Can Gio Biosphere Reserve is a wetland

Wetland

A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....

 located 40 km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...

. This reserve has been listed the biosphere reserve

Biosphere reserve

The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...

 by UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

. The site is an important wildlife sanctuary in Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

 as it is characterized by a wetland biosystem dominated by mangrove

Mangrove

Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...

and many rare species.

The forest's area is 75.740 ha, with over 150 botanical species.

Biodiversity value

The major habitat types found at Can Gio are plantation mangrove, of which there is about 20,000 ha, and naturally regenerating mangrove, of which there is about 7,000 ha. Moreover, a total of 18 mollusc, 27 crustacean, 45 fish and three amphibian species have been recorded at the site. Also, Dugong has been reported to occur seasonally in seagrass beds at the site, although these reports have not been confirmed. The intertidal mudflats and sandbanks at the biosphere reserve are an important habitat for migratory shorebirds.

Other documented values

The mangrove forest at Can Gio performs many valuable ecological functions, including coastal stabilisation, and protection against coastal erosion, oil spills and storm surges. The mangrove forest is a source of fuel wood and construction materials.

Being close to Ho Chi Minh City, Can Gio Biosphere Reserve has great potential as a site for tourism, public education, scientific research and training