The Southern River Terrapin (Batagur affinis) is a member of the Geoemydidae family, one of the most diverse groups of freshwater turtles, with over 70 recognised species worldwide (Clemente et al., 2021). Batagur affinis is native to Southeast Asia and is found in Malaysia, Southern Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

In Malaysian local communities, Batagur affinis is generally known as Tuntung Sungai because of the gentle "tung tung" sound it makes. This species inhabits major river systems in the states of Perak, Kedah, and Terengganu, while in Borneo, it is mainly found in Sarawak. The carapace (upper shell) of adult species is between 43.1 cm and 62.5 cm long (Moll et al., 2015). The shell is deep, large and strongly buttressed (Xuan, 2024). Like other freshwater turtles, it possesses fully webbed feet and powerful limbs. This species can be distinguished by having only four claws per limb, rather than five as seen in many other riverine turtles. Males can be recognised by their darker head colouration, bright yellow eyes, longer and thicker tails, as well as a more concave plastron (bottom shell), features that differentiate them from females. According to Platt et al. (2021), females are significantly larger than males, with some individuals weighing up to 36 kg, while fully developed adults typically range between 20 and 25 kg.

This species feeds mainly on plant sources such as fallen fruits and aquatic plants, but its diet may also include animal proteins like molluscs, prawns, and small fish. This feeding behaviour indicates that this species is omnivorous, especially in natural river systems where food availability varies seasonally.

One of the most remarkable features of the Southern River Terrapin is its reproductive pattern. Unlike many freshwater turtles that produce around 110 eggs per season, B. affinis only lays 25–30 eggs during a single breeding season, which typically occurs in the dry months between November and March (Moll et al., 2015). Another important behavioural trait is natal homing, where the females would return to the same nesting beaches to lay their eggs, year by year. This behaviour contributes to maintaining stable population distribution patterns.

Southern river terrapins are also known for their cautious and elusive behaviour. They tend to avoid human presence and retreat when disturbed by noise or activity near their nesting areas, making them difficult to observe in the wild (Chen, 2017). Despite their quiet and elusive nature, the Southern River Terrapin plays a vital ecological role. As it moves through the water and along riverbanks, it helps regulate vegetation growth and prevents river habitats from becoming overgrown by feeding on aquatic plants and fruits (Mohd Salleh et al., 2022). The species also facilitates seed dispersal, supporting the regeneration of riparian plants, while its nesting activities contribute to soil aeration and the nutrient cycling process.

According to IUCN (Horne et al., 2019), the species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR), indicating that it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Populations have been severely impacted by egg collection, habitat destruction (including sand mining), poaching and other environmental pressures. Various conservation initiatives are being implemented to protect this iconic species from extinction, including habitat restoration, nest protection programmes, captive breeding programmes and community-based awareness activities.

On the global front, Malaysia is party to various biodiversity-related multilateral environmental agreements, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Malaysia is also party to agreements covering a wide range of subjects including trade in endangered species, protection of important wetlands, biosafety, climate change, transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, haze and laws of the sea. Our obligations are numerous and we need to strengthen our policy framework to enable us to fulfill our responsibilities.

In addition to the CBD, Malaysia is also party to various other biodiversity-related multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) such as:-

1. ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze
2. Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
3. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB)
4. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
5. Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention)
6. Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC
7. Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
8. Rotterdam Convention
9. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
10. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
11. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
12. Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
13. World Heritage Convention (WHC)
14. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

These MEAs complement and mutually reinforce each other in defence of the broad environment, including measures that are needed for national and international biodiversity management.

EVERYONE HAS A PART TO PLAY

The call to address the challenge of biodiversity conservation weighs heavily on everyone. Although we may not personally have directly caused or benefitted from the loss of biodiversity, we are at a historic turning point where urgent and decisive actions taken now can reverse alarming trends and restore the nation’s biodiversity. In doing so, we need to establish a stronger foundation for achieving the national vision for sustainable development.

For these reasons, this Policy is designed to engage everyone in Malaysia. Everyone has a part to contribute, and we all need to make conservation our responsibility for the sake of the future generations.

Known locally as “inggu badut,” the clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) is a small but iconic reef-dwelling species that serves as a symbol of tropical coral reef ecosystems. A. ocellaris belongs to the family Pomacentridae, which includes damselfishes and anemonefishes known for their ecological importance in coral reef ecosystems (Allen, 1991; Frouse & Pauly, 2026). There are 437 species in this family, and they were historically divided into two genera, Amphiprion and Premnas; Premnas is now considered a synonym of Amphiprion according to Fricke, Eschmeyer & van der Laan (2025). Currently, only 31 species are recognised as valid (Allen, 1991; Frouse & Pauly, 2026). A. ocellaris is well-known for its distinctive characteristics, which include an orange body with three vertical white lines (Yamanaka et al., 2024). This characteristic colouration results from the specific distribution of three pigment cell types: melanophores, xanthophores, and iridophores. These pigment cells together produce the vertical white-barred pattern on the orange background (Miyake et al., 2025).

This species has a wide distribution in the Indo-West Pacific, from the Eastern Indian Ocean to the Indonesian and Philippine archipelagos, and further north from northwestern Australia to the Ryukyu Islands in Japan (Allen, 1980; Nelson et al., 2000). This broad distribution suggests that the species thrives in warm marine environments, where water temperatures are optimal for survival and reproduction (Velasco-Blanco et al., 2019). A. ocellaris is also highly valuable in the global market for its use as an ornamental fish for a marine aquarium, due to its attractive appearance, small size, and ease of maintenance (Ajith Kumar & Balasubramanian, 2009; Velasco-Blanco et al., 2019).

Ecologically, A. ocellaris depends on a symbiotic relationship with host sea anemones. It forms close associations with up to three species, which are Stichodactyla gigantea, S. haddoni, and Heteractis magnifica (Roux et al., 2020). This symbiotic relationship enables them to coexist freely in shallow coral reefs without any harm caused by the nematocysts from their anemones (Nguyen et al., 2024). Adults also obtain nutrients from mucus and ectodermal secretions of their host anemone, supplementing their diet with captured planktonic prey (Roux et al., 2020). This relationship is maintained through a protective mucous layer on the fish’s skin, preventing nematocyst stings and enabling mutual benefits such as microbial exchange and habitat protection (Nguyen et al., 2024; Roux et al., 2019).

In Malaysia, A. ocellaris plays a notable role in the marine ornamental fish trade, where its supply is heavily dependent on wild-caught specimens, posing a risk of overexploitation (Cato & Brown, 2003; Chapman, 1997; Khoo et al., 2019). However, the species is currently listed as Least Concern (LC) under the IUCN Red List version 3.1, indicating no immediate risk of extinction across its global range (Allen et al., 2022). Increasing threats to coral reefs may eventually impact population stability, as A. ocellaris relies on specific anemone hosts. Habitat degradation caused by sedimentation, eutrophication, overexploitation of marine resources, and rising sea temperatures associated with global warming could reduce the availability of suitable reef environments for A. ocellaris (Bhat, 2004). Therefore, continuous monitoring of wild populations is essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of this species amid collection pressures and changing environmental conditions.

Satu sesi libat urus telah diadakan antara pihak Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) dan Malaysia Biodiversity Centre (MBC) bersama Herbarium Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) di Kompleks Rujukan Biodiversiti, USM, Pulau Pinang pada 10 Februari 2026.

Sepanjang sesi tersebut, pihak MyBIS telah membentangkan modul-modul sedia ada serta penambahbaikan yang telah dilaksanakan bagi menyokong keperluan pusat koleksi, khususnya dalam aspek pengurusan, pendigitalan dan perkongsian data biodiversiti. Sesi ini turut bertujuan memperkukuh pengintegrasian data herbarium ke dalam pangkalan data MyBIS agar lebih komprehensif, sistematik dan mudah diakses oleh penyelidik serta pihak berkepentingan.

Sehubungan itu, MyBIS turut menzahirkan komitmen berterusan dalam menyelaras pusat-pusat koleksi biodiversiti di seluruh negara melalui pendekatan penyelarasan standard data, pemantapan sistem, serta penyediaan platform perkongsian maklumat yang bersepadu. Inisiatif ini diharapkan dapat memperkukuh rangkaian kerjasama strategik antara institusi, seterusnya memperkasa pengurusan dan pemuliharaan biodiversiti Malaysia secara lebih tersusun dan berimpak tinggi.

Pada 9 Februari 2026, beberapa kakitangan Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) dan Malaysia Biodiversity Centre (MBC) telah mengadakan satu sesi libat urus bersama Pusat Konservasi Hidupan Liar (PKHL) dan Pusat Menyelamat Hidupan Liar (PMHL) Jabatan PERHILITAN di Sungkai, Perak.

Antara objektif utama sesi ini adalah untuk meneroka peluang kerjasama strategik bersama pihak PKHL dan PMHL, di samping menjalankan sesi penggambaran spesies-spesies fauna yang terdapat di pusat berkenaan. Gambar-gambar beresolusi tinggi yang diperoleh akan dimuat naik ke laman sesawang MyBIS bagi tujuan pengukuhan data, dokumentasi spesies serta menyokong keperluan sistem pangkalan data biodiversiti negara.

Sebagai makluman, PKHL dan PMHL PERHILITAN menempatkan pelbagai spesies fauna dari seluruh negeri di Malaysia, sama ada bagi tujuan konservasi, rehabilitasi, rawatan veterinar, penyelidikan mahupun sebagai penempatan sementara bagi spesies rampasan dan hidupan liar yang diselamatkan. Di Semenanjung Malaysia, terdapat sebanyak 11 buah PKHL dan 2 buah PMHL yang berperanan sebagai pusat rujukan utama dalam pengurusan hidupan liar.

Enam fungsi utama pusat-pusat ini adalah seperti berikut:

• Pengurusan dan operasi Pusat Konservasi Hidupan Liar (PKHL) dan Pusat Menyelamat Hidupan Liar (PMHL)
• Pengoperasian Makmal Forensik Hidupan Liar Kebangsaan
• Penyelidikan Genetik serta pengurusan Biobank DNA Hidupan Liar
• Kajian ekologi dan surveilan penyakit zoonotik hidupan liar
• Perkhidmatan veterinar termasuk servis diagnostik, audit dan klinikal
• Pengurusan permit penyelidikan serta pembiakbakaan untuk tujuan komersial

Melalui sesi ini, diharapkan jaringan kerjasama yang terjalin antara MyBIS, MBC dan pihak PERHILITAN akan terus diperkukuh, seterusnya memberi impak positif terhadap usaha pemuliharaan, pengurusan dan pendigitalan maklumat biodiversiti Malaysia secara lebih menyeluruh dan bersepadu.

Pada 7 Februari 2026, pasukan Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) telah menyertai pameran sempena Majlis Penyerahan Watikah Pelantikan Renjer Komuniti dan Flag Off Operasi Bersepadu Khazanah (OBK) Peringkat Negeri Sabah yang berlangsung di Nabawan, Sabah. Majlis tersebut telah disempurnakan oleh Menteri Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam, YB Dato’ Sri Arthur Joseph Kurup.

Sepanjang pameran, reruai MyBIS mempamerkan pelbagai maklumat digital dan bahan fizikal berkaitan ekosistem hutan Sabah. Memandangkan kira-kira 70% kawasan Nabawan merupakan Hutan Simpanan Kekal, penekanan diberikan kepada kepentingan pendigitalan data biodiversiti dalam menyokong usaha penguatkuasaan dan pemuliharaan secara lebih sistematik dan berkesan.

Pasukan MyBIS turut berpeluang berinteraksi dengan Renjer Komuniti yang baharu dilantik serta memberikan pendedahan mengenai kaedah mengakses sistem MyBIS bagi mengenal pasti spesies terancam. Inisiatif ini selari dengan komitmen kerajaan yang memperuntukkan RM8.46 juta bagi pelantikan 225 Renjer Komuniti di Sabah pada tahun 2026 dalam usaha membanteras pencerobohan dan pemburuan haram.

Penyertaan MyBIS di Nabawan mencerminkan komitmen NRES untuk memastikan maklumat biodiversiti bukan sahaja dihimpunkan di peringkat pusat, malah dimanfaatkan oleh komuniti akar umbi yang menjadi barisan hadapan dalam melindungi khazanah alam negara.

Melalui integrasi data yang kukuh serta sokongan pasukan SMART Analyst dan Renjer Komuniti, usaha perlindungan spesies ikonik negara diharap dapat diperkasa secara berterusan. Inisiatif ini seterusnya menyumbang kepada kelestarian alam sekitar Malaysia serta meningkatkan pengiktirafan negara di peringkat antarabangsa.

Gluta elegans is a tropical tree from the cashew family (Anacardiaceae), distributed across Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Myanmar. In Peninsular Malaysia, it is typically found in the lowland dipterocarp forests in the states of Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu. The local Malay community refers it as “Rengas Kerbau Jalang”, a name that warns of its poisonous sap, and it is not advisable to shelter under it during rain—toxic resin can drip down with the raindrops! (Corner, 1988). The genus name Gluta is derived from the Latin word gluten or glutus, referring to the petals being attached to the ring-shaped stalk. The species epithet elegans means "elegant", alludes to the tree’s stately form.

It is characterised by its smooth greyish to brownish bark, which contains a poisonous, resinous sap that turns blackish when exposed to air. The leaves are oblong to oblong-lanceolate or elliptic, smooth, glossy and slightly leathery with prominent netted venation on both sides (Hou, 1978). Young leaves are strikingly purplish before maturing into deep green. Clusters of fragrant flowers, with striking red calyces and soft whitish to pale-yellow petals, bloom throughout the year. The fruits are oval drupes with a smooth surface, and turn from brown to blackish upon ripening.

As a vital component of the rainforest ecosystem, G. elegans plays an important role in stabilising soil properties, maintaining soil moisture, and reducing erosion, particularly in hilly areas. It also provides habitat for various fauna, including birds, bats, primates, squirrels and insect pollinators (Lee et al., 2002).

Despite its toxicity, it is economically valuable and sought after for furniture and construction. Categorised as moderately heavy to heavy timber (Siam et al., 2023), the heartwood, commercially known as Rengas, is dark red to brownish, highly durable and valued for its decorative appeal. However, the resin causes blisters, so careful handling is required (Siam et al., 2023), and its high silica content rapidly blunts cutting tools, driving up maintenance costs.

In traditional medicine, extracts from G. elegans are used to treat wounds and skin conditions. The species also holds cultural significance, as its resin is employed in traditional healing practices for physical ailments by indigenous communities, and its hardwood is often crafted into traditional carvings (Soerianegara & Lemmens, 1994). In all cases, handling the toxic resin necessitates extreme care. Interestingly, similar resins from some other members in the Anacardiaceae family have been utilised in lacquer production.

Although G. elegans is not currently listed as threatened by the IUCN, it is facing increasing risks from habitat loss due to deforestation, agriculture and urban development (de Kok, 2024). Conservation efforts such as population monitoring, habitat protection and sustainable use are essential to ensure this elegant tree does not vanish from the wild.

Sesi Pengajaran Penggunaan Sistem Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) telah berjaya dilaksanakan pada 19 Januari 2026 bertempat di Rimba Ilmu, Universiti Malaya (UM). Sesi ini bertujuan memberi pendedahan kepada para peserta berkaitan penggunaan sistem MyBIS, kaedah kemasukan data spesimen, serta demonstrasi proses pendigitalan imej spesimen secara sistematik dan mengikut piawaian.

Sesi pengajaran tersebut telah dikendalikan oleh En. Tan Kok Kiat dan Pn. Aziemah Kinan, dengan penyertaan para peserta daripada Universiti Malaya. Melalui sesi ini, para peserta berpeluang memahami secara langsung tatacara pengurusan dan pendokumentasian data biodiversiti menggunakan platform MyBIS.

Diharapkan agar ilmu dan kemahiran yang diperoleh dapat diaplikasikan secara berkesan, seterusnya menggalakkan penyertaan aktif dalam kemasukan data spesimen bagi memperkukuh serta memperkayakan pangkalan data MyBIS sebagai repositori data biodiversiti kebangsaan.

Pada 15 Januari 2026, satu sesi libat urus telah diadakan antara pasukan Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) dan Jabatan Akuakultur, Fakulti Pertanian, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Sesi ini bertujuan untuk memperkenalkan peranan serta fungsi MyBIS kepada warga jabatan, di samping meneroka peluang kerjasama strategik antara kedua-dua pihak.

Sepanjang sesi tersebut, pasukan MyBIS telah menerangkan fungsi utama platform MyBIS, termasuk potensi kerjasama dalam pengumpulan senarai pakar, perkongsian data spesimen, serta aspek-aspek lain yang berkaitan dengan pengurusan dan pendigitalan data biodiversiti.

Perjumpaan ini turut memberi pendedahan kepada pasukan MyBIS mengenai bidang-bidang kepakaran dan program yang ditawarkan oleh Jabatan Akuakultur, Fakulti Pertanian UPM. Perkongsian ini membuka ruang kepada kerjasama yang lebih menyeluruh, khususnya dalam pengumpulan dan penyebaran data berkaitan fauna akuatik.

Diharapkan melalui kerjasama yang terjalin, data berkaitan fauna akuatik dan akuakultur dapat dikongsikan secara berperingkat dalam pangkalan data MyBIS, sekali gus menyediakan sumber maklumat yang sahih dan bermanfaat kepada orang awam mengenai aspek akuakultur di Malaysia.

Pada 12 Januari 2026, satu sesi libat urus telah diadakan antara pasukan Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) dan Bahagian Kawalan Penyakit & Biosekuriti Veterinar, Jabatan Perkhidmatan Veterinar Malaysia (DVS), bagi meneroka peluang kerjasama strategik antara kedua-dua pihak dalam usaha menyampaikan maklumat dan ilmu yang bermanfaat kepada orang awam, khususnya berkaitan penyakit spesies asing invasif (IAS) bawaan haiwan.

Sesi libat urus ini telah dipengerusikan bersama oleh Dr. Sarah Dadang Abdullah dan Dr. Muhammad Nazri Bin Khairuddin, dan menjadi platform perbincangan dua hala yang konstruktif antara pasukan MyBIS dan pihak DVS. Sepanjang sesi tersebut, pasukan MyBIS telah memperkenalkan fungsi serta peranan platform MyBIS sebagai pangkalan data biodiversiti negara, termasuk potensi penggunaannya sebagai medium penyebaran maklumat berkaitan penyakit haiwan.

Selain itu, perbincangan turut memberi tumpuan kepada peluang perkongsian data serta potensi pemuatan naik maklumat berkaitan penyakit haiwan ke dalam platform MyBIS, selaras dengan objektif untuk meningkatkan kesedaran awam dan penyampaian fakta yang tepat serta sahih.

Diharapkan kerjasama yang terjalin ini dapat memperkukuh peranan MyBIS sebagai medium penyebaran maklumat biodiversiti dan seterusnya menyumbang kepada peningkatan kefahaman masyarakat terhadap isu penyakit bawaan haiwan, khususnya yang berkaitan dengan IAS.

Bengkel Kemasukan Data dan Pendigitalan Spesimen telah berlangsung di Muzium Serangga MARDI pada 16 dan 17 Disember 2025. Bengkel ini bertujuan untuk membantu pusat koleksi dalam proses kemasukan data spesimen serta pendigitalan spesimen serangga yang terdapat di pusat koleksi berkenaan.

Selain itu, bengkel ini turut bertujuan melatih kakitangan Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) dalam proses memuat naik data secara pukal menggunakan fail Excel ke dalam sistem pangkalan data MyBIS, di samping mendigitalkan maklumat spesimen serangga sedia ada untuk tujuan penyimpanan dan rujukan digital.

Untuk makluman, pusat koleksi ini memiliki ribuan rekod spesimen, di mana sebahagian maklumat masih direkodkan secara manual dalam buku rekod bertulis tangan. Sepanjang bengkel, pasukan pelaksana, dengan bantuan Muhammad Ariff Bin Mohd Rasul, kakitangan Muzium yang banyak membantu dalam kemasukan data spesimen, telah berjaya menambah data dan imej spesimen untuk dimuat naik ke dalam sistem MyBIS.

Secara keseluruhannya, bengkel ini telah berjaya meningkatkan kemasukan data dan pendigitalan spesimen serangga, sekali gus memperkukuh pengurusan serta pemeliharaan rekod biodiversiti melalui sistem MyBIS.

Sempena Program Rancakkan Madani Bersama Malaysiaku yang berlangsung dari 5 hingga 7 Disember 2025, pihak Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) daripada FRIM & NRES tidak melepaskan peluang untuk membuka reruai pameran di bawah reruai utama Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES). Turut serta ialah pelbagai agensi di bawah NRES, termasuk Jabatan Mineral dan Geosains Malaysia (JMG), Malaysian Meteorological Department, PERHILITAN, Malaysia Green Technology Corporation (MGTC), Jabatan Ukur dan Pemetaan Malaysia (JUPEM), serta Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia (JPSM). Selain itu, pelbagai agensi kerajaan mahupun swasta tidak melepaskan peluang untuk membuka reruai masing-masing, sambil mempromosikan pelbagai perkhidmatan dan tawaran menarik kepada pengunjung sepanjang program berlangsung.

Acara ini yang dirasmikan oleh Perdana Menteri Malaysia, YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim berlangsung di Dataran Putrajaya dan menerima sambutan luar biasa daripada pengunjung. Penyertaan lebih 300,000 rakyat Malaysia jelas menunjukkan sokongan padu terhadap reformasi perkhidmatan awam serta komitmen terhadap aspirasi Malaysia MADANI.

Reruai MyBIS turut mempamerkan pelbagai penerbitan yang juga boleh dimuat turun secara percuma, selain menganjurkan sesi kuiz Kahoot yang membolehkan pengunjung memenangi pelbagai hadiah menarik. Inisiatif kerajaan ini bukan sahaja bertujuan mendekatkan masyarakat dengan maklumat biodiversiti negara, malah menggalakkan kesedaran serta penglibatan aktif rakyat dalam usaha memelihara alam sekitar untuk generasi akan datang.

Meet the ‘ghost of the trees’: the Collared Scops Owl (Otus lettia), a medium-sized owl with a pale face, large ear tufts, and a pale ‘collar’ on the back of its neck. In Malaysia, it is known as ‘Jampuk Biasa’. Its brownish-grey plumage is uniquely patterned to mimic tree bark, making it nearly invisible when roosting on tree branches. This incredible camouflage is a crucial defence mechanism that keeps the owl safe from predators during the daytime, when it is at its greatest risk (Desk, n.d.).

This species is widely distributed across East and Southeast Asia, extending from northern Pakistan through the Himalayas to southern China and Taiwan, and southward through the Thai-Malay Peninsula to Singapore (Howard & Moore, 1984). It is partially migratory, with some individuals wintering in warmer regions such as India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

The Collared Scops Owl is primarily a nocturnal bird, spending its days resting in deep foliage before emerging at night to hunt (Lewis, n.d.). It is a skilled hunter, using a ‘sit-and-wait’ strategy, and relies on its razor-sharp hearing and vision to locate prey. Dinner consists mainly of insects (e.g. beetles, grasshoppers) and other small creatures, from earthworms, lizards, frog and mice to bats and small birds (König et al., 1999).

This adaptable owl inhabits various habitats, including dry evergreen, evergreen and hill evergreen forests, grasslands, fruit orchards, and even urban parks and gardens. The breeding season runs from February to April. A female owl typically lays 3–5 eggs in tree hollows or abandoned woodpecker holes, often 2-5 m above ground. One egg is deposited every one to two days, causing chicks from the same nest to differ in size, thanks to the incubation that begins from the first egg laid (Khobkhet, 1999). The young are semi-altricial when they hatch, which means they are partly developed but still require parental care, with their eyes closed and their bodies covered in natal down (Leadprathom et al., 2009).

The global population size has not been quantified, but the species has been reported to be widespread and locally common (Del Hoyo et al., 1999). Unfortunately, in certain Asian countries, some people still consider owls as symbols of evil. In Thailand, seeing or hearing an owl is often regarded as a bad omen, leading some people to kill them, steal their eggs, use pesticides, or set traps near nests. In addition, habitat loss caused by urban development and deforestation also poses a major threat to owl populations (Leadprathom et al., 2009). Thankfully, the Collared Scops Owl is currently listed as ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to its wide distribution and adaptability.

Towering up to 30 m with 60 cm diameter at breast height, the smooth, whitish-grey bole of Hydnocarpus castaneus or “Setumpul” in Malay, stands out in the dim green hush of Southeast Asia’s swampy forests. It is one of the medium to large trees in the family Characeae.

Like many plants, its scientific name holds the key to its identity. The genus name Hydnocarpus comes from the Greek words hydnon (tuber or a tubercle) and karpos (fruit) which describe its distinctive, rounded fruit. The species name, castaneus, means chestnut-brown (NParks, 2025).

This species is distributed across Malaysia, Sumatra, and southern Thailand. It grows in dense forests, swampy forests, often along rivers or small streams, and at the bases of limestone cliffs. It usually occurs at elevations 100–150 m, but has also been reported at elevations up to 1,200 m (Adnan et al., 2018).

This evergreen tree has elliptical to oblong leaves (17–30 cm long and 6.5–8 cm wide), which are stiff and leathery, with hairy stipules (i.e., small leaf-like structures at the base of the leaf stalks). The green leaves transform to reddish brown as they dry (Adnan et al., 2018). The flowers are white, fragrant and clustered. The tree may depend on insects and birds for pollination, although its precise pollination mechanisms remain unknown. The fruit is brown and globose, covered with dense hairs, and contains several fleshy seeds, each measuring 1.5–2 cm in length (NParks, 2025). How the fruits are dispersed remains undocumented, but this may provide an important clue to the species’ distribution and common occurrence.

