A Quarterly of the Forest Research Institute

THE BLACK 1 2 WATER FOREST Dr Ismail Parlan | [email protected] Mohd Nasir Husin & Azian Mohti

of Maludam National Park, Sarawak, there were 5169 trees which were larger than 10 cm dbh. The trees were recorded from nine 1-ha plots representing 42 families, 86 genera and 132 tree .

The economic development of people living within the area depends heavily on trees growing at the peat swamp forest. Most of the Peat swamp forest (PSF) grows Generally, species diversity at the trees growing here are marketable on waterlogged areas, on layers peat swamp forest is lower than however, about ten species of poorly decomposed organic the lowland dipterocarp forests. particularly the G. bancanus have materials, hence the origin of the Nevertheless, the peat swamp forest been commercialised and fetched` name black water. In Malaysia, is known to harbour endemic and high timber prices. Besides high this type of forest is significant rare species, although confined to quality timber species, peat swamp in size particularly in states such small areas. The peat swamp forest forest also provides a variety of as Selangor, Pahang, Sabah and serves as habitat for unique fauna important minor forest produce. Sarawak. Based on the statistics of including many different kinds of 2007, there were about 1.14 million fish. Some of the fish species that The Orang Asli community residing ha PSF in Sarawak and 0.12 million inhabit these waters are highly at the adjacent area to the peat ha in Sabah. However, the PSF in sought after as aquarium fish such swamp of Pekan forest reserve Sabah is classified as conservation as the arowana. At the peat swamp depends partially on minor forest forests. As for Peninsular Malaysia, forest of South East Pahang for produce for their survival. The kelubi the PSF occurs behind coastal lines instance, 54 species from 17 families (Eleiodoxa conferta) is a typical along both the west and east coasts of fish was reported and among the example of a marketable minor and estimated to be about 0.30 commercialised species are toman forest produce, in addition to rattan, million ha in size. (Channa micropeltes) and tapah various medicinal and honey (Wallago leerii). from wild bees. The rattan is The east and west coasts of Malaysia useful for making fish traps while differ in the types of underlying In terms of tree species, there are kacip fatimah (Labisia pumila) is sedimentary deposits. The peat 49 species, 38 genera and 25 tree popular in terms of medicinal usage. along the west coast was formed families recorded in an ecological over heavy alluvial clay and plot in the virgin jungle of Pekan A unique ecosystem, which protected from strong waves by a Forest Reserve. Abundant species combines both land and water, strip of mangrove vegetation. The for trees of 10 cm diameter at the peat swamp forest has great peat on the east coast on the other breast height (dbh) and above potential in the area of eco-tourism. hand developed over white clay and are Calopyhllum ferrugineum, Bird watching, fishing, boating and coarse sand, and is exposed directly Gonystylus bancanus, Syzygium jungle tracking are all marketable to the strong waves of the South inophyllum, Koompassia malaccensis eco-tourism activities that have not China Sea. and Campnospermum coriaceum. been fully developed and utilised Whereas, in the peat swamp forest despite their huge potential. These

June 2011 4 FRIM in FOCUS Focus article A Quarterly of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia

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eco-tourism activities not only of agricultural or residential areas. ABOUT THE MAIN AUTHOR will educate the people on the Notwithstanding, another important Dr Ismail Parlan currently is the Head of the intricacies of the peat swamp forest, environmental function of peat Wetland Branch of the FRIM Natural Forest but create greater awareness on swamp is its ability to sequestrate Programme. He obtained his first and second its functions for minimising the carbon dioxide. degrees on forest management from the pressure of managing it solely for Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and PhD on timber production. A study showed that an intact peat Botany from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia swamp in Thailand is able to store (UKM). The author has served as a research officer Management of peat swamp forest carbon, six times higher compared at FRIM since 1996. His research areas are mainly has to take into consideration its to other forest ecosystems. on peat swamp forest ecosystem covering the environment roles such as the source Meanwhile, peat swamp forest of aspects of forest rehabilitation, reduced impact of water supply, flood control and Malaysia is believed to have the logging (RIL), ecology, forest fires and wetland carbon sequestration. For instance, ability to store an average of 2000 management and conservation. the peat swamp acts as an important tonnes of carbon per ha which if catchment area regulating water released could become a major supply for rice cultivation. At Tanjung source of carbon to the atmosphere. 1. The black water (peat swamp) forest Karang, Kuala Selangor for example, If the forest is opened, drained or 2. Eco-tourism activities such as fishing is popular at the peat swamp forest the paddy fields that extend for degraded, carbon mainly stored in 3. Some of the important timbers about 20,000 ha receive continuous the soil will be released. Substantial originate from the peat swamp forest water supply from the adjacent peat carbon will be released if forest 4&5. Some of the unique species (wild swamp forest via two rivers namely fires occur in peat swamps whereby durian and hornbill) found at the the Sungai Tengi and the Sungai about one million ton of carbon peat swamp forest Dusun. was estimated to be released to the 6&7. Commercial rattan (left) and kelubi (right) are harvested from the atmosphere during forest fires in peat swamp forest Peat swamp forest also functions as Kalimantan in 1997. flood control. During the monsoon season, excess water from the river is diverted through feeder canals to the forest to minimise the risk of downstream flooding

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June 2011 Focus article FRIM in FOCUS 5