FRIM in Focus

FRIM in FocusA Quarterly of the Forest research InstItute MalaysIaMS ISO 9001:2008

FORESTRY and PLANT CONSERVATION at FRIM

Highlights of the issueFORESTRY1. A PEEK INTO THE

MALAYSIAN FORESTS2. THE BLACK WATER FOREST3. MALAYSIAN MANGROVES:

IN A NUTSHELL4. FOREST CERTIFICATION IN MALAYSIA5. FOREST MANAGEMENT: THROUGH THE DECADES

CONSERVATION6. CONSERVING EVERY BIT OF LIFE7. FUTURE SMILES

FOR SENYUMIA MINUTIFLORA

JUNE 2011Issn 1394-5467

A Quarterly of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia

June 2011

FRIM in FOCUS2

AdvisorsDato’ Dr Abdul Latif MohmodDato’ Dr Abdul Rashid Ab Malik

FRIM in Focus (FIF) is distributed free of charge upon request. We welcome feedback on any of the FIF articles. Address comments and enquiries to:

The Editor & Writer of FRIM In FocusForest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)52109 Kepong, Selangor DE, Malaysia

Telephone : 603-6279 7501 | Facsimile : 603-6273 1076E-mail : [email protected] | Website : www.frim.gov.myDesign & Printing : DeezStudio

Technical EditorNorhara Hussein

Editor & WriterIda Suraini Abd Shukor

A large portion of the Malaysian forest is designated as the Permanent Reserved Forest (PRF), covering an estimated 14.3 million ha or 44% of total land area. There is in total 4.7 million ha of PRF area in Peninsular Malaysia while in Sabah and Sarawak, the areas are 3.6 and 6.0 million ha respectively. The PRF serves many purposes and is sustainably managed to continue providing benefits for the generations to come.

Under the National Forestry Policy (NFP), forested areas are broadly classified according to functions such as for production, protection, research, education and amenity. Functional forestry

helps in managing the needs for timber production as well as environmental protection. Being the largest terrestrial carbon sink, forests are vital in the fight against global warming. However, Malaysia as any developing country, needs to convert some of her forests for agricultural, industrial, recreational and urban development purposes.

The four general types of forests in Malaysia are the dry inland forest, the peat swamp forest, the mangroves and the forest plantation. The dry inland forest is differentiated by land elevation from sea level starting at the lowland dipterocarp forest, the hill dipterocarp forest, the upper hill and the montane forests.

Based on the 2007 figure, there are 15.95 million ha of dry inland forest, 1.56 million ha of peat swamp forests, 0.56 million ha of mangrove forests and 0.49 million ha of forest plantation.

The lowland dipterocarp forests occur up to the elevation of 300 m above sea level (asl), from the well-drained primary forests of the plains, the undulating land and the foothills. The forest is rich in woody tree species which forms a large percentage of the currently known species. The Dipterocarpaceae family dominates the emergent trees with members such as meranti (Shorea spp) and keruing (Dipterocarpus spp). Frequently occurring is also the tall and buttressed tualang tree (Koompassia excelsa) which is the tallest tree species in South East Asia and also the world third tallest.

The hill dipterocarp forests form the biggest portion of the inland Malaysian mountain forests ranging from 300 to 750 m asl. Numerous dipterocarp trees growing on the lowlands are also found at the hill forest. Upper hill dipterocarp forest however, is found higher up to the heights of about 1200 m asl.

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A PEEK INTO THE MALAYSIAN FORESTSDr Ismail Parlan | [email protected] Mohamad Norizan & Dr Ismail Harun

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MALAYSIA’S NATURAL FOREST COVERS A SIZEABLE AREA OF 18.56 MILLION HA OR 57% OF TOTAL LAND AREA IN 2007. THE EAST MALAYSIA ACCOUNTS FOR A MAJOR PROPORTION OF THE FOREST COVER WITH SABAH AND SARAWAK CONTRIBUTING UP TO 61 AND 67% FORESTED AREAS RESPECTIVELY.

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1&2. The hill dipterocarp forest3. The plantation forest (Acacia hybrid)4. The peat swamp forest5&6. Harvested timber from mangrove forest for charcoal production

Oak-laurel forest, myrtle and other temperate plants such as magnolia, rhododendron, raspberry and an assortment of tree ferns, orchids, lichens and mosses replace the dipterocarps upon reaching the montane areas. These forests are protected for conservation purposes whereby harvesting activities are prohibited in areas of above 1000 m asl.

The peat swamp forests occupy areas of up to 50 m asl. Generally, peat soils are formed from decaying organic materials that are at least half a metre in depth and one hectare in area. Peat is the parent organic material whereas muck is the organic residue derived from peat as a result of soil forming processes. The mineral content of the former does not exceed 35% while the latter is 65%.

High water table in peat area creates anaerobic conditions that consequently lead to the accumulation of decomposed organic matters of varying stages. Peat swamp is dome-shaped in structure where peat layers are thicker at the centre compared to the edges. The shape may be due

to high acidity at the centre that accelerates the accumulation of organic matter. The upper canopy of the peat swamp forest forms a broken layer that often exceeds 30 m in height. The emergent layer is frequently represented by scattered commercial timber species such as bintangor (Calophyllum spp), ramin melawis (Gonystylus bancanus) and kempas (Koompassia malaccensis).

The mangrove forests in Malaysia however, occur mainly along the coasts, on both saline seawater and mineral-rich fresh water. Mangrove is a unique ecosystem that laps the salty ocean and is fed by the fresh river water. Bakau minyak (Rhizophora apiculata) and bakau kurap (R. mucronata) are two main commercial timber species from the mangrove forests that are used for making poles and charcoal.

Another type of forest, the plantation or man-made forest are established forests to supplement timber supplies from the natural forests. Trees such as rubber or the latex timber clone, Acacia spp and teak (Tectona grandis) are grown as large stands of single species known as monoculture plantation. The single tree crop

planted over a wide area allows efficient management and optimum production of timbers.

ABOUT THE MAIN AUTHORDr Ismail Parlan currently is the Head of the Wetland Branch of the FRIM Natural Forest Programme. He obtained his first and second degrees on forest management from the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and PhD on Botany from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). The author has served as a research officer at FRIM since 1996. His research areas are mainly on peat swamp forest ecosystem covering the aspects of forest rehabilitation, reduced impact logging (RIL), ecology, forest fires and wetland management and conservation.

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THE BLACK WATER FORESTDr Ismail Parlan | [email protected] Nasir Husin & Azian Mohti

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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 species.

The economic development of people living within the area depends heavily on trees growing at the peat swamp forest. Most of the trees growing here are marketable however, about ten species particularly the G. bancanus have been commercialised and fetched` high timber prices. Besides high quality timber species, peat swamp forest also provides a variety of important minor forest produce.

The Orang Asli community residing at the adjacent area to the peat swamp of Pekan forest reserve depends partially on minor forest produce for their survival. The kelubi fruit (Eleiodoxa conferta) is a typical example of a marketable minor forest produce, in addition to rattan, various medicinal plants and honey from wild bees. The rattan plant is useful for making fish traps while kacip fatimah (Labisia pumila) is popular in terms of medicinal usage.

A unique ecosystem, which combines both land and water, the peat swamp forest has great potential in the area of eco-tourism. Bird watching, fishing, boating and jungle tracking are all marketable eco-tourism activities that have not been fully developed and utilised despite their huge potential. These

Peat swamp forest (PSF) grows on waterlogged areas, on layers of poorly decomposed organic materials, hence the origin of the name black water. In Malaysia, this type of forest is significant in size particularly in states such as Selangor, Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak. Based on the statistics of 2007, there were about 1.14 million ha PSF in Sarawak and 0.12 million ha in Sabah. However, the PSF in Sabah is classified as conservation forests. As for Peninsular Malaysia, the PSF occurs behind coastal lines along both the west and east coasts and estimated to be about 0.30 million ha in size.

The east and west coasts of Malaysia differ in the types of underlying sedimentary deposits. The peat along the west coast was formed over heavy alluvial clay and protected from strong waves by a strip of mangrove vegetation. The peat on the east coast on the other hand developed over white clay and coarse sand, and is exposed directly to the strong waves of the South China Sea.

Generally, species diversity at the peat swamp forest is lower than the lowland dipterocarp forests. Nevertheless, the peat swamp forest is known to harbour endemic and rare species, although confined to small areas. The peat swamp forest serves as habitat for unique fauna including many different kinds of fish. Some of the fish species that inhabit these waters are highly sought after as aquarium fish such as the arowana. At the peat swamp forest of South East Pahang for instance, 54 species from 17 families of fish was reported and among the commercialised species are toman (Channa micropeltes) and tapah (Wallago leerii).

In terms of tree species, there are 49 species, 38 genera and 25 tree families recorded in an ecological plot in the virgin jungle of Pekan Forest Reserve. Abundant species for trees of 10 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) and above are Calopyhllum ferrugineum, Gonystylus bancanus, Syzygium inophyllum, Koompassia malaccensis and Campnospermum coriaceum. Whereas, in the peat swamp forest

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eco-tourism activities not only will educate the people on the intricacies of the peat swamp forest, but create greater awareness on its functions for minimising the pressure of managing it solely for timber production.

Management of peat swamp forest has to take into consideration its environment roles such as the source of water supply, flood control and carbon sequestration. For instance, the peat swamp acts as an important catchment area regulating water supply for rice cultivation. At Tanjung Karang, Kuala Selangor for example, the paddy fields that extend for about 20,000 ha receive continuous water supply from the adjacent peat swamp forest via two rivers namely the Sungai Tengi and the Sungai Dusun.

Peat swamp forest also functions as 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

of agricultural or residential areas. Notwithstanding, another important environmental function of peat swamp is its ability to sequestrate carbon dioxide.

A study showed that an intact peat swamp in Thailand is able to store carbon, six times higher compared to other forest ecosystems. Meanwhile, peat swamp forest of Malaysia is believed to have the ability to store an average of 2000 tonnes of carbon per ha which if released could become a major source of carbon to the atmosphere. If the forest is opened, drained or degraded, carbon mainly stored in the soil will be released. Substantial carbon will be released if forest fires occur in peat swamps whereby about one million ton of carbon was estimated to be released to the atmosphere during forest fires in Kalimantan in 1997.

ABOUT THE MAIN AUTHORDr Ismail Parlan currently is the Head of the Wetland Branch of the FRIM Natural Forest Programme. He obtained his first and second degrees on forest management from the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and PhD on Botany from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). The author has served as a research officer at FRIM since 1996. His research areas are mainly on peat swamp forest ecosystem covering the aspects of forest rehabilitation, reduced impact logging (RIL), ecology, forest fires and wetland management and conservation.

1. The black water (peat swamp) forest2. Eco-tourism activities such as fishing

is popular at the peat swamp forest 3. Some of the important timbers

originate from the peat swamp forest 4&5. Some of the unique species (wild

durian and hornbill) found at the peat swamp forest

6&7. Commercial rattan (left) and kelubi fruits (right) are harvested from the peat swamp forest

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MALAYSIAN MANGROVES: IN A NUTSHELL Azian Mohti | [email protected]& Dr Ismail Parlan

Coastal habitats in Malaysia include estuaries, mangroves, sea grass beds, salt marshes, coral reefs and beaches. Of these, mangroves are the major tree-dominated ecosystem which in itself is highly productive and dynamic in nature. Trees in this ecosystem are both true and associate mangrove species, comprising 28 recorded species in Malaysia. Their coastal habitats are under enormous pressure due to the dynamic forces of the wind and waves whereby the juvenile and older trees are vulnerable and prone to degradation and collapsing.

Mangrove forests play various important roles including nursery ground for marine organisms; natural resources for poles, roof thatch, cattle fodder and fuel wood; source of food from fruits and leaves and raw material for cottage industries. Mangroves are also a natural shoreline protector that break down and reduce the impact of strong waves.

The mangrove food chain is intricate where fish, crabs, shrimp and lobsters feed mainly on the rotting debris of the mangrove leaves, while juvenile mangrove seedlings acquire support and nutrition amongst the protective root tangles of the older trees.

Mangrove inhabitants lead highly entwined lives for example, birds pollinate mangrove trees but also rip out and feast upon

exposed young seedlings. Although various animals may damage new seedlings, they also feed on decaying ones, accelerating the nutrient recycling process. Tiny creatures like crabs, burrow among the roots and improve the salinity of soil with their droppings.

Crucial as breeding grounds for a diversity of economically important marine organisms, some of the mangrove lands are being utilised for the aquaculture industry. As one of the contributors to the economic development of the country, the mudflat areas for example, provide up to 10% of total domestic fish production. There are 49 aquaculture industrial zones at present, covering an area of 28,000 ha and in 2009 the production was 508,000 metric tonnes and worth up to RM6.9 billion. Nonetheless, the industry also pose some threats to the mangrove ecosystem in terms of forest management and conservation.

Other than contributing to the socio-economic development, mangroves also maintain the fragile shorelines from the destructive forces of wind and tide. However, mangroves themselves are facing threats from activities such as unrestricted clear-felling, aquaculture and

over-exploitation from fisheries, in addition to alteration of hydrology, pollution and global warming. Even pristine mangroves are species poor compared to the other tropical ecosystems. As such, forestry and fishing industries need to be managed in an integrated manner while R&D has to be continuous in order to safeguard the invaluable ecosystem.

ABOUT THE MAIN AUTHOR Azian Mohti currently serves as a researcher at the Climate Change and Forestry Programme, FRIM. She has been conducting research related to mangrove and coastal forest since 2006. She obtained her first degree on forest management and the second degree on applied remote sensing and GIS from the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

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1. The regenerated mangrove forest 2. Erosion badly affects the mangrove

ecosystem Watermark: Bruguiera gymnorrhyza (tumu merah), one of the true mangrove species

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FOREST CERTIFICATION IN MALAYSIA Azharizan Mohamad Norizan | [email protected] Mubarak Hussein, Samsudin Musa, & Rizuwan Mamat

Malaysia has 18.56 million ha of natural forest which is 57% of total land area in the form of production and protected forests, in 2007. Since the beginning of the century, the forest had been systematically managed to ensure forest renewal and sustainable supply of mainly timber resources.

Nevertheless, deforestation especially in Permanent Reserve Forest areas affects the biological diversity and to curb further losses, forest certification was introduced. Certification is so far the best tool to promote good management in order to preserve the multiple functions of forests. Two international organisations actively involved in the certification process are the Program for Endorsement for Forest Certification (PEFC) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

In Malaysia, the Malaysian Timber Certification Council or MTCC is the organisation in charge of forest certification. MTCC was established in 1999 and started operating two years later. During its early years, the organisation was responsible to formulate the national standard for assessment of the state Forest Management Units (FMUs) which was under the Malaysia-Netherlands timber certification programme. MTCC in collaboration with FSC then developed the FSC-compatible standard for the MTCC timber certification scheme to promote better forest and raw material management practices. In 2008 the Malaysian Timber

Certification Council was made the National Governing Body for the scheme now called the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS). Under the new institutional arrangement with PEFC, the MTCS issues the Forest Management Certification (FMC) and the Chain-of-Custody Certification (CoC). Almost all of the Permanent Reserve Forest in Peninsular Malaysia and one in Sabah have now obtained the FMC certification.

The Forest Management Certification (FMC) reviews management plans and on-the-ground practices in accordance to the standard set by the Malaysian Criteria and Indicator 2002. This practice ensures a continuous resource yield after timber harvesting while safeguarding the wildlife and aquatic populations and meeting the requirements of the local communities.

Criteria and indicators set by the FMC determine the amount of timber that can be harvested without causing detrimental effects to the health of the ecosystem. The management techniques used to fulfill the FMC criteria are either invasive such as clear-cutting and biocide (minimally used) or non-invasive such as riparian buffer zones, balanced-age distribution, and integrated pest management (more preferred). The techniques used in turn will be inspected

through the auditing process conducted by the Accredited Certification Body under the Standards Malaysia.

Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) through the Natural Forest and the Economic and Strategic Analysis Programme have since offered auditing services for permanent reserve forest (PRF) in Malaysia with the Accredited Certification Body such as SIRIM QAS or SGS Sdn Bhd.

ABOUT THE MAIN AUTHOR Azharizan Mohamad Norizan is a research officer attached at the FRIM Accreditation and Forest Certification Programme. He is a graduate and a MSc holder from UiTM Shah Alam specialising in Forest Product Certification and Marketing.

SARAWAK

SABAH

PENINSULAR MALAYSIAKelantan FMU623,849 ha

Terengganu FMU499,046 ha

Segaliud Loken Forest Reserve57,247 ha

Kedah FMU307,046 ha

Perak FMU991,436 ha

Selangor FMU230,187 ha

N. Sembilan FMU154,185 ha

Pahang FMU1,562,496 ha

Johor FMU397,392 ha

Location of forest management unit in the Permanent Reserve Forest of Malaysia (Source: MTCC)

2. Forest Management Certification allows harvesting of timber while safeguarding the health of the ecosystem

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FOREST MANAGEMENT: THROUGH THE DECADESWan Mohd Shukri Wan [email protected]

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In the thirties however, tree girdling was deemed unwise due to the rising demand for firewood and poles by the mining industry. Through this period, forests catering to these emerging markets were subjected to the Commercial Regeneration Felling, where trees undergo a five-year regeneration period and were gradually felled. Areas without such markets however, were treated with another system called the Departmental Regeneration Felling. Also known as the Regeneration Improvement

Felling, it involved drastic canopy openings and several removals of undergrowth. This type of tree-felling was designed to favour the regeneration of durable heavy hardwood species by selectively harvesting a few species in small areas of the lowland dipterocarp forest.

The regeneration improvement felling only lasted a few years and was discontinued after the Pacific War. High demand for raw materials by the increasing number of sawmills resulted in more areas being harvested. Forest harvesting also changed into a stand alone operation owing to the large-scale mechanised felling and road constructions. In addition, felling of small-sized trees became uneconomical due to the lack of demand for firewood.

However, it was observed that areas subjected to untended clear-fellings during the Japanese occupation, and those which were hit by storms showed advanced tree regeneration. Seedlings which survived the fellings have grown rapidly to form the dominant crop. The slower-growing seedlings of economically valuable species such as the Shorea also responded to the sudden drastic canopy opening by forming the sub-dominant crop.

Later in 1948, the Malayan Uniform System (MUS) was formulated, whereby all mature trees and species measuring at least 45 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) were removed in a single felling. The system promotes selected natural regeneration of mainly the light demanding species which comprises medium to light hardwood trees of varying ages. The process also involved climber cutting and poison-girdling of defective and non-commercial species of at least 15 cm dbh. After five to seven years of felling, sampling is carried out to assess the plant regeneration and to

FORESTS ARE MANAGED TO ENSURE THAT THEY CONTINUE TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND SERVICES TO MANKIND. THE FORESTS OF PENINSULAR MALAYSIA FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE BEEN MANAGED SINCE THE EARLY 1900 USING VARIOUS SILVICULTURAL PRACTICES. DURING THAT PERIOD, TWO SYSTEMS, NAMELY THE REGENERATION AND THE DEPARTMENTAL IMPROVEMENT FELLINGS WERE IMPLEMENTED IN ORDER TO MEET ECONOMIC DEMANDS.

During the early twenties, forest management was practiced solely for improving the existing stock using the departmental improvement felling method. This system allows the removal of species with no known commercial value by tree-girdling which is conducted in several stages. Reducing competition thus promotes the growth of the commercial value species such as the Neobalanocarpus heimii (chengal).

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3determine the suitable silvicultural treatment. The application of MUS invariably converts the nature of the rich multi-species and multi-aged virgin tropical lowland rain forest into an even-aged forest containing a greater proportion of the commercial species.

The system has been successfully applied at the lowland dipterocarp forest but as forest management shifted to higher elevation, MUS was found to be less successful. This was due to the difficulties of the hill forest such as steep terrain, uneven stocking and lack of natural regeneration prior to logging. Seedling regeneration after logging was also uncertain due to irregular seeding from mother trees, heavy seedling mortality due to felling as well as poor seed viability in the case of seraya (Shorea curtisii).

In contrary to MUS, the diversity of flora and timber species may not necessarily be a disadvantage to wood production, as found out during the late seventies. A mixed forest crop for instance, offers the best cover for soil, enhances water conservation and provides a wider spectrum of timber species for future utilisation by the wood-based industry.

Under the MUS system almost all easily accessible lowland and hill forests have been logged and more than two-thirds (the more accessible parts) of the latter have been selectively harvested. As the remaining virgin forests were found on steep slopes in remote parts of the country there was a need to adopt a selective felling system, particularly in Peninsular Malaysia. Hence, the MUS was replaced by a new system. In June 1978, the Selective Management System (SMS) was introduced to allow for more flexible timber harvesting regime.

Application of SMS safeguards the environment while fulfilling the demands of the timber market. The system discourages poison-girdling of many non-commercial species which not only conserves the wood but also the genetic resources of the forests for future uses. The sms system entails the selection of optimum management regime based on pre-felling forest inventory data. Harvesting of the merchantable timber, especially from virgin forests causes substantial damage. As such, the system aims to save as many young potential tree species as possible using tree marking and directional felling. When adequate number of healthy trees of desired species is left behind, it will assure the supply of future timber crop, while maintaining forest cover for protection of soil and conservation of water.

To the casual observer, a selectively logged forest under the SMS does not differ much from a forest managed under the MUS, although the principles behind the systems are different. In addition, under the SMS there is an intention to harvest the timber at the end of the cutting cycle (30 years) while under the MUS tree felling can only be done after a complete rotation (55 years or more), when the trees have grown into harvestable sizes. Advanced growth in MUS is considered a bonus, while under the SMS, it is the main crop. Hence, where the residual stand is inadequate, selective logging under the SMS automatically converts into the MUS.

ABOUT THE AUTHORWan Mohd Shukri Wan Ahmad currently is the Head of the Inventory and Mensuration Unit of the FRIM Natural Forest Programme. He obtained his first and second degrees from the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). The author has served as a research officer at FRIM since 1993. His research areas are mainly on forest management and forest inventory.

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1. The forests of Peninsular Malaysia have been managed since the early 1900

2. Measuring forest stand to ensure its sustainability

3. Climbers are cut to promote the natural regeneration of the light demanding species

4. Semi-mechanised planting technique for enrichment planting activities

5. Alternative logging method to minimise soil damage


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CONSERVING EVERY BIT OF LIFEChew Ming Yee | [email protected] Abdul Rahman, Lim Chung Lu, Yao Tze Leong, Syahida Emiza Suhaimi

of the sunny, perpetually wet but transient microhabitats. Their tiny stature—a clump of plants in flower appears no larger than an adult’s fingers—makes them inconspicuous and overlooked by most people. Amazingly, they are known to be carnivorous plants that are capable of capturing and digesting microscopic prey with their minute suction traps.

Utricularia furcellata is a rare species newly recorded at the cloud (montane) forest of the Stong State Park, Kelantan. Previously, it was only known at the mountains of North East India. So

far, the sole population observed is locally restricted to a sandy patch traversed by a major tourist track. It could therefore easily be trampled upon or washed away in a flashflood, thus it is accorded the Critically Endangered status in Peninsular Malaysia.

Utricularia striatula can be found in several mountainous sites in Peninsular Malaysia, usually at waterfall spray zones or on dripping rock-faces along major waterways. Despite being more common than U. furcellata, it is equally sensitive to subtle environmental changes. Its microhabitat is susceptible to

EVERY INCONSPICUOUS HERB, LOWLY SHRUB, SCRAMBLING CLIMBER OR EPHEMEAL AQUATIC PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN THE COMPLEX WEB OF LIFE. CONSERVING THE RICHNESS OF PLANT BIODIVERSITY DOESN’T STOP AT TIMBER TREES, MEDICINAL PLANTS AND PRETTY OR SHOWY HORTICULTURAL SPECIES, BUT SHOULD ALSO INVOLVE ALL OTHER PLANTS. SADLY, MANY OF THESE PLANTS ARE ALREADY FACING THREATS OF EXTINCTION BEFORE THEIR COMMERCIAL VALUES ARE KNOWN. EFFORTS ARE NOW UNDERWAY TO CREATE AWARENESS TO THE PUBLIC ON PLANT CONSERVATION STATUS IN THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF CONSERVATION FOR NATURE (IUCN) RED LIST.

SO TINY THEY COULD EASILY BE WASHED AWAY OR TRAMPLED ONThese two closely related Utricularia species from the Lentibulariaceae or bladderwort family are dwellers

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1. Utricularia furcellata is a Critically Endangered plant

2&3. U. striatula is a Near Threatened plant

4&5. Damrongia lacunosa is an Endangered plant

6. Codonoboea pumila is a Vulnerable plant

7. The clearing of forest trail to Pine Tree Hill

Continued at back page (page 16)

RARE LIMESTONE HILL SPECIESDamrongia lacunosa from the African violet family (Gesneriaceae) is a rare species only known from eight localities in Peninsular Malaysia. The species is restricted to limestone rocks, where it grows below the canopy either in light shade on vertical limestone cliffs or in deep shade on ledges on walls of deep gullies. Although one population occurs in a protected area in Taman Negara, Terengganu, its status is considered Endangered because of the small population of less than 10 individuals. The first collection ofD. lacunosa was made by Ridley in

drying up if amenity developments are conducted on the mountains that disrupt its natural micro-hydrological cycle. It is currently given a Near Threatened status in Peninsular Malaysia. Should the balance be tipped by development projects in the near future or its micro-climate disturbed by global warming effects, it may soon join U. furcellata in the globally threatened categories.

habitat and its sensitivity to environmental disturbances. At Fraser’s Hill which is a popular tourist destination, many populations are found along forest trails, for instance, along the trail to Pine Tree Hill. The survival of these populations may be at risk if the habitats are destroyed due to indiscriminate clearing of forest trails or they could easily be trampled by hikers.

the early 1900s but for almost 90 years it had not been recollected. It was only in 1986 and the early 1990’s that the species was found at localities that are mostly near disturbed habitats. The limestone hills at Gua Badak, Perak are close to villages and farms; while at Ciku, Kelantan and Gua Cermin, near Sri Jaya, Pahang, the limestone hills are surrounded by oil palm estates. The only known sizeable population discovered was at Temenggor, Perak.

NARROWLY ENDEMIC SPECIES FROM FRASER’S HILLCodonoboea pumila from Gesneriaceae is a miniature herb that grows up to 10 cm tall and produces tiny mauve flowers of less than 1 cm long. This species is narrow endemic and confined to small scattered pockets of location at Fraser’s Hill, Pahang. Its habitat is on the damp, shady and often moss-covered forest floor, which ranges from lower to upper montane forest between 950 and 1280 m above sea level. The species has been assessed as Vulnerable because of its restricted distribution, the deteriorating quality of its natural


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not widely distributed and also confined to a specific area.

Recently, Gunung Jebak Puyuh became a subject for a mining application which if approved, could endanger both the hill and the habitat. Conservation botanists from Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)—Dr Lillian Chua and Lau Kah Hoo who at the time were carrying out close monitoring on the S. minutiflora populations at both hills, submitted habitat protection recommendations to related stakeholders. Meanwhile, the propagation and the conservation of S. minutiflora in ex-situ conditions (maintaining plants outside their natural habitats) also began in FRIM nursery.

At first glance, the delicate, thin, membranous hairy leaves look fragile and may not be an ideal material for propagation. Since this species came from the Gesneriaceae family, its young plants could reproduce through leaf propagation. Therefore several leaves, collected from its natural habitat were cut

It has tiny white flower which is even smaller than the hibiscus image on a 10-sen coin. The seeds are dust-like and encased in a spirally-twisted fruit capsule. To a common eye, the plant is not a beauty, so what is all the fuss about?

Senyumia minutiflora is a very rare species confined to a limestone hill called Gunung Senyum in Jengka, Pahang, hence the generic name, Senyumia. For the last ten years, it has become a particular cause for conservation concern because of the dramatic decrease in its population particularly at large caves that have become popular with visitors. In

addition, the plant is the only species in its genus, so if it becomes extinct so will the genus. The plant was later discovered on an adjacent limestone hill of Gunung Jebak Puyuh.

Limestone hills in Peninsular Malaysia are commonly regarded as wasteland and only valued for the production of cement, construction aggregate and marble. Limestone hills are generally not protected apart from those in Taman Negara, Pahang and Geopark, Langkawi Island. The Gua Musang hills bordering Taman Negara are also excluded from protection. Such a perception is, however, a mistake.

Limestone hills provide unique micro-habitats created by cliffs, slopes, caves and base of hill with different quality of soils and physical conditions. Limestone hills are also home to more than 1200 plant species with about 21% of them are restricted to limestone and endemic (occur in one place, in this case, in Peninsular Malaysia). Endemic species are highly vulnerable to extinction as their populations are

FUTURE SMILES FOR SENYUMIA MINUTIFLORAJoanne Tan Pei [email protected] Kah Hoo & Dr Lillian Chua

SENYUMIA MINUTIFLORA (SENYUM—A MALAY WORD FOR SMILE) IS AN INCONSPICUOUS UNDERSTOREY HERBACEOUS PLANT WITH DENSE WOOLLY WHITE HAIRS COVERING THE ENTIRE PLANT.

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across into smaller pieces, and placed on soil mixtures. Soil was lightly sprinkled on to every cutting end nearest to the petiole and kept in a misting chamber under high humidity and low light intensity. After 68–72 days, the leaf cuttings began sprouting with one leaf blade producing an average of 25 plantlets. The plantlets flowered after about 10–11 months. Despite being associated with well-drained alkaline substrate, the plantlets grow very well in mixtures of burnt soil, sand and compost.

The tiny seeds on the other hand, germinated after four weeks of sowing in moist soil media. In vitro germination was also successful as the seeds grew vigorously in the tissue culture media. Numerous plantlets have been obtained within a short period and after one year, there were about 300 seedlings germinated from seeds and 124 young plants from leaf propagation. In order to secure its germplasm, plant materials collected from different populations and individuals will be carefully studied. The aim

is to restore the species in situ and transfer back to its natural habitat. We hope that this may slow down the rate of population decline and prevent this hyper-endemic species from becoming extinct.

Thanks to FRIM Tissue Culture Lab for providing the facilities and technical support and to Dr Ruth Kiew for thoughtful comments and review of the earlier draft of the article. Much of the work was supported by the MOSTI project “Safeguarding the Forest Plant Diversity of Peninsular Malaysia”.

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1. Senyumia minutiflora at Gunung Senyum

2. Close up look of the flower3. S. minutiflora flower is smaller than

the hibiscus image on a 10 sen coin 4. Jars crowded with S. minutiflora

plantlets5. Surface pattern of the seed coat6. After four months, sprouts from leaf

cuttings were ready to be potted

Let us conserve the smiles for the future!

ABOUT THE MAIN AUTHORJoanne Tan is a research officer at the Flora Biodiversity Programme, Forest Biodiversity Division, FRIM. She obtained her BSc in horticulture from Universiti Putra Malaysia. Her research areas are mainly on horticulture and plant domestication.

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A Quarterly of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia A Quarterly of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia

EAS STRATEGIC OPTIONS | 2011/June No: 09THE RELATIVE DECLINE OF MALAYSIA FOREST PRODUCTS EXPORT REVENUE:CALL FOR NEW STRATEGIES

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US$31.9(49%)

US$12.0(19%)

US$7.2(11%)

US$5.1(8%)

US$4.8(8%)

US$3.4(5%)

Canada USA IndonesiaMalaysia Sweden Other exporters

Italy Denmark GermanyPoland Malaysia Other exporters

US$5.6(56%)

US$2.1(22%)

US$0.76(7%)

US$0.58(6%)

US$0.52(5%)

US$0.45(4%)

China Poland FranceIndonesia Denmark

Other exporters (inside selection)

ItalyGermany EU-27 MalaysiaUSA

Other exporters (outside selection)

US$4.3(15%)US$2.1(7%)

US$1.4(5%)