The Setumpul tree has practical uses among local communities. Its durable wood is valued for construction purposes, such as making pillars, doors, and window frames. In folk medicine, the bark decoction is used to treat skin problems (Adnan et al., 2018). The seeds are believed to have antimicrobial properties and are considered effective against eczema, rashes, and other skin ailments. Other species within the genus Hydnocarpus have also long been used in traditional medicine worldwide, though their applications have yet to be scientfically validated. Research on the pharmacological, clinical, and phytochemical properties remains very limited (Sahoo et al., 2014).

Currently, the species is classified as ‘Least Concern’ on the global conservation list due to its wide distribution and abundant populations. Some researchers even suggest that it may be more common than existing records indicate (De Kok, 2024).

1 November 2025 - Sempena Karnival Alam Kita Peringkat Negeri Sabah di Membakut, kita menyaksikan satu lagi langkah penting dalam usaha memupuk kesedaran tentang khazanah laut negara, iaitu peluncuran buku “Hidupan Marin (Marine Life)” oleh YB Datuk Chan Foong Hin, mewakili YB Datuk Seri Johari Ghani, Pemangku Menteri Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES).

Buku ini membawa pembaca menyelami keajaiban dunia marin Malaysia, daripada terumbu karang yang berwarna-warni hingga penyu, ikan, rumpai laut, dan pelbagai spesies unik yang menjadikan perairan kita antara yang terkaya di dunia. Dihasilkan dengan kerjasama pakar biodiversiti seperti Prof. Norhayati, Dr. Lee Jen Nie, dan pasukan MyBIS, buku ini bukan sekadar bacaan, tetapi satu seruan untuk melindungi, menghargai, dan memulihara ekosistem marin demi generasi akan datang.

Layari laman web MyBIS di https://www.mybis.gov.my/pb/6545 untuk menyaksikan spesies yang wujud di perairan Malaysia dan hayati mesej kelestarian: “Alam Kita, Tanggungjawab Bersama.”

Bengkel Integrasi Sistem Kepersisan Biodiversiti telah diadakan pada 28 Oktober 2025 di Hotel Dorsett, Putrajaya merupakan bengkel anjuran Akademi Sains Malaysia (ASM). Bengkel ini memfokuskan pada kemajuan dan perancangan masa depan untuk program perintis "Precision Biodiversity".

Dibiayai di bawah RMK-12, program ini mengaplikasikan teknologi Kecerdasan Buatan (AI) dan (Internet of Things) IoT untuk mempertingkatkan kecekapan pengurusan biodiversiti di Hutan Simpan Pasoh, Negeri Sembilan. Program ini memperkenalkan pendekatan baharu dalam pengumpulan data menggunakan sistem automatik yang membolehkan pemantauan, analisis trend, dan visualisasi data flora serta fauna dilaksanakan dengan lebih berkesan. Matlamat jangka panjang inisiatif ini berteraskan aspirasi Mainstreaming Biodiversity 2030, sejajar dengan Dasar Kepelbagaian Biologi Kebangsaan (DKBK) 2022–2030.

Lima (5) aplikasi mudah alih dan web yang dibangunkan adalah seperti ketetapan dibawah:

• Aplikasi Koleksi Serangga

• Aplikasi Koleksi Tumbuhan

• Aplikasi Citizen Science (untuk kegunaan orang awam)

• Aplikasi Perangkap Kamera (untuk pengesanan spesies haiwan, digunakan oleh PERHILITAN)

• Ecology Simulator (untuk meramal dan mensimulasi impak terhadap ekosistem).

Program ini turut memberi tumpuan kepada integrasi data, di mana semua maklumat yang dikumpul akan menyokong inisiatif Malaysia Open Science Platform (MOSP) di bawah Kementerian Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi (MOSTI). Melalui pendekatan ini, data biodiversiti yang dihasilkan dapat diakses dan dikongsi secara lebih meluas bagi tujuan penyelidikan, pembangunan dasar, serta inovasi teknologi berkaitan biodiversiti negara.

Dari segi pelan jangka panjang, Akademi Sains Malaysia (ASM) merancang untuk menyerahkan semua aplikasi yang dibangunkan kepada Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) bagi memastikan kesinambungan dan kelestarian sistem selepas tamatnya program ini. Dalam masa yang sama, perbincangan sedang dijalankan untuk mendapatkan pembiayaan bagi kos pelayan dan penyelenggaraan daripada Jabatan Digital Negara (JDN) di bawah peruntukan Rancangan Malaysia Ke-13 (RMK-13).

Antara cabaran utama yang dikenal pasti ialah memastikan kelestarian sistem serta penerimaan dan penggunaan aplikasi oleh pusat-pusat koleksi selepas program ini berakhir pada tahun 2025. Justeru, usaha berterusan diperlukan bagi memastikan sistem ini terus berfungsi dan dimanfaatkan oleh pelbagai agensi serta institusi penyelidikan berkaitan biodiversiti.Bengkel ini, yang turut merangkumi pembentangan kemajuan oleh Profesor Ir. Ts. Dr. Ahmad ‘Athif Mohd Faudzi, menekankan kepentingan pendekatan whole-of-government dan whole-of-society dalam memastikan kejayaan pelaksanaan teknologi baharu bagi pengurusan biodiversiti negara secara mampan dan bersepadu.

Simposium Kebangsaan Kepelbagaian Biologi & Persekitaran Tanah Tinggi (SKEBOT) 2025 telah berlangsung pada 29 hingga 30 Oktober 2025 (Rabu & Khamis) bertempat di Wyndham Garden Shahzan, Bukit Fraser, Pahang dengan tema “Memperkasa Warisan Tanah Tinggi”.

Simposium ini dianjurkan oleh Pusat Pengurusan Makmal Alami dan Fizikal (ALAF UKM) serta Pusat Penyelidikan Bukit Fraser (PPBF), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) dengan anjuran bersama Tourism Pahang Malaysia, Majlis Biodiversiti Pahang dan Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Pahang.

SKEBOT 2025 menjadi wadah ilmiah untuk menghimpunkan penyelidik, ahli akademik, pelajar serta pemegang taruh bagi berkongsi hasil penyelidikan dan tadbir urus dalam konteks kepelbagaian biologi dan fizikal persekitaran tanah tinggi. Penganjurannya juga bertujuan meningkatkan kesedaran awam terhadap kepentingan tanah tinggi sebagai habitat semula jadi yang kritikal bagi mengekalkan keseimbangan ekosistem dan kesejahteraan rakyat.

Pasukan Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) turut mengambil bahagian melalui reruai pameran interaktif yang mengetengahkan maklumat berkaitan kepelbagaian biodiversiti negara. Pengunjung berpeluang meneroka cara penggunaan laman web MyBIS serta mencari maklumat tentang spesies yang diinginkan melalui platform tersebut. Selain itu, pasukan MyBIS turut mempamerkan dan mengedarkan pelbagai bahan terbitan rasmi, antaranya Fishes of Tasek Bera, Penang Hill: Land Snails and Slugs, dan banyak lagi. Pameran ini menjadi antara tarikan utama bagi pengunjung yang hadir ke reruai MyBIS. Bagi menambah keterlibatan pengunjung, aktiviti interaktif turut dijalankan, di mana peserta berpeluang memenangi barangan eksklusif MyBIS.

At dusk, when the forest begins to quiet, a shadow sails through the canopy. This is the Red Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista petaurista, family Sciuridae), a remarkable rodent that can glide up to 100 m between trees (Francis, 2010). Despite its name, it does not truly fly. Its secret lies in the patagium—a skin membrane stretching between its limbs that allows it to glide gracefully (Miard et al., 2020). This species is not only a master glider but also an agile climber, moving with ease even on steep slopes.

One of the largest and most frequently sighted flying squirrels in Malaysia, the Red Giant Flying Squirrel has a body length of 40–52 cm, a tail up to 60 cm long, and weighs 1.6 – 2.9 kg (Francis, 2010). This wide-ranging species is found across Afghanistan, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo (Thorington et al., 2012). In Malaysia, it thrives in various types of forests, including disturbed forests and mixed agro-forested areas (Arifuddin et al., 2021; Arifuddin, pers. obs., 2023). It also seems to be fairly resilient to forest fragmentation (Thorington et al., 2012).

Interestingly, not all Red Giant Flying Squirrels look the same. Across its range, this species shows notable variation among subspecies, primarily in fur colour, body markings, and distribution. Subspecies that occur in Malaysia all share the characteristic black-tipped tail, but their coats tell a story of regional identity:

• The Penang Islander (Petaurista petaurista penangensis): Dark chestnut back, creamy cinnamon underparts, and an orange-brown crown tinged with grey-white (Sanamxay et al., 2015).

• The Peninsular Mainlander (P. p. melanotus): Dark brown upperparts, orange underparts, and black snout and feet (Sanamxay et al., 2015).

• The Sabah Black Beauty (P. p. nigrescens): Found around Sandakan Bay, the darkest of all, with deep cinnamon-brown upperparts and black markings on the nose, chin, eyes and ears (Francis, 2010).

• The Bornean Prince (P. p. rajah): Found in Sabah and Sarawak, up to 900 m on Mount Kinabalu. Reddish-brown upperparts and pale orange underparts (Payne et al., 2010).

These variations in colour are a beautiful example of nature’s fine-tuning to different local environments.

During the day, these elusive squirrels rest in nests located in tree cavities or epiphytes such as the bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus), usually 10–35 m above ground (Muul & Lim, 1978; Krishna et al., 2019). At night, these nocturnal mammals come out to feed on a vegetarian diet of leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, buds, bark, and even lichen (Muul & Lim, 1978; Thorington et al., 2012). Their arboreal lifestyle and nocturnal habits make them difficult to observe. Sometimes they become active just before dusk, climbing or gliding between trees. Miard et al. (2020) observed this species visiting limestone outcrops, possibly to lick minerals, as observed in the Yunnan Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista yunnanensis) (Xian & Harding, 2013). Such mineral-licking behaviour is not yet well understood, but probably to supplement nutrients that are absent from their usual herbivorous diet.

The IUCN Red List and the local Red List of Mammals for Peninsular Malaysia classify the Red Giant Flying Squirrel as Least Concern because of its wide geographic range (Duckworth, 2016; PERHILITAN, 2017). Despite this status, the species faces threats from habitat destruction and hunting for food and clothing. In northeastern India, it is hunted as an antidote for poison, and its bile is boiled as a remedy for asthma (Thorington et al., 2012). In Malaysia, the Jahai community also hunts this species, though the purpose remains unclear (Loke et al., 2019).

To safeguard this remarkable squirrel from future dangers in Malaysia, conservation efforts should focus on protecting forest habitats and curbing illegal wildlife trade and hunting. Reforestation and establishment of wildlife corridors to reconnect fragmented forests are also necessary for this graceful glider to continue flourishing in Malaysia’s forests.

Pada 22 dan 23 Oktober 2025, Pasukan Interim MBC telah menghadiri Seminar Saintifik Biodiversiti Taman Rimba Alam Putrajaya anjuran Perbadanan Putrajaya. Sebanyak 19 kertas kerja telah dibentangkan oleh pelbagai agensi dan universiti. Perbadanan Putrajaya dengan kerjasama institusi penyelidikan dan agensi kerajaan serta rakan pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) telah menganjurkan Ekspedisi Saintifik Biodiversiti Taman Rimba Alam Putrajaya pada 21 Mei hingga 20 November 2024.

Ekspedisi yang melibatkan seramai 74 orang peserta, melalui sembilan (9) kumpulan terdiri daripada kakitangan akademik serta pelajar institusi pengajian tinggi yang mewakili enam (6) institusi dan agensi serta pihak pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO). Ia merangkumi pelbagai bidang kajian seperti botani, zoologi, ekologi, entomologi dan pengurusan habitat. Matlamat ekspedisi ini adalah untuk mendokumentasikan kepelbagaian biologi serta menilai potensi dan status pemuliharaan kawasan tersebut.

Seminar Saintifik Biodiversiti Taman Rimba Alam Putrajaya merupakan platform pembentangan bagi pengesahan hasil penemuan lapan bidang kajian iaitu tumbuhan, kulat, reptilia, alga, burung, mamalia, amfibia dan serangga berdasarkan dapatan daripada ekspedisi yang telah dilaksanakan pada tahun lepas.

Bengkel Pengurusan Data Biodiversiti: Mengintegrasikan Taksonomi, Pemuliharaan dan Infrastruktur Digital telah diadakan di Bilik Mesyuarat BPI, Aras 5, Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam pada 16 Oktober 2025.

Bengkel ini telah dihadiri oleh seramai 14 orang peserta yang terdiri daripada kakitangan projek MyBIS dan Malaysia Biodiversity Centre (MBC). Tenaga pengajar bagi bengkel ini ialah Prof. Madya Dr. Liew Thor Seng, Pensyarah di Institut Biologi Tropika dan Pemuliharaan, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, yang berpengalaman luas dalam pengurusan data biodiversiti dan pakar dalam taxonomi siput.

Inisiatif penganjuran bengkel ini bertujuan untuk meneroka pendekatan baharu dalam pengurusan dan pengaplikasian data biodiversiti bagi menyokong serta memperkukuh usaha ke arah pengurusan biodiversiti yang mampan, bersepadu dan berkesan.

Bengkel ini dapat memberikan panduan dan pencerahan kepada kakitangan MyBIS dalam melaksanakan pengurusan data biodiversiti secara lebih efisien dan lestari.

Festival Budaya Malaysia yang berlangsung dari 12 hingga 16 September 2025 merupakan acara tahunan anjuran Kementerian Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya (MOTAC) bagi meraikan keunikan dan kepelbagaian budaya negara. Penganjurannya menampilkan pelbagai persembahan muzik dan tarian tradisional, pameran, serta aktiviti interaktif untuk semua lapisan masyarakat. Tahun ini, festival yang bertempat di Taman Tasik Titiwangsa diadakan bersempena Hari Malaysia dan Tahun Melawat Malaysia, sebagai wadah memperkukuh perpaduan serta mengangkat identiti budaya bangsa.

Pasukan Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) turut mengambil bahagian dengan membuka reruai pameran yang bertujuan memberikan maklumat dan meningkatkan kesedaran awam mengenai kepelbagaian biodiversiti negara. Di reruai ini, MyBIS mempamerkan pelbagai penerbitan berkaitan biodiversiti, selain menyediakan aktiviti interaktif yang sesuai untuk seisi keluarga. Para pengunjung juga menerima penanda buku spesies ikonik serta risalah fauna sebagai bahan rujukan dan cenderamata.

Merops philippinus, commonly known as the Blue-tailed Bee Eater, is a colourful bird from the order Coraciiformes and the family Meropidae. This bird is a true globe-trotter – frequently spotted from India to southern China, Indonesia, New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific Islands, especially during the migration season (Yuan et al., 2006b).

Its signature call, ‘be-rek be-rek’ or ‘re-lip re-lip’, rings through the sky and inspired its Malay name “beberek”, which mimics the bird’s call (Patra & Chowdhury, 2017). In Malaysia, it is known as “Beberek Ekor Biru”. This bird is not just beautiful but also an expert hunter. With a diet of damselflies, dragonflies, hornets, wasps, bees and other insects, it snatches its prey mid-air with breathtaking precision. The Bee Eater is a master at handling stinging insects. After snatching one, it does not eat it right away. Instead, it flies back to its perch and repeatedly smashes its prey against a branch to remove the stinger. This behaviour is a clever trick to avoid a painful meal (Fry, 2010).

The Blue-tailed Bee Eater features a bronze-green crown, a pale yellow throat, and a dull chestnut wash on the lower throat and upper breast, with a green lower breast and belly. It shows a black mask bordered by light blue lines, a mid-blue rump (upper back above the tail) and upper tail coverts, and a blue-green upper tail. Although males and females look almost identical, juveniles have a darker, more bluish-green crown and mantle (area across the upper back and shoulder), a yellowish-white upper throat, a faint chestnut breast, paler bluish underparts and lack the elongated central tail feathers (Robson, 2015).

In Malaysia, the Blue-tailed Bee Eater is a common sight throughout the country. The birds are often found in open landscapes such as dunes, beach slacks, riverbanks, farmlands and mangroves, up to 2,850 m above sea level (Robson, 2015). When it is time to raise a family, they dig nesting burrows in sparsely vegetated, sandy soils such as ponds and river banks, sand piles, and both natural and man-made cliffs (Wang et al., 2009). They avoid clay loam and prefer sandy or sandy-clay loam because the lower moisture, density and soil pressure make excavation simpler, and allow for better drainage and ventilation for the nest cavities (Yuan et al., 2006a).

Every spring, thousands of migratory Merops philippinus flock to Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson. During migratory watch sessions in 2000-2001, researchers recorded approximately 1,353 of these birds, particularly during periods of predominant westerly winds (DeCandido et al., 2004). The good news? They are doing just fine. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the Blue-tailed Bee Eater is categorised as Least Concern (LC), with a stable population due to its adaptability to diverse habitats and abundant foraging grounds (BirdLife International, 2016).

Sagittaria trifolia is a herbaceous, perennial aquatic plant belonging to the family Alismataceae, also known as water-plantains. In Malaysia, it is called “Keladi Cabang” in Malay and “Arrowhead” in English (Ong, 2006; Flach & Rumawas, 1996). This widespread species occurs from south European Russia to Japan, Malaysia and several provinces in China. It is commonly found in rice paddy fields, ponds, lakes, marshes and channels (Zhuang, 2011).

This species has distinctive arrow-shaped leaves, which give it the common name arrowhead. Each leaf has a pointed tip (apex), two long side lobes that stick out like wings and a shorter middle part between the lobes. The leaves grow above water when they mature and have a sheath that wraps around the base of the stem.

This plant can grow up to 1 m tall. It spreads by producing stolons, which are underground stems. At the end of some stolons, the plant forms small tubers, which are round, starchy roots that store food. These tubers resemble mini potatoes and are edible in some cultures (Tropical Plants Database, 2024).

There are two main recognised subspecies of Sagittaria trifolia, which differ mainly in tuber size and use. The wild form is S. t. subsp. trifolia with smaller tubers and is not commonly harvested for food, but plays an important ecological role. Whereas the cultivated S. t. subsp. leucopetala with larger, starchy tubers is extensively grown in China and other Asian countries as a food crop (Flora of China Editorial Committee, n.d.).

The flowers of S. trifolia grow in rings or whorls of three along a tall stem, arranged in multiple layers. The lower rings usually bear female flowers, while the upper ones carry male flowers. The male flowers grow on thin stalks measuring about 0.5−1.5 cm long, while the female flowers grow on shorter stalks. Each flower has three small green sepals. These sepals are little protective covers that wrap around the flower bud before it blooms. Once the flower opens, the sepals are still visible underneath the petals. The flower has three large white petals that are about twice the size of the sepals. The male flowers have many stamens with yellow anthers, which produce pollen. These delicate, white flowers are often seen standing above the water's surface and are quite eye-catching during the blooming season. After pollination, female flowers produce dry fruits called achenes. Each achene is about the size of a sesame seed, with a small wing and a tiny beak-like tip at the top.

The plant’s flowering and fruiting season varies across regions. In Malaysia, there is no specific data on its fruiting, but it is known to flower all year long in the tropical climate (den Hartog, 1957). In China, it typically lasts from May to November (Flora of China Editorial Committee, n.d.), whereas in India, it occurs in March and April (eflora of India, 2007). In the UK and US, the plant usually flowers between July and August (Plants for a Future, n.d.). These differences in timing are largely due to the varying climates and growing conditions, where tropical environments support year-round growth, while temperate regions have more seasonal blooming periods.

Functionally, the plant provides shelter and food for small aquatic animals and insects. Also, it helps stabilise wetland ecosystems and filter pollutants from water. Although this species is not commonly consumed in Malaysia, its edible tubers are used in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Medicinally, the plant is known to have antiscorbutic properties that help prevent scurvy, a type of disease caused by a lack of vitamin C. It also acts as a diuretic to help the body eliminate excess water and salt. The leaves are used to treat skin problems, and the tubers are sometimes used to induce premature birth in some cases (Duke & Ayensu, 1985; Tropical Plants Database, 2024; Zhuang, 2011).

Although this arrowhead is valued in some regions for its edible tubers and ecological role, it can also become a problematic weed, especially in rice paddies. It grows quickly and spreads easily, competing with rice plants for sunlight, nutrients and growing space. Once established, it can be difficult to manage, potentially lowering rice yields and increasing the effort and cost for farmers to control it. Additionally, decomposing leaves can release harmful substances into the soil, potentially causing pollution and compromising soil health (Guo et al., 2025). In some areas, chemical herbicides are used to control plant growth, which may raise environmental concerns (Jeon & Kim, 2017). Because it is widespread and occurs frequently throughout its range, no major threats have been identified. As a result, it is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (Zhuang, 2011).

Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) akan menganjurkan webinar bertajuk, 'Peranan Pempengaruh Digital Terhadap Kesedaran Biodiversiti di Malaysia' pada 27 Ogos 2025.

Webinar ini memberi fokus kepada peranan pempengaruh digital dalam meningkatkan kesedaran serta menyokong usaha pemeliharaan biodiversiti negara.

Tiga penceramah jemputan akan berkongsi pengalaman:

1. 𝗠𝘂𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗱 𝗔𝘇𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗱 𝗡𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗿 – 'Dari Bilik Kuliah ke Laman Sosial: Menghubungkan Saintis dengan Komuniti'
2. 𝗠𝗼𝗵𝗱 𝗜𝗹𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗺 𝗟𝗼𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗻 (Abang Ikan) – 'Perjalanan Saintis Masyarakat: Meneroka dan Menyelamat Ikan Air Tawar Malaysia'.
3. 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗮 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗸𝗲 – 'Minat Menjadi Suara untuk Alam'

Butiran webinar:

• Tarikh: 27 Ogos 2025 (Rabu)
• Masa: 8:30 pagi – 12:30 tengah hari
• Platform: Zoom dan Facebook Live
• Pendaftaran (Percuma): https://tinyurl.com/WebPerananPempengaruhDigital

MyBIS telah menganjurkan Bengkel Pengurusan & Pendigitalan Spesimen pada 13 – 14 Ogos 2025. Bengkel ini melibatkan penyertaan 23 orang peserta daripada Institut Penyelidikan Perubatan (IMR), Muzium Serangga, Institut Penyelidikan dan Kemajuan Pertanian Malaysia (MARDI) Perbadanan Putrajaya dan FRIM. Objektif bengkel adalah untuk meningkatkan kefahaman peserta mengenai proses pendigitalan spesimen dan dokumentasi metadata untuk tujuan penyelidikan dan pemeliharaan serta memastikan spesimen dapat didigitalkan dengan standard yang seragam dan berkualiti tinggi.

Bengkel dianjurkan oleh Cawangan Pemuliharaan dan Biodiversiti Informatik (PULIH), Bahagian Biodiversiti Hutan, FRIM di bawah projek Malaysia Biodiversiti Information System (MyBIS). Kata-kata aluan bengkel telah disampaikan oleh Dr. Mohd Farid bin Ahmad yang mewakili Pengarah Bahagian Biodiversiti Hutan.

🔍 Pada hari pertama, peserta diberikan pendedahan seperti berikut:

✨ Pengenalan tentang Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) & pengurusan spesimen secara sistematik dengan menggunakan sistem pangkalan data kebangsaan

✨ Kepentingan dan konsep pendigitalan spesimen

✨ Demonstrasi pendigitalan spesimen

✨ Latihan amali berkumpulan yang interaktif

Sesi bengkel ini diakhiri dengan kuiz kahoot, soal jawab dan maklum balas peserta.

Pada hari kedua pula, peserta dibawa melawat:

🚶‍♂️Jejantas Rimba – menikmati panorama hutan FRIM

📷 Herbarium FRIM dan Cawangan Entomologi FRIM untuk melihat koleksi spesimen flora dan fauna serta sistem pengurusan spesimen yang diurus secara sistematik dan teratur.

Melalui bengkel ini, usaha pendokumentasian dan pendigitalan spesimen dapat diperkukuhkan hasil kerjasama antara peserta dan rakan kolaborasi untuk memelihara kekayaan biodiversiti negara secara bersepadu.

Dipterocarpaceae is the most important timber family in the lowland forests of Malaysia. The family contains several genera, including Shorea, Dipterocarpus, Hopea and Vatica, with many species found in Malaysia. Shorea, the largest genus in the family, is divided into four sections (Shorea, Rubroshorea, Richetioides and Anthoshorea) that correspond to the four colour-based types of commercial timber, i.e., Balau, Red Meranti, Yellow Meranti and White Meranti.

Shorea lumutensis is one of the species in the Balau group and is locally known as “Balau Putih” in Peninsular Malaysia. “Putih” in Malay means white, referring to the undersurface colour of the leaves which appears bright whitish. Shorea lumutensis is endemic to Peninsular Malaysia and inhabits coastal hill dipterocarp forests in Perak above 100 m altitude. It is recorded from Segari Melintang Forest Reserve (FR), Lumut FR, Teluk Muroh FR, Sungai Pinang FR and South Pangkor FR (Yong et al., 2021).

Shorea lumutensis can be considered a medium- to large-sized tree, with some individuals having boles that exceed 50 cm in diameter at breast height (DBH). It has a short buttress with irregular, longitudinally fissured bark. One of the key characteristics for identifying this species is that the leaves are markedly glaucous on the undersurface. Also, the leaves are leathery, oblong-elliptic and have about 14 pairs of prominent nerves beneath. The flower is pale yellow and about 9 mm long. The fruits have three outer wings measuring 7 x 1.5 cm and two inner wings that can be up to 4 cm long.

According to the Malaysia Plant Red List (Yong et al., 2021), S. lumutensis is categorised as Critically Endangered. Habitat loss and land conversion are the main threats to this species. The Perak State Forestry Department has implemented in situ conservation measures by designating the population areas of S. lumutensis in the Segari Melintang FR and Sungai Pinang FR as a High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF). For ex situ conservation, the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) has gathered seeds to be sown in arboreta and botanical gardens. Hopefully, with these conservation efforts, S. lumutensis will continue to exist and avoid extinction in the future.

