Location
M-TROPICS/MSEC is the network of three agricultural headwater catchments representative of the sloping lands of South-East Asia (Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam). It was launched in 1998, and started collecting data since 2000 on climate, land use, agricultural practices, stream discharge, suspended and bedload sediment yields.
The 60 ha Houay Pano catchment is located in northern Lao PDR, in the mountainous region of Luang Prabang, which mostly consists of hills with very steep slopes (8% of the land with slope gradient exceeding 55%). The flat and gently slope (0 to 2%) represents less than 1% of the area and is located in the valleys. Elevation ranges from 290 to 2257 m above sea level.
Houay Pano stands near the village named ‘Lak Sip’, about 10 km south-east of Luang Prabang city, along the National Road 13 and 400 km North from Vientiane.
Land use change: switch from crop (Job’s tears, maize, upland rice) to teak plantation.
