Topography and hydrology
Mui Ca Mau National Park is located in Vietnam’s southernmost region. Originally covered in a natural mangrove forest, the majority of the area was devastated during the Second Indochina War and subsequently turned into agricultural land and aquaculture ponds. Large tracts of recolonizing mangrove forest currently maintain the majority of the abandoned aquacultural ponds. There are large mudflats, and mangroves are naturally colonizing them as well. Because of accretion rates along the shoreline that can reach up to 50 m per year in some spots, the site is constantly expanding.
The Lon River, which splits the area in half, has created two islands at its mouth—Con Trong and Con Ngoai—by accumulating sediment. The Bai Hap river estuary, one of the biggest rivers in the province of Ca Mau, is located to the site’s north.
Biodiversity values
Large tracts of intertidal mudflat and mangrove forest, dominated by Avicennia alba, Avicennia officinalis, Avicennia marina, Rhizophora apiculata, and Kandelia candel, can be found in Mui Ca Mau National Park. According to Buckton et al. (1999), Bruguiera sp. and Sonneratia sp. are also occasionally found.One to six trees per square meter make up the stocking density (Buckton et al. 1999).
A few little patches of ancient growth At Mui Ca Mau, mangroves Rhizophora apiculata still exist. The majority of the region was most likely once covered by this sort of vegetation. There are numerous old logged bases of huge Rhizophora apiculata trees, which is indicative of over-exploitation. Although the ecosystem has mainly deteriorated, there are still a few large trees that are older than ten years. At Mui Ca Mau, however, there are indications of the regrowth of mangrove forests. In the national park, there are also sizable Rhizophora apiculata plantations, with stocking densities ranging from one to six plants per square meter (Buckton et al. 1999).
Many migratory waterbirds regard Mui Ca Mau National Park to be an essential site. The Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), Asian Dowitcher (Linnodromus semipalmatus), Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes), Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala), Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis), and Black-headed Ibis (Treskiornis melanocephalus) are among the migratory waterbird species recorded at the site that are both globally threatened and near-threatened. Furthermore, significant populations of N. arquata, the Eurasian Curlew, have been observed at the location (Tordoff 2002). Thus, Dat Mui and Bai Boi are two Important Bird Areas in Mu Ca Mau (Tordoff 2002).
At Mui Ca Mau, open mud and remnant and regenerating mangrove forest are habitats of particular importance for migratory waterbirds (Buckton et al. 1999). The site will continue to grow as intertidal habitats rapidly accumulate, and its significance as a migrating waterbird location may rise (Buckton et al. 1999).
Common mangrove species, such as Ashy Tailorbird Orthotomus ruficeps, Golden-bellied Gerygone Gerygone sulphurea, Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosa, and Pied Fantail Rhipidura javanica, predominate in the mangrove bird community at Mui Ca Mau (Buckton et al. 1999).
Conservation issues
The last ten years have seen a significant degradation of Mui Ca Mau’s mangrove forests, mostly as a result of illegal intrusion and conversion to aquaculture ponds. The site has undergone extensive restoration, and numerous unauthorized squatters have been forced to leave. Nonetheless, a sizable population still resides at or near the site, and encroachment—even into the strictly protected area—occurs frequently. Where mangrove is still present, it is still exploited, and all of the site’s mature mangrove forest areas have suffered significant degradation (Buckton et al. 1999).
The planting of mangroves on intertidal mudflats with the intention of protecting the shoreline poses a possible hazard to the site. Because it would damage the vital habitat for migratory waterbirds, this activity would be incompatible with the conservation of biodiversity. As a result, Buckton et al. (1999) advise implementing a management regime consistent with biodiversity conservation, and specifically advising against planting mangroves on accreting mudflats because this is a crucial habitat for migratory waterbirds, which would otherwise naturally recolonize the area with mangrove at rates unlikely to jeopardize the national park’s biodiversity values. Moreover, Mui Ca Mau need to be recognized by the Ramsar Convention as a site of international significance, according to Buckton et al. (1999).
