NATURAL REGENERATION OF DIPTEROCARPACEAE DOMINATIONS UNDER THE CANOPY OF THE TROPICAL SEMI-MOIST EVERGREEN CLOSED FOREST IN THE BINH CHAU - PHUOC BUU COASTAL AREA OF BA RIA - VUNG TAU PROVINCE

This paper presents the results of a study on the natural regeneration of Dipterocarpaceae dominations in the tropical semi-moist evergreen closed forest in the Binh Chau - Phuoc Buu coastal area of Vung Tau Province. The data was collected from five 2,000 m2 plots, each containing twenty 25 m2 sub-plots. Fifty-two regenerating tree species were found under the forest canopy of which six (Shorea roxburghii, Dipterocarpus insularis, Anisoptera costata, Shorea siamensis, Vatica odorata, Hopea odorata) were Dipterocarpaceae. Shorea roxburghii was the ecologically dominant, and D. insularis the co-dominant species. The similarity coefficient between the regenerating tree species under the forest canopy and the woody species in the overstorey was 96.5%. Natural regeneration of the Dipterocarpaceae dominations has been occurring continuously under the forest canopy. The density of the regenerating trees was 9,844 trees/ha of which the number of trees of good from with a height >2 m was about 363 trees/ha. Protecting the current status of the tropical semi-moist evergreen closed forest in the coastal area of Binh Chau - Phuoc Buu should ensure that the Dipterocarpaceae successfully contribute to a climax forest.