Phylogenetic systematics of the Amolops monticola group (Amphibia: Ranidae), with description of a new species from northwestern Laos
The Amolops monticola group contains approximately 12 morphologically similar species distributed across much of mainland Southeast Asia. Approximately half of the species in the group were described only during the past 6 yr, and several have been erroneously placed in the genus Odorrana. A molecular phylogenetic analysis is performed using three mitochondrial and two nuclear […]
Systematics, Ecology and Management of Rattans in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. (The Biological Bases of Sustainable Use)
The Greater Mekong region is one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet. Home to the world’s largest freshwater fish species and extensive tiger habitat, its forests, rivers, grasslands and wetlands pulse with life. About 80 per cent of the region’s 300 million people depend directly on the goods and services its ecosystems […]
Edible and Medicinal Wild Mushrooms in Lao PDR.
Due to the rich ecological landscape and biodiversity of Lao PDR, a great number of wild mushrooms are available for consumption and sales. Many mushrooms are known for their good taste and nutritious values and others for their medicinal properties. Currently, there are practically no scientific records of the edible and medicinal mushrooms of Lao […]
Survey on Botanical Orchids use in northern Laos Xiengkhouang, Houaphan, Louang prabang, Oudomxay, Phongsaly and Vientiane provinces
Wild Orchids collection is a part of income since many years in the study area and actually a threat for orchids that are in the way of extinction. The aim of this report is to show whether identification, selection and promotion of sustainably used of Wild orchids with promising commercial value who can contribute to […]
Cash crops in the uplands: the cardamom experienc
Farmers are often blamed for destroying tropical forests, especially in the Lao PDR. Converting shifting cultivation into cash crop-based agriculture is recurrently presented as the solution merging forest protection and poverty alleviation. However, many attempts in the recent past have ended in failure. The Rural Development Project of Phongsaly District (PDDP) has tried to introduce […]
A new Philautus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from northern Laos allied to P. abditusInger, Orlov & Darevsky, 1999
The small rhacophorid frog Philautus abditus is geographically restricted to central Vietnam and adjacent Cambodia. Our fieldwork in northern Laos resulted in the discovery of a Philautus species that very closely resembles P. abditus, but is at least 330 km from the nearest known locality of that species. The Laos population differs from P. abditus […]
A new Philautus (Amphibia: Rhacophoridae) from northern Laos
A new Philautus is described from Phou Dendin National Biodiversity Conservation Area in northern Laos. Philautus petilus sp. nov. is most remarkable by having a very slender, elongate habitus. Other distinguishing characteristics include having a tympanum diameter 80% of the eye diameter, white asperities on the dorsum, and distinctive coloration consisting of a soft yellow-beige […]
Ecology and Natural History of the Knobby Newt Tylototriton podichthys (Caudata: Salamandridae) in Laos
Almost nothing is known on the ecology and natural history of Tylototriton (Knobby Newts) in Laos. Here, a population of the newly described T. podichthys was intensively studied in a 55,800 m2 area in Xiengkhouang Province, Laos, from June 2012–July 2013. Mark-recapture methods estimated 301 individuals of T. podichthys at the study site. Newts were […]
NAFRI Research Report: Farmers’ access to credit in the Lao PDR
The agricultural sector plays an important role in the development of the Lao PDR. In 2017, the growth rate of GDP was 6.9%. The growth rate of the agricultural sector increased by 2.9% contributing to 17.7% of the country’s GDP. In addition, the agriculture sector contributed to 60.8% of total employment. The financial sector largely […]
New records of ferns in the flora of Laos
Fieldwork in Lao PDR during 2007-2008 resulted in the discovery of 15 unrecorded fern species among the flora of Lao PDR. All have been identified in other countries in southeastern Asia, as well as from other tropical areas. The species are as follows: Asplenicaceae (Asplenium delavayi, A. rockier), Athyriaceae (Anisocampium cuspidatum), Dennstaedtiaceae (Microlepia hookeriana, Pteridium […]