Two of the world’s largest karst regions are in Vietnam. The Phong Nha National park was set up in order to protect these regions and the limestone ecosystem that thrives on it. The protected area of Phong Nha covers at least 300 caves and grottos. This marvellous rock formation hosts scores of plants, animals, insects and reptiles, some of them even listed on the World Red Data Book.
Tropical dense moist evergreen forests thrive on these limestone formations, 800 metres above the sea level. As the seedlings can only grow in holes and cracks in the limestone where soil has accumulated, the regeneration of the lost vegetation is generally slow.
Phong Nha is home to many endangered species like the pig-tailed macaque. But, it is interesting to note that some new species have been discovered in the Park including a species of eel and a gecko.
Picture Credit : Google