Two New Endangered Tree Species Discovered In Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary

Two New Endangered Tree Species Discovered In Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary

Two new endangered species of tree have been discovered in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in the northeastern part of Cambodia, according to a press release of WCS Cambodia made public on Nov. 17.

Researchers from Japan, working with Cambodian Forestry Administration officials, have discovered and named two new species from the protected area: Machilus cambodiana, named after Cambodia, and Machilus seimensis, named after Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, it pointed out.

Although not formally assessed by on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the authors believe both species to be Endangered, as they are restricted to evergreen forest, and few individual trees were found during their survey, it added.

Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary (KSWS) is known to be home to more than 260 plant and tree species, 20 of which are globally Threatened with extinction, and 53 of which are classed by the Forestry Administration as Luxury, or Grade 1, 2, or 3, said the same source.

The authors also described new species from Bokor National Park, Kampot province, and Central Cardamom Wildlife Sanctuary, continued the press release, stressing that specimens of all the new species are stored at the Forestry Administration herbarium. AKP