Vietnam: IBSS Scientists Conduct Landscape-Ecological Research in Ma Da Forest

A group of scientists from the A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas (IBSS) of the Russian Academy of Sciences has completed the first expedition phase to study the ecological status of landscapes in Central and Southern Vietnam. The team successfully carried out planned research activities in key areas of the plain landscapes within the Ma Da forest.

From March 12, 2025, researchers worked in the unique preserved tropical forest area, surveying five sites and collecting nearly 100 soil, vegetation, and water samples from the Dong Nai River. They also described the structure of plant communities and landscape components.

“The research sites are located in forest areas with complex cenotic structures and high biodiversity. To study changes in biogeochemical cycles within ecosystems affected by anthropogenic activities, we also collected samples from agro-landscapes that have replaced the forest, such as cashew plantations. Together with our Vietnamese colleagues, we conducted aerial photography using drones to map the canopy relief of the tropical forest and deforested areas,” reported Polina Drygval, a junior researcher at the Laboratory of Landscape Ecology and Geomatics at IBSS, who participated in the expedition.

“Additionally, staff from the Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Centre organized a cultural program for us, including a tour of the Indochina War memorial, which allowed us to immerse ourselves in the historical past of the region and understand the cultural-historical significance of the area under study,” she added.

The expedition includes three specialists from the Laboratory of Landscape Ecology and Geomatics at IBSS: senior researcher Ekaterina Kashirina, junior researchers Polina Drygval and Nastasya Lineva. They are joined by Andrey Kuznetsov, the general co-director of the Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Centre, and Svetlana Kuznetsova, the leading engineer of the Tropical Centre, along with researchers from the Institute of Tropical Ecology. The next phase of research will take place in Cat Tien National Park.

Background:

- The expedition is part of a five-year research programme by scientists from the A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas and the Institute of Tropical Ecology of the Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Centre. The theme is “Studying the Functioning and Dynamics of Landscapes in Central and Southern Vietnam under Anthropogenic Pressure and Climate Change to Develop Scientific Basis for Their Rational Use.”

- Project leaders: Roman Gorbunov, Director of IBSS (Russia), and Professor Nguyen Dang Hoi, Director of the Institute of Tropical Ecology (Vietnam).