Pak Sane and Pak Sa Marshes
Location:
18°23'N, 103°45'E; on the north bank of the Mekong, east of Pak Sane town, 125 km ENE of Vientiane, Vientiane Province.
Area:
6,000 ha.
Altitude:
150m.
Biogeographical Province:
4.10.4.
Wetland type:
15.
Description of site:
Three areas of permanent marsh in shallow depressions along the Nam Bung,Nam Kadan and Nam Sa rivers, small tributaries of the Mekong between Pak Sane and Sayphon Ngou. The marshes are flooded by intrusion and backwater effects of the Mekong River through the three river mouths, and by overtopping of the Mekong dike in extreme floods (August and September).
Climatic conditions:
Tropical monsoonal climate with an average annual rainfall of about 3,000 mm and a short dry season from December to February.
Principal vegetation:
Marsh vegetation with some scrub; rice paddies in surrounding areas.
Land tenure:
No information.
Conservation measures taken:
No legal protection. Logging on the islands is subject to concession.
Conservation measures proposed:
No information.
Land use:
Some rice cultivation in surrounding areas. The three basins are thinly populated.
Possible Changes in Land use:
The possibilities for flood control and drainage for agricultural purposes have been investigated and found to be marginal at present (Mekong Committee, 1980). However, reclamation of the marshes will be given priority after construction of the Pa Mong Dam and regulation of the Mekong River.
Disturbances and threats:
No information.
Economic and social values:
No information.
Fauna:
No information is available on the wetland fauna. The region is known to have been rich in wildlife in the past, supporting a species of rhinoceros (until 1959) and Banteng Bos javanicus.
Special floral values:
No information.
Research and facilities:
No recent studies have been carried Out. Sayer (1983a) identified the site as an area in urgent need of further wildlife surveys.
References:
Mekong Committee (1980); Sayer (1983a).
Criteria for Inclusion:
0.
Source:
See references.