Melaleuca cajuputi belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is locally known as “Gelam” or “Kayu Putih” in the Malay community. In Kelantan, Malaysia, it is also referred to as “Gelam Tikus”. The genus name Melaleuca is derived from the Greek words melas (black) and leukos (white), referring to the appearance of its trunk and branches. Meanwhile, the species epithet is derived from the Malay words “kayu” (wood) and “putih” (white), describing its distinctive white papery bark.

It is easily recognisable from a distance due to its flaky, papery white bark, which resembles the pages of a book and swells when exposed to moisture or water. The trunks of mature trees have a soft, sponge-like texture when pressed. In areas frequently submerged for long periods, the lower part of the trunk often develops a dark colouration. The leaves of Melaleuca cajuputi are greyish-green, lanceolate to elliptic, with a velvety-textured upper surface and a pointed apex. When crushed, the leaves release a fragrant scent similar to that of tea tree leaves or vapour oil. The flowers are whitish to green-white and have a bottlebrush shape. Studies have found that nectar secretion peaks in volume in the early morning when its sugar content is at its lowest (Quang Tan, 2008). During this time, a large number of insects can be seen swarming around the flowers. The flowers attract the stingless bee Heterotrigona itama, which is a pollinator (Mamat et al., 2023), along with various other pollinators. Additionally, the nectar also attracts small mammals, such as squirrels (Wee, 2014).

The Melaleuca tree is widely harvested for its timber, which has various uses in the construction and agriculture industries. It is highly durable when exposed to water and is naturally resistant to termite attacks, making it a popular choice among local communities. In addition, its abundance in the surrounding lowland swampy areas and coastal forests, where it naturally grows, further contributes to its widespread use. In the past, Melaleuca timber was commonly used for charcoal production, bridge piling, vessel construction as knee joints, local house construction and fencing (Jamilah et al., 2011; Masitah et al., 2015). Some small agricultural farms still utilise it as stakes for chilli plants and other crops because it is cost-effective, as the timber is freely available. This tree is also becoming increasingly popular for urban and garden landscaping, likely due to its resilience to the country’s hot climate.

Meanwhile, Melaleuca leaves have significant medicinal value. The essential oil extracted from its leaves and twigs is commonly used by Malay traditional medicine practitioners as an ingredient in therapeutic oils. This essential oil is believed to help treat wounds, stomach cramps, cough, acne, insect bites, anxiety, cholera, muscle pain and various ailments (Arif Azimi et al., 2023; Mamat et al., 2023; Al-Abd et al., 2015). Additionally, numerous health, skincare, beauty and cleaning products based on Melaleuca essential oil have been commercialised by both local and international entrepreneurs.

This species often dominates an area and eventually forms its own forest. This is because it surpasses other species in resilience and ability to withstand extreme climates, whether dry or wet, for prolonged periods. Recent field inventories conducted in Melaleuca forests in Peninsular Malaysia showed that other tree species are present in small proportions, accounting for approximately 20.2% of the forest composition. These include Acacia mangium (Akasia), Carallia brachiate (Meransi), Syzygium sp. (Kelat), Cyrtophyllum fragrans (Tembusu) and Macaranga gigantea (Mahang) (Muhamad Afizzul, unpublished data).

Melaleuca forests in Malaysia are declining, with the current estimated area at approximately 22,879.33 hectares, found only in seven states (Muhamad Afizzul et al., 2024). Terengganu has the largest area of Melaleuca forest at 64.7%, followed by Kelantan at 27.4%. The remaining 7.9% of such forests are distributed across five states: Johor (2.7%), Selangor (2.3%), Melaka (1.8%), Negeri Sembilan (1.0%) and Sarawak (0.1%).

Ecologically, Melaleuca forests are important habitats for various species, such as birds, bees, pitcher plants (periuk kera) and sedges (kercut) (Jamilah et al., 2011 & Nor Hizami et al., 2020). Some bird species nest and breed on the forest floor, while bees benefit from the year-round flowering of Melaleuca trees which provide a continuous source of nectar. This consistent bloom supports wild honey production, a long-standing tradition that offers a vital source of income for local communities. In certain Melaleuca forest areas in Terengganu, thriving populations of periuk kera (Nepenthes spp.) and kercut (Lepironia articulata) can be found. Periuk kera is seasonally harvested to prepare “lemang periuk kera”, a festive delicacy popular during Hari Raya. Meanwhile, kercut, a plant valued for traditional weaving, is used to craft handmade items such as mats, baskets, hats and bags.

The decline of Melaleuca forests has become an increasing concern, primarily driven by deforestation. Large areas have been cleared to accommodate expanding settlements, infrastructure projects and agricultural activities. One of the key factors exacerbating this loss is the prevalent lack of legal protection (pers. comm.). Most Melaleuca forests are not gazetted as forest reserves, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. Therefore, urgent conservation and sustainable management strategies are needed to prevent biodiversity loss, habitat destruction and disruption of vital ecosystem services. Recommendations include formal gazettement of the remaining Melaleuca forests as protected reserves, enforcement of land-use regulations, restoration of degraded sites through replanting, and promoting community-based forest management to encourage local stewardship and sustainable use of forest resources. By doing so, we not only preserve the natural resources but also sustain the livelihoods of local communities.

Majlis Mesyuarat Majlis Biodiversiti Negara Ketiga (MBN Ke-3) telah berlangsung pada 27 Mei 2025 bertempat di Hotel Everly, Putrajaya, dan telah dipengerusikan oleh YAB Dato’ Sri Haji Fadillah Haji Yusof, Timbalan Perdana Menteri merangkap Menteri Peralihan Tenaga dan Transformasi Air.

Sebanyak lapan (8) kertas pertimbangan telah dibentangkan sepanjang mesyuarat berlangsung. MBN Ke-3 telah bersetuju untuk melibatkan kerajaan negeri dalam sesi libat urus bagi penyertaan Malaysia dalam Perjanjian Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), pelaksanaan tindakan mitigasi konflik hidupan liar yang komprehensif di Jalan Raya Timur-Barat (JRTB), Gerik, Perak, serta penubuhan Jawatankuasa Pemandu One Health Kebangsaan (JPOHK).

YAB Timbalan Perdana Menteri turut melancarkan logo dan portal Pusat Biodiversiti Malaysia (Malaysia Biodiversity Centre - MBC) serta Lencana Kepandaian Biodiversiti Pengakap. Pasukan MyBIS juga memainkan peranan penting sebagai sekretariat sepanjang program ini berlangsung.

Koompassia malaccensis, commonly known as "Kempas”, comes from the Leguminosae family which is also known as the Fabaceae. It is a huge tropical timber species common in Sumatera, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Kalimantan and Borneo. It is rare in Sabah but can be found across Sarawak (Hou, 2000). The Latin name Koompassia originates from the common name "kempas," while malaccensis is derived from Malacca, a Malaysian state where these plants naturally grow (Slik, 2009). Kempas usually grows in peat swamps and lowland forests at 600 m above sea level.

Kempas is considered a giant tree because it can grow up to 60 m tall and 120 cm in bole diameter. Its massive size, exceptional height and straight, unbranched trunk distinguish it from other trees in the forest canopy. Other than that, the buttresses are more pronounced than in many other timber species, i.e., large, plank-like, steep, six metre high and thick. The bark is grey to brown, minutely fissured and flaking, The leaves usually consist of 5–9 leaflets that are 6.5–19 cm long. Each leaflet is ovate-elliptic, measuring 5.5–10.4 cm long and 1.5–5 cm wide (Hou, 2000). The creamy-white flowers of K. malaccensis grow in clusters that can reach 12 cm long. These flower clusters appear both at the tips of branches (i.e., terminal flowering) and along the sides of leafy twigs (i.e., axillary flowering) (Watson & Dallwitz, 1993).

Koompassia malaccensis, classified as a medium hardwood, has always been known for its strength and durability. It is mainly used as timber for heavy permanent structures, furniture making and boat building (Slik, 2009). It is also used in traditional medicine, particularly by the Bajau ethnic group in the Southeast Asia region, for treating stomachaches, toothaches, bloating, bloody diarrhoea, allergies, swollen gums, asthma, convulsions and body pains (Wiart, 2024).

Generally, Koompassia malaccensis does not have any concerning threats and is of least concern, as listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Zainal Ariffin, 2023). However, in Malaysia, due to its economic value, the government and the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) are making efforts to sustainably manage and conserve populations of K. malaccensis in their natural habitats. This includes establishing arboreta at FRIM, the Wetlands Arboretum at Gamuda Cove, Selangor and the Perdana Botanical Garden, Kuala Lumpur. These living collections or gene banks from various natural populations will proactively safeguard the genetic diversity of K. malaccensis. Moreover, the arboreta serve as important educational centres to raise public awareness about the conservation of this species.

The Clusiaceae plant family is characterised by thick, cream to yellowish natural exudates from the trunk, twigs or fruits, and leathery leaves with inconspicuous secondary veins. The family has 14 genera with over 600 species, one of which is Calophyllum inophyllum. Known as “Bintangor laut” among the Malay community, this species is native to East Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Australia and the South Pacific. This species naturally grows in coastal areas and is commonly used as an ornamental, street, and shade tree.

Calophyllum inophyllum is a medium-sized tree that can reach up to 25 metres in height, featuring broad-spreading crowns and irregular branches (Latiff et al., 1999). It is well adapted to coastal environments by having large, leathery leaves and sturdy branches that resist salt spray, strong winds and typhoons. These features serve as effective natural windbreaks and shelterbelts (Goeltenboth et al., 2006, Orwa et al., 2009). However, C. inophyllum is not suitable for planting as an overstorey tree because its dense crown limit light penetration to understorey trees in forest ecosystems (Friday & Okano, 2006).

Calophyllum inophyllum has a shallow root structure, allowing it to adapt to sandy or porous soils, and its roots can tolerate occasional inundation and saltwater conditions (Friday & Okano, 2006). This species is slow-growing and requires direct sunlight for optimal growth. The flowers bloom year-round, growing in racemose inflorescences, where the main stalk keeps growing and new flowers keep forming at the top and centre with 4–15 flowers per stalk (Ong et al., 2011). The flowers are whitish, emit sweet scents and attract pollinators such as bees (Orwa et al., 2009). The fruits are light green, round, contain a single large seed (Ong et al., 2011) and when ripe, become wrinkled and brownish. Fruit bats consume these pulpy fruits and aid in seed dispersal (Goeltenboth et al., 2006).

In Madagascar, Calophyllum inophyllum has been traditionally used for medicinal purposes, such as treating wounds and skin ailments, as well as in cosmetics (Ong et al., 2011). Research by Ong et al. (2011) suggests that C. inophyllum seed oil may have potential as a biodiesel fuel. The seed oil, also known as Tamanu oil, has been used for skin and hair care, although further research is needed to ensure its safe use (Sissons, 2024). While typically classified as a lightweight to medium-heavy timber, C. inophyllum is often marketed as "beach calophyllum". It differs by being heavier, stronger, more durable, harder to saw, having woolly sawn surfaces and should not be used for lengths over 3 meters because it tends to bend (Soerianegara & Lemmens, 1993)

Calophyllum inophyllum is often mistaken for Terminalia catappa because of similar structure and appearance. However, they can be distinguished by their leaves. Terminalia catappa has broader, egg-shaped leaves measuring 12–30 × 8–15 cm, with branched veins. In contrast, C. inophyllum has smaller, oval-shaped leaves, about 10–20 cm long and 6–9 cm wide, with distinct parallel veins (Friday & Okano, 2006).

Bengkel ini bertujuan untuk memacu pelaksanaan inisiatif Knowledge Management for Biodiversity (KM4B). Platform ini disediakan bagi menggalakkan kolaborasi dalam kalangan negara-negara Asia untuk perkongsian pengalaman, integrasi maklumat, dan memperkukuh jalinan kerjasama serantau dalam usaha konservasi yang lebih sistematik di peringkat nasional, serantau, dan global.

Turut hadir bagi perkongsian ilmu ialah Dr. Chayanan Pakdeejit, Setiausaha Agung, Pejabat Sumber Asli dan Perancangan Alam Sekitar (ONEP) dan CBD National Focal Point of Thailand, yang telah menggariskan usaha Asia dalam menyokong pelaksanaan Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), bagi memangkin perkongsian maklumat tanpa sempadan demi tujuan konservasi alam sekitar.

Selain itu, Marlene Nielsen (Pegawai UNEP Asia-Pasifik) menegaskan keperluan tindakan segera dalam menangani isu kehilangan sumber biodiversiti dan perubahan iklim melalui platform ini. Beliau juga menekankan bahawa perkongsian ilmu perlu diperluaskan bukan sahaja dalam konteks konservasi, tetapi juga dalam aspek keterjaminan makanan, kewangan, perancangan bandar, serta komuniti masyarakat asal setempat.

Rentetan daripada perbincangan tersebut, Clarissa Arida, wakil daripada ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, mencadangkan supaya perkongsian maklumat ini difokuskan kepada pembuat dasar dan pelaksana dasar bagi membolehkan mereka memperoleh maklumat yang terperinci dan relevan untuk pengurusan biodiversiti yang berkesan.

Soursop, scientifically known as Annona muricata, comes from the Dutch term "zuurzak" which means sour sack, reflecting the slightly acidic taste of the fruit when ripe. The fruit is also known as "guayabano" in the Philippines, "guanabana" in Spanish-speaking countries, and "durian Belanda”, “durian maki” or “seri kaya belanda" in Malaysia (Badrie & Schauss, 2010; Love & Paull, 2011). The soursop originated in the lowlands of Central America. It was first described by Spanish historian Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés in 1526 and was spread around the world by Spanish explorers.

Annona muricata stands out as a strong, small, tropical evergreen tree that produces the largest fruit within the Annonaceae family. This tree typically reaches up to 10 m in height and thrives in various soil types, but it flourishes best in sandy, well-drained soil with a pH of 5−6. Characterised by its low branches, bushy appearance and upward limbs that shape its slender form, the tree is vulnerable to strong winds and freezing temperatures. With protection from saline spray and sufficient watering, it can be cultivated at sea level and even at elevations up to 914 metres in tropical regions.

Soursop can be found in small family orchards in Southeast Asia, the Philippines, India, Hawaii and other Pacific islands. Orchards often use windbreaks to shield the crops. The tree grows rapidly and usually fruits within 3–5 years after planting. It is currently grown commercially across the tropical Americas. In Malaysia, the production of soursop fruit has increased significantly because of its nutritional and health-protective values. However, the fruit has a short shelf life because it softens quickly after harvest due to a high respiration rate (Chang, 2017).

The fleshy fruit can be oval or heart-shaped, is covered with soft spines and varies in length from a few centimetres to over 30 cm. It is a compound fruit, formed from the fusion of many individual fruitlets. Its irregular appearance may be influenced by insufficient pollination (Love & Paull, 2011). The soursop can weigh up to 4.5 kg (Luzia & Jorge, 2012). The white fruit segments that surround the core seed offer a delightful sub-acid taste. While most segments are seedless, a fertile one contains a smooth, black seed that can be up to 2.5 cm in length. The seeds and bark are deemed toxic due to various harmful compounds, such as anonaine, muricine and hydrocyanic acid, which can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, a sudden drop in blood pressure and intestinal problems (Love & Paull, 2011).

Soursop is used to make sorbet, ice cream, mousse, jelly, soufflé and processed or fresh juice. It is made into cakes in Indonesia, and candy in the Philippines, where the young fruit is consumed as a vegetable. In the Caribbean, strained pulp milk of soursop, sugar and juice combined with wine or brandy, is a popular beverage (Love & Paull, 2011).

The soursop is rich in antioxidants, including polyphenols, flavonoids and vitamin C, which help neutralise harmful free radicals in the body and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation (Badrie & Schauss, 2010; Afzaal et al., 2022). These antioxidants can help lower the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurodegenerative conditions. In addition, the high vitamin C content in soursop makes it an excellent immune booster by supporting immune function and protecting the body against pathogens.

Annona muricata is classified as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because it is easy to cultivate and is not threatened (Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) & IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group, 2019).

Dipterocarpus rigidus, locally known as “Keruing cogan” in Peninsular Malaysia and “Keruing utap” in Sarawak, is a tree species from the Dipterocarpaceae family. The name rigidus means stiff, referring to the leaf blade. This tree is commonly found in Southeast Asia, especially in Borneo, Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia. In Peninsular Malaysia, it grows in Terengganu, Pahang and Johor. This species thrives from lowland to hill forests, at elevations between 300 to 750 meters above sea level.

Dipterocarpus rigidus typically grows in well-drained soils and is often found in primary forests. It is a large, emergent tree that can reach up to 50 m high, with a trunk diameter up to 36 cm. When young, the bark is lightly coloured, but becomes rust-brown, rough, vertically cracked and fissured with age. The leathery leaves are usually oblong or elliptical. The leaves are large, i.e., 13-18 cm long and 11-13 cm wide. Each leaf has 12 to 17 leaf veins, and the petiole is about 5 cm long. The lower surfaces of the leaves and petioles are covered with soft, golden tomentose hairs, giving the crown a golden brown appearance from a distance.

The inflorescence of D. rigidus is up to 15 cm long and usually unbranched or occasionally branched with few flowers. The flowers are 5 to 6 cm long and appear in clusters. The petals are yellowish-cream and have a pleasant fragrance. The fruit of the Keruing cogan is winged; each fruit has two large wings measuring about 18 cm by 5 cm. These wings help the fruit to float in the wind, like a small helicopter.

Dipterocarpus rigidus is a highly valued timber species due to its strong hardwood, making it ideal for house construction, doors, and waggon floors. The wood is particularly durable and versatile. According to the Malaysia Red List (Yong et al., 2021), D. rigidus is classified as Endangered (EN), while the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Chua et al., 2023) lists it as Vulnerable (VU). The main threats to this species are habitat deforestation and land conversion, which continue to significantly impact its populations. In Sarawak, D. rigidus is found within a network of Totally Protected Areas (TPAs), offering some level of protection. Meanwhile, in Peninsular Malaysia, its populations are located within Permanent Reserved Forests (PRFs), where sustainable forestry practices are implemented.

Cosmos caudatus is the scientific name for what Malaysians call “Ulam raja” (literally translated as Salad King), a plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. Cosmos is a Greek word for order or ornament, while caudatus comes from the Latin word which means tailed (Gledhill, 2002; Moshawih et al., 2017). It is often regarded as the "king of ulam" because it is highly nutritious and has numerous health benefits and medicinal properties (Shui et al., 2005). It is also believed that it was once served to Malay royalty, which is how it earned its name.

This species is native to North America and has since spread worldwide, including to subtropical and tropical countries (Bunawan et al., 2014). This plant is cultivated in Myanmar, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. Classified as an annual to short-lived perennial aromatic herb, it can grow up to 250 cm tall. It grows naturally in monsoonal deciduous forests, as well as on grassy banks and slopes (Datiles, 2022). Normally, it grows well in irrigated soil with moisture and full sunlight but grows larger when fertilised. The flowers, however, will be smaller (Moshawih et al., 2017).

The plant has more branches in the upper part. The stem is green or partially purple, and the leaves are easily distinguished by their triangular to deltate shape (Bunawan et al., 2014; Datiles, 2022). The flowers are usually violet or reddish and sometimes white or yellowish. The fruits are single-seeded and turn blackish when ripe. They are wind-dispersed due to their lightweight. Additionally, the fruits have hooks that allow them to attach to animals and humans, aiding in their dispersal.

Cosmos caudatus is a popular medicinal and culinary herb, primarily consumed as ulam by the Malay and Javanese communities, who eat its raw stems and leaves. Due to its antimicrobial properties, people have traditionally used this plant to treat burns and to relieve muscle strains and cramps (Moshawih et al., 2017). It is also believed to have anti-ageing properties, with its extracts traditionally used to prevent skin ageing (Loo et al., 2024). Additionally, the essential oil extracted from the plant has been used to eliminate bad breath (Moshawih et al., 2017). Cosmos caudatus is also thought to cure infectious diseases in the elderly, improve blood circulation and strengthen bones (Cheng, 2017).

Scientific research has supported many of its traditional uses, revealing antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-osteoporosis and antidiabetic properties. Extracts from this species are rich in glycosides, which help prevent skin ageing (Loo et al., 2024). More research is needed, particularly on its anti-leishmanial and anti-thrombolytic properties (Ahda et al., 2023). While its medicinal potential has been explored, only one human clinical trial has confirmed its effectiveness in treating diabetes (Ahda et al., 2023). However, excessive consumption may lead to hepatotoxicity, making lower doses advisable (Bunawan et al., 2014). Current studies mainly focus on fresh leaves and crude extracts, so further clinical trials are necessary to verify their safety, effectiveness and specific active compounds. In agriculture, it is an effective pesticide, targeting caterpillars, aphids, diamondback moths and Dysdercus sp. (Murugesu et al., 2020).

Eurema hecabe, also known as Common Grass Yellow or Kuning-rumput in Bahasa Melayu (Omar et al., 2023), is a diurnal butterfly species belonging to the family Pieridae. The adult stage of Eurema hecabe has a wingspan of 35−45 mm and is characterised by its bright to pale yellow coloured wings with black marginal markings on the dorsal side of the forewings (Abdul Wahid et al., 2016). The females are larger and have paler yellow coloured wings with a broader black apical border on the forewings compared to males (Jeratthitikul et al., 2009). Eurema hecabe are widely dispersed in Malaysia, Southern Asia, Australia, and Africa (Khan & Zulfiqar, 2012; Abdul Wahid et al., 2016; Shah et al., 2021).

Eurema hecabe is a holometabolous insect that undergoes four different stages of life cycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Mostly, the eggs are placed on Fabaceae-family host plants, which serve as food sources for the phytophagous larvae, or caterpillars. After several metamorphosis, the larvae will remain inactive during the pupal stage within the chrysalis before emerging as an adult butterfly. The newly grown adult will then seek for a mate to reproduce and lay eggs (Abang, 2006).

This species can be found in nearly any habitat and elevation ranging from 0−2,000 m above the sea level due to its highly migratory behavior. Its primary breeding habitats are on disturbed or open areas like parks, gardens, roadside edges, primary and secondary forests as well as forest clearings. Eurema hecabe are highly sensitive to anthropogenic activities like urbanization and changes to the natural landscape. Factors such as temperature, humidity, wind, and rainfall have a significant impact on the distribution and population size of this group as well as for the developmental growth. Hence, Eurema hecabe plays a very important role as a good bioindicator of ecological change (Hilo et al., 2012; Aris et al., 2017; Ginoga et al., 2019).

Based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, Eurema hecabe is categorized as Least Concern (LC) since no substantial threat it faces and also their population trend in the global is stable (Westrip, 2022).

11 Disember 2024 - Dialog Pasca Persidangan Parti-Parti Ke-16 Kepada Konvensyen Kepelbagaian Biologi (Debriefing Post for The Sixteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity – CBD COP16) telah diadakan di Four Points by Sheraton, Kuala Lumpur untuk membincangkan hasil dan keputusan-keputusan penting daripada CBD COP16 serta membincangkan tindakan-tindakan yang perlu dilaksanakan di peringkat kebangsaan. Di samping itu, Matlamat Pembangunan Mampan (SDG) juga telah dibincangkan bagi pengurusan biodiversiti negara yang lebih baik.

Antara yang hadir dalam dialog ini termasuklah Yang Berhormat Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Prof. Dato' Dr. Mazlin Mokhtar, Dr. June Rubis, serta Syed Mohazri Bin Syed Hazari.

Sebagai sebahagian daripada agenda program, majlis penyerahan sijil penghargaan turut dilaksanakan bagi menghargai pihak pengurusan pasukan MyBIS dan pusat-pusat koleksi yang telah memberikan sumbangan signifikan kepada Sistem Maklumat Biodiversiti Malaysia (MyBIS).

Turut diadakan dalam sesi ini ialah pameran MyBIS, Tabung Amanah Konservasi Sumber Asli Nasional (NCTF), dan Malaysia Access and Benefit Sharing (MyABS), yang bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kesedaran dan pemahaman mengenai inisiatif-inisiatif utama berkaitan pemeliharaan dan pengurusan biodiversiti negara.

Semoga dialog ini menjadi langkah penting dalam usaha memperkukuhkan pelaksanaan komitmen terhadap pemeliharaan biodiversiti di Malaysia.

Untuk maklumat lanjut, rakaman video sesi dialog ini boleh diakses melalui pautan berikut: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/oYrsoJNmDMTxri9H/

Tabung Amanah Konservasi Sumber Asli Nasional (NCTF), Bahagian Pengurusan Biodiversiti dan Perhutanan (BPBP) telah menganjurkan program NCTF Conservation Showcase 1.0 yang diadakan pada 7 Disember 2024 bersamaan hari Sabtu di East Symphony 3, IOI City Mall, Putrajaya. Program Karnival Konservasi NCTF 1.0 ini diadakan bertujuan untuk memberi pendedahan kepada masyarakat berkenaan aktiviti-aktiviti konservasi yang telah mendapat tajaan dibawah NCTF secara lebih meluas.

Terdapat banyak pengisian program telah dijalankan sepanjang karnival berlangsung. Antaranya adalah pertandingan mencanting batik, persembahan Kebudayaan Orang Asli dan reruai pameran daripada pelbagai agensi/universiti/institusi seperti Tabung Amanah Konservasi Sumber Asli Nasional (NCTF), Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS), Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM), Institut Penyelidikan Perikanan (FRI), Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Johor (JPNJ), Pusat Pengajian Sains Kajihayat, J-Biotech Holdings, Pertubuhan Kelestarian Ekosistem Alam (NEST), Persatuan Pencinta Alam Malaysia (MNS), Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS) dan Reef Cheek Malaysia.

