General
Information of Phu Kradueng National Park
Phu Kradueng National
Park, situated in Si Than Sub-district,
Phu Kradueng District, Loei Province, has
been designated as the 2nd national park of
Thailand on November, 23, 1962. It covers
an area of 348.12 Kilometers (217,575 rai)
with 60 Kilometers (37,500 rai) of plateau
on the top of mountain.
 The
elevation of Phu Kradueng is between
400-1,200 meters with the summit point of
1,316 meters at Khok Moei. In general, Phu
Kradueng is the sandstone mountain consisting
of an abundance of flora and fauna and the
fullness of cliffs, savanna, streams and waterfalls
other than that it is still the head watershed
of Lam Nam Phong River which is one
lf the most important rivers in Northeastern
Thailand.
According to its high elevation and climatic
condition, the weather on the mountaintop
is cool all year round. Sometimes, in the
winter. temperature may drop to freezing point.
So, it is the most incentive to visitors who
would like to be the Phu Kradueng conqueror
at least once of their life.
Topography
of Phu Kradueng
Phu Kradung
is a sandstone mountain with a vast plateau
on top, surrounded by smaller hills. The highest
peak is 1,316m above sea level. It is the
watershed for the Pong River, which feeds
the reservoir of Ubonrat Dam and Nong Wai
Dam in Khon Kaen Province. The plateau of
Phu Kradung is composed of pine forest and
grassland, which have a variety of flowers,
creeks, waterfalls and rocky fields. These
features make in the park most pleasant.
Climate
of Phu Kradueng
Phu Kradung is a cool
and comfortable all year round. The average
temperature is 15 degrees celsius. In the
cool season, temperatures of the coldest nights
reaches feezing. In the rainy season, the
weather can change quicky. Fog and low clouds
tend to hang low over the landscape. Cliffs
may collapse under their own weight after
the soil which underlies the sandstone cap
is eroded by heavy rain. Heavy rains can also
cause flash floods in the streams which run
down the mountain. Thus, the park will be
closed during June and September every year
for visitors safety and forest recovering.
Flora
and Fauna
 Phu
Kradung has
a variety of forest types including dry dipterocarp,
mixed deciduous, hill evergreen,
and pine. Dominant tree species are
Siamese sal (Shorea obtusa), Shorea siamensis,
Diospyros spp., Lagerstroemia spp., Podocarpis
nerriifolius, maple, Pinus murkusii, and Pinus
kesiya. The grass fields support a variety
of flowers, such as Hydrocera triflora, Torenia
fournieri and marigolds. These flowers bloom
at different times of the year. Some grows
well in the rocky fields including Dendrobium
sp. Close to the ground are ferns, mosses,
and Serissa sp. Which is an abundant and beautiful
moss. Phu Kradung, with its variety
of forest types and vegetation, provides abundant
food for wildlife community, including elephants,
bears, sambar deer, barking
deer, serong, squirrel,
fox a nd wild dogs. Birds include
White-rumped Shama, Black Eagle,
Silver Pheasant, Red-wattled Lapwing,
Chinese Francolin, and minivets.
There is one rare species of turtle called
"Tao Poo Loo" or "Tao
Hang" which has a long tail and lives
in high elevations along streams in the forests.
It can also be found in Cambodia and Lao PDR.
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