North Central Vietnam Research Articles

A complementary list of bird species for Pu Mat national park, Nghe An province and North central Vietnam

A complementary list of bird species for Pu Mat national park, Nghe An province and North central Vietnam

A new species of Gracixalus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) with a hyperextended vocal repertoire from Vietnam

We describe a new species of small rhacophorid frog from north central Vietnam. Gracixalus quangi sp. nov. is morphologically and genetically most similar to G. gracilipes and G. supercornutus, but is distinguished from these species and all other rhacophorids in Vietnam and adjoining countries by a combination of their small size (males Gracixalus quangi sp. nov. has a non-stereotypical, hyperextended vocal repertoire, with calls highly variable in structure, duration, amplitude and frequency (dominant frequency 4.1–4.7 kHz). Like G. gracilipes and G. supercornutus, G. quangi sp. nov. deposits egg clutches in clumps on leaves overhanging shallow forest pools or puddles. The new species is known from montane evergreen forest in Pu Hoat Proposed Nature Reserve in western Nghe An Province, between ~600–1,300 m elevation. Preliminary molecular (mtDNA) data recovered two strongly supported clades within frogs currently considered to belong to genus Gracixalus, with the new species nested within a monophyletic clade consisting of G. gracilipes, G. supercornutus, and G. quyeti.

Vietnamese Railway Workers during the Revolutionary High Tide

Vietnamese railway workers at the Trường Thi workshops in colonial Vinh, north-central Vietnam did not join the uprisings against French authority that rocked Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh and Quảng Ngãi provinces in 1930 and 1931. Although the railway workers by then shared a common vocational identity and were unified in seeking improvement of workplace concerns, ethnic, sectarian, regional and status differences among them weakened a common political identity. The heterogeneity of railway workers' attitudes towards political alignment at the time encourages a broader re-examination of the attitudes of participants and observers in the Nghệ Tĩnh Soviets overall.

Perxylobates thanhoaensis, a new species of oribatid mite from Vietnam (Acari: Oribatida: Haplozetidae)

ABSTRACT The oribatid mite genus Perxylobates (Acari: Oribatida: Haplozetidae) comprises 14 named species. We describe species Perxylobates thanhoaensis n. sp., based on adult specimens collected in decaying wood debris and the soil surface layer from Ben En National Park, Thanh Hoa Province, North Central Vietnam. A new species is most similar to Perxylobates obesus Bayoumi, 1977 and Perxylobates guehoi Mahunka, 1978, but differs from these species by the sizes of body, the length of lamellar setae, the poorly developed transverse line between lamellar setae, the length of notogastral setae, the tooth on anterior margins of the pteromorpha, and the length and morphology of some epimeral setae.

Vectors and malaria transmission in deforested, rural communities in north-central Vietnam.

BackgroundMalaria is still prevalent in rural communities of central Vietnam even though, due to deforestation, the primary vector Anopheles dirus is uncommon. In these situations little is known about the secondary vectors which are responsible for maintaining transmission. Basic information on the identification of the species in these rural communities is required so that transmission parameters, such as ecology, behaviour and vectorial status can be assigned to the appropriate species.MethodsIn two rural villages - Khe Ngang and Hang Chuon - in Truong Xuan Commune, Quang Binh Province, north central Vietnam, a series of longitudinal entomological surveys were conducted during the wet and dry seasons from 2003 - 2007. In these surveys anopheline mosquitoes were collected in human landing catches, paired human and animal bait collections, and from larval surveys. Specimens belonging to species complexes were identified by PCR and sequence analysis, incrimination of vectors was by detection of circumsporozoite protein using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsOver 80% of the anopheline fauna was made up of Anopheles sinensis, Anopheles aconitus, Anopheles harrisoni, Anopheles maculatus, Anopheles sawadwongporni, and Anopheles philippinensis. PCR and sequence analysis resolved identification issues in the Funestus Group, Maculatus Group, Hyrcanus Group and Dirus Complex. Most species were zoophilic and while all species could be collected biting humans significantly higher densities were attracted to cattle and buffalo. Anopheles dirus was the most anthropophilic species but was uncommon making up only 1.24% of all anophelines collected. Anopheles sinensis, An. aconitus, An. harrisoni, An. maculatus, An. sawadwongporni, Anopheles peditaeniatus and An. philippinensis were all found positive for circumsporozoite protein. Heterogeneity in oviposition site preference between species enabled vector densities to be high in both the wet and dry seasons allowing for year round transmission.ConclusionsIn rural communities in north central Vietnam, malaria transmission was maintained by a number of anopheline species which though collected feeding on humans were predominantly zoophilic, this behaviour allows for low level but persistent malaria transmission. The important animal baits - cattle and buffalo - were kept in the village and barrier spraying around these animals may be more effective at reducing vector densities and longevity than the currently used indoor residual spraying.

