Coordinates | 20°28′12″N 107°0′0″E / 20.47000°N 107.00000°ECoordinates: 20°28′12″N 107°0′0″E / 20.47000°N 107.00000°E |
| Area | 137,261 hectares (529.97 sq mi) |
| Established | 2004 |
The Red River Delta Biosphere Reserve (established 2004) is a UNESCO biosphere reserve in the coastal region of northern Vietnam. Mangroves and intertidal habitats of the Red River Delta form wetlands of high biodiversity especially in the Xuan Thuy and Tien Hai districts. These wetlands are of global importance as migratory sites for several bird species.
The reserve's surface area (terrestrial and marine) is 137,261 hectares (529.97 sq mi). The core area is 14,842 hectares (57.31 sq mi), of which 6,278 hectares (24.24 sq mi) is terrestrial and 8,564 hectares (33.07 sq mi) is marine, surrounded by buffer zone(s) of 36,951 hectares (142.67 sq mi) (18,457 hectares (71.26 sq mi) terrestrial, 18,494 hectares (71.41 sq mi) marine) and transition area(s) of 85,468 hectares (329.99 sq mi) (35,447 hectares (136.86 sq mi) terrestrial, 50,021 hectares (193.13 sq mi) marine).
The Red River basin is shared by China, Laos and Vietnam. The main Red River is approximately 1,140 kilometres (710 mi) in length and covers over 500 kilometres (310 mi) in Vietnam. The coastal areas of the Red River Delta support a complex system of natural, semi-natural and agricultural vegetation types. The natural vegetation consists mainly of salt tolerant species and plant communities, including mangrove, salt marsh and dune vegetation.
The mangrove ecosystem comprises the mangrove forest and the adjacent intertidal area, which represent a transitional zone between the marine and terrestrial environments. There are 26 mangrove species found in the coastal zones of which the most dominant are Kandelia candel and Sonneratia caseolaris.
During spring and autumn migrations, huge numbers of birds stop on route from their breeding grounds in northern Asia to their wintering sites in the Indo-Malaysian and Australian regions. A total of 78 species of water birds have been recorded in the Red River Delta including 38 species of shorebirds. Eleven of these birds fall under the category of threatened or near-threatened species, including spoonbill sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea), black-headed ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus) and Japanese paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone atrocaudata).
...
Wikipedia