Licuala malajana LC Taxonomic Authority: Becc.  Global Assessment  Regional Assessment Region: Global  Endemic to region Synonyms Common Names KA PHO KHAO Thai

Upper Level Kingdom: PLANTAE Phylum: TRACHEOPHYTA Class: LILIOPSIDA Order: Family: PALMAE Lower Level Taxonomy Rank: Infra- rank name:  Hybrid Subpopulation: Authority:

Licuala malajana is known from two varieties: L. malajana var. malajana from Peninsular Thailand into north Peninsular and L. malajana var. humilis which is endemic to Terengganu in Peninsular Malaysia (Saw 1997).

General Information Distribution Licuala malajana is restricted to Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand.

Range Size Elevation Biogeographic Realm Area of Occupancy: Upper limit: 1500  Afrotropical Extent of Occurrence: 61773 Lower limit: 300  Antarctic Map Status: Depth  Australasian Upper limit:  Neotropical Lower limit:  Oceanian Depth Zones  Palearctic  Shallow photic  Bathyl  Hadal  Indomalayan  Photic  Abyssal  Nearctic Population The number of individuals is not known.

Total Population Size Minimum Population Size: Maximum Population Size: Habitat and Ecology L. malajana is moderately common in lowland or montane evergreen wet forest in southern peninsular Thailand from 300-1500 m elevation (Hodel 1998). It also occurs in Peninsular Malaysia, where it grows in ridge-top dipterocarp forest with Eugissona tristis, Nenga sp. and it is described as common and dominant in the understorey of logged over dipterocarp forest (Specimen no. 39882 Saw, L.G.). It is recorded as locally common from many localities (Barfod & Saw 2002). It has been found at elevations above 800m in hill dipterocarp forest (Saw 1997).

System Movement pattern Crop Wild Relative  Terrestrial  Freshwater  Nomadic  Congregatory/Dispersive  Is the species a wild relative of a crop?  Marine  Migratory  Altitudinally migrant

Growth From Definition Forb or Herb Biennial or perennial herbacaeous plant, also termed a Hemicryptophyte

Threats L. malajana is threatened by the loss of its habitat; the Vulnerable Peninsular Malaysian rain forests (IM0146) (WWF 2001). The main reason for this forest loss is large-scale clearing for plantations of mainly rubber and oil palm for export production. In Malaysia an estimated 180,000 hectares of land are being converted to palm oil production every year, and it is estimated that by 2022 there will be 5.6 million hectares of land associated with palm oil production (USDA FAS 2011). This may in fact be the limit to the growth because there will be no more suitable land for production.

Past Present Future 1 Habitat Loss/Degradation (human induced)  1.1 Agriculture  1.1.1 Crops  1.1.1.3 Agro-industry farming  1.1.3 Non-timber plantations  Conservation Measures L. malajana is present in protected areas. It is not listed on CITES and there are no present in the Millennium Bank, UK. Barfod & Leng Guan (2002) noted this was probably a palm of little conservation concern as it is locally common and known from many localities. It is listed as Vulnerable in Peninsular Malaysia, in 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened (Walter & Gillett 1998).

In Place Needed 3 Research actions  3.2 Population numbers and range  3.4 Habitat status  3.5 Threats  3.9 Trends/Monitoring  4 Habitat and site-based actions  4.4 Protected areas 

Countries of Occurrence

PRESENCE ORIGIN Year Breeding Non- Passage Possibly ExtinctPresence Native Introduced Re- Vagrant Origin Round Season breeding migrant extinct uncertain Introduced uncertain only season only Malaysia    Peninsular Malaysia    Thailand   

General Habitats Score Description Major Importance 1 Forest 1UnsetSuitable 1.6 Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland1Unset Suitable 1.9 Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane1Unset Suitable Ecosystem Services  Insufficient Information available  Species provides no ecosystem services

Species Utilisation  Species is not utilised at all There are no known uses for this species.

Trend in the level of wild offtake/harvest in relation to total wild population numbers over the last five years: Trend in the amount of offtake/harvest produced through domestication/cultivation over the last five years: CITES status: Not listed

IUCN Red Listing Red List Assessment:(using 2001 IUCN system) Least Concern (LC)

Red List Criteria: Date Last Seen (only for EX, EW or Possibly EX species): Is the species Possibly Extinct?  Possibly Extinct Candidate?  Rationale for the Red List Assessment L. malajana is restricted to Peninsular Malaysia and the extreme southern part of Thailand. Its total extent of occurrence (EOO) is approximately 61,773 km2. The lowland forests of Peninsula Malaysia are almost totally dominated by palm oil production and conversion of forest to palm oil plantation is expected to continue until no further suitable land is available. This species is offered some protection with its occurrence in various national parks and reserves and also being found in hill forest which are still intact. L. malajana does not currently meet the criteria for a threatened category so is rated as Least Concern. Reason(s) for Change in Red List Category from the Previous Assessment:  Genuine Change  Nongenuine Change  No Change  Genuine (recent)  New information  Taxonomy  Same category  Genuine (since first assessment)  Knowledge of Criteria  Criteria Revisio and criteria  Incorrect data used  Other  Same category but previously change in criteria Current Population Trend: Stable Date of Assessment: 15/07/2009 Name(s) of the Assessor(s): Loftus, C. Evaluator(s): Notes:

% population decline in the past: Time period over which the past decline has been measured for applying Criterion A or C1 (in years or generations): % population decline in the future: Time period over which the future decline has been measured for applying Criterion A or C1 (in years or generations): Number of Locations: Severely Fragmented: Number of Mature Individuals: Bibliography Barfod, A.S. & Saw, L.G., 2002, The Licuala (, ) in Thailand., Kew Bulletin, 827-852, , BASIRON, Y. & WENG, C.K., 2004, THE OIL PALM AND ITS SUSTAINABILITY, Journal of Oil Palm Research1, 1-10, , Henderson, A., 2009, Palms of Southern Asia, 264, , Hodel, D.R., 1998, The Palms and Cycads of Thailand, Hodel, D.R., 190, Kampton Tansacha, Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, Thailand, Saw, L.G., 1997, A revision of Licuala (Palmae) in the Malay Peninsula., Sandakania, , , USDA FAS, 2011, MALAYSIA: Obstacles May Reduce Future Palm Oil Production Growth, , , Walter, K. S and H. J. Gillet, 1998, 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants, Conservation Monitoring Centre, , IUCN, World Wildlife Fund, 2001, WWF Ecoregion Profiles, , World Wildlife Fund © 2001,