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AA BulletinBulletin SupportingSupporting PlantPlant andand AnimalAnimal ConserConservationvation inin MalaysiaMalaysia Issue No. 1/2005 Expedition Botanists explore core of -Rompin In 2002, the Selai Endau-Rompin National Park was the site of a scientific expedition, with FRIM botanists collecting specimens to generate a checklist of higher . This core area and hitherto inaccessible part of ’s famed park is among the world’s oldest lowland tropical rainforests

By Dr Richard Chung ([email protected]), Dr Saw Leng Guan, Sam Yen Yen and Kamarudin Saleh

Photos by Dr Saw Leng Guan and Sam Yen Yen Dr Richard Chung elai Endau-Rompin National Park (commonly referred to The Selai and as just Selai) is the western gateway to Johor’s famed the Kemidak Snational park. Located in the district of with a re its main as its nearest town, it constitutes the core area of rivers. Endau-Rompin with large parts of the park pre v i o u s l y The Sungai New vista... At the Selai inaccessible to the public. Selai area was Endau-Rompin National Park in Johor Rugged and mountainous Selai with Gunung Tiong as its chosen as the highest peak, encompasses about two thirds (about 48,905 site of the Second Scientific Expedition 2002 by the Johor ha) of the total area of the national park. It is among the oldest National Parks Corporation. lowland tropical rainforests in the world, with rock formations In August of that year, 10 members from the Botany Unit in parts of the park dating back to more than 260 million years. More overleaf

1 2 1. Pink durians (Durio sp. nov.)... The flesh of these unusually hued durians is appealing white, but tasteless

2. Fruit pillar... Towering higher than a man are these fruits of Calamus sp.

3. Earthy bloom... 5 Orchidantha maxillarioides, a strange flower pollinated by dung beetles and the only species commonly grown in European greenhouses

4. Translucent beauty... 3 4 Boesenbergia plicata var. plicata is a tufted herb endemic to the peninsula 6 5. Rattle stick... Ants on the ocrea of Korthalsia hispida when threatened bang against extended sheaths of this palm to give out an eerie sound

6. Princely honour... Henckelia tunkui was named in honour of Tunku Abdul 8 Rahaman Putra Al-haj, the patron of the Malaysian Heritage and Scientific Expedition to Endau-Rompin 7 7. Palm blinds... Rhopaloblaste singaporensis is endemic to the southern peninsula and extinct in Singapore

8. Blood red... Inflorescence of Zingiber sp. Help spread the fervour Conservation of our biological diversity needs all the help it can get, and nothing short of religious zeal will do it. We hope this bulletin can do its bit to aid our cause, says FRIM Director-General Dato’ Dr Abdul Razak Mohd Ali

he idea of a FRIM is developing a Tropical Forest • A rticles to ignite and sustain Tc o n s e rv a t i o n Biodiversity Centre (TFBC) to deal with conservation awareness and interests bulletin highlighting issues and needs for re s e a rc h , among Malaysians. conservation work in c o n s e rvation management and We are starting this bulletin modestly came sustainable utilisation of components of with a four-page spread. We also about when a forest biodiversity found in the country. welcome contributors from other proposal was put to the former Ministry This bulletin is put out to serve as an institutions to use this publication as a of Primary Industries in 2001. avenue to disseminate findings and platform for the purposes stated above. The Ministry through the Ti m b e r i n f o rmation on conservation to the The three articles in this inaugural Levy fund provided a very generous public in a simple and readable form as a issue introduce some of TFBC’s activities. support of about RM5 million for the f o rum for education and public Firstly, we have an article on the work Eighth Malaysian Plan and added the awareness. done on rare Dipterocarps found in p romise of similar support for the Some areas of interest which we . Next comes a following ninth plan. hope to put out in this bulletin include: report on a very rare and threatened This project originally aimed to • F R I M ’s conservation work, herb, Heckelia primulina, a species provide the basis for a referral centre on particularly from TFBC. known only from the Klang Gates quartz botanical re s e a rch, conserv a t i o n , • National and intern a t i o n a l ridge. Finally, we have a write-up on management and sustainable utilisation conservation issues. some findings of a recent expedition to of indigenous flora of Malaysia. With • I n - s i t u and e x - s i t u c o n s e rv a t i o n the Sungai Selai area of the Endau- new developments in FRIM and the activities in Malaysia. Rompin State Park. subsequent change of our ministry from • Good conservation practices in Primary Industries to Natural Resources Malaysia. Note: Direct all contributions and queries to and Environment, the scope for such a • C o n s e rvation threats to plants, Dr Saw Leng Guan ([email protected]) centre has widened to include not just animals and habitats. plants, but all forest biological diversity. • Important and animal areas.