Forest environmental income in Vietnam: household socioeconomic factors influencing forest use

SUMMARYMuch research has focused on understanding the importance of forest environmental income in different communities and highlighting key socioeconomic characteristics of forest-dependent households. This paper examines the economic importance of forests among rural agriculturalists in Vietnam. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 104 households in five study villages in Ha Tinh province in north central Vietnam surrounding the Ke Go Nature Reserve (KGNR). Variables such as migration status of the household, age, income class and landholdings were used to identify characteristics of households with high forest income in both absolute and relative terms. More than half of households reported receiving forest environmental income in cash. Socioeconomic variables were compared between forest cash income (FCI) households and non-FCI households. Non-FCI households had more alternative income sources from wage labour and livestock, while FCI households were significantly younger, tended to live closer to the forest and had larger landholdings. Contrary to other research on forest use, the households deriving the most forest income in both absolute and relative terms were not the poorer households, but those in the middle class. These findings highlight the need for conservation and development projects to pay attention to the specific household factors that influence forest use, rather than relying on assumptions that poverty and forests are always linked.

Description of a New Species of the genus Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 (Squamata: Sauria: Gekkonidae) from the Karst of North Central Vietnam

This paper describes a new species of the genus Cyrtodactylus . Cyrtodactylus chauquangensis sp. nov. occurs in the karst of Quy Hop District, Nghe An Province (North Central Vietnam). It can be distinguished from all other Cyrtodactylus species occurring in Vietnam by a combination of characters: the number of pre-anal pores, the presence or absence of femoral pores or larger femoral scales, scales across the abdomen in the middle of the body, interorbital scales, snout-vent length, proportions of the body and color pattern.

The effects of land tenure policy on rural livelihoods and food sufficiency in the upland village of Que, North Central Vietnam

The paper documents how the implementation of the land tenure policy of the Vietnamese government has affected the agricultural system, livelihood strategies and food self-sufficiency of Thai farmers in a remote upland village, Que, in Nghe An Province, North Central Vietnam. It is shown that the enforcement of restrictions on the area under swidden agriculture has resulted in a strong reduction of swidden agriculture production and shortened fallow periods, not compensated for by the slow increase in paddy rice production. It is suggested that while the changes imposed on land use certainly lead to an increase in forest cover, it is likely that the shortened fallow cycle on the land allocated to swiddening will lead to declining yields and replacement of forest fallow by bush and grass fallow, and thus to decreases in labour productivity. It is discussed whether there are options open to farmers for changing their portfolio of income generating activities in order to maintain and improve food self-sufficiency, income and living conditions. Finally, new trends in Vietnamese land tenure policy are outlined, and their possible implications discussed.

The role of NTFPs in a shifting cultivation system in transition: A village case study from the uplands of North Central Vietnam

Geografisk Tidsskrift, Danish Journal of Geography 106(2): 103–114, 2006 Periods characterized by agricultural change and transitions are often associated with insecurity and vulnerability regarding food production and food supplies. Forests and forest products tend to play an important buffer role during the process of change and uncertainty, where forest and fallows provide food products or income that people can temporarily fall back on. In the upland village of Que in North Central Vietnam, several different drivers are currently changing land use and land cover. The Forest Land Allocation policy, implemented in 1998, is one of the major driving forces, allocating farmers a reduced area of land for shifting cultivation in order to prevent any further deforestation and land degradation. However, the reduction in agricultural land set aside for shifting cultivation has lead to a severe decrease in hill rice production. The land use system is in a transition phase—from a conventional shifting cultivation system to a composite swiddening system. The area under shifting cultivation has been reduced, and the system has been intensified via the introduction of paddy rice cultivation, increased livestock rearing and commercial exploitation of non-timber forest products (NTFPs). Yet, the current transformation of the system has resulted in a drastic reduction in overall rice production. Thus, the collection and selling of NTFPs such as bamboo shoots, broom grass and pherynium leaves seem to prevent severe shortage of food since farmers are able to purchase food products with the money generated from the selling of NTFPs.

Contribution to the bryoflora of Vietnam, VI. On the liverwort flora of Vu Quang Nature Reserve

Within the framework of ASEAN-ARBC Biodiversity Program the hitherto unknown bryophyte flora of Vu Quang Nature Reserve in north central Vietnam was studied by the authors together with Prof. Benito C. Tan. From the lower vegetational belts 41 liverwort taxa were distinguished, of which Cheilolejeunea streimannii and Cololejeunea vuquangensis are new to science, 8 taxa are new to the whole Indochina or to Asia, while further 4 are new to the bryoflora of Vietnam. An analysis of distribution patterns shows the relative high proportion of endemics and the dominancy of Southeast Asian and of Indomalesian elements in the hepatic flora. Further investigations are needed to reveal the characters of the bryoflora in the montane forest belts at higher altitudes.

