Principal Forest Types of Three Regions of Cambodia: Kampong Thom, Kratie, and Mondolkiri

We enumerated all trees 10 cm or more in DBH with respect to DBH, height, and species identity in 29 circular plots of 20-m radius from Kampong Thom, Kratie, and Mondolkiri Provinces, Cambodia. The composition data were analyzed using cluster analysis with group-averaging protocol, and Sorensen’s similarity index based on basal area data and the resulting clusters were also described with respect to height structure and indicator species. We found four main clusters corresponding to traditional qualitative forest types known as evergreen forest, deciduous forest, hill evergreen forest, and swamp forest. The evergreen cluster was further divided into two stand types of dry evergreen forest and two stand types of secondary evergreen forest. The deciduous forest cluster was divided into three stand types of deciduous dipterocarp forest and a mixed deciduous forest. We describe the correspondence between the forest stand types of our study and the many regional names previously used for the different forest types in varying classification systems. Some of the stand types, for example, an evergreen forest overtopped by deciduous dipterocarp (Dipterocarpus intricatus) or by a pine (Pinus merksii), and a D. obtusifolius stand on seasonally waterlogged habitat, seemed to be unique in Cambodia. The application of this method and the needs of regional forest mapping are discussed.