Plant composition and economic potential on the foredunes of the nearshore islands from Vietnam

Abstract

Foredune flora in coastal regions is a vital transitional zone, connecting salt-tolerant species from mangrove ecosystems to drought-resistant species less influenced by salinity. This study presents a comprehensive checklist of flora found on the foredunes of nearshore islands in Vietnam based on extensive field surveys. The checklist encompasses the following aspects: (1) species composition, (2) life forms, (3) habitat, and (4) economic potential. The species composition comprises 56 families, 136 genera, and 154 species. The families with the highest species diversity are Asteraceae (10.22%), Fabaceae (9.49%), Malvaceae (8.03%), Poaceae (6.57%), Rubiaceae (5.84%), and Apocynaceae (4.38%). Notably, 30 families are each represented by a single genus, collectively constituting 21.9% of the total genera. In terms of life forms, shrubs dominate the region (38.96%), followed by herbaceous plants (24.68%), woody plants (20.78%), and creeping plants (8.44%). Regarding economic potential, 80 species (51.95%) are utilized for medicinal purposes, 19 species (12.34%) for food, seven species (4.55%) for ornamental purposes, and two species (1.3%) for other uses. These plant species demonstrate substantial potential for enhancing the salt tolerance of conventional crops through breeding initiatives.