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0313 Rom D Number ° D Nnt ScannB[j Author Williams, Llewelyn Agricultural Research Division, Crops Research Division RBPOrt/ArtiClB TitlO Vegetation of Southeast Asia Studies of Forest Types 1963-1965 Journal/Book Title Year 000° Month/Day Color D Number of Images 32° DOSCrlptOn NotOS Documents were filed together by Alvin Young under the label "Evaluated Effects of Chemicals in SEA". CR 49-65. Under ARPA Order No. 424. AD 629181. Friday, November 16, 2001 Page 3130 of 3140 1 si Williams, L., AD 1965 D/UIMLIMITED Vegetation of Southeast Asia studies of forest types 1963-1965 - AD 629181 Technical Report JAN 14 >' distributed by Defense Technical Information Center DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Cameron Station • Alexandria, Virginia 22314 UNCLASSIFIED/UNLIMITED r- VEGETATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIA STUDIES OF FOREST TYPES 1963 -1965 CLEARINGHOUSE FOR FEDERAL SCIENTIFIC AND __ TECHNICAL INFORMATION Sairdcojrr" Miorofith* Agricultural Ilc'soarch Service f.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Under A UP A Order No. t2t Advanced Ke^eurcli Projects Afiency DepartnH'iit of Defense <t Vegclalioii of Southeasl Asia Studies of Foresl Types 1963 - 1965 Compiled By LLKNVKLYN WILLIAMS Crops Hesearrli Division CR Agricultural Research Service l.S. Di:i'AKT.Mi:Nr OF AGKICl LTl UK Ke.searcli Supported Itv Advuncct! ItoM-arrli Projools A^oncj liml.-r AIU'A Order No. 121 Washington, !).(-. Issued Dt'innlH')1 HKi'i LANK PAG FOREWORD This Report on "The Vegetation of Southeast Asia1 is sub- mitted in accordance vith ARPA Order No. b2k, Progran- Code No. 38^0, dated January 30, 1963, to the Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture from the Advanced Re- search Projects Agency, Department of Defense. As stipulated, in part, the Order directed the Agricultural Research Service to obtain, evaluate, and/or categorize botanical information on tne specific composition and physiognomy of forest associations of Southeast Asia, essential for the effective in- terpretetion of the reaction of tropical and subtropical plants to defoliants. To accomplish this, two field missions were undertaken by the writer to Thailand during November 1963 to January 19<5U, and from December 196^ to February 1965. Considerable d.ata were gathered during these field assignments, supplemented by a large series of photographs, many of which are reproduced in Part II of this Report. To augment the field investigations, an extensive review was made of published information on the forests, forest and agricultural products, and other features of the Mekong basin countries. This Report completes the phase of ARPA Order No. k2k per- taining to botanical investigations on vegetation in Southeast Asia. Crops Research Division ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The task of studying the vegetation of Southeast Asia, and the preparation of the accumulated data into a final Report would not have been possible without the cooperation of many kind friends. It is impossible to acknowledge individually all who have assisted in one form or another in this Project. But a word of gratitude is due to Mr. T.W. Brundage, director, Lieut. Col. W. R, Scheible, Captain John Kelly, Jr., and other staff members of the Bangkok office of Advanced Research Projects Agency, who . arranged travel and other facilities during the two field mis- sions carried out in 1963-6U and 196^-65. Acknowledgment is made of the fine cooperation given by Mr. Dusit Banijbhatana, Director-General of the Royal Forest Depart- ment of Thailand; Mr. 1>=n? Smitinand, taxonomist in the Forest Department; and the Divisional, Provincial and other forest offi- cers contacted in the interior in the course of the field in- vestigations. To Professor Thiera Komkris, Dean of the School of Forestry at Kasetsart University, I owe gratitude for permitting Professor Preecha Charenmayou to accompany me, as interpreter and assistant, on most of the field trips conducted during Decem- ber 1964 to February 1965. Mr. Preecha's familiarity with the vegetation of Thailand and his many personal contacts in the in- terior were of invaluable aid in the pursuit of the field studies. I am also indebted to the National Agricultural Library of the Department of Agriculture, particularly the Beltsvillc Branch, in making available the large number of references reviewed; and to the Photo Laboratory at the Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, for preparing the series of photographic prints reproduced. And finally, I am grateful to the staff members of the Crops Research Division for their cooperation, and particularly to those who have persevered to prepare this and other, progress, reports related to the Project. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I Page Foreword — i Acknowledgements •-- ---. —,— ti Southeast Asia - Summary —--—------_. —.