Socio-Economic Conditions

Nguyen Hoang Nghia and colleagues (2006) studied 6 species of fleshy bamboo (Loc Bac, Truong Son, Pa Co, Cuc Phuong, De Yen Bai, Kon Ha Nung). The author conducted investigations, surveys, and research on ecological characteristics, structure, and anatomy of flowers and fruits. The results of the study will serve as a basis for species identification and grafting to create bamboo varieties that produce high-yield, high-quality shoots.

Indigenous knowledge of local people in exploiting and using non-timber forest products as food and spices in Than Sa - Vo Nhai commune, Nguyen Thi Thoa et al. (2006). The author identified 16 non-timber forest product species that are regularly used as vegetables and spices, studied the experiences of local people in using these species as food and spices, and proposed solutions to protect and develop these species (Nguyen Thi Thoa, 2006).

In 2006, a group of authors from the Center for Research on Specialty Forestry - Vietnam Forestry Science Institute in collaboration with the Institute of Medicinal Materials conducted a survey of medicinal plant resources in Dong Lam commune, Hoang Bo district, Quang Ninh province and recorded 288 species belonging to 233 genera, 107 families and 6 plant phyla. All are wild medicinal plants growing in secondary forest communities and shrub hills. Of which, 8 species are considered new (not yet listed in the list of medicinal plants in Vietnam) ( Nguyen Van Tap, 2006) .

Le Thi Dien and colleagues (2006) tested the cultivation of some medicinal plants under the natural forest canopy in Ha An village. The cultivated medicinal plants had a high survival rate and good growth, promising to contribute significantly to the income of participating households (Le Thi Dien, 2006) .

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Tran Ngoc Hai et al (2002) evaluated the economic role of NTFPs in two Dao villages in Ba Vi commune. The authors believe that NTFPs, especially bamboo and medicinal plants, play an important role in household economies.

Current status of exploitation and use and potential for growing medicinal plants in Tam Dao National Park and the buffer zone, 2008, Do Hoang Son et al. Through their investigation, they found that in Tam Dao National Park and the buffer zone, there are 459 medicinal plant species belonging to 346 genera and 119 families in 4 plant phyla: Equisetophyta, Polypodiophyta, Pinophyta and Magnoliophyta. The people in the buffer zone here are mainly Dao and San Diu people who use medicinal plants to treat 16 different groups of diseases. Of which, over 90% of the species

are used to collect in natural forests. Every year, about 700 tons of fresh medicinal plants from Tam Dao National Park are collected for trade. The medicinal plant resources here are decreasing by about 40% compared to 5 years ago. Based on the research, the author has proposed 26 medicinal plant species that need to be prioritized and put into conservation (Do Hoang Son, 2008) .

Over the years, the Institute of Medicinal Materials has collected more than 500 medicinal plant species for planting and propagation in medicinal plant gardens. 65 high-risk species have been planted at the Sa Pa Medicinal Plant Research Station (Lao Cai), Tam Dao Medicinal Plant Research Station Garden (Vinh Phuc), Hanoi Medicinal Plant Research and Processing Center Garden (Thanh Tri), North Central Medicinal Plant Research Center Garden (Thanh Hoa) and Pho Bang Highland Medicinal Plant Conservation Garden (Dong Van - Ha Giang). These medicinal plant gardens have conditions similar to their natural habitats and the collection history, planting date, growth and development, flowering and fruiting status... are recorded to assess the conservation potential (Le Van Gioi, 2006) .

Recently, the Institute of Medicinal Materials and the Department of Medicinal Materials - Hanoi University of Pharmacy conducted qualitative and quantitative research on some groups of substances in Bitter Tea plants growing in Cao Bang. The research results showed that Bitter Tea leaves contain 5 groups of substances: Total Saponin, Total Flavonoids, Total Polysaccharides, Carotenoids and Organic Acids. These are groups of substances with many important biological effects and have long attracted the attention of researchers (According to Nguyen Thi Thoa, 2006) .

Medicinal herbs in tropical rainforests, Pham Minh Toai et al., 2005, the author pointed out: with the current level of deforestation, the rich flora and fauna in the tropics, including known or potential medicinal herbs, will be destroyed and related indigenous knowledge will have little chance of surviving. The loss of tropical forests is clearly threatening human safety through mutually reinforcing effects such as landslides, floods and desertification, soil erosion and the spread of some diseases. However, the extinction of medicinal herbs and the loss of good local traditional healers (traditional healers) are a much greater risk to human health in both developing and developed countries (Pham Minh Toai, 2005) .

Some issues of conservation of medicinal plants growing naturally in forests, Nguyen Van Tap, 2005. In the non-timber forest products in Vietnam, medicinal plants occupy an important position in terms of species composition as well as in terms of use and economic value. According to the results of a basic survey by the Institute of Medicinal Materials (Ministry of Health), by 2004, it was discovered that in our country there were 3,948 species belonging to 1,572 genera and 307 families of plants (including mosses and fungi) with medicinal uses. Of these, over 90% of the total species are medicinal plants growing naturally, mainly in forest ecosystems. Forests are also where most of the precious medicinal plants with high use and economic value are gathered (Nguyen Van Tap, 2005) .

Comments : The research results have outlined a picture of non-timber forest products with a huge number of species. They have extremely diverse life forms, ecological characteristics and use values. The richness of non-timber forest products is of great significance in the current period. It is not a "by-product" but one of the main products of the forest, which is significant to the socio-economic development of mountainous areas and contributes to forest conservation and development. Recently, new discoveries about the potential of non-timber forest products such as the ability to recover quickly, harvest early with high and stable economic productivity, have the ability to do continuous business, suitable for household scale and especially their exploitation almost does not damage the forest have motivated many scientists to participate in research and development of non-timber forest products.

1.3. Overview of the research area

1.3.1. Natural conditions

1.3.1.1. Geographical location

- Phia Oac - Phia Den National Park, has geographical coordinates:

+ From 22 0 31' 44” to 22 0 39' 41” North latitude;

+ From 105 0 49' 53” to 105 0 56' 24” East longitude.

- Phia Oac - Phia Den Nature Reserve is located within the administrative boundaries of 5 communes: Thanh Cong, Quang Thanh, Phan Thanh, Hung Dao and Tinh Tuc town, Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province.

1.3.1.2. Terrain

- The terrain of Phia Oac - Phia Den National Park has a large slope with many steep places, dirt mountains mixed with limestone mountains, gradually increasing from East to West, from South to North.

- Medium mountain terrain, altitude >700m, accounting for about 90% of the total natural area of the Reserve, the highest is Phia Oac mountain peak 1,931 m;

- Low mountain and hill terrain, altitude <700m, accounting for about 7% of the total natural area of the Reserve, mostly soil mountain ranges, mixed with caster terrain, distributed in the East and Southeast, average slope from 25 - 30 0 , average altitude 600m;

- The terrain of valleys, basins and slopes, accounting for about 3% of the total natural area of the Reserve, is located between low and medium mountain ranges, most of which is being used for agricultural cultivation.

According to the district's soil documents, the area has the following main soil types:

- Red-brown Feralit soil on limestone mountains: Concentrated distribution at altitudes from 700m - 1700m above sea level.

- Pale yellow highland Ferralitic soil: This type of soil has a weak Ferralitic process, a relatively strong humification process, suitable for some plant species: Pine, Sa moc, Tong du, Lat hoa, De do, Trau, So and some other specialty plants, medicinal plants, and fruit trees.

- Low mountain red-yellow Ferralit soil: Distributed at an altitude of 300 - 700m, formed on acidic, neutral-alkaline igneous rocks, gravelly rocks, limestone. The soil contains few primary minerals, has an acidic reaction, this type of soil is suitable for some plant species: Pine, Sa moc, Tong du, Khao vang, Cang lo, Lat hoa, Keo, De do, Trau, So, Anise, Que, Che bien and some other medicinal plants and fruit trees.

- Basin and valley land: Includes new and old alluvial soil, sloping soil products, mixed products; this type of land is used for agricultural production.

1.3.1.3. Climate , hydrology

* Climate:

According to hydrometeorological observation documents of Nguyen Binh district; the climate has the typical characteristics of a highland continental climate, divided into 2 different sub-climates. The highlands have a subtropical climate, the lowlands are influenced by the tropical monsoon climate; a year has 2 distinct seasons, which are:

- The rainy season starts from April to October, accounting for 85.4% of the total annual rainfall, concentrated in July and August. The average annual rainfall is 1,592 mm; the highest year is 1,736 mm; the lowest year is 1,466 mm.

