MOSAIC project area
Recognized internationally for its biological importance
At the heart of the Central Annamites lies the province of Quang Nam, a biologically critical landscape, which in turn is key to the successful conservation of one of WWF's 200 most important ecoregions: the Greater Annamites, a chain of mountains which, stretching like a spine from the north, forms the backbone of Vietnam.Because of these mountains, one of the greatest concentrations of endemic species on any continental setting are found here in the wet tropical rainforests.
Unique climactic conditions, unique species
The distinct biodiversity of the Central Annamites is the consequence of local climatic conditions created by the massif of granite and marble mountains. By blocking the easterly monsoons and trapping the abundant rainfall collected over the nearby China Sea, a local climate was created which has enabled the evolution of unique species.
In response to dramatic changes in temperature and rainfall over the millennia, terrain elsewhere across Southeast Asia fluctuated between moist evergreen rainforests and more open dry forests. But the continuation of wet conditions during the ice ages allowed the rainforests of the Annamites to remain intact, giving plants and animals thousands of additional years of refuge to evolve.
© WWF
These climatic conditions persist today. Forests that remain wet during the driest times continue to provide sanctuary to groups of flora and fauna, which survive nowhere else. These include species so rare that until recently they were unknown to science.
Find out more: Watch an interactive presentation of the Central Annamites
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Just a decade ago, the description of the saola, a long-horned bovid, provoked international excitement and prompted world-wide recognition of the region's biological importance. The significance of the Annamites was further underlined following the remarkable discovery of four more large mammals, all of which inhabit the forests of Quang Nam.
Some of the world's most charismatic and endangered animals
Better known but no less amazing are the many unique creatures endemic to this region. Notable among these is the douc , possibly the prettiest of primates, which climbs and jumps from tree to tree through the canopy of dense evergreen forests.
But the conservation of the Central Annamites is not of global importance solely because of its unique species. Some of the world’s most charismatic and endangered animals, including the tiger, also roam these moist tropical forests. In the forests of Quang Nam, two highly threatened herds of Asian elephants still manage to survive.
To assess more accurately the biodiversity of the forest of Quang Nam, the MOSAIC project has taken a two-pronged approach. Along with working with ethnic communities and forestry officials to better protect the forests and manage them more sustainably, WWF is also deep in the jungle assessing the status of the wildlife and studying the threats to their survival.
