Doi Suthep–Pui National Park (Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติดอยสุเทพ-ปุย) is a national park located in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. It includes Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a Buddhist temple, and Bhubing Palace, which is the winter residence of the Thai royal family. The park is a protected area that helps preserve plants, animals, and their natural habitats.
History
The area was previously called Doi Aoi Chang. The name Doi Suthep comes from a hermit named Prarusiwa Suthep, who lived in the local forest. In 1973, the Royal Forest Department suggested that this forest and 13 others be made into national parks. It became Thailand's 24th national park when it was officially established on April 14, 1981. Today, it covers 160,812 rai, or about 257 square kilometers (99 square miles) of land.
Geography and climate
The mountainous area is part of the Thanon Thong Chai Range. The three main peaks are Doi Suthep, Doi Buak Ha, and Doi Pui, with Doi Pui being the highest at 1,685 metres (5,528 ft). The climate is cool, and average temperatures range from 20 to 23 °C (68 to 73 °F). Winter temperatures can drop as low as 6 °C (43 °F). The rainy season occurs in late summer, when it rains almost every day.
Flora
More than 2,000 species of vascular plants have been recorded in the national park.
The park has forests. Evergreen forests grow above 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), and deciduous forests grow below. Mixed forests with both evergreen and deciduous trees are found in gullies and along streams. Common trees include oaks, dipterocarps, and trees from the magnolia family. There are many waterfalls in the park.
The forests are divided into two main types. Deciduous forests are found up to about 900-1,000 meters above sea level. Lower montane evergreen forests begin at about 900-1,000 meters above sea level.
The dipterocarp deciduous forest is mainly made up of Dipterocarpus tuberculatus, Dipterocarpus obtusifolius, Shorea siamensis, and Shorea obtusa. The oak species Quercus kerrii also grows in this forest. Other important non-dipterocarp trees in the deciduous forest include Pterocarpus macrocarpus, Xylia xylocarpa, Terminalia mucronata, Terminalia alata, and Vitex peduncularis.
The pine tree Pinus kesiya is found at higher elevations.
The montane evergreen forest is mainly made up of Schima wallichii, Castanopsis acuminatissima, Castanopsis tribuloides, Magnolia baillonii, and Magnolia garrettii, among other tree species. Tectona grandis and Cassia fistula were once common but are now less common because of logging over many years.
The park has many types of fungi, some of which may not yet be described or were recently discovered.
Fungi in the park mostly belong to the families Boletaceae, Agaricaceae, and Russulaceae. A 2007 survey found 30 species of ascomycetes and 228 species of basidiomycetes in the forests around Chiang Mai city.
Different fungi species and groups are found in different areas:
- dry dipterocarp forests: Russula, Boletus, and Amanita
- wet dipterocarp forests: Amanita, Lactarius, and Russula
- pine forests: Lactarius and Amanita
- oak forests: Russula, Lactarius, Amanita, and Boletus
Mushrooms from the genera Astraeus, Heimiella, Pterygellus, and Mycoamaranthus are also found in the park.
Many wild fungi species are collected by people for food. Mushrooms are often gathered from the forest floor of dipterocarp forests during the rainy season, from June to October. Examples include:
However, it is important to be careful when collecting mushrooms to avoid eating poisonous species, such as Amanita exitialis, Amanita fuliginea, Amanita fuligineoides, Amanita cf. virgineoides, Cantharocybe cf. gruberi, Chlorophyllum globosum, Chlorophyllum molybdites, Clitocybe sp., Coprinopsis lagopus, Entoloma cf. caespitosum, Entoloma cf. subclitocyboides, Inocybe sp., Megacollybia cf. fallax, Panaeolus cyanescens, Russula emetica, Amanita gleocystidiosa, Cantharocybe virosa, and other poisonous species in the genera Entoloma, Lactarius, and Tricholoma.