From cover page Botanists explore core of Endau-Rompin of Forest Research Institute Malaysia descended on the area to palembanica, Koompassia malaccensis, Sindora s p p . collect plants in order to generate a checklist of higher plants (Leguminosae); S a rcotheca griff i t h i i ( O x a l i d a c e a e ) ; found here. The checklist contained voucher and herbarium Ochanostachys amentacea (Olacaceae); Madhuca laurifolia, records. Altogether, 453 taxa of higher plants from 237 genera Palaquium spp., Payena spp. (Sapotaceae); Alstonia spp., and 74 families were recorded. Dyera costulata (Apocynaceae); Dillenia spp. (Dilleniaceae); The big-tree families in order of commonness include: B a c c a u rea reticulata, Endospermum diadenum (23 species in 7 genera), Burseraceae (11 (Euphorbiaceae); A rt o c a r p u s spp. (Moraceae); H e r i t i e r a species in 4 genera), Anacardiaceae (20 species in 12 genera), javanica and Scaphium spp. (Sterculiaceae). Leguminosae (10 species in 8 genera), Sapotaceae (8 species in Medium-sized trees or treelets common in the forest 4 genera), Olacaceae (2 species in 2 genera), Oxalidaceae (1 understorey include members of the families Annonaceae species in 1 genus), Bombacaceae (2 species in 2 genera), (Alphonsea elliptica, Cyathocalyx pruniferus, Enicosanthum Apocynaceae (3 species in 2 genera) and Sterculiaceae (6 fuscum, Mezzettia parvifolia, Polyalthia spp., Xylopia spp.), species in 3 genera). Bombacaceae (Durio sp. nov.), Combretaceae (Terminalia Of the Dipterocarpaceae family, the main species recorded citrina), Ebenaceae (Disopyros spp.), Euphorbiaceae (Aporosa w e re Anisoptera laevis, lanceolatum, spp., Baccaurea racemosa, Blumeodendron kurzii, Croton D i p t e rocarpus cornutus, D. costulatus, D. crinitus, D. a rgyratus, Drypetes pendula, Elateriospermum tapos, sublamellatus, Parashorea densiflora, Shorea acuminata, S. Pimelodendron griffithianum), Guttiferae (Calophyllum spp., c u rtisii, S. leprosula, S. macroptera, S. maxwelliana, S. G a rc i n i a spp., M e s u a spp.), Lauraceae (A c t i n o d a p h n e parviflora, S. pauciflora, Vatica bella and V. pauciflora. The macrophylla, Beilschmiedia palembanica, Cinnamomum spp., commonness of D. costulatus, D. crinitus, D. sublamellatus Litsea spp.), Myristicaceae (Horsfieldia spp., Knema spp., and 7 species of Shorea of the Red Meranti group in much of M y r i s t i c a spp.), Myrtaceae (S y z y g i u m spp.), Rubiaceae the lowland mixed dipterocarp forest lends support to its (Diplospora malaccensis, Nauclea officinalis), Sapindaceae designation as Keruing-Red Meranti forest. (N e p h e l i u m spp., Pometia pinnata, Xero s p e rm u m Other big trees of canopy or emergent size include noronhianum), Tiliaceae (Microcos latifolia, Pentace spp., C a n a r i u m spp., D c ry o d e s spp., S a n t i r i a spp., Tr i o m m a Schoutenia accre s c e n s) and Ulmaceae (Celtis rigescens, m a l a c c e n s i s (Buseraceae); B o u e a spp., C a m p n o s p e rm a Gironniera spp.). a u r i c u l a t u m v a r. wallichii, Dracontomelon dao, Gluta Palms were significant with 47 species recorded in the area. wallichii, Mangifera spp., Melanochyla spp., Parishia spp., Oncosperma horridum was probably the most common tall Swintonia spp. (Anacardiaceae); Coelostegia griffithii, Neesia palm in the area, but Arenga westerhoutii, Eugeissona tristis s y n a n d r a (Bombacaceae); Dialium platysepalum, Intsia and Iguanura wallichiana were also frequently encountered. Monitoring Rare dipterocarp mapped A project on conservation monitoring kicks off by focusing on the ver y rar e endemic species of dipteroc a r p , Hopea subalata in the Kanching Forest Reserve of Selangor. Dipterocarp, the economically-valuable family of trees, is also of keen botanic interest with its widespread species and narrow endemics

