The Southern Annamites montane rain forests stretch along the central and southern reaches of the Annamite Range, spanning parts of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and rising over the Da Lat (Lang Bian) Plateau and Kontum Massif. Closed broadleaf evergreen forest cloaks much of the terrain, with the oak and chestnut family Fagaceae, the laurel family Lauraceae, and Myrtaceae dominant at lower elevations and conifers such as Podocarpus, Fokienia, and Calocedrus appearing higher up. The climate stays warm and humid year-round, with a short dry season centered on January and February, while persistent fog and dew keep the forest lush even between rains. The ecoregion is one of the few known refuges for the saola, a critically rare antelope-like mammal first discovered in 1992, and the black-shanked douc langur serves as its flagship species. For gardeners drawn to unusual conifers, this is the home of two endemic pines, the flat-needled Pinus krempfii and the Dalat pine Pinus dalatensis.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 15.4°N, 107.3°E.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
13a-13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +2.9°F by mid-century. SSP3-7.0 (current trajectory) · CHELSA v2.1 bio06 sampled across 10 of 10 points within this ecoregion's bounding box.
At a glance
Dominant biome
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Indomalayan
Approximate area
17,951 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Could Reach Half Protected (Dinerstein NNH 2)
About the tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome
Warm, wet, highly productive forests — including tropical rainforests — with closed canopies, near year-round growing seasons, and the richest terrestrial biodiversity on Earth. Low seasonality and high rainfall sustain dense, layered vegetation from canopy to forest floor.
Catalog plants suited to this ecoregion
No catalog plants intersect this ecoregion's zone range. As the catalog grows to cover this region's climate band, suggestions will surface here.
Collections for this ecoregion
No curated collection's plants all fit this ecoregion's zone range. We surface a collection only when every member would grow here — partial fits get filtered out rather than mislead. As the catalog and the curated set both grow, this section will fill in.
Related ecoregions
Other tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregions to explore: