User:Seligne/Tham Pha Thai National Park

Tham Pha Thai National Park

Tham Pha Thai National Park occupies parts of Mueang Lampang District, Jae Hom District, and Ngao District of Lampang Province, Thailand. The topography of the park consists of high mountains, abundant timber forests and mixed deciduous forests, as well as teak plantations. The park is the home to a large number of wild animals. Major tourist attractions include Tham Pha Thai, Lom Phukeaw, Kewlom Reservoir, Tham-okroo, Huay Maepreung. There are many small-sized waterfalls all over the park, as well as the Young Elephant Training Center, a tourist attraction of the Forest Industry Organization. The park occupies approximately 1,285 km2 (802,436 rai).

Geography
The topography of the park consist of high mountains, mixed forests, teak plantations, and reclaimed areas. Major mountaintops include Doi Kewlom (1,202 m), Doi Sanklang (1,022 m), and Doi Phahuad (975 m). Most areas are timber forests and mixed forests. Doi Luang (1,100 m) is in the southern part of the park. Major agricultural sites are found in the eastern part of the park. In the western part of the National Park, most of the areas are timber forests. Gullies and streams in the western part of the National Park flow into Wang River. Most of the gullies and streams in the eastern part of the park flow into the Ngao River.

Climate
It is hot in summer (March-May) and the wind blows from the southwest. In the rainy season (May-October), it rains consistently and sometimes there are heavy storms and the wind blows from the southwest. In winter (November-February), it is cold at night and the area is generally covered with fog in the morning. The cold wind blows from the northeast.

Flora and fauna
Since the topography of the park consists of high mountains, there are various kinds of forests within the area of the National Park, including dense or leafy forests and arid, evergreen forests. Major plants include Malabar ironwood, rubber trees, Lithocarpus cantleyanus (Kor), Indian mahogany, Cinnamon, Gonocaryum lobbianum. Leafy forests include mixed deciduous forests, timber forests. And major plants found in the forests include Leguminosae (Pradoo), Afzelia xylocarpa Roxb (Maka Mong), Xyliaxylocarpa (redwood plants), Lannea coromandelica (Oay Chang), Dalbergia oliveri Gamble (Ching Chan), different kinds of bamboo, Mitragyna diversi Folia (Toom Gwow), Hymenodictyon excelsum (U-lok), Combretum quadrangulare (Sa-gae), Bermuda grass.

Wild animals found in the park include gaur, wild boars, monkeys, porcupines, moles, masked palm civets, bamboo rats, wild rabbits, different kinds of birds, reptiles such as ground lizards, chameleons, wild geckos, different kinds of snakes, and amphibians such as frogs, small green frogs, bullfrogs, toads, and different kinds of fish.