REGULAR ARTICLE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HERITAGE TREES CONSERVATION FOR URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN TAIPING LAKE GARDEN, MALAYSIA Noor Fazamimah Mohd Ariffin¹*, Noor Azramalina Abdul Aziz¹ and Mohd Yazid Mohd Yunus1 1Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Design and Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan * Corresponding author: [email protected] ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION Lack of awareness on the environmental benefits and services offered by Historically, trees generally have their own space relatively in gardens and urban heritage trees among the decision makers and society has endangered parks, a luxury that is becoming increasingly difficult to justify in sub- these urban heritage trees, thus they are not recognized as an important division mentality of the modern planning environment. As larger plots are asset. Heritage trees are important in giving historical identity and cultural redeveloped into smaller units, trees and people are being squeezed together, symbolic to the landscape of the cities. Rapid development of urban areas creating conflicts that were never an issue in the past. Above ground, dense in Malaysia has changed the land use of natural environment to into built crowns close to buildings and recreational areas can reduce light to intolerable environment. This situation causes a lot of urban heritage trees to be felled levels. Large, spreading crowns can interfere with buildings and access, to make way for urban development. The main objective of this paper is to creating hazards and obstructions. Below ground, roots can disrupt services, identify and analyze the benefits of heritage trees in Taiping Lake Garden foundations and surfacing, causing serious damage and inconvenience. The based on tourists respond. This research has applied a contingent valuation closer trees get to people, the more problems there seem to be, with one survey questionnaire in collecting the data. A total of 400 tourists were inevitable conclusion. In a straight fight, trees lose every time. The traditional randomly interviewed in Taiping Lake Garden. The study was also focused approach of trees having their own space is no longer realistic and certainly on the importance of preserving the non-use value and inducing public not working in our modern world. awareness on conservation of heritage trees as part of landscape roles to create culture and historical value in cities. Analyzing benefits of heritage Conservation of heritage trees is a concern worldwide. Therefore, many tree through a participatory process that involves the tourists could help to countries have taken the initiative to raise awareness to the public about the promote the sustainability of the Urban Heritage Trees conservation efforts importance of heritage trees and enact laws or declared policies to authorize in Taiping Lake Garden. the conservation of heritage trees as part of the culture of the city. Heritage tree might look the same as ordinary tree that provides benefits and aesthetic Keywords: : Natural environment; Non-use value; Public awareness; Trees value to the urban community. In fact, it has the same ecological-landscaping conservation roles such as the interception of rainfall and reducing water pressure into surface, reducing air pollution and increasing property values in an area. Though, in Malaysia’s context heritage tree is considered as a new term. 39 UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA Alam Cipta Vol 12 (Issue 2) December 2019 The conservation efforts towards this valuable heritage protection are deeply them and also be marked by the changing of cultural settings in histories. needed in law or policies and public awareness. Heritage trees can adapt in Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage urban stress environment while others are sensitive to various ecosystems. Convention has been use since 1992. Any significant interactions between people and the natural environment are recognized as cultural landscapes and Due to population increase most urban trees including which having the considered as “natural heritage” (UNESCO, 2013). Heritage commonly refers potential to be gazetted as heritage trees, are felled or neglected to give way as ‘something’ that has been passing on to the generations of people on the to development resulting in the decrease in carbon sink. The deforestation present day. Various dimensions of heritage have been looked and discussed of urban trees has significant impacts to the ecology causing environmental either by local or foreign countries and this includes inheritance, tradition problems such as flash flood and increased carbon emitted due to the increase and culture, legacy and beliefs. Basically, three key entities consolidated of fuel and energy consumption for transportation, buildings component such and was referred to heritage; material culture, natural environment and built as the Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning System (HV AC System) environment (Nur Hijrah et al., 2015). which induces the Urban Heat Island (UID) phenomenon. Moreover, the value of urban trees are undervalued by the decision makers and society, thus 2.1 Urban Heritage Tree very little consideration is given to the urban trees. Trees that have lived for a long time or are associated with culture are often Normally, community will relate to heritage trees as bestowed by their highly valued in different societies. As the pride of local communities, they religion, spiritual or other symbolic values (Read, 2000). A century ago, are commonly included in tourist guides (Lai et al, 2019). Urban heritage Pterocarpus indicus (angsana) was recorded as the earliest urban tree in trees can be the backbone of the cultural landscape and society because they Malaysia. It was planted in 1778 in Malacca (Koening, 1894) and in Penang have particular natural or cultural characteristics and, therefore, demand (Burkill, 1966). Because of the impact of its wide diameter of canopy and an effective protection policy (Mid, 2012). The urban heritage tree can be fast in germination, Pterocarpus indicus had been chosen as a popular tree recognized and qualified by the following criteria; 1) large size in relation for urban planting and remained in Malaysia and Singapore in 1990s (Philip, to biological potential dimension of the species, 2) outstanding tree form, 1999). However, in 1935 these trees were reported to be affected by unknown 3) unusual or rare species, 4) aged preferably over 100 years and 5) have plant disease that spread rapidly in Malacca, Penang and Singapore (Furtado, cultural, historical, commemorative or ecological significance (Jim & Zhang, 1935). In order of prevent the disease from spreading to all trees, certain 2013). Urban Heritage trees are also variously labeled as ancient, beautiful, affected trees were removed by cuting down the trees. This situation could big, champion, elite, exceptional, famous, heritage, historic, landmark, old, have been avoided if it was put through a regular tree inspection and correct outstanding, remarkable, specimen, veteran trees, ancient, and old-valuable maintenance technique. The Malaysia’s management of urban heritage trees (Read, 2000; Browne, 2001; Meyer, 2001; Jim, 2005; Jim & Zhang, 2013). In protection was poor, lacking of knowledge about the maintenance, with the the cities they are characterized as significant natural-cum-cultural resources aspect of public security being underestimated (Sreetheran, Philip, Adnan & of cities that give broad expanse of biological, historical and cultural values Siti Zakiah, 2006). Therefore, the protection of heritage planting becomes to the urban community (Fay, 2002; Green, 2002, Jim and Zhang, 2013). worst because there is no action to handle the problem (Zamil, 2012). According to Oregon municipal, age, size, species, quality, landmark importance, and its retention not unreasonably interfering with the use of the 2. LITERATURE REVIEWS property upon which it is located are the criteria that should be viewed to be classified as a heritage tree. Moreover, the criteria such as public access, tree health and historic element play important roles in whether or not a tree or There are several studies in the literature about the importance of protecting grove qualifies. Among the criteria to qualify a tree to be entitled as a Heritage the heritage trees due to its special characteristics. The studies by Loeb (1992) tree include: a girth of more than 5 meters, unique species and historical showed that many trees in urban cities have declined and died prematurely significance as proposed by National Parks for Singapore Botanical Garden due to urban stress ecosystem. It is unusual to find old trees that manage to in the Heritage Trees Scheme. Many studies of heritage trees in Asia focused soldier on despite the heavy odds. These heritage trees are treasured by the in compact cities such as Guangzhou (Jim, 2004), Bangkok (Thaiutsa et al., community. Special attention and care has been given to this heritage tree 2008) and Hong Kong (Jim & Zhang, 2013). The old, heritage or valuable because it is showing a status of cultural heritage. According to Cloke and trees are concentrated in temple grounds, roadsides and urban parks with Pawson (2008), trees can be marked as histories of the lives that lived around different modes of urban development and fabric (Lai et al., 2019). UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA 40 Alam Cipta Vol 12 (Issue 2) December 2019 2.2 Heritage trees enforcement pertinent ecological-landscaping