Evaluation of current situation of melaleuca forest in the U Minh Ha national park, Vietnam under the situation of climate change and proposed solutions for conservation and sustainable development

U Minh Ha National Park (UMHNP) is one of the important biosphere reserves in Viet Nam, this park still has a pristine ecosystem like natural melaleuca forest on peatland in the core zone of UMHNP. Melaleuca forest is not only economic revenue for native people but also the habitat for all the species in UMHNP. However, facing to current climate change and fire prevention of UMHNP has made the growth of melaleuca forest get some negative effects. Melaleuca cajuput can grow in a wetland if the depth of water is not high and waterlogged duration is not last long. If the water depth is over 50 cm and waterlogged duration is more than 5-6 months the roots of this land will be damaged. Currently under the condition of climate change, in the dry season, the high temperature and prolonged heat make the herbaceous and liana vegetation die and form burning materials. Unevenly distributed rainfall combined with prolonged heat increases the risk of forest fire, especially in the last months of the dry season. To prevent forest fires, the U Minh Ha national management board always maintains high water levels in canals, maintaining high water levels for a long time reducing the risk of forest fire but also makes peat land dilated leads to the fallen of Melaleuca trees. At the same time, at the beginning of the rainy season, heavy local rainfall led to the phenomenon of alum in this area. This research has shown the current state of U Minh Ha National Park under climate change status and proposed some measures to help Melaleuca forest grows sustainably.