Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam's first national park, stretches across the borders of three provinces: Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh, and Thanh Hoa. With an area of over 22,000 hectares and rich vegetation, it is not only a habitat for thousands of rare species of flora and fauna, but also holds profound cultural and historical values. Established in 1962, Cuc Phuong is famous for its thousands of years old trees, home to unique animals and a special tropical forest ecosystem. Cuc Phuong has long been a symbol of Vietnam's nature conservation, attracting many researchers and tourists to admire its pristine beauty and discover historical stories through each tree and each animal species here.
Ancient trees such as the Chò chỉ, sầu rung or the Đăng tree are considered the soul of Cuc Phuong forest. These trees are thousands of years old, over 70m high and have large roots spreading out like a solid network, symbolizing the strong vitality of nature. This is also the habitat of many rare animals, such as the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey, loris, leopard and hundreds of endemic bird species. The lush green forest space with diverse and vibrant tree layers is a place where nature and humans can meet and understand each other, where anyone can deeply feel the beauty of biodiversity.
However, Cuc Phuong forest is currently facing serious challenges from climate change. Global warming, extreme weather events such as prolonged droughts and storms and floods have caused significant impacts on the ecosystem here. Researchers have found that these changes make it difficult for the flora in Cuc Phuong forest to grow and develop. Ancient trees that are thousands of years old, which are inherently resilient, are now vulnerable to natural disasters. Each storm and flood season leaves indelible marks on the ancient roots and sturdy trunks that were once the pride of the green forest.
Along with plants, animals are also facing major challenges. Sudden changes in temperature and humidity due to climate change are altering the habitats of many species. Many animals such as the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey, a primate endemic to Vietnam, or endemic birds are having to migrate to new areas, or face the risk of extinction due to their inability to adapt to changing living conditions. These changes not only threaten the survival of individual species, but also affect the entire food chain and ecological balance of the entire forest, destroying the pristine beauty and rich ecosystem that Cuc Phuong once boasted.
Faced with these threats, the government and conservation organizations have implemented many projects to protect and maintain the ecosystem of Cuc Phuong forest. These efforts include establishing regular research and monitoring programs to track the impact of climate change on the habitat and flora and fauna. Experts have conducted in-depth surveys, assessing the health of each ancient tree species and detecting potential hazards. At the same time, they have also implemented measures to protect groundwater resources, ensuring the maintenance of moisture for vegetation, especially during the long dry season.
To raise public awareness, Cuc Phuong forest has been exploited through ecotourism, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year. Ecotourism not only brings significant income to local people but also conveys messages about environmental protection and the value of biodiversity to the public. Activities such as exploring the forest at night, visiting ancient trees, and learning about wildlife help visitors feel the beauty of nature and understand more about the importance of forest protection. However, to maintain the integrity of the ecosystem, tourism activities need to be strictly managed to minimize negative impacts on the natural environment.
Protecting Cuc Phuong forest is not only the responsibility of conservation agencies but also a common duty of the whole society. To preserve Cuc Phuong forest, one of Vietnam's precious green heritages, we need to further promote conservation and sustainable development efforts. Supportive policies from the government and international cooperation programs also need to be implemented more effectively, to protect and develop the ecosystems here. Together, we can ensure that Cuc Phuong forest will not lose its pristine beauty and precious value, becoming a symbol of the resilience of Vietnamese nature in the face of harsh changes of the times.
Hoang Anh
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