Selain itu, satu (1) Influencer’s Sharing Session dan empat (4) sesi Pocket Talk juga diadakan di pentas utama bertujuan untuk menyampaikan maklumat kepada pengunjung mengenai biodiversiti yang terdapat di Malaysia. Berikut merupakan tajuk bagi sesi Pocket Talk yang telah diadakan:

1. Influencer’s Sharing Session: Ikan Air Tawar Endemik Semenanjung Malaysia dan Kepentingan Konservasi – Mohd Ilham Norhakim Lokman
2. Elevating the Survival Prospects of the Southern River Terrapin (Batagur affinis) in Terengganu – Dr. Chen Pelf Nyok (Turtle Conservation Society (TCS))
3. Belum Temenggor Forest Complex, Peninsular Malaysia-Conservation and Management of Hornbills in a Globally Important Hornbill Landscape in Central Forest Spine – En. Yeap Chin Aik (Malaysian Nature Society (MNS))
4. Bird Survey: Taman Negeri and Forest Reserve Parks in Peninsular Malaysia – En. Ismail Hj Mamat (Pertubuhan Kelestarian Ekosistem Alam (NEST))
5. Systematic Study and Conservation of Nepenthes Population in Ayer Hitam Utara Forest Reserve (AHU FR), Johor, Malaysia – Pn. Siti Nor Atikah (Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Johor (JPNJ))

Karnival ini juga telah dirasmikan oleh YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad selaku Menteri Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam. YB Menteri turut menyampaikan sijil kepada pempamer dan hadiah kepada pemenang mencanting batik. Majlis ini diakhiri dengan persembahan daripada Sada Borneo.

Malaysia mencatatkan satu lagi sejarah dalam usaha memulihara alam sekitar apabila Perdana Menteri Malaysia ke-10 (PMX), iaitu Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, mengetuai Majlis Penanaman Pokok Ke-100 Juta bertempat di perkarangan Parlimen Malaysia. Acara yang berlangsung dari 9 hingga 11 Disember 2024 ini adalah sebahagian daripada inisiatif Program Penghijauan Malaysia melalui Kempen Penanaman 100 Juta Pokok, yang bermula sejak 2021. Sehingga kini, pelbagai agensi kerajaan dan swasta telah menyumbang kepada kejayaan kempen ini dengan menanam pokok di hutan simpan, kawasan bandar, dan tanah persendirian.

Sebagai simbolik, pokok Merbau (Intsia palembanica), yang tergolong dalam spesies hampir terancam, dipilih untuk ditanam di perkarangan Parlimen. Pokok Merbau telah dirasmikan sebagai Pokok Kebangsaan pada 23 Ogos 2019 (Jumaat) oleh YAB Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Perdana Menteri Malaysia ke-7. Spesies ini melambangkan kekayaan biodiversiti hutan hujan tropika Malaysia dan pentingnya melindungi spesies tempatan yang semakin terancam.

PMX juga berkesempatan untuk melihat pingat yang dimenangi oleh MyBIS di COP16 di Colombia, beliau juga berkesempatan menandatangi plak ucapan tahniah kepada MyBIS. Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES) juga telah menyertai pameran sempena Majlis Penanaman Pokok Ke-100 Juta dan berkongsi maklumat mengenai Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS), Tabung Amanah Konservasi Nasional (NCTF) dan Sustainable Management of Peatland Ecosystems in Malaysia (SMPEM). Lebih 100 orang hadiri majlis ini dan terdiri daripada pelajar sekolah, Ahli Dewan Rakyat, serta pelbagai agensi kerajaan telah menyertai pameran ini seperti Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM), Yayasan Waqaf Malaysia (YWM), Jabatan Perhutanan Sabah (JPS), Jabatan Hutan Sarawak (FDS), Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia (JPSM), Yayasan Hijau Malaysia (YHM), Malaysia Forest Fund (MFF) dan banyak lagi. Turut serta ialah YB Dato' Seri Dr. Wan Azizah binti Dr. Wan Ismail, Isteri Perdana Menteri Malaysia, Dato Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Timbalan Perdana Menteri, YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Menteri NRES, YB Dato' Sri Huang Tiong Sii, Timbalan Menteri NRES, Puan Nosham Abdul Latip, Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha Sumber Asli NRES, Dato' Ahmad Fadhil, Timbalan Ketua Pengarah (Operasi dan Teknikal), dan Dato' Dr Ismail Haji Parlan, Ketua Pengarah FRIM.

Fejervarya cancrivora, commonly known as the Crab-eating frog, belongs to the family Dicroglossidae (Nadia et al., 2020). It is also known as the Asian brackish frog, Mangrove frog and “Katak paya bakau” in Malay. This frog can be found in Southeast Asia, especially in Thailand and Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak). It was also recorded at the Tasik Bera Ramsar Site (Norsham et al., 2000) and Ulu Paip Recreational Forest in Kedah (Shahriza & Ibrahim, 2014). It inhabits mangrove forests, estuaries, swamps and open, wet coastal areas, and man-made environments like rice paddy fields where it is the only amphibian that can adapt to different salinities (Ren et al., 2009; Nadia et al., 2020; IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group et al., 2022).

The Crab-eating frog measures approximately 51–70 mm in males and 53–82 mm in females. It is a medium- to large-sized frog with a narrow head and oval snouts. There is a dark stripe on the head between the eyes, and the tympanum (an external hearing structure, the circular patch of skin directly behind its eye) is visible. The underside of the head varies from pure white to white with dark speckles (Gillespie et al., 2021; Ecology Asia, 2024). The sides and back of the body have glandular warts and discontinuous skin ridges. This frog is generally dark brown to grey on the back and legs. It has several markings on the upper legs and has long and pointed fingertips. The fingers on the hind legs have extensive webbing and adhesive discs, but the fingers on the front feet have none.

Fejervarya cancrivora is classified as least concern (LC) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to its wide distribution, tolerance to habitat modification and presumed large population. However, the population is decreasing because of over-harvesting for commercial trade for food, deforestation and habitat conversion to agriculture (IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group et al., 2022).

As reported by Evong and Thompson (2001) and Ibrahim (2004), Fejervarya cancrivora is in high demand by local restaurants in Malaysia, where Chinese townspeople consume it for its sweet, tender and tasty meat. The demand for frogs from overseas has been increasing but meeting this demand was hard owing to limited supplies, particularly during the dry season. Thus, over-harvesting is a potential threat to this species (Kusrini & Alford, 2006; Altherr et al., 2011; Grano, 2020). Therefore, more research and surveys are needed to fully understand this species, especially its distribution and its population size, status and trends (IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group et al., 2022).

Begonias, from the family Begoniaceae, are indigenous plants in the tropics and subtropics of Central and South America, Africa and Asia. The genus name Begonia honours Michael Begon (1638–1710), a French Canada governor. Begoniaceae is a large family of flowering plants with over 2000 species. They can be found as understory plants in lowland, hill and limestone forests.

Begonias are monoecious plants that have separate, unisexual male and female flowers on the same plant. A female flower has two to four branched or twisted stigmas and a large inferior ovary, whereas a male flower has many stamens. The flowers are typically pink, red, yellow or white. Begonias are renowned for their eye-catching leaves, which come in an array of sizes, shapes and textures. The leaves can be variegated or in different shades of green, bronze or burgundy, and they can have different shapes, such as heart, star or round, as well as asymmetric or uneven sides. Some others may have fuzzy or hairy textures.

Begonia thaipingensis is a species native to Peninsular Malaysia. Since it was initially found in Taiping, Perak, it bears the name of its location. The southernmost region of Perak is home to its population. It grows in the deep shade on slopes of lowland and hill forests, up to an altitude of about 1000 m.

The kidney-shaped or rounded leaves of this species, which are slightly asymmetrical, are its distinguishing feature. Begonia thaipingensis has a broad range of leaf colours because its velvety leaf surface creates an iridescent sheen when light strikes it from different angles. The colour can shift from blue to black, blue to green, or blue to golden fawn. Its leaves are widely spaced on a long and slender, creeping stem. The female flowers of B. thaipingensis have five white or pale pink tepals with a pinkish red ovary, whereas the male flowers have four white or pale pink tepals with red tips. The fruit is thinly fibrous and resembles a pendent splash cup (Kiew, 2005).

Begonia thaipingensis is rare and endemic to Peninsular Malaysia. Due to habitat loss, it is classified as Near Threatened in the Malaysia Plant Red List assessment year 2009 (Chua et al., 2009).

Cali, Colombia – October 30, 2024 – Malaysia is proud to announce that it has received the prestigious Gold CHM Award at the 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, held here in Colombia. This accolade recognizes Malaysia's exemplary Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM) for biological diversity, which facilitates information sharing and reporting among state parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS), launched in 2016, serves as Malaysia's dedicated CHM, providing comprehensive data and resources related to biological diversity. This award marks the fourth international recognition for Malaysia and MyBIS from the CBD, reflecting our commitment to advancing biodiversity conservation.

During the ceremony, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, YB Nik Nazmi bin Nik Ahmad, received the award.

We thank all stakeholders and partners for their unwavering support in achieving this significant milestone. Together, we will continue to promote and enhance our understanding of biodiversity for future generations.

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Pangkalan Data Biodiversiti Malaysia menerusi Sistem Maklumat Biodiversiti Malaysia (MyBIS) menerima anugerah Emas (Tempat Pertama) sebagai Mekanisme Pusat Maklumat Kebangsaan (CHM) terbaik di Persidangan Parti-parti ke-16 kepada Konvensyen Kepelbagaian Biologi (CBD COP16) di Cali, Colombia pada 31 Oktober 2024. Anugerah ini juga merupakan pencapaian empat (4) kali berturut-turut di COP CBD iaitu COP13, COP14, COP15 dan kini COP16.

Menteri Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam, YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad menerima anugerah tersebut daripada Setiausaha Eksekutif CBD, Astrid Schomaker. Beliau menyeru supaya MyBIS dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya dalam mengukuhkan usaha memulihara biodiversiti negara.

Pada masa yang sama, kami mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua pihak berkepentingan dan rakan kongsi atas sokongan mereka yang tidak berbelah bahagi dalam mencapai pencapaian yang penting ini. Bersama-sama, kita akan terus mempromosikan dan meningkatkan pemahaman kita tentang biodiversiti untuk generasi akan datang.

#NRES
#MalaysiaMADANI

Begonia aequilateralis is a herbaceous, monoecious and rhizomatous species belonging to the family Begoniaceae. It is endemic to Selangor, where it only grows in riverine areas and is attached to rocks in lowland forests. This species is listed as Vulnerable in the Malaysia Plant Red List because there are only 3 populations in Selangor, i.e., Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve, Sungai Buloh area, and Kota Damansara Community Park at Petaling Jaya. It is threatened by habitat loss and degradation due to human activities and land development (Chan, 2008).

The locals call this begonia as asam batu or asam riang. This species is also known as Equal-sided Begonia because the leaves are almost symmetrical. The leaf shape and the colour of the veins are similar to those of Begonia tampinica, but the leaf size is smaller (9−15 cm wide, 16−29 cm long and 1.5−2 mm thick). The leaf is dull, plain green above, with minute hairs and deep red veins underneath (Kiew, 2005), and the leaf stalk is reddish. The margin of the leaves is minutely toothed, while the tip is attenuated c. 0.75 to 2 cm long.

Meanwhile, the flowers are pink and whitish and have some tiny hairs. Like all begonias, Begonia aequilateralis is monoecious, meaning that both male and female flowers are on the same plant. Typically, male flowers bloom before female flowers. Each male flower has four narrowly oval tepals (the outer whorl in a flower in which petals and sepals are indistinguishable) with acute tips. The outer two tepals are tinged pink, while the inner two are normally white. Meanwhile, a female flower consists of five oval tepals which are either pinkish or pure white with a tinge of pink at the acute tip, and the stalk is greenish to deep pink. The anthers of the male flowers are narrowly oblong, whereas the styles and stigmas of the female flowers are yellow and spiral (pers. obs.). The fruit is like a splash cup pendent on a slender, stiff stalk. Also, each fruit has three wings of unequal size. The seeds are barrel-shaped, measuring approximately 0.3 mm long (Kiew, 2005).

This vulnerable begonia can be conserved ex situ, whereby the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) has successfully propagated this species via cuttings (Sam, 2006), and new leaves were produced after 4 weeks of sowing (Tan et al., 2023). Meanwhile, reintroduction programme or expansion of population size in nearby protected areas are recommended because the population is small in the wild.

Karnival Penghijauan Malaysia dan KL Green Symphony 2024 telah diadakan pada 19 sehingga 21 Oktober 2024 bertempat di Taman Eko Rimba Bukit Nanas, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (TERKL). Karnival ini dianjurkan oleh Ibu Pejabat Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia dengan kerjasama Jabatan Perhutanan Wilayah Persekutuan dan telah dirasmikan oleh YB Menteri Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam iaitu, YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

Karnival yang bertemakan “Hutan: Simfoni Alam” ini bertujuan untuk menambah tahap pemahaman masyarakat tentang usaha pemeliharaan dan pemuliharaan hutan, memperkenalkan Program Penghijauan Malaysia: Kempen Penanaman 100 Juta Pokok, menyambut ulang tahun ke-50 pentadbiran Hutan Simpan Bukit Nanas serta mempromosikan TERKL sebagai salah satu destinasi ekopelancongan di Kuala Lumpur.

Antara aktiviti menarik yang telah berlangsung adalah Simfoni Hutan Hujan, Demonstrasi Pasukan Elit Perolehan Biji Benih, Demonstrasi dan Aktiviti Semaian Anak Pokok serta Edaran Anak Pokok, Pocket Talk Penghijauan Malaysia, Santai Bersama Selebriti, Pertandingan Tik Tok, Pertandingan Fotografi Flora Fauna, Food Fiesta, Canopy Night Walk, Larian dan Kayuhan Lestari, Pertandingan Treasure Hunt, Gerak Sihat di Taman Eko Rimba S@TER Penghijauan Malaysia Siri IV (Senamrobik), Seminar Penghijauan Malaysia: Status, Inovasi dan Hala Tuju serta Pameran Penghijauan Malaysia sepanjang 3 hari. Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES) yang terdiri daripada Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) dan Tabung Amanah Konservasi Sumber Asli Nasional (NCTF) telah terlibat dalam sesi pameran selain daripada Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia (JPSM), Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liar & Taman Negara Semenanjung Malaysia (PERHILITAN), Kraftangan Malaysia, SRB Enterprise, Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM) dan Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Berhad (ANGKASA).

Persatuan Pemuliharaan Tuntung, Kura-kura dan Penyu Malaysia telah menganjurkan sebuah program, iaitu Program Pelepasan Tuntung Sungai, yang berlangsung di Kampung Pasir Gajah, Kemaman, Terengganu. Program ini telah dirasmikan oleh Datuk Fakhrul Hatta, Timbalan Ketua Pengarah (Konservasi) Jabatan PERHILITAN Semenanjung Malaysia, dihadiri oleh pelbagai agensi kerajaan, NGO serta penduduk setempat.

Sebanyak kira-kira 1,000 ekor anak tuntung sungai telah dilepaskan ke sungai sebagai salah satu usaha pemuliharaan tuntung, dan ini juga merupakan pelepasan terbesar sejak projek ini dimulakan di daerah ini. Pasukan Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) juga tidak melepaskan peluang untuk turut serta dalam aktiviti pelepasan anak tuntung.

Sebagai makluman, tuntung atau nama saintifiknya Batagur affinis merupakan salah satu spesies penyu air tawar yang hanya boleh ditemui di perairan Kemboja, Indonesia, Semenanjung Malaysia, dan juga Thailand. Tuntung juga merupakan spesies yang telah disahkan sebagai Sangat Terancam (Critically Endangered) oleh International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) pada tahun 2018. Spesies ini juga merupakan spesies yang Dilindungi Sepenuhnya di bawah Akta Pemuliharaan Hidupan Liar 2010 [Akta 716].

Spesies tuntung ini diancam kepupusan kerana habitatnya terganggu oleh pelbagai aktiviti manusia di sungai, termasuk pencemaran yang berpunca daripada tindakan tersebut. Selain itu, spesies ini turut dieksploitasi untuk mendapatkan cengkerang, daging, dan telurnya, yang sering menjadi buruan peminat makanan eksotik.

Selain aktiviti pelepasan tuntung, pelbagai aktiviti menarik seperti pameran kesedaran awam serta sukaneka turut diadakan untuk meningkatkan kesedaran awam tentang kepentingan spesies ini dalam ekosistem sungai tempatan. Usaha-usaha konservasi perlu dilakukan oleh semua pihak secara berterusan bagi memastikan spesies tuntung ini terpelihara untuk generasi akan datang dan tidak pupus di habitat asal.

A common ornamental plant or shade tree in homes or gardens, Diospyros discolor is known as velvet apple or “pokok mentega” in Malay. It is aseasonal and produces many fruits and flowers, especially from June to July (Aman, 2016). This medium-sized tree (up to 20 m tall) is found in lowland and secondary forests, from sea level up to 800 m high. It is distributed in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia (i.e., mainly in Pahang, Melaka and Kedah) (Zawiah & Othaman, 2012).

Diospyros discolor is an evergreen tree with a dense and lush conical crown. The trunk is upright, 50-80 cm in diameter, with dark brown bark that turns black when older. The leaves are thick, oblong (8-30 cm long and 3-15 cm wide), smooth, shiny above and filled with fine hairs beneath. It is dioecious, with separate plants bearing either male or female flowers. The flowers are yellowish-white and about 1 cm long (Zawiah & Othaman, 2012). The berry fruits are large, reddish brown and roundish (5-9 cm long and 9-12 cm wide) with a velvety texture. When ripe, the fruits emanate an aromatic, sweet and strong odour. The fruit flesh is creamy white and tastes sweet (Adnan et al, 2018). In addition, the ripe fruits can also be used to make jams or mixed with other fruits and eaten as a “rojak” (Zawiah & Othaman, 2012).

Apart from being planted as an ornamental tree, in the Philippines, this tree is widely cultivated for its fruits and wood for handicrafts. In Malaysia, the leaves and fruit skins can be used in traditional medicine (Zawiah & Othaman, 2012). To date, the conservation status of this species has not been formally assessed but it is considered Least Concern because it is common and widely used as an ornamental plant (Adnan et al., 2018).

Bahagian Pengurusan Biodiversiti dan Perhutanan (BPBP) NRES telah menganjurkan Persidangan Kepelbagaian Biologi Kebangsaan 2024 bertempat di Hotel Zenith Putrajaya pada 1 Oktober 2024. Tema persidangan pada tahun ini adalah “Jadilah Sebahagian Daripada Pelan” (Be Part of The Plan). Majlis ini dimulakan dengan Ucaptama daripada YBrs. Puan Norsham binti Abdul Latip selaku Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha (Sumber Asli). Penganjuran persidangan ini merupakan peristiwa tahunan seperti yang dinyatakan di dalam Dasar Kepelbagaian Biologi Kebangsaan.

Terdapat tiga sesi pembentangan lisan. Subtema sesi pertama adalah Pemerkasaan Komuniti dan Kehidupan Mampan dipengerusikan oleh YBhg. Dato’ Hj. Zahari Bin Ibrahim, Ketua Pengarah Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia. Pengerusi bagi subtema Pemuliharaan Biodiversiti dan Ekosistem, Pengurusan Hutan untuk sesi kedua adalah YBhg. Dato’ Dr. Ismail Bin Hj. Parlan, Ketua Pengarah Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM). Subtema pembentangan lisan terakhir adalah Agromakanan dan Pelancongan Mampan yang dipengerusikan oleh Encik Kasyfullah bin Zaini, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC).

Majlis penutup dirasmikan oleh YBhg. Datuk Dr. Ching Thoo A/L Kim, Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam. Majlis diteruskan lagi dengan lawatan ke pembentangan poster dan reruai pameran. Pembentangan poster terdiri daripada BPBP (Unit Biodiversity Implementation Support, Unit Kawasan Perlindungan dan Kerjasama Serantau, Unit Malaysia Biodiversity Centre, Unit Global Wildlife Program (GWP) Malaysia, Unit Pengurusan Hidupan Liar dan Unit Penyelidikan Perhutanan dan Tabung Amanah Konservasi Kebangsaan (NCTF), Jabatan Perancangan Bandar dan Desa (PLAN Malaysia), Institut Penyelidikan dan Kemajuan Pertanian Malaysia (MARDI), Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia (JPSM), Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), Sustainable Management of Peatland Ecosystems in Malaysia (SMPEM), Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA), GAMUDA Land Berhad, SD Guthrie, Akademi Sains Malaysia, PLANTERS International Berhad, Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC), Sabah Biodiversity Centre (SaBC), Malaysia Nature Society (MNS), Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) dan Jabatan Biokeselamatan. Manakala reruai pameran adalah terdiri daripada Unit Natural History Museum, Unit Bioinformatik (Malaysia Biodiversity Information System), Unit Penyelidikan Perhutanan dan Tabung Amanah Konservasi Kebangsaan (NCTF) dan PLANTERS International Berhad.

Info: Nurhazwanie bt Abd Halim
Gambar: UKK NRES

Libellulidae (skimmer dragonflies) is the largest family of dragonflies with over 1,000 species in the world. With a nearly global distribution, these are most likely the dragonflies that the most frequently seen by people (Silsby, 2001; Akbar & Basukriadi, 2021). Tholymis is a small genus of dragonflies in the Libellulidae family. The genus contains only 2 species; Tholymis citrina (Evening Skimmer) and Tholymis tillarga (Coral-tailed Cloud Wing).

Tholymis tillarga has a medium-sized body that measures about 43 mm for male and 39 mm for female. The male of Tholymis tillarga can be recognized by the red colour on its body including thorax and abdomen with the presence of white patches on its hindwings. The white patches on its hindwings are particularly unique when in flight (Choong et al., 2018). The eyes are orange above and pale greenish yellow below. While the female has brownish yellow body without white patches on hindwings. Immature male looks similar to female (Tang et al., 2010). Both wings are transparent with the hindwings translucent brown near the base.

This species is widespread throughout tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia, Australia and Micronesia. It can be found in open habitats such as ponds, lakes or slow-flowing waters (Tang et al., 2010) and breeds in standing water-bodies.

Contrasting from most Odonata species which are active in day time on hot sunny day, the behaviour of Tholymis tillarga is slightly different where it is only active at dusk, 2-3 hours before the sunset until dark. It is found patrolling ponds and lakes actively. Sometimes, this dragonfly is attracted to artificial light at night. In day time, it hides in vegetation area perching by hanging down its body (Choong et al., 2018).

Tholymis tillarga is a very widespread and disturbance-tolerant species with no known major threats. Therefore, it is assessed by the IUCN Red List as Least Concern (Clausnitzer, 2016).

Sidang Kemuncak SDG 2024 (SDG Summit 2024) anjuran Pusat SDG Negara, Kementerian Ekonomi telah berlangsung dengan jayanya selama 2 hari bermula pada 17 dan 18 September 2024 yang mana merupakan platform bagi pihak berkepentingan daripada pelbagai sektor untuk berkumpul, berkongsi pandangan dan mengambil langkah substantif ke arah merealisasikan SDG di Malaysia.

Ucapan pembukaan dan perasmian SDG Summit 2024 telah disempurnakan oleh YAB Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, Perdana Menteri Malaysia dan Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha (Kelestarian Alam), Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES) telah menyampaikan ucapan keynote pada sesi persidangan.

Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES), dengan penglibatan unit MyBIS, juga diberi tanggungjawab bagi menyelaras reruai pameran SDG 15: Life on Land di mana beberapa jabatan dan agensi di bawah NRES telah terlibat dengan pameran iaitu pihak Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia (JPSM), Jabatan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara (PERHILITAN) Semenanjung Malaysia dan Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM). Antara yang dipamerkan adalah inisiatif-inisiatif di bawah SDG 15 termasuk penanaman 100 juta pokok, Central Forest Spine (CFS), Selamatkan Harimau Malaya, produk orang asli serta aktiviti kuiz kahoot! bagi menguji minda pengunjung. Reruai juga telah dikunjungi oleh YAB Perdana Menteri Malaysia.

Pusat Pengurusan Makmal Alami dan Fizikal, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (ALAF-UKM) telah menganjurkan Program Alamilah Makmal Alami bertempat di Akademia Siber Teknopolis (AST) UKM pada 11 September 2024 yang lalu dan telah dirasmikan oleh YBhg. Prof. Dato. Azlinda Othman selaku Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Pendidikan Tinggi.

Tujuan utama penganjuran program ini adalah untuk memperkenalkan kewujudan dan memperkukuh perkhidmatan yang disediakan oleh Makmal Alami ALAF-UKM. Makmal ini memainkan peranan penting dalam memastikan penyelidikan di UKM terus aktif dan selaras dengan Matlamat Pembangunan Mampan (SDG) yang telah ditakrifkan oleh UKM demi kelestarian universiti.

Program ini dimulakan dengan Forum Makmal Alami yang bertajuk "Menyingkap Rahsia Alam Menerusi Makmal Alami." Pada sesi petang, program ini diteruskan dengan ucapan alu-aluan yang disampaikan oleh YBhg. Prof. Dato' Gs. Ts. Dr. Mohd Ekhwan Hj. Toriman, selaku Naib Canselor Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) dan ucapan perasmian. Seterusnya, majlis disambung dengan penyampaian watikah pelantikan Felo Bersekutu ALAF-UKM, persembahan Kumpulan Seri Panggung iaitu Tarian Sewang Orang Asli dan lawatan ke reruai pameran sebagai penutup majlis. Antara pempamer yang terlibat adalah Makmal Alami ALAF-UKM, Pusat Strategi UKM, Fakulti Sains dan Teknologi UKM, Taman Botani Bangi serta Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) dan Tabung Amanah Konservasi Sumber Asli Nasional (NCTF) mewakili Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES).

Lythraceae is a family of flowering plants characterised by simple opposite leaves and capsule fruits with numerous seeds. A member of this family is Sonneratia alba, which is named after the French plant collector and explorer Pierre Sonnerat. The species epithet alba is derived from a Latin word meaning white, referring to the stamen colour.

Known as “Perepat” in the Malay community, S. alba grows in mangrove habitats across Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and Borneo. It grows along shorelines, including in mangrove forests, rocky or sandy beaches and coastal mudflats.

