Phu Pha Taem

Phu Pha Hom

Phu Wat

Phu Sa Dok Bua

Phu Mu

         Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park has a total area of approximately 144,375 rai, or 231 square kilometers. The terrain is generally a complex mountain range consisting of many mountains. These mountain ranges are part of a large mountain range known as the Phu Phan Mountains range, elongating from the northeast to the southeast and separating the Khorat Plateau into 2 basins. The northern part is the Sakon Nakhon Basin, and the southern part is the large basin, which is the Khorat-Ubon basin. 

           Rock characteristics and tectonic changes in the past that occured within the area of Phu Sa Bua National Park, making it interesting for geological and geographical studies, especially the occurrence of the erosion of sand stones that turn into cliffs, a pothole, or a rock basin on the top of the mountain and the formation of faults. Therefore, this area has not only .become a tourist attraction but also a place to study the changes in nature.

            The internal and external changes in the Earth's crust from the past to the present formed many moutains in Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park such as Phu Mu, Phu Phaeng Ma, Phu Mai Sang, Phu Khong, Phu Akkhara-at, Phu Tafia, Phu Pha Dang, Phu Pha Hom, Phu Pong Pueai, Phu Nat, Phu Kasa, Phu Hua Nak, Phu Pha Sango, Phu Salun, Phu Tham Phra, Phu Sa Dok Bua
            These mountains are aligned to partly form the small geological structure, an anticline that resembles an overturned boat, which stretches the same direction as the Phu Phan Mountain range. This small structure is slanting to the southeast and consists of many fertile forests. In many areas there are large stone terraces, known by locals as "Dan", scattered on various mountain peaks and on the peak of Phu Sa Dok Bua Peak. There is a stone basin about 5-6 meters wide and about 2 meters deep. There are natural water lily lotuses, which are white with a pale pink tint, distributed along the basin, thus the origin of Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park.

              There is also a peak called Phu Mai Sang which is the highest peak at about 494 meters above mean sea level, and other mountain peaks have an average height of 350-450 meters above mean sea level. These areas are also the sources of many streams such as Thom Creek, Hai Creek, Tup Creek, Kan Lueang Creek, Lam Klang Creek, Khilek Creek, Hin Khua Creek, Ching Hing Creek, etc. These streams flow into the plain surrounding the national park area, the people around Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park have been using the water for consumption and agriculture since in the past.

Water Resources
             The main watershed of Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park is the Mekong River Basin. Watershed within the Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park are classified as watershed class 3, representing 43.75%, followed by watershed class 2, covering the park area accounting for 31.25 percent.

              Characteristics of canals in Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park are mostly short, flowing in the direction from the west to the east, consisting of Bang Yi Creek, Thom Creek, Hai Creek, Tup Creek, Kan Lueang Creek, Lam-Klang Creek, Khilek Creek, Hin Khong Creek, Ching Hing Creek, etc., which originate from the Mekong River.

              Another important surface water sources in the vicinity of Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park are the Huai Hin Kho Reservoir, Huai Nang Wan Reservoir, Huai Khilek Reservoir (Ban Phu Pha Hom), Huai Kan Lueang Reservoir, Huai Khilek Reservoir (Khan Dan Mon), Huai Wang Tao Reservoir, Huai Ka Lom Reservoir, Huai Sabaek Reservoir, Huai Kaeng Wa Reservoir, etc.

Climate characteristics
           The climate is divided into 3 seasons: 1. Rainy season: Between May and October, there will be heavy rainfall in August. 2. Winter: During November - January, the lowest temperature. in December 3. Summer: Between February - April, the highest temperature in March.

Flora and Wildlife in Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park consists of
         1. Deciduous Dipterocarp Forest in Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park is a plant community that covers the most area, or about 90 percent of the area. It covers the relatively shallow, sandy or mixed with rocks or grows in areas where a later tic-zone appears close to the soil surface. This plant community is found in relatively flat areas and/or where rocks appear on the surface and forest fires occur every year. The canopy structure on the vertical side has 2 characteristics. The canopy can be divided into 3 layers. The top canopy is about 15-25 meters high. The prominent trees in the community are Burma Sal, and other mixed trees such as Shorea roxburghii, Syzygium cumini, Parinari anamense Hance and Burma Padauk. The height is between 5-14 meters, consisting of medium-sized trees. The important types of plants are Careya sphaerica, Millettia leucantha Kurz., Catunaregam tomentosa , Dillenia ovata Wall., Pentaptera tomentosa and Dipterocarpus obtusifolius.