- The dry season lasts from November to March of the following year; often affected by the Northeast monsoon, low temperature, little rainfall, lots of fog.

- The average annual temperature is 18 0 C; the absolute highest temperature occurs from May to September, between 24.5 0 - 26.9 0 C, sometimes reaching up to 34 0 C; the absolute lowest temperature occurs from November to February of the following year, sometimes down to -2 0 C - 5 0 C.

- The average relative humidity for the whole year is 84.3%, the month with the highest humidity is July and August at over 87%, the lowest is December at 80.5%.

- In addition, fog occurs in the early morning, late afternoon and night of all months of the year; the heaviest fog point is the top of Kolia Pass. In particular, when the temperature drops, snow appears in the Phia Oac peak and Kolia Pass areas.

* Hydrology:

Phia Oac - Phia Den National Park is the source of rivers such as: Hien River, Nang River, The Duc River. In addition, there is a system of streams; the average stream density is about 1 km2 with 2 km of streams; these streams have water all year round, the highest water flow in the rainy season. However, due to the terrain of strong dissection, steep slopes and limestone mountains interspersed with terrigenous sediments, water resources are unevenly distributed in each area. Therefore, the exploitation of surface water to serve the daily life and production needs of people in areas lacking water is difficult, typically Phia Den hamlet and in the Karts valleys, in limestone mountain areas.

In summary, the climate of Phia Oac - Phia Den National Park area is typical of a highland continental climate, cool in summer and cold in winter; in particular, in winter, the temperature drops, fog and frost appear, hindering forestry production activities. Although the hydrological system is not large, it is the source of rivers (Nhien River, Nang River, The Duc River) that affect the development of production and business and the conservation and sustainable development of the Reserve.

1.3.1.4. Forest resources

- Vegetation and land use

Vegetation

According to the Vietnamese Vegetation Classification System of Thai Van Trung, the forest here belongs to the type of "Subtropical humid evergreen closed forest" with the following main types:

+ Low mountain tropical humid evergreen closed forest type, distributed at altitudes below 700 m. This type has a small remaining area, mainly concentrated in the Southeast of the National Park, with many plant families typical of the low mountain tropical flora of Northern Vietnam originating locally.

+ Medium and high mountain subtropical humid evergreen closed forest type,

usually distributed at an altitude of > 700 m covering the upper part of the Phia Oac mountain range with many typical plant families originating from the subtropical flora (migration factor) from the Himalayas-Yunnan-Guizhou, India-Burma coming down to settle in Vietnam. Current status of forests and land use

* Area of land types, forest types

According to the synthesis results of the current status of forests and forest land in 2019 of the Cao Bang Provincial Forest Protection Department, the total area of Phia Oac - Phia Den area is 29,290.3 hectares; of which agricultural land is 1,846.2 hectares; forestry land is 25,760.4 hectares; non-agricultural land is 441.3 hectares; unused land is 1,242.4 hectares.

- Land with special-use forests has 10,593.4 ha, of which:

+ Natural forest has 8,222.66 ha

+ Planted forest has 730.61 ha, the main tree species is Pine.

+ Non-forested land has 1,640.13 ha scattered in the Reserve. This type of land has a high coverage rate of grass, vines, bushes and regenerated trees, the land still has the conditions of forest land, if well protected, the forest flora will recover and develop strongly.

- Biodiversity

Ecosystem:

After investigation and survey, the main ecosystems recorded in Phia Oac - Phia Den National Park are as follows:

a) Forest ecosystem:

The forest ecosystem has been degraded in terms of area, quantity and quality of forest trees; the states of bare land, restored forest, and poor forest are quite common, the state of rich forest no longer exists, only the state of average forest remains distributed in patches on the slopes and tops of mountains.

rugged. The forest is mainly light-loving plants such as Khao cai, Hoac quang, Thau tau, Mang tang, Che dau luo, De, Re, Khao, Xoan nhu, Thoi chanh, Cheo, Muong, Phan ma... most of the remaining trees are bamboo species and herbaceous plants such as: Cogon grass, Co chit grass, Co lao grass, Co la, Co hairy grass, Don cold... increasing in the number of individuals in the species.