Classified as a small- to medium-sized tree, it can reach heights of 15 m and occasionally up to 30 m. It has aerial roots specialised for gaseous exchange, called pneumatophores. The spoon-shaped leaves are thick and leathery. The flowers, up to 10 cm in diameter, have whitish petals and stamens that are pinkish at the base. They bloom at night and attract pollinators such as hawk-moths, bats and birds (Giesen et al., 2006). The berry-like fruits are abundant with seeds and can float in water because the seeds contain air-filled tissues.

Sonneratia alba plays a crucial role in mangrove ecosystems by preventing soil erosion. In Kuala Sepetang, Malaysia, the trees serve as a habitat for fireflies which have become a nocturnal tourist attraction (Giesen et al., 2006). In India, the government of Maharashtra has declared S. alba to be the state’s official tree (Chatterjee, 2020). Similarly, two individual trees in Pulau Ubin, Singapore, were recognised as heritage trees under The Heritage Tree Scheme 2001 (National Park Singapore, n.d.).

The timber of S. alba, known for its strength and moderate durability, is suitable for various applications, including planking, flooring and furniture (Burgess, 1958). Locally, the wood is utilised for house and boat construction (Burgess, 1958), and bronze nails are recommended for use in saltwater environments (Giesen et al., 2006).

Perepat leaves and roots are potential sources of tea due to their high antioxidant content and heat resistance (Mandang et al., 2021). The edible fruits are locally consumed, particularly in Sulawesi, either cooked or raw. However, caution is advised as not all plant parts are safe for human consumption. The bark, which is rich in tannin and phenolic compounds, is used for dyeing fabrics and tanning leather (Hilmi et al., 2021).

To achieve more environmentally friendly and sustainable agriculture, the use of synthetic pesticides needs to be reduced, and one of the strategies used is biological control. Biological control, based on the prey-predator concept, aims to reduce or control pest populations in farms without or with minimal reliance on chemical insecticides, thus preventing detrimental effects on humans, flora, fauna and plants.

Various types of biological control agents exist, including microbes, natural substances, insects, mites, nematodes, semiochemicals, parasitoids, predators, bacteria, fungi, viruses and pathogens. Biological control employs three techniques: the classical method, which involves introducing natural enemies to combat pests; the inductive (enhancement) method, which introduces large populations of natural enemies; and the inoculative (preservation) method, which is used, especially for predators that have been established in a habitat for an extended period.

One promising biological control agent is ladybird beetles or coccinellids. These beetles are a subfamily of the family Coccinellidae and can be found on every continent in the world, except Antarctica. This family comprises 6,000 species worldwide, of which 90% are considered beneficial predators. In Malaysia, approximately 2,000 species of this family have been recorded. Coccinellids are found inhabiting various environments, whether on land or in trees. Some species can even thrive in extreme conditions, including mountainous regions, arid deserts and cold climates.

Their life cycle, like that of other insects, comprises four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and finally the adult. The duration of the life cycle varies depending on factors such as temperature, relative humidity, rainfall and food sources. Adult female beetles can lay 200 to 1,000 eggs, typically near their primary food source, often in colonies of aphids and other plant pests. Newly hatched eggs are grey or black with yellow, orange and red stripes on their dorsal sides. The colour of the larvae varies among species.

Most of these beetles, both larvae and adults, are carnivorous predators, primarily targeting barnacle insects and aphids. Some also include fungi in their diets. Consequently, upon hatching, the larvae immediately seek out food. In cases of food scarcity, cannibalism may occur, with eggs, larvae or pupae serving as substitutes for survival. Some other species rely on nectar as a food source. Other than aphids, they prey on various insects, such as flour lice, thrips, mites and psyllidae. Moreover, they also consume small larvae, insect eggs and phytophagous ticks. This versatility makes them valuable predatory insects, especially in the agricultural sector.

Coccinellids are highly valued as primary biological control agents in agriculture due to their ability to prey on crop pests. One notable example is Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, which was introduced to California by Albert Koebele in 1891 to control citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Bartlett, 1978). It was subsequently widely adopted as a biological control agent and has been introduced in up to 64 countries to combat 16 or more species of pests. In India, C. montrouzieri was employed in coffee plantations, vineyards and orchards, whereas in places like New Delhi, Azerbaijan and Italy, it is used for pest control because of its ease of maintenance. Another success story was the introduction of the multicoloured Asian ladybeetle, Harmonia axyridis, into Western Europe in the late 1990s to control aphid populations in apple orchards (Axel et al., 2013).

Coccinellids are drawn to crops such as wheat, sorghum, sweet corn, alfalfa, soybeans, beans, cotton, potatoes, mustard crops, tomatoes, asparagus and apples because these provide habitats for aphids which are their primary food source. During cold conditions in winter, coccinellids seek refuge beneath the leaves. The larvae exhibit positive phototropism and negative geotropism, which means that they are naturally inclined to move towards light and away from gravity. This behaviour encourages the larvae to ascend to the tops of plants where aphids are typically found.

Coccinellids are also used in paddy fields where they are prevalent at every stage of rice growth, with some specialising in preying on rice pests such as brown planthoppers and rice stem borers. Coccinellids also target other pests like whiteflies, with over 50 coccinellid species consuming whitefly eggs. Scale insects are another food source for coccinellids, and several coccinellids, including Rhyzobius forestieri, Nephus reunion, Chilocorus nigritus and Chilocorus kuwanae, are employed as biological control agents to combat scale insects.

The use of coccinellids in Malaysia has received limited attention, primarily because coccinellids are perceived as pests. Many farmers still rely on chemical pesticides for pest control, and there is a lack of research on the potential of coccinellids as biological control agents. Therefore, the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), through the Biological Control Programme, the Agrobiodiversity and Environment Research Centre is actively conducting studies on the use of biological control agents through an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and ecological engineering approach. In Thailand, the use of coccinellids has seen greater adoption. These beneficial insects are bred on a large scale to combat aphids and other pests. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE) in Thailand has developed breeding facilities and provides ladybirds to farmers for release on their farms.

Unfortunately, the in-situ conservation of coccinellids is not emphasised in agricultural areas. Although these species are not currently listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, early preventive measures should be prioritised. Environmental activists have suggested several strategies for insect conservation, including educational programmes, habitat preservation and preventing the spread of invasive species. To specifically preserve coccinellids, actions such as providing winter shelter and protecting them from pesticides in and around crop areas are crucial, as these insects are highly vulnerable to insecticides. Diversifying food sources, including aphids and nectar, can also increase the coccinellid population.

In conclusion, the diversity of insect species is a blessing from nature. Some are pests, while others help balance insect populations. It is our responsibility as humans to conserve this natural treasure so that it continues to be sustainable and used in the best possible way.

Satu Program Town Hall dan Sesi Dialog Pusat Biodiversiti Malaysia (MBC) anjuran Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES) dan Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) telah diadakan pada 22 Ogos 2024 (Khamis) bertempat di Leo Moggie Convention Centre, TNB Platinum, Bangsar Kuala Lumpur. Program ini bertujuan untuk memberi pendedahan berkenaan kepentingan mempunyai sebuah pusat biodiversiti di Malaysia serta peranan badan korporat dan filantropi dalam tanggungjawab sosial korporat atau Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) bagi menyokong penubuhan MBC.

Program ini dimulakan dengan sesi lawatan ke reruai pameran oleh Yang Berhormat Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Menteri Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam diiringi oleh YBhg. Dato' Seri Abdul Razak bin Abdul Majid, Pengerusi Tenaga Nasional Berhad dan YBhg. Datuk Dr. Ching Thoo A/L Kim, Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES). Antara agensi yang terlibat dalam pameran adalah pihak Pusat Biodiversiti Malaysia (MBC), Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) dan Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) Research. Rombongan disambut oleh Encik Muhammad Syahmi bin Ibrahim selaku Penolong Setiausaha Unit Bioinformatik bersama ahli yang lain.

Majlis diteruskan lagi dengan sesi dialog bersama YBhg. Dato’ Shahira Ahmed Bazari, Pengarah Eksekutif, Khazanah Nasional Berhad, YBhg. Datuk Ruben Emir Gnanalingam, Pengerusi Eksekutif Westport Holdings Berhad dan YBhg. Dato’ Dr. Yeo Tiong Chia, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif, Sarawak Biodiversity Centre serta Cik Yasmin Mohd Ramzi, Head of People Strategy, Tenaga Nasional Berhad selaku moderator majlis. Semasa sesi ini, Khazanah National Berhad turut menerangkan bahawa mereka terlibat dalam Tiger Conservation & Protection and Bringing Back Malaysia’s Natural Heritage Held Overseas (Walllace’s Type Collection & Malaysia Collection) in Digital format Projects melalui Yayasan Hasanah Biodiversity Initiatives. Seterusnya, acara kemuncak iaitu sesi Town Hall bersama Yang Berhormat Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad yang bertajuk “Biodiversity Conversation – BE PART OF THE PLAN”. Program berakhir dengan sesi ramah mesra antara peserta-peserta yang hadir.

Helosis ruficeps is a parasitic plant from the family Balanophoraceae, known for its root parasitism. The genus name, Helosis, originates from the Greek word for a nail, denoting the peltate bracts of the plant. The specific epithet, ruficeps, comes from the Latin word rufus which means reddish, and -ceps means headed, referring to the reddish inflorescence of the plant.

H.N. Ridley first identified the plant as Rhopalocnemis ruficeps in 1914 (Ridley, 1924), but Eberwein & Webber reclassified it as Helosis species in 2004 (Eberwein et al., 2004). An individual plant has both male and female reproductive parts and does not have scale leaves (small protective leaves around the bud).

The tuber of H. ruficeps is yellow, occasionally crimson or orange-brown and grows horizontally along the host root. It is at least 15 cm long and has a diameter of 0.5 to 1 cm. The inflorescence is deep rosy red, ellipsoid and ranges from 2.75 to 10 cm long. Flowers are ensconced within a layer of dense nectariferous hairs. Male flowers, resembling umbrellas, are typically 2.5 mm long and occur in pairs, whereas female flowers, 2-3 mm long, are scattered along the tuber (Kiew et al., 2010). Information on the biology or ecology of this species is very scarce, with no observed insect visitors or recorded host species.

Endemic to Peninsular Malaysia, H. ruficeps has been recorded in Kedah, Penang and Perak with few specimens collected. It is primarily found in hill forests at altitudes ranging from 100 m to 1,300 m (Kiew et al., 2010). The Malaysia Plant Red List classifies this species as Endangered due to habitat degradation. In Kedah and Perak, human activities have disturbed the known localities. Fortunately, those localities in Penang are currently undisturbed but remain vulnerable to future threats as they are not within protected areas (Yong et al., 2021). Because this species is very little known, efforts to establish conservation programs and research initiatives are essential to safeguard this species and its habitat.

Cawangan Pemuliharaan Dan Biodiversiti Informatik, Bahagian Biodiversiti Hutan, FRIM telah menganjurkan Program Explorasi Serangga “Menjelajah Dunia Mikro Di Sekeliling Kita” pada 6 Ogos 2024 (Selasa) yang lalu bertempat di Bilik Garcinia dan Morinda, Denai Keruing dan Galeri Serangga Insektari. Program yang dirasmikan oleh Ketua Cawangan Entomologi, Dr. Nada Baharuddin telah dihadiri oleh 30 peserta tingkatan empat dan dua orang guru pengiring daripada SMK Taman Ehsan Kepong.

Program ini bertujuan untuk memberikan pendedahan awal kepada pelajar-pelajar tentang kepentingan serangga terhadap ekosistem dan ciri-ciri serangga mengikut pengkelasan serangga. Para peserta juga diberikan pendedahan tentang fungsi dan peranan Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) sebagai salah sebuah pangkalan data biodiversiti negara. Selain itu, para peserta juga dapat merasai sendiri pengalaman untuk memasuki hutan untuk melihat dengan lebih dekat serangga-serangga di persekitaran semulajadi. Serangga yang dijumpai termasuk anai-anai, kupu-kupu, pepatung jarum, semut, lipas hutan dan serangga yang lain.

Bengkel ini dikendalikan dengan kerjasama Cawangan Entomologi FRIM yang melibatkan:

• Sesi perkongsian maklumat melalui ceramah pertama yang disampaikan oleh Cik Ong Su Ping yang bertajuk “Pengenalan kepada Serangga dan Kepentingan kepada Ekosistem”. Ceramah kedua pula bertajuk “Kenali MyBIS: Sumber Data Biodiversiti Negara” yang disampaikan oleh En. Tan Kok Kiat serta ceramah yang terakhir yang disampaikan oleh Dr. Phon Chooi Kim yang bertajuk “Mengenali Ciri-Ciri Serangga Mengikut Pengkelasan Serangga”.
• Lawatan sambil belajar ke Galeri Serangga Insektari dimana para pelajar dapat melihat sendiri serangga yang telah diawet. Para pelajar juga diberikan kuiz berbentuk teka silang kata dan perlu menjawab berpandukan ceramah sebentar tadi.
• Penerokaan Laluan Keruing dimana pelajar bergerak secara berkumpulan bersama-sama fasilitator untuk memerhati dan mendokumentasikan serangga yang mereka temui.
• Pada akhir program, para pelajar perlu membuat pembentangan tentang order serangga mengikut kumpulan masing-masing serta rumusan yang dipelajari sepanjang ekplorasi di Denai Keruing.

Info: Sarah Nabila Rosli & Muhamad Farihan Aqil Bin Aznan

Gambar: Aziemah Kinan & Nurzayanah 'Adilah Binti Mohd Zain

Terminalia catappa, also known as Ketapang, is commonly found wild in coastal areas. The Latin name Terminalia refers to the leaves clustered at the ends of twigs. Meanwhile, the epithet name catappa comes from the original Malay name, “Ketapang” (Flora & Fauna Web, 2024). It grows rapidly and is often planted for its shade. However, its large leaves fall twice a year, making the area around the tree base untidy.

Young trees have a distinctive shape with extended and layered branches, growing up to 10-14 m high. Leaves are large, closely packed near the branch tips and turn red or yellow before falling around four years old. As the tree grows older, it gradually loses its layered appearance. One of its lateral branches starts becoming larger than the others, causing an irregular crown shape. The tree crown is dense, and its branches droop at the tips. Tree height may reach up to 28 m.

The tree produces abundant flowers and fruits. Ketapang is monoecious, producing both male and bisexual flowers. The tiny and fragrant greenish-white flowers grow in clusters on the leaf axil. The fruit is flat, egg-shaped, green when young and reddish-yellow when ripe. The fruit skin is thick, whereas the seed coat is hard and fibrous. The fruit pulp is white and can be sweet or bitter. Bitter pulps, however, are unsuitable for human consumption (Abd. Latif et al., 2016). Bats are known to eat the fruit pulp and disperse the seeds (Chin & Enoch, 1988). The seeds germinate easily and able to thrive in various soil types. Intact fruits can also grow naturally on beach sand.

The ketapang tree is highly valued for its durable wood, which is used for furniture, building materials and fuel (Zawiah & Othaman, 2012). Besides providing shade, the leaves are often used in aquariums to lower water pH levels.

In the Malaysia Plant Red List, the conservation status of this plant species has yet to be evaluated (Yong et al., 2021). However, it is considered Least Concern (LC) globally in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Thomson & Evans, 2019).

Rambutan, scientifically known as Nephelium lappaceum, comes from the root word ‘rambut’ in Malay which means hair, due to its hairy fruits. It is native to the Malay Peninsula, Borneo (including Sabah and Sarawak), the Sumatera Islands and Thailand (POWO, 2022). It is also distributed in Singapore, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Rambutan is one of the most popular fruits of the East (Corner, 1988) and is among the top three fruits in high demand after durian and mangosteen (Van Welzen, 2017). Nephelium lappaceum is the only species with the highest crop production in the family Sapindaceae.

Nephelium lappaceum is an evergreen bushy tree that can grow up to 60 feet high with a dense, low, spreading, rounded and dull green crown. The leaves are 6–16 cm long; leaflets are elliptic and arranged in 2 or 3 pairs, usually alternate or rarely opposite. The greenish-white flowers are small and occur as a long spike (thyrsoid). The strikingly coloured fruits are easily recognised on the tree. They are commonly red, sometimes yellow and densely covered with thick, coarse, wavy hairs or soft spines. The fruit flesh is translucent white with a sweet yet creamy taste, and the seed in the middle is oval (Adema et al., 1996). According to Corner (1988), the seeds contain toxic chemicals and can be poisonous, bitter and narcotic if not prepared well. Rambutan appears similar to Pulasan (i.e., Nephelium mutabile, another soapberry fruit in the same family) but rambutan fruits are much larger with thinner skin and long, spiky hair (Ng, 1989).

This species has adapted to grow in various types of soil as long as it has sufficient water supply. A good water supply prevents excess moisture loss to the fruits, making them more fresh and healthy. Rambutan trees are easily cultivated with perfect combinations of dry and wet seasons (Kawabata et al., 2007). Therefore, this species grows well in Southeast Asian countries where the climate is highly influenced by the yearly monsoons.

In Southeast Asia, rambutan has become an important commercial crop for its refreshing colours and exotic appearance (Shahrajabian et al., 2020). The golf-ball-sized fruits are eaten raw or used as ingredients in fruit salads, made into jam, preserved in cans, or even prepared as a dessert. The fruit flesh is known to be highly nutritious, containing rich amounts of vitamin C, calcium, potassium and magnesium that are good for health (Chakraborty et al., 2015). Not only are the fruits delicious and sweet, they are also a good source of natural sugar for human health. Currently, rambutan is also in demand from other non-Asian countries like Australia, Mexico, Hawaii and Africa (Li et al., 2018).

Not just for humans, the fruits are also food for at least six species of primates, including the Lar gibbon (Hylobates lar), Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus), Dusky leaf monkey (Trachypithecus obscurus), Banded leaf monkey (Presbytis femoralis), Long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) and Pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina). These smart primates are able to bite or peel off the leathery fruit wall (Ng, 2014).

Nephelium lappaceum is classified as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2017) and the Malaysia Plant Red List (2021) because it is easy to cultivate and is not threatened.

Aquilaria hirta is a tree species in the family Thymelaeaceae, locally known as ‘Karas’ or ‘Chandan bulu’ (Hassan et al., 2011). It occurs on the hill slopes of tropical lowland forests (Soehartono, 1999). The tree can reach up to 14 m in height, and the bark is whitish and rather smooth. The leaves are elliptic-oblong or ovate-oblong, measuring 6.5–14 cm by 2.5–5.5 cm. The leaf base is acute or cuneate, whereas the leaf tip is attenuate or acuminate (Azhari et al., 2014). The flowers are white or light yellow, and the fruit is slender and pear-shaped, measuring 3.5 cm by 1 cm (Pern et al., 2018).

Aquilaria hirta is one of the main sources of agarwood, also known as ’gaharu’, in Peninsular Malaysia. Agarwood is produced through a pathological process triggered by fungal infection or chemical stimulation (Elias et al.,2017). Agarwood is a highly valued fragrant wood used for incense, perfume and traditional medicines (Soehartono & Newton, 2000). It has a distinct, deep aroma that is both rich and unique. The smell of the wood may not be very strong at room temperature, but it gets stronger when it burns. The Japanese and Arabs use the essence in their incense items and like the strong scent. According to Persistence Market Research (2019) and Ash (2020), sales of agarwood chips alone reached USD 30–32 billion globally in 2018 and are expected to reach USD 64 billion by 2029.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species lists A. hirta as Vulnerable (VU) (Harvey-Brown, 2018). Tree exploitation has increased over the years due to rising customer demand for fragrance, cosmetic, medical and religious businesses that employ wood and essential oils of agarwood. The depletion of natural resources is driving up the cost of agarwood (Mohd-Shafik et al., 2020). Since 2004, trade in Aquilaria species has been regulated by including the species in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES, 2017). Importers and range states must strictly regulate the use of the species and obtain permission for exports. This restriction helps protect the remaining wild population and requires global buyer cooperation (Thompson et al., 2022).

Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES) kerjasama dengan Yayasan Hijau Malaysia (YHM) telah mengadakan Sesi Perkongsian dan Demonstrasi Gaya Hidup Hijau Sempena Sambutan Hari Biodiversiti Antarabangsa 2024 di Lobi Utama NRES, Blok F11, Presint 1, Putrajaya pada 31 Mei 2024.

Untuk makluman, tarikh 22 Mei telah diisytiharkan sebagai Hari Biodiversiti Antarabangsa oleh Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (United Nations General Assembly) bagi meningkatkan kefahaman dan kesedaran masyarakat dunia mengenai isu biodiversiti. Tema sambutan bagi tahun ini ialah “Be Part of the Plan”. Program dimulakan dengan perutusan daripada Ketua Setiausaha NRES, YBhg. Datuk Dr. Ching Thoo A/L Kim yang seterusnya merasmikan “Sesi Perkongsian Dan Demonstrasi Gaya Hidup Hijau" bersempena dengan Sambutan Hari Biodiversiti Antarabangsa 2024. Majlis diteruskan dengan penyampaian sijil penghargaan kepada rakan-rakan strategik Bahagian Pengurusan Biodiversiti dan Perhutanan (BPBP), NRES dan juga sesi penyampaian hadiah kepada pemenang kuiz Econinja Siri I dan Siri II.

Pelbagai pengisian dan aktiviti menarik telah berlangsung seperti sesi demonstrasi “Pengawetan Serangga oleh Pusat Sistematik Serangga, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) serta Bicara Biodiversiti bertajuk “Curatap - Solusi Hasil Kajian Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM)”. Selain itu juga pameran reruai turut disertai oleh pelbagai agensi, universiti dan badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) seperti Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liar & Taman Negara Semenanjung Malaysia (PERHILITAN), Jabatan Mineral dan Geosains (JMG), Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Persekutuan Pengakap Malaysia, Pertubuhan Kelestarian Ekosistem Alam (NEST) dan Ventrex Outdoor Recreation termasuklah Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS).

Reruai MyBIS menerima kunjungan daripada Ketua Setiausaha NRES, YBhg. Datuk Dr. Ching Thoo A/L Kim yang disambut oleh En Tan Kok Kiat bersama pasukan petugas MyBIS yang lain. Reruai ini mengetengahkan aktiviti DIY penghasilan penanda buku dan poskad menggunakan bahan semulajadi selain berkongsi maklumat berkaitan laman web MyBIS kepada pengunjung yang hadir. Aktiviti ini telah mendapat sambutan hangat daripada pengunjung yang hadir yang rata-rata menunjukkan minat yang mendalam dalam menghias penanda buku serta poskad.

Gynura procumbens, commonly known as “Sambung nyawa” in Malay or Leaves of the God, is a small, scrambling herbaceous plant from the family Asteraceae (Compositae) (POWO, 2024). “Sambung Nyawa”, which means prolongation of life, earned its name because local communities believe it possesses healing properties effective against various ailments (Sari et al., 2020). It typically thrives near the forest edge or in secondary scrub within montane forests. Its usual habitat ranges from altitudes of 90 to 1,970 m. It is mostly found in tropical Africa, from the eastern Himalayas to China, in Southeast Asia, and New Guinea. In Peninsular Malaysia, it occurs in every state but appears to be rare on the eastern side of the Main Range. According to the Flora of Peninsular Malaysia, this species holds a conservation status of Least Concern (LC) (Kiew et al., 2021).

The plant can grow up to 4.5 m long, with a stem that is initially hairy but gradually smooths out. The leaves are generally 1–11 mm long including the petioles, with elliptic blades of 3–9 cm long and 0.7–5 cm wide. The leaf has an acute apex and dentate edge (Kiew et al., 2021). The flower heads form in axillary and terminal clusters, with each cluster containing 3–9 heads. Each head comprises around 20–30 blooms of maroon to dark purple.

Gynura procumbens has long been used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments. It is believed to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antidiabetic effects (Amir, 2020). It is also used to treat hypertension, rheumatism and kidney-related ailments. Administration methods include consumption as a decoction extract or application as a poultice (Perry & Metzger, 1980). Despite its traditional use history, ongoing scientific studies are important to explore its therapeutic potential and effectiveness.

Besides its therapeutic benefits, G. procumbens is also eaten as a vegetable in some areas. It is frequently used in salads, soups and stir-fry recipes. In the Malay community, it is often eaten raw as ulam alongside rice and other dishes. Because the plant provides many nutrients, it may be a handy way to incorporate it into regular meals (Vejanan et al., 2012).

Sempena Hari Biodiversiti Antarabangsa pada 22 Mei 2024, pelbagai aktiviti dan kuiz akan dilaksanakan secara fizikal dan atas talian. Bulan Mei juga merupakan Bulan Biodiversiti peringkat Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES).

Biodiversiti merupakan kepelbagaian antara organisma hidup daripada pelbagai sumber, dari daratan mahupun samudera dan lain-lain yang melangkau ekosistem akuatik dan sebahagian daripada ekosistem yang kompleks termasuk di dalam kelompok spesies dan antara spesies dan ekosistemnya.

Pelbagai aktiviti akan dilaksanakan pada bulan ini, termasuk sesi kuiz dan pameran.

Syarat penyertaan kuiz biodiversiti secara atas talian adalah seperti berikut:-

1. Warga NRES

2. Mendaftar melalui Kod QR

3. Tarikh: 23 Mei 2024 (Khamis)

4. Masa: 10.00 pagi - 5.00 petang

Pada 31 Mei 2024, pameran dan aktiviti riadah akan dilaksanakan di perkarangan lobi NRES. Terdapat sesi demonstrasi pengawetan serangga oleh Pusat Sistemaik Serangga (CIS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bicara Biodiversiti berkaitan Curatap: Solusi Hasil Kajian FRIM, sesi Kahoot! Biodiversiti, reruai MyBIS dan banyak lagi akan dijalankan pada hari tersebut. Jadi datanglah beramai-ramai untuk memeriahkan suasana ini.

Hadiah menarik menanti anda!