LILLIAN CHUA By Dr Lillian Chua ([email protected])

he paucity of has a mixture of widespread species and Tknowledge on narrow endemics. Malaysian plant To kick-start the project, H o p e a diversity has long subalata in the Kanching Forest Reserve been lamented. While this may not be in Selangor was chosen. This species is a t rue for certain groups of plants v e ry rare endemic (Ashton 1982, (vascular ones for example), we cannot Symington 2004) known only in this vouch the same for other groups, in reserve. p a rticular lower plants such as the It is found in Compartments 2 and bryophytes. 14 of the reserve, growing amongst the There is a checklist on the vascular g regarious kapur (D ry o b a l a n o p s plants of Peninsular Malaysia (Turner aromatica) trees on undulating land. The 1995) and there are data available from populations in these compartments are the network of ecological, growth and isolated from each other and hence yield and forest inventory plots quite discreet. The main road dividing established around the peninsula. the compartments is not believed to H o w e v e r, although comparatively influence the disjunct spatial pattern as extensive, many of the distribution- pr e-war rec o r ds did not indicate continuity Mid-air sprouts... aerial roots of Hopea subalata, a very rare endemic known only in restricted and narrowly endemic vascular between Compartments 2 and 14. Selangor’s Kanching Forest Reserve species have not been included because The population of H. subalata was of their rarity. They are often not mapped and its current stocking, had been categorized and granted the identified or viewed as economically diameter size class distribution and ca t e g o r y ‘Lot Kediaman’ (residence lot).* important to be taken up in resource p e rceived threats to the species Obviously, this land conversion will inventories. analysed. The population in these lead to the loss of that part of the In view of this and the need to c o m p a rtments showed a distinct population. With this information at monitor ecological and temporal clumping pattern. In Compartment 2, hand, we have recommended that the changes in the populations of rare there were 267 trees of 1 cm diameter at State Forest Department and the District species, a project on conserv a t i o n breast height (dbh) and above, while in Forest Office make an appeal to the monitoring was undertaken. This Compartment 14 there were 177. Selangor Government, via the District p roject, financed by the Ministry of In both compartments, density based Land Office, to render the site not Plantations and Commodities and on diameter size class decreased with available for conversion. u n d e rtaken by the Conserv a t i o n i n c reasing size class. Based on the For the long-term, it is suggested Management Unit of the Tropical Forest assumption that the species become that the District Land Office, Fore s t Biodiversity Centre of FRIM, looks reproductively mature once 13.74 cm D e p a rtment and the Selangor initially into the family of dipterocarps dbh size is reached, 18.35 % of the Government include this relatively small with the specific aim to map the population can be considered as bree d i n g site in the reserve. The annexed land populations of rare, threatened and individuals. H. subalata is a small-sized would then fall under the jurisdiction, endemic dipterocarps. dipterocarp (Chua et al 2004). management and legal mechanism of The choice of the family is obvious. During the course of enumeration the Permanent Forest Estates, under D i p t e rocarps are trees of immense and mapping, it was discovered that a which it should be placed in the economic importance, and perh a p s po r tion of the population in Compartm e n t protection forest category. m o re interestingly from the 2 lies outside the reserve. A search at the biogeographical viewpoint, the family District Land Office indicated that the area More on back page

Some like Orania sylvicola occurred as localised populations. conica (Zingiberaceae); Molineria latifolia (Hypoxidaceae) and Others such as Pinanga disticha and R h o p a l o b l a s t e Mapania cuspidata var. petiolata (Cyperaceae), and shrubs singaporensis were more frequent along river valleys. Rattans, such as Ixora spp., (Rubiaceae) were more scattered in their especially Calamus spp., Daemonorops spp. and Korthalsia distribution. spp., were also common. The river bank communities of the lowland forest were F o rest-floor herbs and shrubs were mostly patchy in distinctive. One of the most common river bank trees was o c c u rrence. The herbs H e n c k e l i a spp., C y rt a n d r a s p p . Tristaniopsis whitiana (Myrtaceae). Other river bank trees that (Gesneriaceae), E t l i n g e r a spp., Globba spp., and commonly occurred with Tristaniopsis whitiana i n c l u d e d Scaphochlamys spp. (Zingiberaceae), and the shrubs Thottea Syzygium spp., Rhodamnia cinerea (Myrtaceae), Buchanania grandiflora (Aristolochiaceae) were commonly encountered as s e s s i f o l i a ( A n a c a rdiaceae), Pometia pinnata, Guioa localised populations. Other herbs such as Aeschynanthus pleuropteris (Sapindaceae), Ficus spp. (Moraceae) and Saraca r a d i c a n s, (Gesneriaceae); Donax grandis ( M a r a n t a c e a e ) ; spp. (Leguminosae). Noticeably absent from the Selai area was B o e s e n b e rgia plicata, Camptandra parvula, Horn s t e d t i a the river bank dipterocarp neram (Dipterocarpus oblongifolia). Sustaining Endemics Behold, violets of gold An extremely small but thriving population of yellow blooms from the African violet family with high endemism attributed to a genus still actively evolving, makes a good case study on the sustainability of rare and endemic species in the country Story and pictures by Sam Yen Yen ([email protected])

