Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cambodia has some of the last remaining freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins (
trey pisaut
in
Khmer), instantly identifiable thanks to their bulging forehead and short beak. Viewing
them at Kampi is a popular activity.
In terms of fish biodiversity, the Mekong is second only to the Amazon, but dam pro-
jects threaten migratory species. The Mekong giant catfish, which can weigh up to 300kg,
is critically endangered due to habitat loss and overfishing.
The following environmental groups are staffed in Cambodia, mainly by Khmers, and
are playing leading roles in protecting Cambodia's wildlife:
Conservation International
(
www.conservation.org
)
Fauna & Flora International
(
www.fauna-flora.org
)
Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation
(
www.mjpasia.org
)
Wildlife Alliance
(WildAid;
www.wildlifealliance.org
)
Wildlife Conservation Society
(
www.wcs.org
)
WWF
(
www.worldwildlife.org
)
Plants
No one knows how many plant species are present in Cambodia because no comprehens-
ive survey has ever been conducted, but it's estimated that the country is home to 15,000
species, at least a third of them endemic.
In the southwest, rainforests grow to heights of 50m or more on the rainy southern
slopes of the mountains, with montane (pine) forests in cooler climes above 800m and
mangrove forests fringing the coast. In the northern mountains there are broadleaved ever-
green forests, with trees soaring 30m above a thick undergrowth of vines, bamboos, palms
and assorted woody and herbaceous ground plants. The northern plains support dry dip-
terocarp forests, while around the Tonlé Sap there are flooded (seasonally inundated)
forests. The Eastern Highlands are covered with deciduous forests and grassland. Forested
upland areas support many varieties of orchid.
The sugar palm, often seen towering over rice fields, provides fronds to make roofs and
walls for houses, and fruit that's used to produce medicine, wine and vinegar. Sugar palms
grow taller over the years, but their barkless trunks don't get any thicker, hence they retain
shrapnel marks from every battle that has ever raged around them.