Sebarang pertanyaan lanjut, sila hubungi:

Unit Bioinformatik (MyBIS), Bahagian Pengurusan Biodiversiti dan Perhutanan (BPBP), Aras 6, Blok F11, Kompleks F, Putrajaya.

🐯🌳Biodiversity Webinar 2024🐡🪸

Sempena sambutan Hari Biodiversiti Antarabangsa 2024 yang akan disambut pada 22 Mei, Econinja dengan kerjasama Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES) akan menganjurkan Biodiversity Webinar 2024 secara dalam talian seperti perincian berikut:

Tarikh: 11 Mei 2024 (Sabtu)

Masa: 8.00 - 10.00 malam

Pautan: https://www.facebook.com/econinja.my/

Jom sama-sama kita sertai! Be Part of The Plan!

6 Mei 2024- YBhg. Datuk Dr. Ching Thoo a/l Kim, Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES) telah menjalankan lawatan kerja ke tapak pembinaan Pusat Biodiversiti Malaysia (Malaysia Biodiversity Centre-MBC) dan Muzium Sejarah Alam Semulajadi (Natural History Museum (NHM) Malaysia) di Jalan Cochrane, Maluri, Kuala Lumpur pagi semalam.

Antara tujuan lawatan kerja ini dilaksanakan adalah bagi:.
1. Melawat lokasi pembangunan fizikal MBC dan NHM Malaysia;
2. Taklimat mengenai perancangan dan gerak kerja MBC dan NHM Malaysia; dan
3. Menilai keperluan mengekalkan/merobohkan Galeri Residensi One Cochrane di atas lokasi sedia ada yang dibangunkan oleh penyewa tanah sebelum ini.

Turut hadir ke lawatan tapak ini adalah YBhg. Datuk Nor Yahati binti Awang, Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha (Kelestarian Alam), Jabatan Kerja Raya, Jabatan Ketua Pengarah Tanah dan Galian, Bahagian Pembangunan (BP), Bahagian Tanah, Ukur dan Geospatial (BTUG) dan urusetia iaitu Bahagian Pengurusan Biodiversiti dan Perhutanan (BPBP).

#NRES
#MBC
#MalaysiaMADANI

Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES) telah menganjurkan Bengkel Penyediaan Dokumen Schedule of Accommodation (SOA), Dokumen Kalkulator ACAT dan GN0 bagi Pembangunan Malaysia Biodiversity Centre (MBC) dan Natural History Museum (NHM) MALAYSIA pada 29-30 April 2024 sebagai salah satu usaha dalam merealisasikan penubuhan MBC dan NHM Malaysia.

Bengkel ini telah menerima penyertaan daripada Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR), Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia (JPSM), Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM), Jabatan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara (PERHILITAN) dan wakil penyelidik-penyelidik daripada universiti.

The Biodiversity Management Division, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) facilitated by the Biodiversity Implementation Support Unit organised a User Requirements Specification (URS) session on 24th April 2024, bringing together key stakeholders from various sectors including State Focal Points, Federal Government Agencies and representatives from UNDP Malaysia. This session was conducted both physically and online, making it a hybrid session that accommodated diverse participation modes.

The focus of the discussion was on shaping the user requirements for an upcoming online reporting and monitoring platform. This platform is crucial for effectively monitoring the implementation of the National Policy on Biological Diversity 2022-2030, specifically towards all its goals, targets and actions.

It was inspiring to witness the dedication of all participants to ensuring the success of our biodiversity conservation efforts.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to progress towards the development of this essential tool for safeguarding our natural heritage!
Be Part of The Plan!

2 Mei 2024 – Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Sultan Perak Darul Ridzuan, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-Lah dan Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja Permaisuri Perak Darul Ridzuan, Tuanku Zara Salim telah berkenan mencemar duli berangkat menyempurnakan perasmian sambutan Hari Hutan Antarabangsa Peringkat Kebangsaan 2024 di Bulatan Sultan Azlan Shah, Meru Raya pada 30 April 2024.

Turut berkenan berangkat, DYTM Raja Muda Perak Darul Ridzuan, Raja Jaafar Ibni Almarhum Raja Muda Musa; DYTM Raja Puan Besar Perak Darul Ridzuan, Raja Nazhatul Shima binti Almarhum Sultan Idris A’fifullah Shah serta DYAM Raja DiHilir Perak Darul Ridzuan, Raja Iskandar Dzurkarnain ibni Almarhum Sultan Idris A’fifullah Shah.

Untuk makluman, Hari Hutan Antarabangsa disambut pada 21 Mac setiap tahun untuk meningkatkan kesedaran masyarakat tentang kepentingan hutan serta pemeliharaan dan pemuliharaannya. Tema sambutan pada tahun ini ialah "Hutan dan Inovasi". Karnival Hari Hutan Antarabangsa Peringkat Kebangsaan Tahun 2024 ini telah dipengerusikan oleh Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia (JPSM) dengan kerjasama Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Perak dan berlangsung selama 3 hari iaitu pada 28 sehingga 30 April 2024. Kumpulan kerja MyBIS telah dijemput sebagai salah satu pempamer di dalam karnival ini.

Pameran MyBIS telah mengetengahkan fungsi dan matlamat MyBIS untuk menyumbang kepada pemuliharaan biodiversiti negara, iaitu dengan menyediakan laman sesawang untuk mengakses maklumat spesies flora dan fauna, kajian berkaitan sumber biodiversiti dan sistem pengurusan biodiversiti Malaysia.

Para pengunjung yang melawat reruai MyBIS telah diberikan pendedahan tentang spesies flora, fauna dan kepentingan pemuliharaan alam sekitar untuk generasi akan datang. Kuiz serta permainan yang sesuai bagi semua peringkat umur juga disediakan dan cenderahati yang menarik telah diberikan kepada pengunjung.

Davallia denticulata is a fern species from the family Polypodiaceae (POWO, 2024). The specific epithet, denticulata comes from the Latin word "denticulatus" which means "with teeth", and it refers to the toothed characteristics of its frond segments above the indusium (Parris et al., 2013). The pouch-shaped indusium is the outer membrane tissue that protects the sori (clusters of spores) of the fern. This species has two varieties: Davallia denticulata var. denticulata in Peninsular Malaysia and D. denticulata var. elata in the Philippines (Parris et al., 2013).

Davallia denticulata var. denticulata is commonly known as the Rabbit foot fern because of its long-creeping, thick rhizome covered in reddish-brown and toothed hair-like scales (Tsutsumi & Kato, 2005; NParks Flora Fauna, 2024), resembling a rabbit’s foot. It is also known as “Paku tertutup” in Malay (Parris et al., 2013; Yong et al., 2021). The fronds are usually tripinnate and broadly triangular, 16–90 cm long and 13–50 cm wide, and the leaf stalk or stipe is 4–50 cm long. The secondary leaflets or pinnules are narrow ovate with toothed edges and false veins (Parris et al., 2013). Small sori are situated on a segment at the edges of the leaves (Sofiyanti et al., 2019).

Davallia denticulata var. denticulata occurs throughout Peninsular Malaysia except in Perlis and Melaka (Yong et al., 2021). According to the Malaysia Red List, this species is categorised as Least Concern (LC) (Yong et al., 2021). This epiphyte is frequently found in various forest types, such as mangroves and coastal forests, and is commonly found on a variety of trees such as oil palm (Saharizan et al., 2021). It is also a lithophyte that grows on limestone and quartz formations, open ground such as forest floor above 600 m altitude (Parris et al.,2013) and damp rocks by the river (Mildawati et al., 2022).

With its distinct fronds and unique rhizome, D. denticulata var. denticulata is used in floral decoration and wreath making (Parris et al., 2013). Its ornamental value has contributed to its popularity in landscaping and interior design. It is also sold as foliage for flower arrangements.

Tragulus napu, commonly known as the Greater Mouse Deer or Napuh in Malay, belongs to the Tragulidae family, a group of even-toed ungulates. This elusive animal is among the world’s smallest ungulate. T. napu has a head-to-body length of 500–600 mm, a shoulder height of 30-35cm, a tail measuring 8-10 cm, and weighs nearly twice the weight of the Lesser Mouse Deer (Tragulus javanicus), ranging between 3.5 and 4.5 kg (Francis, 2008). Despite its small size compared to other ungulates, the Greater Mouse Deer is one of the largest member in its genus, Tragulus. With its round body and thin, pencil-like legs, T. napu has unique features, especially with its longer hind legs.

According to Francis (2008), T. napu has mottled fur with a mix of orange-buff, grey-buff, and blackish on its upper parts, darker along the center of its body, and lighter on the sides. It often has a darker patch on the back of its neck. Its underparts are white and usually don't have brown stripes on the belly. The male species don't have horns or antlers but have small "tusks" which are well-developed lower canine teeth that stick out from their upper jaw.

In addition, the Greater Mouse Deer can be distinguished from the closely related Lesser Mouse Deer, T. kanchil, by several external features. T. napu has five throat stripes compared to three in T. kanchil and lacks brown stripes on the belly, a trait commonly seen in T. kanchil. T. napu also has a nape line and mottling on the underside (Meijaard & Groves, 2004; Francis, 2008).

The Greater Mouse Deer is widely distributed in Southeast Asia: South Myanmar, Southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, and adjacent islands, Palawan (Philippines), and Singapore (Low et al., 2009). Eight subspecies are recognized currently (Low et al., 2009) with two subspecies found in Malaysia; T.n. napu occurs in Borneo, SE Borneo, Serasan, Bangka, Sumatra, Malay and Thai Peninsula, Burma, Langkawi, and Pangkor, while T. n. rufulus occurs in Batam, Galang, Setoko, Bulan, Tioman Island, Bintang, Lingga, Bakong (Meijaard, 2004).

Furthermore, T. napu is a forest species that inhabits subtropical/tropical moist lowland forests. It can be found at various altitudes, ranging up to 1,000 meters above sea level. These ungulates are solitary and prefer to live alone and in primary forests, secondary forests, and to a lesser extent logged forests. Occasionally, they may explore gardens and feed on fallen fruits, leaf shoots, and other plants (Medway, 1983; Francis, 2008). It is also known to be a good swimmer (Ralls et al., 1975).

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, T. napu has been assessed as Least Concern (LC) at the global level (Timmins & Duckworth, 2015). However, the Malaysian assessment as shown in the Red List of Mammals for Peninsular Malaysia indicates that this species is Near Threatened (PERHILITAN, 2017). This species is threatened with poaching and habitat loss due to rapid deforestation (Timmins & Duckworth, 2015). Therefore, protective measures have been implemented under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716) in Malaysia, strengthening efforts to ensure the continued conservation of the species. This species is currently a protected species in the same Act (Act, 2010).

Yet, the effectiveness of conservation depends greatly on the combined efforts of people, communities, and government. Everyone needs to get involved in protecting wildlife by spreading awareness, supporting conservation programs, and promoting sustainable ways of living. By taking care of nature and acting responsibly, we can contribute to the long-term survival and well-being of species like the Greater Mouse Deer and their ecosystems.

Locally known as ciku in Malay, Manilkara zapota from the family Sapotaceae is a medium-sized tree originally from Central America and Mexico. This tree can be found planted in almost all countries in the tropics, such as India, Africa, the Philippines and Malaysia. In Malaysia, this tree is widely found in Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Johor and Melaka. It can grow well in hot areas with high humidity (Zawiah & Othaman, 2012).

Since Manilkara zapota is a non-seasonal tree, it flowers and bears fruit all year round. The tree is moderately tall and can reach up to 20 m in its original habitat in the forest. Its canopy is pyramidal when young and somewhat rounded as it matures. Manilkara zapota is a slow-growth tree, hence having shady low branch. The trunk has a rough texture and greyish-black colour with almost the entire part of the tree producing white sap (Jabatan Pertanian Pulau Pinang, 2023).

The leaves are simple, quite thick, shiny and dark green, while the young shoots are brown and rough. They are alternate and spirally arranged at the end of the branch. Matured leaves, 3.5-15 cm long and 1.5-7 cm wide, are ovoid and tapered at the end (National Parks Board Singapore, 2023). The flowers are small (1-1.5 cm) and usually arise from the axils of leaves and sometimes from the tips of twigs. There are six fused petals (1-5 cm) covered with six brown sepals. The fruits are brown, round to oval, measuring 5-10 cm long and 3-8 cm wide. The texture is thin and rough, and the flesh of the ripe fruit is soft, brown, aromatic, sweet and juicy (Zawiah & Othaman, 2012).

Ripe fruit is eaten fresh or processed into drink or juice. This tree is usually cultivated for its fruit, which has commercial potential. According to the IUCN Red List Version 3.1 (2021), this species is categorised as Least Concern (LC).

Bersempena dengan Majlis Sambutan Hari Tanah Lembap 2024, pelancaran buku “Fishes of Tasek Bera” telah dilaksanakan oleh Menteri Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES), YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, diiringi oleh YB Puan Leong Yu Man, EXCO Perpaduan, Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan Negeri Pahang, YBhg. Dr. Ching Thoo a/l Kim, Ketua Setiausaha NRES, YBhg. Dato’ Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, Ketua Pengarah Jabatan PERHILITAN, YBhg. Dato' Zaman Azam Mohamat Sarif @ Ahmat, Pegawai Daerah Bera, YB Dato’ Sabariah Hj Saidan, ADUN Guai dan YB Tuan Khaizulnizam Mohamad Zuldin, ADUN Kemayan. Majlis ini telah berlangsung di Dewan Belida, Pejabat Unit Pengurusan Tapak Ramsar Tasek Bera, Pahang pada 19 Februari 2024.

Dalam ucapan perasmiannya, Menteri NRES menyatakan pemilihan tema ‘Wetlands and Human Wellbeing’ atau ‘Tanah Lembap dan Kesejahteraan Manusia’ telah dipilih sebagai tema pada tahun 2024 bagi menekankan kepentingan ekosistem tanah lembap kepada kesejahteraan kehidupan manusia, kerana manusia sangat bergantung kepada ekosistem tanah lembap untuk meneruskan kelangsungan hidup.

YB Menteri turut menegaskan bahawa NRES sentiasa memandang serius penglibatan Orang Asli di dalam ekosistem tanah lembap ini termasuk dalam memelihara dan menjaga kawasan ini, di mana pelantikan Renjer Komuniti yang terdiri daripada 3 orang Orang Asli Semelai juga membuktikan bahawa Kerajaan mengikitiraf peranan penting komuniti Orang Asli di sini.

Buku ini mengandungi 158 spesies ikan air tawar daripada 36 famili, termasuk 4 spesies baharu yang telah direkodkan, 1 spesies berstatus endemik dan 1 spesies yang berstatus pupus di peringkat antarabangsa. Hasil penerbitan buku ini merupakan usaha koleksi antara NRES, FRIM dan beberapa institusi pengajian tinggi iaitu Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn (UTHM), Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Selangor (UNISEL), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) dan Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

Perbadanan Putrajaya (PPj) telah menganjurkan Seminar Kebangsaan Pengurusan Mampan Tasik dan Tanah Lembap Putrajaya selama 3 hari, iaitu pada 7 hingga 9 Februari 2024 bersempena Hari Tanah Lembap Sedunia. Seminar ini telah diadakan di Dewan Seri Melati, Kompleks Perbadanan Putrajaya, Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya dan dihadiri oleh lebih 200 orang peserta terdiri daripada pelbagai agensi kerajaan, swasta serta universiti bagi berkongsi penemuan dan maklumat dalam pengurusan serta penyelidikan berkaitan tasik dan tanah lembap. Topik-topik pembentangan di dalam seminar ini merangkumi:-

• Pengurusan Mampan Ekosistem dan Sumber Air
• Penilaian Ekonomi Perkhidmatan Ekosistem
• Kepelbagaian Biologi Flora dan Fauna
• Perancangan Bersepadu dan Pembangunan Mampan
• Eko-Pelancongan

Pihak Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES) juga tidak ketinggalan untuk menyertai pameran tentang Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS). Pameran ini memaparkan laman web biodiversiti kebangsaan yang menyimpan maklumat biodiversiti di Malaysia serta pelbagai penerbitan buku dengan kerjasama agensi dan universiti tempatan.

Lebih 200 orang peserta terdiri daripada pelbagai agensi kerajaan, swasta serta universiti telah menyertai seminar Pengurusan Mampan Tasik dan Tanah Lembap seperti Institut Penyelidikan Air Kebangsaan Malaysia (NAHRIM), Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara (PERHILITAN), Persatuan Ekonomi Alam Sekitar, Majlis Perbandaran Kuala Selangor, Pusat Penyelidikan Tasik Chini, Kuching Wetland National Park, Gamuda Land, Sime Darby, Alam Sekitar Malaysia Sdn Bhd (ASMA), UKM, USM, UMK, UMS, UM dan banyak lagi. Turut serta di dalam seminar ini ialah YBhg. Dato’ TPr. Fadlun Mak Ujud, Presiden Perbadanan Putrajaya dan YBrs. Tuan Shamsul Bahrin Rahmat, Naib Presiden Perancangan Bandar Perbadanan Putrajaya.

Penganjuran seminar dan aktiviti pameran ini juga dapat menambahkan ilmu pengetahuan pengujung dan peserta tentang Pengurusan Mampan Tasik dan Tanah Lembap, keberadaan dan fungsi Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) sebagai laman web biodiversiti kebangsaan di Malaysia serta dapat meningkatkan pemahaman dan kesedaran tentang kepentingan aktiviti konservasi terhadap sumber alam semulajadi, terutamanya dalam konteks pengurusan tasik dan tanah lembap.

Sonerila griffithii C.B.Clarke is a rare species originally described from Gunung Ledang, Johor. This is due to the fact that it is currently only known to occur from Kedah and Johor, which is the type locality. However, its global distribution ranges to Thailand and Myanmar (POWO, 2024). It grows among mosses on big boulders in partial shade or on vertical earth banks with thick humus layer on upper hill to montane forests.

This species is among the known taxa in the genus to be having short stems (2─2.5 cm long) with a long inflorescence stalk (peduncle) of 6.4–7 cm that bears a cluster of 3─8 flowers on top. The genus either has a rounded- or square-shaped stem, but it is square-shaped for S. griffithii and so are its petiole and peduncle.

The leaves are isophyllous, which are arranged in opposite-decussate and compact. As shown in the picture, it is a specimen from Gunung Ledang which has ovate-shaped leaves (1.5–2 x 0.9–1.7 cm) with cordate basal, toothed margin and obtuse tips. However, the specimen from Kedah (http://specimens.kew.org/herbarium/K000867769) has elongated ovate-lanceolate leaves, which resembles much to the collections from Thailand (for example, http://specimens.kew.org/herbarium/K000867884).

Sonerila griffithii has lamina colours that can be either in pale green to brownish green with speckled white and hairy on both surfaces, or dark green above, purple beneath and glabrous, as well as dark green with speckled white above and hairy on both surfaces. For the flowering part, the petals (5–7 x 2–3 mm), style, stigma and filament are all deep pink but the anthers are yellow.

This wild ginger with rambutan-like fruit was formerly known as Amomum lappaceum Ridl. but has recently been transferred to the genus Meistera Giseke (de Boer et al., 2018). Meistera can be distinguished from Amomum by the shape of the anther crest (the anther connective) which is crescent-shaped (either entire, indistinctly bilobed, or trilobed), the echinate and rarely glabrous fruits, and the fertile bracts which bear only a single flower (de Boer et al., 2018).

Meistera has about 44 species worldwide (POWO, 2023). Of these, only three species are known for Peninsular Malaysia, i.e., Meistera aculeata (Roxb.) Škorničk. & M.F.Newman (synonym: Amomum aculeatum Roxb.), M. lappacea (Ridl.) Škorničk. & M.F.Newman and M. ochrea (Ridl.) Škorničk. & M.F.Newman (synonym: Amomum ochreum Ridl.) (Newman et al., 2005).

Meistera lappacea, originally described from Pahang in Peninsular Malaysia, is also distributed in Java, Sumatra, and Thailand (POWO, 2023). It inhabits dense primary forests at high elevations, i.e., 1100–1500 m altitude. This species is a medium-sized herb about 3─3.5 m in height. The rhizome runs on or near the soil surface and is supported by stilt roots. The rather glabrous leaves are (11─)38─53 cm long and (3─)7.2─10 cm wide, cuneate at the base and shortly acuminate-caudate at the tip. The petiole is very short to 5 mm or sessile, and the ligule is also short, about 3 mm long and retuse at the tip (Holttum, 1950).

The inflorescences of this species are erect and gradually grow up to 20─35 cm long. The flowers bloom continuously at the apex, while the fruits ripen at the base. The bracts are thin and soon disintegrate, revealing the developing echinate fruits. Corolla lobes are thin and translucent with an elongated pink line. The lip is ovate and slightly trilobed (about 2 ×2.5 cm). The lobes are pale yellow and crisp or wavy at the margin. The anthers are 8─11 mm long and elongate into a semicircular crest that is not or barely wider than the anthers (Holttum, 1950).

The fruits are edible and eaten by the Sakai tribe from the northern part of Pahang (Holttum, 1950). Burkill (1966) reports that the seeds are used (as wild cardamom) to flavour food.

Globally, the conservation status of this species is Vulnerable (VU) because the population is declining (IUCN, 2023). However, its status is yet to be evaluated for the Malaysia Plant Red List.

Commonly known as “reriang” in Malay or Cicada tree, Ploiarium alternifolium is a shrub or small tree of the family Bonnetiaceae. This tree is found growing in terrestrial habitats from lowland including secondary rainforests, riverine, freshwater swamp forests, disturbed areas or open grounds, up to 1,300 m on mountain tops. The genus Ploiarium, is derived from the Greek word “ploion” meaning boat or canoe, which refers to the shape of the capsule valves. Meanwhile, the species epithet derives from two Latin words: “alternus” which means alternate and “folium” which means leaf, referring to the leaf arrangement (MyBIS, 2023).

Ploiarium alternifolium usually grows up to 10 m and rarely to 25 m tall, and the trunk diameter is 10-15 cm, depending on the locality. Plants growing in the river can grow only up to a height of 0.3 m, but those in swamps on peaty soil can reach up to 30 m. When grown in swamps, large numbers of thin stilt roots emerge from the trunk to help anchor the tree in the soil. These roots can grow on the trunk up to 2 m above ground (Nparks Flora Fauna, 2023).

The leaves are densely arranged in a spiral formation along the branches. They are alternate, simple, glabrous, 5–11.5 cm long and 1.3–4 cm wide, with scarcely visible veins that are pinnately arranged. The leaf margin is pink and slightly toothed. The star-shaped flowers (2.5–3 cm wide) have pink-tinged green sepals and pink-tipped white petals. The petals are approximately egg-shaped and curled slightly inwards along the margin. A flower possesses a green stigma that splits into 5 parts at the tip and has numerous yellow stamens. The fruits are oblong-ovoid, measuring 15-20 cm long and 10 mm in diameter, which split open like an umbrella, and the seeds are approximately 3.5 mm long (Nparks Flora Fauna, 2023).

This species is distributed from Thailand and Cambodia to Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo. It is widely planted as an ornamental plant for its attractive cherry-blossom-like flowers and is suitable for streetscapes, parks and gardens. According to the Malaysia Plant Red List (Yong et al., 2021), this tree is categorised as Least Concern (LC).

Phaenicophaeus curvirostris, known as the Chestnut-breasted Malkoha, is a cuckoo belonging to the family Cuculidae (Avibase, 2018). The Chestnut-breasted Malkoha measures approximately 46 cm, including a 26 cm tail. It has a dark oily-green upper side and dark chestnut underparts. The tip of the outer uppermost part of the tail is also chestnut color and the vent is blackish (Robson, 2015). The crown, nape and cheeks are mid-grey. The upper bill is thick and pale yellowish to pale greenish, whereas the facial skin around the eye is red. Eye colour differentiates the male from the female; the male has bright pale blue eyes, whereas the female has golden-yellow to whitish eyes (Robson, 2015).

The local name of the Chestnut-breasted Malkoha is “Cenok Birah, Cenok Dada Coklat, Cenuk Birah” or “Cenuk Dada Perang”. Its habitat ranges from broadleaved evergreen and secondary-growth forests to mature plantations, gardens, and mangroves, up to an altitude of 975 m. It is found in several countries including Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand. The Chestnut-breasted Malkoha is a common resident species and has been observed in several forest reserves, including Kenaboi Forest Reserve and Tioman Island, with the highest population density recorded in Tasek Bera Ramsar Site, Pahang (Ramli et al., 2009; Sodhi et al., 1999; Biun & Buang, 2014).

The Chestnut-breasted Malkoha moves slowly traversing the upper and middle layers of the forest while foraging alongside other species. Its voice is cat-like, with a low clucking sound of kuk kuk kuk… and a faster sound of kok-kok-kok… when disturbed (Robson, 2015). It is the only cuckoo species that builds its nest which looks like a broad, shallow saucer or cup, in a sapling tree about 2.5–10 m above ground, and it raises its own young (Avibase, 2018). The Chestnut-breasted Malkoha is carnivorous and insectivorous, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, crustaceans, molluscs, nestlings and eggs (Robson, 2015).

According to BirdLife International (2016), the Chestnut-breasted Malkoha is evaluated as Least Concern (LC) in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species because it has a stable population trend and a very large habitat range.

Pasukan Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) telah menyertai pameran sempena Persidangan Kepelbagaian Biologi Kebangsaan dan Pelancaran Dasar Kepelbagaian Biologi Kebangsaan (DKBK) 2022-2030 yang diadakan dari 23 hingga 25 Oktober 2023. Persidangan ini merupakan persidangan yang dianjurkan oleh Kementerian Sumber Asli, Alam Sekitar dan Perubahan Iklim (NRECC) dan berlangsung di Pusat Konvensyen Antarabangsa Putrajaya (PICC).

