(Photo: Heath forest in Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, Sabah | Pic by Giacomo Sellan)
The Ibans call heath forests “Kerangas”, which means “lands that will not grow rice”. And it is not just rice that could not make it there.
As one treks from the lush lowland forests into heath forests, the trees change. Tall, thick trees give way to stunted ones with gnarled branches and “gracious” leaves, looking similar to bonsai trees, says plant scientist Giacomo Sellan.
IF YOU don’t know where all the limestone hills are, how will you know which to protect, which to quarry? Moreover, if you want to protect them, which ones do you begin with?
Well, decision-makers now have at their fingertips, Malaysia’s most comprehensive database and map of limestone hills.
(Photo: Screen capture of the online gazetteer showing details of limestone outcrop of interest in Malaysia | Courtesy of Liew Thor Seng)
(Photo: Gold-spotted Mudskippers (Periophthalmus chrysospilos) waddling in the mudflats at Bako National Park, Sarawak | Pic by Chien Lee)
WHAT IS an animal that walks on mud, breathes through its skin, and swims using fins? A mudskipper! While they are fish and classified in the fish family Gobiidae, mudskippers don’t quite look like one.
Interviewed: Alison Kim Shan Wee, molecular ecologist (kimshan.wee[at]nottingham.edu.my)
(Photo: Awash in sea water twice daily, mangrove trees have adapted to the challenging environment | Pic by Alison Kim)
HOW ARE mangroves, which grow by tropical and subtropical coasts, the same as plants in the deserts or the Arctic? Well, they are all extremophiles — a group of organisms that are able to thrive in extreme environments.
According to molecular ecology researcher Alison Kim Shan Wee, mangrove trees can live in soil of high salt levels, which could kill most other trees.
The Budget would reflect the government’s plans to carry the country out of the pandemic woes of 2020.
Malaysians have had a troubled year. Our lives, economy and national policies were derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic and unexpected changes in the Federal government and state governments of Johor, Melaka, Kedah and Sabah.
Many conservation groups struggled to keep finances and operations running.
Amidst the turbulence, Malaysians continue to see our environment degrade: pollution of rivers and coasts; clear-felling and degazettement of forest reserves for economic activities; human-elephant conflicts; and poaching.
“CUTE” IS how Teck Wyn describes the cave cockroach, Pycnoscelus striatus. “The nymphs”—the juvenile stage of cockroaches—“are adorable, scurrying sort of things.”
This is where we feature the various ecosystems in Malaysia. From cloud forests to coral reefs, these are the rawest reasons we do environmental journalism. For each ecosystem, we tell the stories of not only the natural living and non-living components of these communities and systems, but also the human ones. Here, you can explore natural Malaysia in text, voice and photos, guided by the experience of those who know it well.
HEATH FOREST ECOSYSTEM
Pitcher plants (Nepenthes rafflesiana) climbing up trees at Bako National Park, Sarawak. (Clivid on Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/lungfish2000/6928265509/in/album-72157629450399257, CC-BY, ND 2.0)
The Ibans call heath forests ‘Kerangas’, or the land that cannot grow rice. These forests, mostly found on Borneo, are a rare and largely unknown feature of Malaysia’s tropical ecosystems. Sandy, acidic soil means dry, nutrient-poor environments. And yet, a unique community has evolved to thrive there.
Living between sea and land are mangroves (‘bakau’), protectors of coasts, ‘reclaimers’ of land, nurseries for fish. An ecosystem that is at once wet and dry, brackish and saline, it is defined most by stilt roots and mudflats. But its biodiversity and ecosystem roles are larger and more complex than what meets the eye.
with Wan Nor Fitri Wan Jaafar (Photo: Wan Nor Fitri Wan Jaafar)
COMING SOON:
Mangrove Carbon Stores
Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)
KARST ECOSYSTEM
Tower form, Gunung Rapat, Kinta Valley (photo: Cheang Kum Seng)
Popularly referred to as limestone (‘batu kapur’), Malaysia’s remarkable karst landscape has been sculpted by centuries of action of water on soft rock. It is also home to unique life-forms and is part of human life. Coming up, we talk to those who know it well to celebrate its myriad facets, in our first ecosystem spotlight.
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Introduction
Species
Geology
Culture
Economy
Map
Introduction
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On-Going Research:
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Species
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Species Available In this Ecosystem:
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Geology
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Culture
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Map
Tab Content
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