US$1.3(4%)

US$0.7(3%)

US$3.5(12%)

US$0.73(2%)US$0.69(2%)

US$0.54(2%)

US$0.54(2%)

US$6.4(22%)

US$7.0(24%)

China Germany CanadaRussian Federation USA


EU-27Austria Sweden MalaysiaPoland


US$22.4(19%)

US$7.7(6%)US$7.6(6%)

US$6.5(5%)

US$5.5(5%)

US$5.4(5%)

US$10.3(9%)

US$4.3(4%)US$3.9(3%)

US$3.7(3%)US$2.6(2%)

US$38.8(33%)

US$31.9(49%)

US$12.0(19%)

US$7.2(11%)

US$5.1(8%)

US$4.8(8%)

US$3.4(5%)



US$5.6(56%)

US$2.1(22%)

US$0.76(7%)

US$0.58(6%)

US$0.52(5%)

US$0.45(4%)





US$4.3(15%)US$2.1(7%)

US$1.4(5%)

US$1.3(4%)

US$0.7(3%)

US$3.5(12%)

US$0.73(2%)US$0.69(2%)

US$0.54(2%)

US$0.54(2%)

US$6.4(22%)

US$7.0(24%)





US$22.4(19%)

US$7.7(6%)US$7.6(6%)

US$6.5(5%)

US$5.5(5%)

US$5.4(5%)

US$10.3(9%)

US$4.3(4%)US$3.9(3%)

US$3.7(3%)US$2.6(2%)

US$38.8(33%)

US$31.9(49%)

US$12.0(19%)

US$7.2(11%)

US$5.1(8%)

US$4.8(8%)

US$3.4(5%)



US$5.6(56%)

US$2.1(22%)

US$0.76(7%)

US$0.58(6%)

US$0.52(5%)

US$0.45(4%)





US$4.3(15%)US$2.1(7%)

US$1.4(5%)

US$1.3(4%)

US$0.7(3%)

US$3.5(12%)

US$0.73(2%)US$0.69(2%)

US$0.54(2%)

US$0.54(2%)

US$6.4(22%)

US$7.0(24%)





US$22.4(19%)

US$7.7(6%)US$7.6(6%)

US$6.5(5%)

US$5.5(5%)

US$5.4(5%)

US$10.3(9%)

US$4.3(4%)US$3.9(3%)

US$3.7(3%)US$2.6(2%)

US$38.8(33%)

US$31.9(49%)

US$12.0(19%)

US$7.2(11%)

US$5.1(8%)

US$4.8(8%)

US$3.4(5%)



US$5.6(56%)

US$2.1(22%)

US$0.76(7%)

US$0.58(6%)

US$0.52(5%)

US$0.45(4%)





US$4.3(15%)US$2.1(7%)

US$1.4(5%)

US$1.3(4%)

US$0.7(3%)

US$3.5(12%)

US$0.73(2%)US$0.69(2%)

US$0.54(2%)

US$0.54(2%)

US$6.4(22%)

US$7.0(24%)





US$22.4(19%)

US$7.7(6%)US$7.6(6%)

US$6.5(5%)

US$5.5(5%)

US$5.4(5%)

US$10.3(9%)

US$4.3(4%)US$3.9(3%)

US$3.7(3%)US$2.6(2%)

US$38.8(33%)

Figure 1: Top Exporters of Wood and articles of wood, wood charcoal, 1996 (US$’ billion)

Figure 3: Top Exporters of Furniture, Wooden & Nes,1996 (US$’ billion)

Figure 2: Top Exporters of Wood and articles of wood, wood charcoal, 2009 (US$’ billion)

Figure 4: Top Exporters of Furniture, Wooden & Nes, 2009 (US$’ billion)

For wooden furniture Malaysia was the fifth exporter in 1996 (US$0.45 billion—4% of the world market share) (Figure 3). In 2009, Malaysia became number eight exporter (US$0.69 billion—2%) (Figure 4).

Malaysia’s good performance is seen in the expansion of export of added value products (wooden furniture) from 9.2% in 1996 to 18.5% in 2009, due to an increase in wooden furniture sales by 65%.

Overall sales have been decreasing by US$0.87 billion in the absolute value. In relative value, Malaysia lost in market share.

For the raw material and intermediate products, the countries

that surpassed Malaysia were China, Germany, Sweden, Austria and EU. Chinese competitiveness is not a big surprise, but Sweden, Austria and Germany are not known to have more forest assets than Malaysia.

For the wooden furniture, the countries which surpass Malaysia are China, EU, Indonesia and France. Other countries like Poland, Italy and Germany keep their competitiveness ahead of Malaysia.

Low labour cost did not seem to be the unique key to competitiveness because high labour cost country appears more competitive than Malaysia. Nor was mechanisation and technology, as China and Indonesia were ahead of Malaysia in wooden furniture exports.

ISSUEWhile the world trade of forest products during the 1996–2009 period has globally increased, mainly powered by the expansion of Chinese market, competition between exporters has increased too. In the same period, the position of Malaysia in world forest product trade has declined both in absolute and relative values.

PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITYFor raw wood and intermediate products, Malaysia was the fourth exporter in 1996 (US$4.8 billion—8% of world market share) (Figure 1). In 2009 Malaysia was the ninth exporter (US$3.7 billion—3%) (Figure 2).


