Flora & Fauna

Thailand’s Biodiversity

Thailand has a staggering degree of biodiversity from north to south. The country’s variation in rainfall across its regions means that it once boasted one of the most diverse collections of plant and animal species in world! However, it is no secret that over the past 50 years Thailand has lost a large percentage of its forest to deforestation, through logging, intensive farming methods, and a lack of regulation and management. A consequence of this is that many of Thailand’s once flourishing indigenous animal species are on the endangered list, with fragile ecosystems also under threat.

The mountainous regions of the north offer some of the best preserved natural habitats in the country, especially for bird lovers. Tropical mountains typically sustain a particularly wide range of bird species as the temperature variations from bottom to top are usually so dramatic. Birds will be more comfortable remaining at certain altitudes according to the temperature and it is said that Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest peak at 2,565 metres above sea level (8,415 feet), supports in excess of 300 different bird species.

As the dry dipterocarp forests are not as dense as the wetter forests to the south a large number of large mammals once roamed across the whole noorthern region, although it is rare to see any such animals nowadays. The Goral and Serow, locally known as the ‘Angel Horse, are a sort of goat-antelope and possibly one of the largest wild mammals still to be found in the forested regions of the north. One intrepid and patient explorer managed to get some fascinating photographs and video footage of this shy and elusive animal on Doi Inthanon. See here.