The forest structure is broken: The tree layer has only 2 layers, the canopy is low, the coverage is still high because many vines, bushes, and grasses have developed, reducing the regeneration ability of tree species.

Mineral exploitation over the years has devastated forests, degraded forest quality; the utility of forest ecosystems has been reduced, especially the value of timber and biodiversity of forests, and the ability of forests to retain soil and water has been reduced.

b) Lake, Pond, Stream Ecosystem

Distribution is concentrated in the areas near streams flowing into Nhien River, Nang River, The Duc River and small streams spreading out in the area. Forest plants along the streams, there are many species of trees such as Ranh ran, Khao suoi, Ru ri nuoc, Ang nuoc, Voi, Tram suoi, Nhoi, Vang anh, Loc vung, Mai huong... The ecosystem of lakes, ponds and streams is currently polluted by livestock manure, waste and mineral exploitation; aquatic organisms are absent in many sections of rivers and streams due to overhunting and are at risk of being depleted.

c) Village ecosystem

Scattered in the Reserve, along streams, at the foot of mountain ranges or near wide valleys with water, with land for cultivation. In the village ecosystem, people often raise buffaloes, cows, goats, pigs... but most of them are still left to roam freely and this is also the cause of epidemics, destroying many regenerating trees of the forest strips around the village. In this ecosystem, people spontaneously plant many agricultural crops, fruit trees, medicinal plants, ornamental plants, vegetables, etc. Around the shrines of families, clans, and villages, some forest trees such as Truong sang, Truong kén, Cho chi, Da, Sanh, De, Gioi, Cho dai, De, Xoan nhu are still preserved; Some families encroach on the forest to expand their residence and make fields, this is a major obstacle to the conservation and development of Phia Oac - Phia Den National Park in the future.

d) Field and swidden ecosystem

Distributed around villages and along streams with water. Terraced fields, along streams, near residential areas but often only have enough water

One-crop cultivation; Rice, Cassava, and Corn fields are far away and often cling to the foot of the mountains where there are forests. The development of fields has led to the loss of many woody species in the National Park. The main crops here are short-term food crops such as: Rice, Upland Rice, Cassava, Corn, Peanuts... and industrial woody plants such as Green Tea, Sophora... in small quantities.

e) Grassland ecosystem

Distributed on some mountain ranges, mountain tops, places that were previously burned for farming or close to residential areas. Common grass species in the grassland ecosystem are: Cogon grass, Trash grass, Bamboo leaf grass, Pig hair grass, Reed grass, Chit grass. In this ecosystem, there are many woody shrubs such as Sim, Mua, Gang, Lau, Bo cu ve...

The flora has been identified with 1,108 species of vascular plants, belonging to 861 genera of 199 families, in 6 plant phyla.

1.3.2. Social and economic conditions

1.3.2.1. Population, ethnicity and population distribution

Located in the National Park and buffer zone, there are 39 villages/hamlets (28 hamlets and 11 groups) within the administrative boundaries of Thanh Cong, Phan Thanh, Quang Thanh, Hung Dao communes and Tinh Tuc town.

- Population: According to the results of the statistical survey in communes in 2019, in Phia Oac - Phia Den National Park and the buffer zone, there are 8,289 people with 1,850 households; of which in the National Park, there are 1,910 people with 382 households.

- Ethnic groups: In Phia Oac - Phia Den National Park and the buffer zone, there are 5 ethnic groups living; of which: Dao ethnic group has 3,912 people, accounting for 47.2%; Nung ethnic group has 1,682 people, accounting for 20.3%; Kinh ethnic group has 1,475 people, accounting for 17.8%; Tay ethnic group has 1,475 people, accounting for 17.8%.

1,143 people, accounting for 13.8%; the rest are H'Mong ethnic group with 77 people, accounting for 0.9%.

- Population distribution: Average population density is 52 people/km2 but is unevenly distributed between the town and communes in the region. The commune with the lowest population density is Hung Dao commune, 26 people/km2 , and the highest is Tinh Tuc town, 134 people/ km2 .

1.3.2.2. Socio-economic

Agricultural production

Agriculture is the leading sector in local economic activities and has been developed in the process of industrialization and modernization of agriculture.