EAS STRATEGIC OPTIONS | 2011/June No: 09THE RELATIVE DECLINE OF MALAYSIA FOREST PRODUCTS EXPORT REVENUE:CALL FOR NEW STRATEGIES

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1. FRIM won the consolation prize for the organisation category in its first venture into the National Intellectual Property Awards 2011

2. Four gold medals and one silver were won at the 22nd International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exibition (ITEX) held in Kuala Lumpur

3. The BrandLaureate Awards 2010-2011 awarded to FRIM for the Best Brand in Forestry–Environment Conservation

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FRIM Awards

the lack of revenue by intermediate products is not backed up by the evidence since the debate implying the revenue of added value products would match the decline of intermediate products is not supported by the data.

OPTIONSThere is no simple answer and strategy to prevent this apparent decline and to increase the competitiveness of Malaysian forest products in the international arena.

At least since Porter’s theorisation of international competitiveness, we know that the balance between all the components of a production system matters more than the performance of one peculiar component. We need to research more on complex factors such as the integration of domestic and export industries; the comparative efforts of national policies on the different sectors; the mix between individual entrepreneurship and government policy and the complexity of the

industrial development plans. Obviously exports of added value products did not increase enough because of some unknown competitiveness bottlenecks. It may be due to factors such as not enough imports of raw materials, or to any other factors.

To find out what are the critical factors of Malaysia’s competitiveness and its bottlenecks will be the real challenge.

FURTHER INFORMATIONPLEASE CONTACT:Jean-Marc Roda, PhD | Ismariah Ahmad, PhDRohana Abd Rahman | Lim Hin Fui, PhDMohd Parid Mamat

ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC ANALYSIS PROGRAMME (EAS)Innovation & Commercialization Division,Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), 52109 Kepong, Selangor Darul Ehsan, MalaysiaTél. : +603 6279 7544 / 7541 / 7714 / 7549Fax : +603 6275 0925email : [email protected] : http://www.frim.gov.my

If size matters first, why would Austria’s exports surpass Malaysia’s? If raw material matters first, why would the European countries and Italy keep their competitive positions?

We see that Malaysia’s policy on promoting value added products resulted in positive outcomes for wooden furniture industry, but it failed to prevent decline in the exports of the entire forest product sector from US$0.9 billion.

Exchange rate might be an important factor for the relative decline of Malaysia, but then, how to explain that Malaysia, following US exchange rate, did lose proportionately more export of raw wood and intermediate products than USA, and did increase proportionately much less in export of wooden furniture?

The debate arguing that more added value products can balance

Azmarizawati Zainal Azhar

Puad Elham Yusni Idris


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CONSERVATION OF WHOLE ECOSYSTEM IS PIVOTALLoxocarpus holttumii (Gesneriaceae or the African violet family) is a narrowly endemic species, restricted to one location at Panti Forest Reserve, Johor. There, the species is commonly observed on shaded sandstone outcrops or cliff faces, below the ridge top at Gunung Panti Barat and the Kota Tinggi Waterfall. Although the species is locally common, its habitat quality is continuously degraded by human disturbances. Thus, its conservation status is assessed as Endangered. The development of a Water Theme Park at Kota Tinggi Waterfall area has ruined much of the species’ habitat and its population is now confined to a few spots on the cliffs within the splash zone. In addition, the trail to Gunung Panti Barat is highly accessible and at risk from human disturbances. In addition, a keen horticulturist also revealed that the plants are being collected for sale in Singapore.

Trigona bee was observed as the most likely pollinator that visits the L. holttumii flowers to collect pollen. Since the flowers do not produce nectar, the only reward for the bee is pollen which is evident by its full pollen baskets. Pollinators are essential for the plants to reproduce in the natural habitat. Thus, the interaction between flora and fauna is important for survival of the species, and to achieve this, conservation of the whole ecosystem is pivotal.

HIGH IN THE FOREST CANOPY AND FREQUENTLY OVERLOOKEDLianas and climbers are often neglected since they are of less economic importance compared to timber trees. Collection of larger lianas is often difficult as they tend to climb high up the canopy and hidden by tree crowns. Two threatened species that will be described are from the Convolvulaceae or the kangkung family.

Erycibe sapotacea is a scandent shrub or a large woody climber. It occurs on a narrow geographical range and is endemic to Penang Hill. The three collections made were all from Penang Hill. It is currently given an Endangered status due to its non-protected habitat area. The population of E. sapotacea is expected to decline due to development pressure at Penang Hill

and building of new roads. Erycibe festiva is another highly rare species from Peninsular Malaysia. It is a creeper or a scrambler growing up to 20 m long and thrives in open forest at low altitudes up to 200 m. Its rarity is reflected in the collection history whereby the first collection was made in 1884 from Larut, Perak while the second collection was 92 years later from Kuala Dipang. For the subsequent 35 years, the species was not discovered again. Although E. festiva also occurs in Indonesia, it is considered an endangered species in Peninsular Malaysia because of its two localities that were confined to the state of Perak. Habitat protection is therefore vital in safeguarding the continual existence of this species.

ABOUT THE AUTHORSThe five authors are researchers from the Floral Biodiversity Programme, Forest Biodiversity Division and their research focus is on the Flora of Peninsular Malaysia Project. The five groups of plants featured in this article are research topics for their Masters degree at the Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya.

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CONSERVING EVERY BIT OF LIFE

8. The water theme park at Kota Tinggi waterfall area, the natural habitat for Loxocarpus holttumii, is currently being developed

9. A Trigona bee visiting flowers of L. holttumii10. The Endangered plant, Erycibe sapotacea

at Penang Hill 11. Fruit of E. sapotacea


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