Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Pu Luong Nature Reserve is located in Quan Hoa and Ba Thuoc districts, in north-western Thanh Hoa Province. To the north-east, the nature reserve is bordered by Mai Chau, Tan Lac and Lac Son districts, Hoa Binh Province.

The nature reserve lies along two parallel mountain ridges that run from north-west to south-east, and are bisected by a central valley. This valley contains several human settlements and a large area of agricultural land, and hence, is not included within the nature reserve.

The primary forest at Pu Luong nature reserve is classified as closed evergreen tropical seasonal forest. It supports a diverse flora, with at least 1,109 vascular plant species documented at the site. From a conservation perspective, three primary forest subtypes found at the site may be considered particularly significant, including primary lowland forest on limestone and schist/shale, primary coniferous submontane forest on limestone and primary submontane forest on basalt.

With regard to the vertebrate fauna of Pu Luong, a total of 84 mammal species (including 24 bat species), 162 bird species, 55 fish species, 28 reptile species, 13 amphibian species, 158 species of butterfly and 96 species of land snail, including 12 snail species possibly endemic have been recorded at the nature reserve. Pu Luong nature reserve is an important site for the conservation of the globally critically endangered, endemic primate, Delacour's Leaf Monkey.