         2. Mixed deciduous forest is found in the central area and along the southern part of the area and the northwestern slope. The canopy can be divided into 3 layers. The top canopy is about 18-30 meters in height, and the main species of the canopy include Xylia xylocarpa , Lagerstroemia duperreana, Burma Padauk, Millettia leucantha., Dillenia obovata, Schleichera oleosa, Albizia odoratissima and Cratoxylum cochinchinense. so on. The secondary canopy has a height of about 8
-17 meters. The prominent plants are Homalium tomentosum., Vitex quinata, Terminalia calamansanay, Dalbergia oliveri, Eriolaena candollei., Cassia fistula, Spondias cytherea, Haldina cordifolia., Wrightia arborea, etc. In addition, the mixed deciduous forest is also an important source of bamboo species that appear everywhere including Arundo hexandra and Gigantochloa albociliata.

         3. The Dry Forest (Dry Evegreen Forest) is found in the central area and the lower area, but it is only a small patch because the soil is quite deep and holds moisture well enough. The structure is divided into 3 layers. The top canopy is about 20-40 meters high. The important plants in this canopy are Anisoptera costata (Mesawa), Dipterocarpus, Parinari anamense , and Nephelium hypoleucum. The secondary canopy has a height of about 18 meters. It is quite dense, the contiguous canopy of trees can be seen from above. The important plants in this class are Polyalthia viridis, Microcos tomentosa Smith., Indigofera sootepensis ., Diospyros filipendula, Memecylon caeruleum., Shorea roxburghii, Croton oblongifolius Roxb., Irvingia malayana, etc. The layer of small plants and shrubs is more than 8 meters in height, quite densely, mixed with the juveniles of the secondary and upper trees. The most common are Rothmannia wittii (Craib.) Bremek., Indigofera lacei, and Roman Iron Wood. The undergrowth layer consists of various types of seedlings; the layer is dense mixed with many types of herbaceous plants, especially plants in the family of Zingiberaceae, Rubiaceae, Apocynaceae , Annonaceae and, etc.

         4.Secondary Forest is formed after the area had been disturbed in the past (secondary forest) and the area is in the stage of the replacement (Successional Stage) at several levels. The variations in plant communities depend on the degree of severity of destruction, the time the areas were abandoned, and the conditions of the previous forest communities that existed before being destroyed.

         5. Wildlife Because Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park is a new national park and there are many communities located both inside and outside the park boundaries. In addition, most of the forest is a sparse deciduous dipterocarp forest in which wildlife is seldom seen except Burmese hares, monkeys, squirrels, and various birds. It is assumed that large animals may have migrated to the area of Phu Pha Thoep National Park or were hunted to extinction. According to the survey of diversity of wildlife species, in it was found that wild animals consisting of mammals hat can be seen directly such as Treeshrew, Colugos, Burmese Hares, Indochinese ground squirrel, etc. Animals that only their traces are found are wild boars and barking deer, Birds are a fairly common group of animals that can be seen all over the area. They are mostly the birds that habitat in the Deciduous dipterocarp forest and mixed forest, five species of birds are found such as Bubulcus ibis, Greater Coucal., Black-winged Kite, Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Red Junglefowl, Common kingfishers, Tree Sparrow, Common Myna, Asian Barred Owlet, etc.

        6. Reptiles found are Monocled cobras, Indochinese Rat Snake, Golden Tree snakes, House Gecko, Forest Crested lizards, Bronze grass skinks, Bengal monitor lizards, Varanus bengalensis and Common Forest skinks, and etc.

          7. Fish: There is no survey of fish species in forest streams and streams with water all year round yet but it is believed that there are some kinds of fish in the area, especially around large creeks, including catfish, snakehead fish, ,
Blackline rasbora, Sheatfish, Longfinned mystus, scallops, Hemibagrus nemurus, eels.

          8. Amphibians are found by light at night, for example, frogs, bullfrogs, and tortoises.

      9. Forest insects are diurnal butterflies. It is another area with a great diversity of butterflies, which are still abundant. In addition, these insects can be found around the creeks with waterlogged or open areas such as Lemon Emigrant and Giant Moth. In addition, the kind of forest insects that are very beautiful and are found in large numbers during the rainy season in the deciduous dipterocarp forest are Sternocera ruficomisand Sternocera aequisignata with more Sternocera ruficomis are found more.

         10. Cultural and historical resources in the area of Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park. Most of the people are ethnic people of Phu Tai, Kha, Ka Loeng, and Thai Isan tribes, each with different lifestyles. Their economy largely depends on natural resources and the environment.