Bertemakan “Kepelbagaian Biologi Membina Malaysia Madani", persidangan ini merupakan titik tolak inisiatif Kementerian Sumber Asli, Alam Sekitar dan Perubahan Iklim (NRECC) dalam pengurusan kepelbagaian biologi negara dengan lebih menyeluruh selari dengan penubuhan Pusat Biodiversiti Malaysia. Persidangan tersebut turut bertujuan untuk melancarkan Dasar Kepelbagaian Biologi Kebangsaan (DKBK) 2022-2030 yang merupakan semakan semula ke atas dasar kepelbagaian biologi peringkat kebangsaan sejajar dengan kerangka kepelbagaian biologi peringkat antarabangsa iaitu Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework supaya ia terus relevan dengan keperluan semasa dan setara dengan tuntutan di peringkat antarabangsa. Turut hadir Menteri Sumber Asli, Alam Sekitar dan Perubahan Iklim, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Ketua Setiausaha Sumber Asli, Alam Sekitar dan Perubahan Iklim, Dr. Ching Thoo a/l Kim, Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha Sektor Sumber Asli, Dato’ Abdul Wahid Bin Abu Salim dan wakil-wakil Jabatan dan Agensi.

Pelbagai program menarik turut diadakan seperti Sesi Akses kepada Sumber Biologi dan Perkongsian Faedah (ABS), Sesi Pengurusan dan Pemuliharaan Ekosistem Paya Gambut, Sesi Perhutanan Sosial, Sesi Dialog NRECC dengan tajuk "Forestry in Carbon Market Ecosystem"- Setting A Path Forward dan Pameran Kepelbagaian Biologi Kebangsaan 2023.

Chrysopelea paradisi is a swift-moving snake from the family Colubridae. It is typically known as Paradise Flying Snake or sometimes called Paradise Tree Snake. The snake is native to Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippine Islands, Singapore and Bangladesh (Das, 2010).

This slender snake has a depressed head, large eyes and a long tail. Its dark upper body has an attractive pattern of yellow spots. Some individuals are easily recognised by their beautiful rows of three to four pink or red spots on the dorsal near the vertebral column. This cold-blooded reptile can grow up to 1.5 m long (Das, 2010).

It can glide through the air and is thus commonly known as a "flying snake". This ability comes from its unique cross-sectional shape that acts as a lifting surface in the absence of wings (Holden et al., 2014). It can glide remarkably from tree to tree, by flattening the body so that the ventral surface becomes concave and then projecting itself into the air from a high branch, whilst making sinuous snake-like movements at a considerable distance.

This back-fanged snake owns mild venom for humans and is only effective for its small prey, primarily tree-dwelling lizards (Toh et al., 2011; Ecology Asia, 2022). This diurnal and arboreal species inhabits forested habitats in lowland and submontane areas that elevate up to 1,500 m. It has also been recorded in plantations, rural villages and tree-shaded gardens (Das, 2010). This snake is also oviparous, which means it produces eggs, and the young hatch after being expelled from the body. The laying clutches usually consist of five or eight eggs (Das, 2010).

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, this snake is categorised as Least Concern and is protected under the Malaysian Wildlife Act 2010. To date, there are no major threats to this species globally. However, it is collected in small numbers for the international pet trade (IUCN, 2022).

Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) telah menyertai pameran sempena Program Kesedaran Awam: Jom Kenal IAS (Spesies Asing Invasif) pada 9 September 2023 yang lalu. Program ini merupakan program anjuran Kementerian Pertanian dan Keterjaminan Makanan (KPKM) dengan kerjasama Jabatan PERHILITAN Semenanjung Malaysia, Jabatan Perikanan Malaysia, Jabatan Pertanian, Jabatan Perkhidmatan Veterinar yang berlangsung di Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam (TBNSA).

Bertemakan “Lindungi Biodiversiti Kita", objektif program ini adalah untuk mendedahkan dan meningkatkan kesedaran masyarakat terhadap IAS yang memberi ancaman kepada khazanah negara. Program tersebut turut bertujuan untuk mengubah sikap masyarakat agar prihatin terhadap ancaman IAS kepada ekosistem, ekonomi dan kesihatan serta mendapatkan sokongan masyarakat dalam menangani isu IAS. Turut hadir Timbalan Ketua Pengarah (Konservasi) Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara (PERHILITAN), Dato’ Fakhrul Hatta Musa, Timbalan Ketua Pengarah (Pengurusan dan Regulatori), Pn. Nor Sam Alwi, Setiausaha Bahagian Sekuriti Makanan, KPKM, Mazlan Othman dan wakil-wakil Kementerian, Jabatan dan Agensi.

Pelbagai program menarik telah diadakan seperti kuiz interaktif, pameran ikan asing gergasi, permainan fish scooping, wheel of fortune dan banyak lagi termasuk pocket talk. Ceramah mengenai MyBIS dan IAS telah disampaikan oleh wakil FRIM iaitu En. Tan Kok Kiat yang memfokuskan mengenai sistem MyBIS dan carian spesies invasif melalui sistem.

WEBINAR MYBIS SIRI 1/2023 KALI INI BERTEMAKAN ‘KEY BIODIVERSITY AREA (KBA) – FROM FAUNA PERSPECTIVE’

14 November 2023 – Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS), Kementerian Sumber Asli, Alam Sekitar dan Perubahan iklim (NRECC) dengan kerjasama FRIM telah menganjurkan webinar bertajuk, ‘Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) – From Fauna Perspective’ pada 4 Julai 2023 yang lalu.

Webinar tersebut merupakan siri pertama webinar ‘Malaysia Biodiversity Information System - MyBIS’ pada tahun ini.

KBA merupakan program bawah IUCN yang memfokuskan pemuliharaan biodiversiti di peringkat landskap. Melalui pendekatan ini, kesemua elemen biodiversiti termasuk genetik, spesies dan ekosistem diambilkira. KBA boleh dikenal pasti berdasarkan kriteria yang dibangunkan di peringkat global.

KBA juga merangkumi kawasan penting biodiversiti lain, iaitu:

1. Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
2. Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) sites
3. Important Plant Areas (IPA)
4. Prime Butterfly Areas (PBA)
5. Special Protection Areas (SPA)
6. Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSA)
7. Important Fungus Areas (IFA)
8. Ramsar sites (RAMSAR)

Barisan panel dan topik-topik yang dibentangkan adalah seperti berikut:

1. Mohammad Shahfiz Azman, FRIM
OECM and KBA: The Need for Conservation in Malaysia'

2. Yeap Chin Aik, Malaysia Nature Society
'Is IBA a KBA?'

3. Muhammad Asyraff Azahari, FRIM
'Information on Montane Vertebrate Species towards KBA Identification in Perak'

4. Anis Zarifah Zam Beri
'Review on Herpetofauna in Perak through KBA criterion'

Sekiranya anda terlepas semasa sesi webinar berlangsung, anda boleh klik pautan dibawah untuk mendengar semula rakaman webinar
https://www.facebook.com/FRIMKepong/videos/828483568896053

Scientifically known as Piper sarmentosum, this plant is one of the climbing herbs in the Piperaceae family. The genus name Piper is pepper in Latin, and sarmentosum refers to the long slender twigs of this species (Hussain et al., 2012). According to the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia (2016), P. sarmentosum is mostly known as “kaduk’’or “kadok” in the Malay community.

Piper sarmentosum is widely distributed in Southeast Asia, where it is native to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia (POWO, 2022). It also occurs in coastal areas of southeast China (Sun et al., 2020) and in northeastern India (Waman et al., 2019). P. sarmentosum is mostly found in forested wet areas or near villages under shady trees. It usually grows very well understory, covering spacious ground. In Malaysia, this species is considered a weed because it can easily spread and grow wild (Syed Ab. Rahman et al., 2016; Fern, 2014).

This subshrub has alternate heart-shaped leaves and long, slender twigs, associated with long, creeping stems that are slightly hairy (Syed Ab. Rahman, 2016). The leaves are 7–15 cm long and 5–10 cm wide. The young leaves are light green and soon mature to a dark green. Typically, the leaves have waxy or glossy surfaces that enhance the species’ appearance. The flowers are small, rounded and white in the form of spikes (Corner, 1952). The spikes are usually located at the terminal of the leaves. The fruits are small, obovoid berries that mature to a deep green and taste sweet (Ng, 1989). Both fruits and leaves are edible.

Piper sarmentosum is often confused with Piper betle or “sireh” because both look similar with a slight difference between them. The latter is bigger with leaf size of 10-18 cm long and 5-11 cm wide. Even though the leaves of both species are aromatic and pungent, the taste is completely different (Chan & Wong, 2014). Piper sarmentosum has a slightly lemony taste, whereas P. betle tastes like mint.

Piper sarmentosum is a culinary plant whereby aerial parts of the plant are consumed as vegetables in various forms (Hussain et al., 2012). In some countries, the leaves are used to wrap food (e.g., grilled meat) and are often consumed raw as “ulam” in the Malay community (Chan & Wong, 2014). Besides, it is generally used as an essential ingredient in Thai and Lao cuisine. One of them is called “Miang Kham”, a traditional appetiser that looks like a salad bite combined with sour, sweet and salty flavours of other ingredients such as ginger, chillies, lime and dried shrimp (Wan Ibrahim et al., 2020). The leaves can also be added to curries or used to season food (Fern, 2014).

To date, the conservation status of this species has not been assessed, but is considered Least Concern because the species is common in the wild.

Begonia is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the family Begoniaceae. It is a large and diverse group of plants with over 2,000 species and 10,000 hybrid and cultivar varieties, making it one of the largest genera of flowering plants (Kiew, 2005; POWO, 2023). It is typically found in lowland, hill and limestone forests in tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa and America. Begonias are well known their ornamental, attractive and colourful flowers, which are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as single, double and ruffled blooms. Additionally, the leaves can be quite remarkable, with numerous varieties displaying intricate patterns and textures. Some begonias are grown for their attractive foliage alone, while others are valued for their flowers.

To date, there are 53 species of native species found in Peninsular Malaysia, which are normally confined to shady habitats. More than half of these are threatened and Begonia herveyana King is one of them. It is endemic only to Melaka and Johor, and it is locally known as “Asam batu” or Hervey’s Begonia. This species normally grows on boulders in streams in narrow valleys. It is listed as critically endangered according to the Malaysia Plant Red List assessment (Chua et al., 2009) because of logging activities in the vicinity of the population in Melaka.

The stem of B. herveyana is rhizomatous and firmly rooted on rocks. The leaves are symmetric, elliptic-oblong to ovate, tufted, succulent in life, papery when desiccated, and have microscopic hairs beneath. The margin of the leaves is slightly undulate, with an elongated tip measuring approximately 2−2.5 cm long. The upper surface is dull pale green, while the lower surface contains dark red veins (Kiew, 2005). The lamina can reach up to 17.5 cm width and 26 cm long (personal observation).

This species is protandrous, whereby the male flowers develop first before the females. In general, a male flower consists of four tepals which are pale pink, whitish towards margin and hairless, and golden yellow anthers. On the other hand, a female flower has deep pink tepals with pale yellow styles and stigmas, and a green, unequal 3-winged ovary. The densely fibrous fruits are capsule-like, hanging on a thin, thread-like stalk. The seeds are tiny and barrel-shaped, measuring around 0.3 mm long (Kiew, 2005).

For conservation, FRIM is establishing this species ex-situ. A success story is whereby one of the plants grew from seed since 2011 in FRIM was able to flower after 10 years of planting (Chan, 2022 & personal observation, 2022). Regular monitoring with every month is required to protect this species in FRIM and its original population. Propagation using tissue culture and leaves cutting have to be done so that the individual can thrive and increase in the future.

The phrase mabuk kepayang is very famous among the Malay community that associated with losing one's memory or forgetting oneself due to falling in love (Kamus Dewan Edisi Keempat). In Malay poetry, the fruit of kepayang is being relate as such “Sayang-sayang buah kepayang, Dimakan mabuk dibuang sayang; Tuan laksana kayu gerenang, Di sini tempat bergurau sayang” (Kamus istimewa peribahasa Melayu). The word kepayang refers to the fruit of the kepayang tree, Pangium edule. Kepayang fruit can be eaten but must be processed properly to remove the poison in the seeds. The leaves are used to wrap meat for longer storage and cooked as vegetable. Besides, the leaves are used to treat itchy skin by taking the leaves in the morning with dew, rub them with a bit of salt and lime juice before applying to the skin. The seeds can be used to treat boils by crushing and applying them (Abd. Latif et al., 2014).

The tree is under the Achariaceae (formerly: Flacourtiaceae) family along with other genus such as Hydnocarpus. The Latin name, edule means edible, which refers to its fruits. Pangium edule has a distribution in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. This tree is also known as keluak in Malay language and kapecong, pacung, pucung, or simaung in Indonesia. In Peninsular Malaysia, kepayang trees can be found in the northern and eastern states especially in Pahang, Terengganu and Selangor.

Pangium edule is a small to moderately large tree, growing up to 26 m tall. The green leaves are clustered or spirally arranged at the apex of branches or twigs with a long petiole. It is large in that the young leaves are heart-shaped while the mature leaves are oval-shaped (Abd. Latif et al., 2016). The flowers are unisexual with male and female reproductive organs in separate flowers. Female flowers are solitary and bigger than male flowers. The fruit is big, 15-30 cm long, brown and rough skin. It has yellow flesh with several (6-8 seeds) grayish-white seeds, triangular in shape, hard and rough.

The name of the tree is synonym with several places in Peninsular Malaysia such as Kampung Kepayang, Ipoh, Perak; Kampung Teluk Kepayang, Bota, Perak; and Kampung Guar Kepayang, Seberang Perai Utara, Pulau Pinang (Abd. Latif et al., 2016).

Libellago belongs to the family Chlorocyphidae and a majority of the species are diminutive. The members of the family Chlorocyphidae are quite unique compared to the other damselfly families because their wings are longer than their abdomens. Libellago aurantiaca, commonly known as Fiery Gem (Wilson & Gibert, 2006) or Fiery Jewel, is a small damselfly with hindwings measuring 15-20 mm in length.

Among the few Libellago species from Malaysia, the male of L. aurantiaca is particularly attractive with a yellow and black marked thorax and a bright red abdomen. The wings are hyaline with dense venation, and the bases are without a pronounced yellow tint. A large dark spot is present at the tip of the forewings (Hämäläinen, 2002). While the female, distinct from the male, has a dull yellowish brown body. Females are frequently found in a group to lay eggs on decayed logs that are half submerged in flowing water (Choong et al., 2018). At a glance, L. aurantiaca looks very similar to Sundacypha petiolata (Sunda Jewel). However, a thorough examination shows that the thoracic yellow marking and dark patch on hindwings are different between these two species.

According to Orr (1996), males establish territories of 1.5-3 m in diameter wherever decaying wood suitable for oviposition is present. They like to perch on emergent twigs, semi-submerged logs and on floating leaves and sticks in larger pools, usually in full sunlight. The Fiery Gem is widely distributed in Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand (Orr, 2005; Dow, 2011). It can be found in sluggish brooks and slow-flowing streams in lowland forests (Orr, 2005).

Libellago aurantiaca is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because it is a widespread common species that can survive in disturbed forests, and therefore, there are no apparent risks for now (Dow, 2011).

Apocynaceae is a family of flowering plants with characteristics such as the presence of saps or exudates, absent stipules, and bisexual flowers with a superior ovary (Utteridge & Bramley, 2014). A lesser-known species, Vallaris glabra is an evergreen woody climbers known as bread flowers. Among the local Malays, it is commonly known as Bunga kesidang or kerak nasi. The genus name Vallaris is derived from the Latin word meaning "garland," a circular or spiral arrangement of intertwined flowers or leaves, while the epithet name, glabra means "hairless," which refers to this species' smooth and hairless leaves. Vallaris glabra is native in Sumatra, Java, and the Sunda Islands. This species is introduced to west Peninsular Malaysia and central Thailand (Middleton, 1999).

Vallaris glabra is a large climber that thrives in well-drained soils with full sunlight. The flowers bloom in the morning, producing a fragrant scent similar to pandan leaves mixed with burnt rice. The strong scent is believed to attract pollinators such as butterflies, moths, and bees (National Park Singapore, 2021).

Vallaris glabra is popular among people in the Southeast Asia and has been cultivated in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries for landscaping as the flowers tolerate heavy sunlight well (National Park Singapore, 2021). These flowers can be left to intertwine on a trellis or pergola to create a small garden. In the past, Malay women tied the flowers on their hair and used them as potpourri (combined with pandan leaves) during wedding ceremony (Burkill, 1966).

Recent studies showed that the leaf extract of V. glabra has a broad spectrum and strong potential for antiproliferative (APF) activity compared to other species in the same family, which means the chemical compound contained in the leaf extract tends to suppress cell growth (Sui et al., 2014). Research done by Kruakaew et al. (2017) showed that the chemical compound contained in the extraction of V. glabra leaves showed an antiproliferative effect against lung carcinoma and human cervical and colorectal cancer cells. Meanwhile, a study conducted by Promsomboon et al. (2014) found that extraction from V. glabra contains linalool, a component that has relaxation and stimulating effects.

Agropsar sturninus, commonly known as the Daurian starling or Purple-backed starling, is a fascinating small bird in the Family Sturnidae. This monotypic species is distinguished by the adult male’s pale greyish head and underparts, while the upper parts and nape-patch are glossy dark purplish. The upper wing is glossy dark green with a whitish to pale buff scapular band. The feet and the bill are blackish, although it is said that the base of the bill turns pale during the non-breeding season (Robson, 2014; BirdForum, 2023). The female and juvenile are similarly patterned to an adult male, but the glossy plumage and crown are replaced with duller brown (Robson, 2014; BirdForum, 2023).

This species is known to inhabit secondary forests, forest edges, open areas and plantations including oil palm (Robson, 2014; Shahfiz et al., 2023). It breeds in Southeast Siberia, Eastern Mongolia, and North Korea and then extends its range to Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia (BirdLife International, 2016). During seasonal changes, this species is one of the local non-breeding winter visitors of Southern Thailand, Sumatra, Java and Peninsular Malaysia (Robson, 2014; BirdLife International, 2023).

A. sturninus is a highly gregarious species, forming communal roosts from 10 to thousands of individuals. A. sturninus often roosts together with other species of starling and myna such as Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis), Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) and Javan Myna (Acridotheres javanicus), at reed beds or trees (Wells, 2007; Craig & Feare 2009; BirdForum, 2023). The selected roosting site is occupied for a few weeks, after which the whole communal roost changes site, influenced by the availability and preference of food resources such as fruiting figs and fruit-bearing trees (Setiyono et al., 2013).

Although the global population size of A. sturninus is unknown, it is not known to be facing any significant threat that could lead to a decrease in population size. As a result, this species has been listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Argus pheasant tree, Dracontomelon dao (Blanco) Merr. & Rolfe, is the only species of Dracontomelon (Anacardiaceae) that occurs in Peninsular Malaysia. In Malay, the species is known as asam kuang or pokok sengkuang. Sengkuang is also the name of the yam bean or sweet turnip (Pachyrrhizus erosus, Fabaceae). In Greek, drakan means dragon, and melon is a tree fruit. The species name dao is taken from the tree’s name in Tagalog, the common language of the Philippines.

Dracontomelon dao is an emergent tree or a large evergreen canopy tree growing up to 45 m tall, with a dense rounded crown. It has a straight and cylindrical bole, supported by steep and strong plank-like buttresses. The outer bark is greyish-brown, and the inner bark is pink. A wounded bark exudes a slightly sticky and colourless resin that turns pale golden upon air exposure.

The leaves are spirally-arranged, compound-pinnate with terminal leaflets and clustered towards the end of the twigs. The seedling leaflets are opposite with toothed margins, in contrast to the leaves of mature trees that have entire margins. The plant produces very long hanging panicles of flowers. The whitish-yellow flowers are faintly fragrant and are about 1 cm in diameter. Dracontomelon dao has green fruits that turn yellowish-brown when ripe. The fleshy globose drupes are about 20-35 mm across. It has five oval markings or equatorial flecks on the upper side that resemble the markings on the feather of a kuang or Argus pheasant. The stone is hard and covered with a 2-5 mm thick yellow pulp of peculiar sweet and sour taste.

Dracontomelon dao is found in India, South China, Indochina, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Island (POWO, 2023). Globally, it is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Ganesan, 2021). The species is commonly found in lowland forests, along river banks or in forests with very short, intermittent dry periods, usually below 500-1000 m altitude (Orwa, 2009). The species can be seen planted in villages and more commonly in the North. In Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Brunei, after periods of marked dry weather, D. dao shed its leaves briefly before inflorescences are produced at the base of new leaves.

The timber is soft and not durable and is used for veneer, furniture, flooring, interior trim and light frames. The fresh fruit is edible or stewed in honey, although it is not very popular in South East Asia. The flowers and leaves can be eaten as vegetables and also used to flavour food. The bark could be of medicinal value, such as for treating diarrhoea in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. This handsome tree is also planted as a roadside ornamental tree (Kochummen, 1989).

Cymothoid isopods, which are parasitic crustaceans specifically on fishes, can significantly impact fisheries and aquaculture, leading to substantial economic losses worldwide (Nowak et al., 2020). These parasites attack and feed on their hosts, resulting in reduced growth and survival rates and a lower market value for fish. Indirectly, they impact the fish industry by transmitting diseases and affecting the behaviour and physiology of their hosts.

These isopods are prevalent in marine, brackish, and even freshwater environments, and they can be found in a wide variety of fish species. The World Register for Marine Species, as documented by Boyko et al. (2008), has identified and listed 380 verified species in 46 genera of cymothoids, with growing evidence that they display high specificity towards their hosts and habitat. The genus representatives are usually found in the buccal cavity, attached to the gills or fins, or even burrowed into the flesh of the fish. The buccal region is the common attachment point for representatives of the genus Cymothoa, and hence these cymothoids are fondly called ‘fish tongue’ biters.

The above parasitic “tongue biter” is Cymothoa eremita collected from the host Nemipterus furcosus. The first collected specimen was from Malaysian waters (in Sarawak) by Anand et al. (2015, 2017) from the buccal cavity of Psettodes erumei. Recently, two new fish hosts were recorded for this species (Martin et al., 2022): Nemipterus tambuloides (known as the Fivelined Threadfin Bream in English and Ikan Kerisi Jalur Lima in Malay) and Nemipterus furcosus (Fork-Tailed Threadfin in English and Kerisi Merah in Malay; fish featured here). This species has also been recorded from 11 other host families: Aulopidae (flagfins), Carangidae (jacks, pompanos, jack mackerels, runners, trevallies, and scads), Haemulidae (grunts), Lutjanidae (snappers), Mugilidae (mullets), Psettodidae (spiny turbots), Serranidae (sea basses and the groupers), Siganidae (rabbitfishes), Sphyraenidae (barracudas), Stromateidae (butterfishes), Tetraodontidae (puffers) (Martin et al., 2015, 2016).

Owing to the low host specificity on a variety of fishes, the distribution of Cymothoa eremita is highly dependent on the occurrence of fish hosts, with some species being pelagic and others being benthic. To date, C. eremita has a wide geographical distribution from the western Indian Ocean (e.g., Mozambique) to the Central Indo-Pacific (e.g., Australia).

Cymothoa eremita can be identified by several distinct characteristics:

1) The front part of the body (called the cephalon) is somewhat subtruncate.
2) The first body segment (known as pereonite 1) has margins at the front that extend nearly halfway up the cephalon.
3) The body segment after the pereonite (called the pleon) is about the same width as the pereon.
4) A pair of appendages (uropods) at the back, which do not quite reach the end of the body.
5) The seventh pair of legs (pereopod 7) has a noticeable bulge on the inner part of the leg (ischium).
6) Small horn-like structures on the posterolateral margins of pereonite 1.

Cymothoa eremita, like other cymothoids, exhibits protandrous hermaphroditism. This means that all juveniles first develop into males and will only transform into adult females if they find suitable hosts without competitors of the same species. The first male to parasitise an unparasitised fish will transform into a female, while subsequent males attaching to the same fish will remain males, possibly due to a pheromone released by the female. The female then releases up to one hundred eggs into a brood pouch on the underside of its abdomen. After hatching, the eggs undergo several moults to form juveniles that are released into the water to find a suitable host.

The lifespan of a cymothoid parasite can vary depending on various factors, such as the species of the parasite, the host species that it infects, and the environmental conditions in which the parasite lives. Some species of cymothoids can live for one to two years, while others may only live for a few months. A cymothoid is unlikely to outlive its host, as it is a parasite and requires the host to live.

It is important to continually study the ecology and biology of these parasitic cymothoids, particularly the life cycle and host preference. This will allow more informed decisions towards conservation and management efforts for affected host species and ecosystems, both regionally and globally.

Kementerian Sumber Asli, Alam Sekitar dan Perubahan Iklim (NRECC) akan menganjurkan webinar bersempena dengan sambutan Hari Kepelbagaian Biologi Antarabangsa 2023 pada 22 Mei 2023 (Isnin) di laman rasmi Facebook Kementerian Sumber Asli, Alam Sekitar dan Perubahan Iklim.

Webinar ini bertemakan “From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity” bertujuan untuk mempromosikan tindakan menyokong pelaksanaan Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework selain untuk memberi kesedaran kepada umum, pihak berwajib dan pemegang taruh mengenai kepentingan biodiversiti dalam kehidupan.

Perincian webinar adalah seperti berikut:

• Tarikh: 22 Mei 2023 (Isnin)
• Masa: 9.00 pagi hingga 1.00 petang
• Platform: Secara atas talian (Facebook NRECC dan Zoom Webinar)
• Pendaftaran: https://shorturl.at/luZ79

Jumpa anda di sana!

Kementerian Sumber Asli, Alam Sekitar dan Perubahan Iklim (NRECC) sebagai rakan kerjasama strategik Perbadanan Putrajaya (PPj) sedang berkolaborasi menganjurkan Putrajaya Urban Biodiversity Challenge 2023 (PUBC2023).