___--__—>_-_ 1 Thailand .- Field investigations 5 Classification of Tropical forests 9 Criteria for classification 11 Climax "o.*mations Ik Southeast Asia - Forest types — 17 Evergreen forests —---' :___:. 17 Deciduous forests . 33 Ground studies of Thai forests 1*4 Aerial studies of tropical forests — • hC Tests with defoliants in Thailand — 56 Hazardous vegetation ; £8 Southeast Asia - Physiographic, climatic and other features 61 Thailand' ul Vietnam - - 71 Cambodia 82 Laos — 85 Southeast Asia, Puerto Rico and Texas - Analogous features 88 Southeast Asia - Forests, illustrations 99 PART II MAPS and ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. Southeast Asia - map --i 101 2. Physiographic regions of Thailand - map 102 3. Mountain ranges and river system of Thailand. - map - 103 iii Figure Page U. Mean monthly rainfall range of Thailand - map ------ 5. Mean monthly temperature range of Thailand - mup --- 105 6. Areas investigated in Thailand by author on ground and aerial surveys (1963-6^, 196^-65) - map - 106 7. Soil types of Thailand - map -- --------------- — - — 107 0. Distribution of major forest types of Thailand -map- 108 9. Distribution of Evergreen forest in Thailand - map - 109 10. Distribution of Deciduous forest in Thailand - map - 110 11. Principal forest zones of Vietnam, Laos and Cam- bodia - map — ------ .-.__- ------------ - --------- - — 110 12. The central plain northeast of Bangkok (aerial) ---- 111 13. Rice paddies between Bangkok and Saraburi (aerial — 112 Ik, Stand of 'tanna* or toddy palm (Bcra-ssus fj.abellifer) near Nakhon Pathom, Thailand ----------------------- 113 15. Rice paddies between Kcnkaen and Udon, northeast Thailand ......... - ................................. 113 16. Fruit trees, especially 'mango* (Mangifera indica), 'tamarind' (Tamarindus indica) and 'phutsa1 (Zizyphus spp.J, protected in rice paddies. Central Thailand — .......................... - .............. 17. 'Yang khao' (Pi p te r o car pus alatus ) , one of the tal- lest and most widespread trees in Thailand ------- 18. Crown of "yang khao' (Dipterocarpus alatus ) -------- 115 19. Land cleared for rice paddies and orchards, near Nakhon Nayok (aerial) ---------------------------- — 115 20. Rain forest, Kachawng, ^outhern Peninsula ----------- 116 21. Close-up of Rain forest. Kachawng, southern Peninsula ------------------------------- - ----------- 116 22. Moist forest on slope of Khao Sa Bap, southeastern Thailand -• ------------------------------------------ 117 23. Woody vine or liane. Mukdahan, eastern Thailand ---- 117 24. Undergrowth in Evergreen Moist forest. Khao Sa Bap, southeastern Thailand --• — --- ---------- -- ------ ---- 118 25. Hill or Upper MoJ.st forest. Pbu Phan, northeastern Thailand ....................................... — - 118 26. Hill or Upper Moist forest, Salween river basin, northwest Thailand (aerial) - ----------------------- 119 27. Oblique view of Upper Moist Evergreen forest. Khao Yai National forest (aerial) ----------------------- 119 28. Evergreen Moist forest, northwest of Nakhon Nayok, central Thailand -------- ..... - .................. ---- 120 29. Upper Moist Evergreen and Lower Montane forests, Khao Yai National Forest ----- - -------------- - ------ 120 30. Profile of Lower Montane fores v. Khao Yai National Forest — .......................................... - 121 iv Figure Page 31. Oblique view of Upper Moist Evergreen forest. Khao Yai National Forest (aerial) 121 32. Second growth in Hill Evergreen forest. Khao Yai National Forest — - 122 33. Second growth, in Moist Semi-Evergreen forest, Dalat region, South Vietnam 122 3^. Aroids in moist sites. Saigon to Dalat road 123 35« Hill Moist Evergreen forest on Bolovens plateau. Southern Laos -— — .--- .. 123 36. Forest-clad slopes of Doi Inthanon, northern Thai- land (aerial) l,2'i 37« Upland Moist Evergreen forest in northern Thai- land, us seen from Doi Sutep 12'» 38. Semi-Evergreen forest between Thoern and Ban Hong, northwestern Thailand —• 125 39• Upland forest on upper slopes of Doi Sutep, northern Thailand, showing patches cleared for shifting agriculture 125 ko. Riparian or Gallery forest. Phibun Mangsahan, eastern Thailand 126 1*1. Gallery or riverain forest. Mae Hoi, northern Thailand — 126 42. Riparian vegetation in Upper Moist Evergreen forest. Khao Yai National Forest 127 43. Riverain vegetation along Khwae Noi river, western Thailand — - 127 44. Dry Evergreen forest. Mukdahan, eastern Thailand - 128 45. Dry Evergreen forest, with Lowerstroemia caly- culata trees as dominant. Cambodia 128 46. Transition from Gallery to Temperate forest. Doi Sutep, northern Thailand 129 47. Mountain range of Chiengdao, northern Thailand 129 48. Plateau of Lang Bian, Ualat region, South Viet- nam 130 49. Pine forest. Manline, Dalat region, South Vietnam- 130 50. Stand of 2-uoedled