Description of a New Genus and Species of Rodent (Murinae, Muridae, Rodentia) from the Khammouan Limestone National Biodiversity Conservation Area in Lao PDR

Saxatilomys paulinae, a new genus and species of murid rodent in the Dacnomys Division is described. It is based on two whole specimens and 14 individuals represented by fragments recovered from owl pellets. The samples come from the Khammouan Limestone National Biodiversity Conservation Area in Khammouan Province in central Lao PDR. This tower karst landscape is part of the Quy Dat limestone massif, which extends eastward into north-central Vietnam (Binh Tri Thien Province). The new genus and species is morphologically (and probably phylogenetically) allied to species of Niviventer and Chiromyscus, which are also members of the Dacnomys Division, but its semispinous dark gray upperparts, dark frosted gray underparts, large, extremely bulbous footpads, and a combination of derived and primitive cranial and dental traits exclude it from membership in Niviventer, Chiromyscus, or any other described genus of Indo-malayan murid. The new species is likely petricolous, and is part of a small but unique community of small nonvolant mammals containing the petricolous gymnure, Hylomys megalotis, and hystricognath, Laonastes aenigmamus. All three species have been collected only in forested, rocky habitats of the Khammouan Limestone, but comparable environments in the adjacent Vietnamese portion of the Quy Dat limestone massif may harbor these same species specialized for living in forested, karstic landscapes.

A participatory evaluation of community-based rehabilitation programme in North Central Vietnam

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct a participatory evaluation of the community-based rehabilitation (CBR) programme in North Central Vietnam to ascertain the extent of success with the World Health Organization (WHO) model. In 1992, for the first time a non-governmental organization (NGO) was formed in this region to plan and implement the CBR approach based on the WHO model for meeting the needs of persons with disabilities (PWD). The programme is currently being implemented in ten districts and has been able to affect 24.6% of PWD in this region. Methods: A framework of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis was used. Participatory data collection was done at the village, commune, district, provincial, and central levels using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The data were examined against the five principles of the WHO model: available resource utilization, knowledge transfer, community participation, referral services strengthening and multisectoral coordination. Results: The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats across all levels were collated and presented. Conclusion: Specific strengths have been found in three out of five principles of the WHO Model. The programme would benefit by consolidating on the positive aspects in years to come.

Late silurian marine shelly fauna of Central and Northern Vietnam

Abstract The Late Silurian (late Ludlow-Pridoli) brachiopods and bivalves from North and Central Vietnam are described and illustrated from the Kien An (North Vietnam) and My Duc (Central Vietnam) localities. The biostratigraphic relations and age of the fauna, the so-called Retziella fauna, are discussed. The My Duc fauna is the same as that at Kien An, indicating that during the Late Silurian both North Vietnam and Central Vietnam, situated on the South China and Indochina Plates respectively were probably fairly close geographically to each other. The Late Silurian is globally a time of moderately high, although not highest, provincialism as regards marine benthic invertebrates. A new brachiopod species, Nikiforovaena vietnamensis Boucot & Rong , and three new bivalve species Schizodus kienanensis Fang , S. ? myducensis Fang , and Modiomorpha paracrypta Fang are described.

Agrarian Unrest from an Anthropological Perspective: The Case of Vietnam

Twentieth-century peasants have played a central role in the making of the modem world. This is undoubtedly the case in the Vietnamese revolution, which has attracted considerable attention from a number of specialists on agrarian politics.' This paper critically examines the fundamental premises in three recent important works in sociology and political science on the Vietnamese revolution in particular and agrarian unrest in general: Jeffery Paige's Agrarian Revolution, James C. Scott's The Moral Economy of the Peasant, and Samuel Popkin's The Rational Peasant. These premises will be analyzed in relation to the peasant-based movement of 1930-1931 in Nghe-An and Ha-Tinh, two provinces in North-Central Vietnam (see map). As the most serious pre-1945 challenge to French colonialism, the Nghe-Tinh movement epitomizes, in certain major aspects, the dynamics of the Vietnamese revolution at large. In the following analysis of the theoretical literature and the Nghe-Tinh movement, I will argue that when utilitarian logic is applied to a particular case without a systematic consideration of the environmental and normative parameters of individual action (Popkin and, in a broad sense, Paige), this application amounts to an abuse of utilitarian logic. Both rewards and political strategies are intrinsically mediated by sociocultural rules-rules within which agrarian relations are inextricably embedded, inconsistent as these normative elements may be. The costs and benefits of human action are always informed by the complex structural principles of a specific sociocultural system. However, if agrarian unrest is examined exclusively in terms of the structural opposition between peasants and the lords and state (Scott), such an analysis can only partially enhance our understanding of their behavioral choices. In the closed corporate communities of precolonial and colonial northern Vietnam, agrarian relations encompassed both an intricate hierarchical order and a radical egalitarian principle. They involved both utmost solidarity and intense competition. I will argue that without an in-depth analysis of the ambiguities and contradictions in structural principles and ecological parameters, neither the Nghe-Tinh movement, nor the Vietnamese revolution, nor agrarian unrest in general can be fully understood.