Plant diversity, flora and vegetation of Hin Nam No Protected Area

The book provides data on inventory of plant diversity, flora and vegetation of Hin Nam No National Protected Area (Lao PDR). Obtained data are based on studies of local floras, both in sandstone and karstic limestone. The monograph includes - brief characteristic of physical geography, climate and geomorphology, description of vegetation, vegetation map and comparative characteristic of the flora, as well as the annotated list of all observed plant species; the list of all species reported for the area and illustrations for all studied species. Presented data are documented by 1100 collected herbarium specimens available on-line. Being combined with previously available data studied flora includes 175 families, 755 genera and 1519 species of vascular plants. Twenty species and one variety are described and illustrated as a new for science. The studied region is identified as particularly rich both in endemic, and in widespread plants. The high diversity of vegetation and habitats effectively support high level of natural plant diversity of aboriginal flora, which can contain at least 2500-3000 native species.