genus in the primulina. population of 324 individuals found on family of In 1922, Henry N. Ridley boulders at 150 m altitude. AG e s n e r i a c e a e , discovered H. primulina in the forest of The population, although extremely He n c k e l i a is centered Klang Gates, Selangor. Since then, no small, is thriving and well pro t e c t e d in South India and the Malesian region. other collection has been made from within the restricted areas of the Klang The genus is believed to be still other parts of the country. A recent visit Gates Dam and the Klang Gates Wildlife undergoing active speciation and as a to the site unearthed some unsettling Reserve. However, these plants may be result, a high endemism is re c o rd e d facts about this group of plants. suffering from genetic erosion following throughout its distribution. Some 91% The population was small and a change in land use pattern in the or 82 out of the 90 species found in scattered and observed to be restricted surrounding area in the past. Peninsular Malaysia are endemic. One to a very specific habitat. They only H. primulina will be a good case good example is the Selangor endemic, occur on very steep slopes between 70 study on the sustainability of rare and H. primulina. and 100 m elevation due to their affinity endemic species in the country. This member of the African violet for well-drained soils. family is a perennial herb in lowland Plants are often found in groups of References: forest grounds. It grows up to a height two to five individuals at lower slopes of Kiew, R. 1983. Portraits of threatened plants. of not more than 20 cm, with hairy tree stumps, or roots raised above the Malaysian Naturalist 37(2): 6-7 margins framing fleshy that are ground. These are areas where leaf litter Tu rn e r, I.M. 1995. A catalogue of the vascular plants of Malaya. The Gard e n s ’ glossy dark green on their upper can accumulate and degrade into Bulletin Singapore 47 (1&2): 1-757. s u rfaces. Each inflorescence pro d u c e s humus, while avoiding being washed Weber, A. & B.L. Burtt 1998. Remodelling of only one flower that is held erect above away by surface runoff. D i d y m o c a r p u s and associated genera. the plant. Their trumpet-shaped flowers A search for the species in similar Beitrage zur Biologie der Pflanzen 70: 293- have a unique yellow hue much like terrain but at higher elevations above 363 primroses, and hence their Latin name, 100 m proved futile, except for a

Stick ‘em up... Shooting out at right angles are Primrose trumpets... The Henckelia primulina these fruit capsules of H. primulina. Raindrops population at the Klang Gates forests may well Leaf shine... The fleshy, glossy leaves of H. burst open these pods to disperse the seeds be undergoing genetic erosion primulina inside

From previous page Rare dipterocarp mapped We also recommend that because both populations are converted from a productive status (where logging would be situated relatively close to the reserve boundary, the District p e rmitted) to a protected status, and placed under the Forest Office regularly monitor pertinent sections of the functional class of a recreation forest. boundary to ensure its integrity and prevent future conflicts. Both populations lie in the re s e rve. Fore s t ry re c o rd s References: indicated that most of the compartments had not been logged, Ashton, P. S. (1982). Dipterocarpaceae. Flora Malesiana. Ser. 1, 9: but were destroyed or damaged during the Japanese 237–552. occupation and many parts were rehabilitated with Chua, L.S.L., Nurulhuda H., Hamidah M. & Saw L.G. (2004). C o n s e rvation status of Hopea subalata ( D i p t e rocarpaceae) in Dryobalanops aromatica (Dipterocarpaceae). Peninsular Malaysia. Journal of Tropical Forest Science 16(3): 271- The rehabilitation must have played an important role in 282. sustaining the populations in these two compart m e n t s . Turner I.M. (1995). A Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Malaya. The Compartments 2 and 14 were originally classified as being Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore 47 (1 & 2): 1–757. p roductive. In 1985, however, the entire re s e rve was *Gombak District Land Office records: File No. PTG 2/161/87 (L)