Habitats
Forest: The jungle of Khao Yai National Park consists of various types of forest.
The Khao Yai JungleThe high humidity areas are tropical rain forest and hilly evergreen forest (mostly above 1,000 meters). This high density jungle covers more than 70% of the park.
The lower humidity areas are dry evergreen forest and dry deciduous forest. They are mostly on the lower slopes of Khao Yai. There is also thinner savannah forest around the grassland areas.
This wide variety of forest creates an incredible diversity of plants (more than 2000 recognised species) within the park. There are soaring trees swathed in moss and climbers. There are creepers, jungle flowers, bamboos, ferns, rattan palms, multicoloured lichens and an array of fungiis.
The high humidity levels of an evergreen forest stimulate a high density and diversity of plants and trees. Pristine forest areas have a clearly defined layering of vegetation that accommodates many different types of plants. Available space is shared by various plant and tree types, each having adapted to survive in its own portion of sunlight.
View of grassland from Nong Pak Chi Observation Tower. The scoured earth area is a salt lick.Grassland: The grassland provides an important grazing habitat for herbivores like deer and gaur. The park rangers have done an annual burn every summer for more than 50 years to prevent the jungle from reclaiming the grassland and to promote re-growth of the grass. These are the easiest areas to view wildlife.
Salt Licks: The salt licks are scoured areas of earth containing high salt levels that the herbivores like to lick. Some of these are naturally occurring and were dug out by the elephants. Others were created by the park rangers who replenish the salt levels every year. They attract the herbivores and may also occasionally attract the carnivores that hunt them.