Fauna
The park is home to many different animals. Among them is the crocodile salamander (Tylototriton verrucosus). Mammals in the park include the common muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak) and wild boar (Sus scrofa). Over 300 bird species have been recorded in the area, such as pheasants, eagles, parrots, bulbuls, and minivets.
Small mammals in the lower montane evergreen forest include the ferret-badger (Melogale personata), ground squirrel (Menetes berdmorei), noisy rat (Leopoldamys sabanus), and lesser short-nosed fruit bat (Cynopterus brachyotis). Small mammals in the deciduous forest include the common tree shrew (Tupaia glis), Burmese striped squirrel (Tamiops mcclellandii), belly-banded squirrel (Callosciurus flavimanus), white-bellied flying squirrel (Petinomys setosus), chestnut white-bellied rat (Niviventer fulvescens), yellow rajah rat (Maxomys surifer), root rat (Rattus rattus), and dark-tailed subspecies of Bower's white-toothed rat (Berylmys bowersi bowersi).
Mammals that eat fruit in the park include Pallas's squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus), red-cheeked squirrel (Dremomys rufigenis), Phayre's flying squirrel (Hylopetes phayrei), Burmese striped squirrel (Tamiops mcclellandii), northern treeshrew (Tupaia belangeri), common palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), masked palm civet (Paguma larvata), and northern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca leonina).
Other small mammals in the park include Rattus tanezumi, Rattus exulans, Rhizomys pruinosus, Hylomys suillus, and Crocidura vorax.
Birds that eat fruit include the black-crested bulbul (Pycnonotus flaviventris), mountain bulbul (Ixos mcclellandii), puff-throated bulbul (Alophoixus pallidus), and ashy bulbul (Hemixos flavala).
In the Monthathan Waterfall area, bird species are found in different parts of the forest:
– Top canopy: red-billed blue magpie (Urocissa erythroryncha), Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius), coppersmith barbet (Psilopogon haemacephalus), great barbet (Psilopogon virens), rosy minivet (Pericrocotus roseus), and Asian paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi)
– Middle canopy: bronzed drongo (Dicrurus aeneus), golden-fronted leafbird (Chloropsis aurifrons), red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus), sooty-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus aurigaster), black-crested bulbul (Rubigula flaviventris), ashy woodswallow (Artamus fuscus), and little green bee-eater (Merops orientalis)
– Lower canopy: white-crested laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus), lesser necklaced laughingthrush (Garrulax monileger), emerald dove (Chalcophaps indica), blue whistling thrush (Myophonus caeruleus), scaly-breasted partridge (Tropicoperdix chloropus), grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea), and white wagtail (Motacilla alba)
Reptiles in the park include Platysternon megacephalum, Calotes emma alticristata, Pseudocalotes kakhienensis, Pseudocalotes microlepis, Gekko gecko, Ptychozoon kaengkrachanense, Tropidophorus thai, and the recently described gecko species Cyrtodactylus doisuthep. Other reptiles found in the park are the Rough-bellied Mountain Dragon (Acanthosaura lepidogaster), Green Keelback (Rhabdophis nigrocinctus), Reeve's Smooth Skink (Scincella reevesii), Assam Mountain Snake (Plagiopholis nuchalis), Berdmore's Water Skink (Tropidophorus berdmorei), Speckled Forest Skink (Eutropis macularia), Khasi Hills Keelback (Hebius khasiense), Burmese False Bloodsucker (Pseudocalotes microlepis), Sphenomorphus spp., and Scincella spp.
Reptile and amphibian species change based on elevation. Frogs that live in mountain streams include Amolops marmoratus, Limnonectes taylori, Sylvirana nigrovittata, and Odorrana chloronota. The Doi Suthep caecilian (Ichthyophis youngorum) is named after Doi Suthep. The Dwarf Bush Frog (Philautus parvulus) and Limborg's Frog (Limnonectes limborgi) are also found in the park.
The park has thousands of insect species, including 561 types of butterflies.