Penganjuran PUBC2023 ini bertujuan untuk memberi pendedahan kepada orang awam berkenaan biodiversiti bandar (urban biodiversity) khususnya flora dan fauna di Putrajaya serta mempelbagaikan kaedah pengumpulan data biodiversiti bandar di Putrajaya.

• Tarikh : 2 Mei 2023 hingga 1 Jun 2023
• Lokasi : Sekitar Putrajaya
• Penyertaan : Terbuka kepada semua penduduk Putrajaya dan masyarakat awam

Peserta dengan 'most species capture' dan 'most observation capture' berpeluang memenangi hadiah wang tunai berjumlah keseluruhan RM6,800.00.

Jangan lepaskan peluang ini!

Known as “Sial menahun” in Malay, Pternandra echinata, from the family Melastomataceae, is an evergreen, small to medium-sized tree that can grow up to 30 m tall. This tree is distributed in Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, the Riau Archipelago and Borneo. This species is common in primary and secondary lowland forests. It can also be found on forest edges and in thickets, up to 1,300 m above sea level. Pternandra echinata has also been found in swamp forests and along rivers (Faridah Hanum & Shamsul, 2004).

The bole is usually straight, up to 90 cm in diameter, with buttresses present in larger individuals. The bark is finely fissured and varies from dark grey to brown to yellow-brown. The leaves are simple, oppositely arranged, entire, 3-5-veined from the base and estipulate (having no stipules) (Faridah-Hanum & Shamsul, 2004). The inflorescence can be an axillary or terminal cyme, or sometimes umbel. Its flowers are either solitary or in clusters of 3–9, and smell mildly unpleasant. A flower has 4 lilac petals and bright yellow stamens. The fruit has tooth-like structures, is 8-20 mm wide, and turns from green to pale yellow and purple when ripe (Nparks Flora Fauna website, 2021).

Pternandra echinata is grown as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens for its attractive lilac flowers. A decoction of the pounded leaves can treat coughs and asthma, whereas a decoction of its roots is taken to treat childbirth complications. According to the Malaysia Plant Red List (Chua et al., 2010), its conservation status has not been evaluated (Chua et al., 2010).

Calyptomena hosii, commonly called Hose's Broadbill, is a bird classified under Family Calyptomenidae. It is an endemic species in Borneo. The distribution of this species is restricted to the hill and submontane mixed dipterocarp forests. The bird has been recorded living at elevations between 600 and 1,220 m above the sea (Lim et al., 2020; BirdLife International, 2022).

Hose's Broadbill is easily distinguished by its azure-blue belly and a row of black spots on its wings (Lim et al., 2020). Otherwise, it resembles Green Broadbill and Whitehead's Broadbill. These three broadbills are from the same genus and share similar characteristics, i.e., having a small and robust body (15 to 21 cm long), mostly striking neon-green plumage and a short, broad bill (Myers, 2016; Robson, 2014; Lim et al., 2020).

Hose's Broadbill is sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females differ in appearance. Sexually, the male owns vibrant green plumage whereas that of the female typically appears dull. The male also has rich covers of tuft feathers on the forehead that obscure the bill meanwhile the female has smaller forehead tuft. The female also possesses black spots on its head and fewer blue-covered underparts (only from belly centre to undertail-coverts), compared to the male which has blue underparts covered from its chest to undertail-coverts (Myers, 2016; Lim et al., 2020).

This passerine bird feeds mainly on fruits. It uses its wide gape and short bill to eat relatively soft fruits such as figs, and supplements its diet with insects (Myers, 2016). It usually forages quietly for fruits in pairs (Bruce, 2020).

This bird also builds an interestingly purse-shaped, hanging nest decorated with dead leaves, and the nest is suspended from the tip of low branches of understorey trees (Bruce, 2020). As the nest appears to be a clutter of random debris caught in the tree, it may provide excellent protection for eggs and young chicks from reptilian and mammalian predators. The suspension, however, makes it vulnerable to strong wind.

According to the IUCN Redlist of Threatened Species, Hose's Broadbill is a Near-Threatened species. It is sensitive to habitat loss, and habitat deterioration caused by illegal logging and land conversion is one of the threats to the population of this bird (BirdLife International, 2017; BirdLife International, 2022).

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

Salam Sejahtera

Hari Hutan Antarabangsa disambut pada 21 Mac setiap tahun untuk meningkatkan kesedaran masyarakat mengenai kepentingan hutan, pemeliharaan dan pemuliharaannya demi kesejahteraan masyarakat dan kestabilan alam sekitar.

Hutan merupakan aset semula jadi negara yang amat bernilai. Hutan memainkan peranan penting dalam menyediakan habitat, makanan, perlindungan serta sumber bekalan air dan udara bersih untuk manusia, haiwan dan juga tumbuh-tumbuhan. Selain itu, hutan juga membantu mengekalkan khazanah biodiversiti dan mengurangkan kesan perubahan iklim melalui penyimpanan karbon.

Walau bagaimanapun, terdapat kawasan hutan yang menerima ancaman seperti krisis melalui kebakaran hutan, serangan makhluk perosak dan pencerobohan yang berleluasa. Justeru, tema Hutan dan Kesihatan (Forests and Health) telah dipilih sebagai tema sambutan pada tahun ini di peringkat global bagi menyemai dan meningkatkan kesedaran untuk memelihara dan memulihara kawasan hutan di kalangan masyarakat. Penekanan diberikan kepada kepentingan hubung kait antara hutan dan kesihatan manusia, haiwan dan alam sekitar. Pengiktirafan kepentingan hutan untuk keselamatan dan keterjaminan makanan juga telah meningkat dengan ketara dalam beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini.

Pandemik COVID-19 yang melanda seluruh dunia mengingatkan kita bahawa kesihatan dan kesejahteraan manusia, haiwan dan persekitaran adalah saling berkait rapat. “One Health” yang merupakan usaha kolaboratif pelbagai disiplin untuk mencapai kesihatan optimum antara manusia, haiwan, hutan dan alam sekitar mencadangkan pendekatan secara holistik perlu diambil dalam penglibatan manusia dengan alam semula jadi.

Perubahan guna tanah secara tidak mampan serta kesan perubahan iklim turut menyumbang kepada kemunculan penyakit berjangkit baharu. Dalam hubungan ini, memulihara dan menggunakan hutan secara mampan adalah salah satu cara terbaik untuk kita melindungi alam semula jadi dan diri kita sendiri. Hutan yang sihat boleh membantu mengurangkan kesan negatif kepada kesihatan manusia dan persekitaran serta menjamin kesejahteraan bersama.

Bagi mencapai tujuan ini, pelbagai usaha dan program utama telah dianjurkan, antaranya seperti Program Penghijauan Malaysia: Kempen Penanaman 100 Juta Pokok, Program Restorasi, Tebus Guna dan Pemulihan Kawasan Hutan Terosot, Program Penanaman Pokok Bakau dan Spesies-spesies yang sesuai di Pesisiran Pantai Negara, Central Forest Spine dan Heart of Borneo yang akan terus diberikan tumpuan oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan dengan kerjasama kerajaan-kerajaan negeri bagi memelihara dan memulihara khazanah hutan negara yang tidak ternilai.

Selain itu, dalam usaha berterusan dalam memastikan khazanah hutan negara diuruskan secara mampan, Kerajaan pada masa ini sedang melaksanakan Inventori Sumber Hutan Nasional Ke-6 bagi Semenanjung Malaysia. Pelaksanaan inventori sumber hutan ini dilaksanakan setiap 10 tahun. Manakala, bagi wilayah Sabah dan Sarawak, pelaksanaan inventori sumber hutan buat pertama kalinya turut dilaksanakan dalam tempoh Rancangan Malaysia Kedua Belas.

Sehubungan itu, adalah menjadi harapan saya, sambutan Hari Hutan Antarabangsa 2023 ini dapat mengingatkan semua pihak tentang betapa pentingnya kita sebagai rakyat Malaysia, berusaha dalam mengekalkan bumi Malaysia dengan kehijauan kawasan berhutan yang kaya dengan kepelbagaian flora dan fauna demi kesejahteraan hidup generasi kini dan akan datang. Khazanah hutan ini bukan warisan nenek moyang kita, tetapi pinjaman daripada anak cucu kita.

Hutan yang sihat untuk masyarakat yang sihat.

Selamat menyambut Hari Hutan Antarabangsa Tahun 2023.

NIK NAZMI BIN NIK AHMAD
MENTERI SUMBER ASLI, ALAM SEKITAR DAN PERUBAHAN IKLIM
21 Mac 2023

Rumput laut merupakan komponen penting dalam ekosistem marin Malaysia kerana ia menyediakan perkhidmatan ekologi yang penting seperti penyerapan karbon, penstabilan sedimen, dan habitat untuk pelbagai spesies marin. Malaysia mempunyai beberapa kawasan rumput laut yang penting, termasuk Selat Johor, persisiran pantai Terengganu dan Sabah. Berdasarkan rekod, terdapat sebanyak 17 spesies rumput laut yang terdapat di perairan Malaysia iaitu Enhalus acoroides, Cymodocea rotundata, Cymodocea serrulata, Halodule pinifolia, Halodule uninervis, Halophila beccarii, Halophila decipiens, Halophila major, Halophila minor, Halophila ovalis, Halophila ovata, Halophila spinulosa, Syringodium isoetifolium, Ruppia maritima, Thalassia hemprichii, Thalassodendron ciliatum (16 spesies) manakala Zostera japonica hanya dijumpai di Beting Merambong, Sg. Pulai Johor.

Ekosistem tumbuhan marin menampung keseluruhan rantai makanan dan berfungsi sebagai makanan untuk zooplankton, invertebrata, dugong, dan beberapa spesies penyu dan ikan. Rumput laut juga menyumbang secara signifikan kepada pengoksigenan laut dan penyerapan karbon serta mengurangkan kesan pemanasan global (Phang, 2000). Rumput laut berperanan menyerap 12% karbon lautan daripada pengeluaran ekosistem bersih di lautan (Duarte & Cebrian 1996).

Walau bagaimanapun, dalam beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, rumput laut di Malaysia telah diancam oleh pelbagai faktor, termasuk pembangunan pantai, pencemaran, dan penangkapan ikan yang berlebihan. Faktor-faktor ini boleh membawa kepada kemusnahan habitat, penurunan kualiti air, dan perubahan dalam arus laut yang boleh memberi kesan kepada pertumbuhan dan pembiakan rumput laut.

Pemeliharaan rumput laut adalah kunci untuk mengekalkan kepelbagaian biologi laut dan kestabilan perikanan di masa hadapan. Untuk menangani ancaman ini, Malaysia telah melaksanakan pelbagai langkah pemuliharaan, termasuk penubuhan kawasan perlindungan marin seperti pewartaan Taman Laut Gugusan Kepulauan Lima, Johor pada tahun 2022 yang melindungi sebahagian besar habitat rumput laut.

Selain itu, Jabatan turut membangunkan garis panduan untuk amalan penangkapan ikan yang mampan bagi mengurangkan ancaman terhadap sumber dan ekosistem marin. Selain itu, penyelidikan sedang dijalankan untuk lebih memahami ekologi dan pemuliharaan rumput laut di Malaysia, dan untuk membangunkan strategi untuk pemulihan dan pengurusan ekosistem rumput laut.

Kenyataan media ini disiarkan oleh :

UNIT KOMUNIKASI KORPORAT
Ibu Pejabat, Jabatan Perikanan Malaysia Wisma Tani, Putrajaya
1 Mac 2023 (Rabu)
Sebarang pertanyaan sila hubungi :-
No. Tel: 017-794 7799 (Mohd Nizam – KUKK)
012-664 9570 (Aqilah)
Email : ukk@dof.gov.my ; pro@dof.gov.my

The Dipterocarpaceae family consists of resinous hardwood species, which emit fragrant smell. There are nine genera in the family Dipterocarpaceae and among them is the genus Shorea (Symington, 2004 & Wyatt-Smith, 1999). The Latin name for Shorea commemorates Sir John Shore (1793-1798), who was the Governor-General for the British East India Company (Ashton, 2004). A species, Shorea sumatrana is distributed from Sumatra, Peninsular Thailand, and Peninsular Malaysia. Hence, the species epithet, sumatrana refers to Sumatra, which was one of the locations where this plant was found (Flora & Fauna Web, 2022). In Peninsular Malaysia, it was recorded in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Johor and in the east coast region (Yong et al., 2021). The species can be found in lowland dipterocarp forests in low-lying, frequently swamp habitats along the river bank and also on land subject to inundation on the banks of slow-flowing rivers (Symington, 2004). The species is locally known as sengkawang or balau sengkawang ayer in Malay language.

The main field identification character of the species is the peculiar fruit with sepals developed into woody lobes. They form a spreading rosette around the base with two inner lobes smaller than the other three outer lobes (Symington, 2004). The shape of the fruit is sub-globose. The flower has a weak smell with yellow linear petals and tinged red at the base inside. The leaves are dark green, elliptic-oblong and glaucous below with no hairy domatia in the axils of veins (Wyatt-Smith, 1999). Their stipules are linear-lanceolate that are falling early. The tree is medium-sized growing up to 30 m high. The bole is a clear length or twisted by having a thin outer bark and dull brown inner bark. The wood is used for heavy construction such as bridges, railway sleepers, powerline posts, wagons, and fence posts (Flora & Fauna Web, 2022).

The growth of this tree is medium fast and can be propagated through seeds. This tree is suitable to be used as a shade tree in parks and to decorate roads and highways (Adnan, 2003).

According to the Malaysia Plant Red List (Yong et al., 2021 & Chua et al., 2010), Shorea sumatrana was categorized as Near Threatened (NT) for Malaysia, and Endangered (EN) globally in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Pooma & Newman, 2017).

The Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) is also known as the concave-casqued hornbill or great pied hornbill. It can be found in south-west India, south China and Indochina south to Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra (Indonesia). The Great Hornbill is not found in Borneo. The life expectancy for Great Hornbill living in captivity are in the range of 50 years. In the wild, their lifespan can reach a range of 35-40 years (Paruchuri, 2011).

The total length from head to tail of a Great Hornbill is between 95 and 120 cm, and its wingspan is between 151 and 178 cm. They are typically 3 kg in weight (Paruchuri, 2011). They are easily recognized by their vivid colours. The body, head, and wings are primarily black, while the abdomen and neck are white. The tail is white and a subterminal black band crossed by the white tail. A preen gland located close to the tail releases coloured oil, which the bird spreads across the feathers during grooming. Due to this, the beak, neck, casque, tail, and wing feathers have yellow to red colour (Lim et al., 2020). The only differences between males and females are that the males have red irises while the females have white ones, and males also have significantly longer bills and casques (Paruchuri, 2011).

Buceros bicornis has a loud voice, but not during nesting season. 'Roaring' and 'cackling' are the sounds they make. The loudest voice is heard when the Great Hornbill has a large number of individuals in its night roosts. The shelter is a place for the "information center", where they will exchange information to inform about the suitable feeding location. In general, the Great Hornbills are mainly frugivores. Their diet consists mainly of fruit including figs (Ficus spp.). Among the fruits consumed are Meliaceae (Aglaia, Dysoxylum, Chisocheton spp.), Annonaceae (Polyalthia spp.), Lauraceae (Cinnamomum spp.) and Myristicaceae (Horsfieldia spp.). However, they also occasionally prey on small birds, small reptiles and insects (Paruchuri, 2011; Poonswad et al., 2013).

Great Hornbills are monogamous and have a unique breeding behaviour. Generally, hornbills are not able to construct their own nest like other birds. They depend on naturally occurring tree cavities or those made by other animals such as the Malayan sun bear, woodpeckers and barbets. During their breeding season which occurs from February and June, the Great Hornbill pair will search for a suitable tree cavity in tall, old-growth trees after courtship. Once located, the female will enter the cavity and begin sealing the entrance of the cavity with her own faeces or regurgitated food/fruits leaving a small slit to all for food transfers and ejecting faeces outside. The male occasionally helps with cavity-sealing work. After this process, the female begins laying eggs. For large hornbills like the Great, a pair usually produced a single egg/chick, or two at most. The entire nesting cycle takes about 100 to 140 days in the wild to complete. This cycle is reportedly shorter for Great Hornbills in captivity. (Kemp, 1995; Poonswad et al., 2013).

Poaching/hunting and habitat loss are the main factors that threaten Great Hornbills across its range countries. Great Hornbills are now globally threatened with the status of Vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species (BirdLife International, 2022). Great Hornbills are listed as a Totally Protected Species in the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

To retain the extant population of Great Hornbills in range countries, several priority conservation actions need to be undertaken. Remaining, intact, old growth forests where Great Hornbills are found need to be protected to prevent from further loss and fragmenting. In Peninsular Malaysia, Important Hornbill Landscapes (IHL) can assist in determining key sites for conserving Great Hornbills and their forest habitat (Yeap & Perumal, 2020). Poaching and hunting need to be addressed strictly through law enforcement and prosecution. The involvement of local communities and indigenous peoples that live in or near forests with Great Hornbills can be engaged in conservation as forest and/or hornbill guardians, working alongside government counterparts (BirdLife International, 2022).

In many times, botanical expeditions offer great opportunities to the keen eyes. Two species of Sonerila were found and collected during a botanical survey at the summit trail of Gunung Ledang, Johor. The two species were Sonerila griffithii C.B.Clarke and S. tenuifolia Blume. The latter had a height of up to 50 cm tall, branching and bushy with a reddish stem. This species is usually found growing under shades at banks of rocky stream, wet rocky faces or damp hill slopes. In Gunung Ledang, the species was found growing on the mossy forest floor on the ridges under the tree and uncommon as only one population was found towards the summit.

Sonerila tenuifolia is easily recognised from its erect habit and the long leaf stalk (petiole of 0.5─1.8 cm long). The leaves are narrow and elongated lanceolate with a dimension of 2─6 cm long and 0.6─1.4 cm wide. The lamina is hairy on both surfaces, and the margin is denticulate. The leaf is thinly chartaceous when dried, and this may possibly explain the origin of its Latin name; tenuis (thin) and folium (leaf), referring to the leaf character.

The species has its inflorescence terminal or axillary, and there are always three flowers per inflorescence. The non-venulose petals (7─9 × 5 mm) and stigma are pale pink while the sagittated anthers are yellowish.

Sonerila tenuifolia is so far known from Java in Indonesia, and Malaysia (POWO, 2022). In Peninsular Malaysia, it is widespread and recorded from Johor, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak and Selangor on upper hill to montane forest areas. None of the other known species from the genus in Peninsular Malaysia shared similar leaf shape as of S. tenuifolia. However, S. tenuifolia recorded from Java resembles S. celebica Bakh.f. from Sulawesi by having an erect habit and terete stem, but the latter can be differentiated from the former species by its ovate to subovate leaves, obtuse tips and rounded to subcordate base, and the ovoid to oblong anther, while the petals are venulose (Kartonegoro, 2011).

Sonerila is a group of plants that are popular among horticulturists for its ornamental foliage. They are sought-after as decorative in terrariums or simply potted due to their attractive leave shapes, colours and veins formation. As for S. tenuifolia, despite its plain-green leaves, the denticulate margin made this species a potential ornamental plant.

At the fifteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15), held in Montreal, Canada, on 19 December 2022, the Malaysian Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM) website, also known as Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS), won Bronze Award under the existing CHM category. The Philippines won the Gold Award, while Mexico received the Silver Award.

Dr Khairul Naim Adham, Head of Malaysia Delegation, received the award on behalf of the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (NRECC).

Buxaceae are a small family of mostly an evergreen shrub to medium-sized trees. Currently, the family comprises about 120 species within 6 accepted genera: Buxus L., Didymeles Thouars, Hapthanthus Goldberg & C.Nelson, Pachysandra Michx., Sarcococca Lindl. and Styloceras Kunth ex A.Juss. (POWO, 2022).

Of the 6 genera, the Buxus or commonly called boxwood is the largest genera consisting of over 100 species distributed worldwide mainly in America, Europe, Africa and Asia (POWO, 2022). In Malaysia, there are four taxa recorded with three in Peninsular Malaysia that are restricted to limestone areas namely Buxus cochinchinensis var. holttumiana (Hatus.) Julius, B. malayana Ridl., B. rupicola ridl. and one in Sabah, B. rolfei S.Vidal (Julius, 2015).

Buxus rupicola is known as one of the rare and endemic species in Peninsular Malaysia. The species is only known from Kedah where it is found in a few islands in Langkawi (Pulau Dayang Bunting and Pulau Simpang Tiga Kechil) (Kiew et. al, 2017). Due to its restricted distribution, the conservation status for this species has been assessed as Vulnerable.

The species epithet is derived from the Latin words ‘rupes’ meaning rock and ‘icola’ meaning dweller, which refers to the plant’s habitat because it typically grows on limestone cliffs between 20 to 150 meters above sea level.

This medium-sized bushy shrub can grow up to 1.5 – 3.0 m tall. It has many spreading branches and twigs with pale, corky bark. The twigs are minutely pubescent when young and glabrescent with age. It has oblanceolate-elliptic and leather-like texture leaves with very short petiole. The leaves are pale brownish to orange when young and turn pale greyish green when mature.

B. rupicola is a monoecious plant where male and female flowers are present on the same plant. This species has 6 – 11 mm long inflorescences. Both male and female flowers species have greenish tepals, covered with white, thick short hair on the outside and smooth inside. Male flowers species have 6–7 greenish, well-spaced greyish pedicels (Julius, 2015).

According to Julius (2013), this species can be differentiated from the other two Peninsular Malaysian species by its inflorescences (lax flowered with 6–8 male flowers and longer pedicels) and its small, pale greyish green leaves.

Globba fragilis is a small-sized ginger from the semi-evergreen rain forests in the northwest of Peninsular Malaysia. Its Latin name ‘fragilis’ means fragile, referring to the petite look of the plant. The plant was first named in 1972 and at that time, it was thought to be endemic to Pulau Langkawi, Kedah (Lim, 1972). Since then, it has been reported from other parts of Kedah and also in Peninsular Thailand.

In nature, G. fragilis is seen clinging to the boulders of small streams in the lowland forest. The plants grow less than 20 cm tall and usually form tight clumps comprising 7–10 leafy stems. Every stem has about 3–4 leaves at the upper half of the stem. The leaf blades are ovate and hairy on both surfaces.

The bright orange inflorescences are the most attractive part of the plant. They emerge from the terminal end of the stem and immediately bend downwards and continue to grow to about 3 cm long. Each inflorescence bears about 3–5 cincinni (branching) where individual flowers will appear one by one from the cincinus. A flower lasts only one day, but the inflorescence will thrive for 3–4 weeks under favourable conditions. The showy inflorescences of Globba fragilis and its adorable size make it a good candidate as an ornamental plant.

When flowering is over, bulbils will form at the base of the floral and sterile bracts. These bulbils are actually buds that will continue to grow and produce leaves and roots, until they become too heavy and eventually fall on the ground to form new plants. It is a very rare form of natural vegetative (non-sexual) reproduction, and the plantlets have the same morphologies and genetic properties as the mother plants.

During the drier months of December to March, the plants will die back and stay dormant. Once the drought is over, new shoots will sprout from the fleshy rhizome. Within a month or two, the flowers will start to emerge again.

Globally, Globba fragilis is listed as Least Concern in The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Leong-Skornickova, 2019). In Peninsular Malaysia, the species is confined to the semi-evergreen rain forests in the northwestern part. Nonetheless, it has a wider distribution in Peninsular Thailand with a number of subpopulations occurring in the protected areas.

Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M.Sm, better known as torch ginger or locally called “bunga kantan”, is widely cultivated not only for its flower for ornamental purposes but also as condiment for culinary use. It is popularly used in local Nyonya or Malay dishes such as “nyonya laksa”, “asam laksa”, “nasi ulam”, “asam pedas” and “nasi kerabu” to enhance flavour.

In the wild, this ginger is commonly found in secondary forests, especially in exposed habitats and also in damp places near rivers, on clay-rich alluvium, limestone or in peat swamps (Poulsen, 2006). It is native to Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java and Borneo (Poulsen, 2006; POWO, 2021) but has been widely introduced to certain tropical countries such as the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Ghana, Hawaii, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Puerto Rico, Seychelles, Surinam, Uganda and Vanuatu (Poulsen, 2006). Globally, this species is classified as Data Deficient (DD) under the IUCN conservation status criteria (Poulsen, 2019) while in Malaysia it is Not Evaluated (NE).

The genus epithet Etlingera is to honor Andreas Ernst Etlinger, the 18^th century botanist (Mari-Mut, 2021) whereas the specific epithet elatior is derived from the Latin word elatus, referring to the tall inflorescences (Poulsen, 2006). Etlingera elatior is a perennial clumping herb with closely grouped pseudostems (false stems which are formed by overlapping leaf sheaths) that grows 2 to 6 m tall. The inflorescences are 1 to 2 m tall, arise from the base of leafy shoot, with a receptacle (the axis to which the floral organs are attached) that elongates to 10 cm long, bearing up to 320 flowers but only 10–20 flowers open at a time (Lim, 2014).

Etlingera elatior is well known among Malaysian indigenous tribes for its medicinal properties. For example, earache is treated with a decoction of fruits, while the decoction of the leaves is used to cleanse wounds. The leaf is also used in postnatal care for bathing to remove body odour by mixing it with other ingredients (Vimala, 2013). The phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of E. elatior such as antibacterial, antifungal, tyrosinase inhibition, cytotoxic, testicular protective, and hepatoprotective can be potentially used in developing functional and other health products (Chan et al., 2011).

WEBINAR MyBIS KINI DITERUSKAN DENGAN SIRI KE-3 BERTEMAKAN SPESIES ASING INVASIF ANCAMAN KHAZANAH NEGARA

Spesies asing invasif ialah tumbuhan, haiwan, patogen dan organisma lain yang bukan asal di ekosistem sesuatu tempat, dan boleh menyebabkan kemudaratan ekonomi atau alam sekitar serta memberi kesan buruk kepada kesihatan manusia. Spesies asing invasif merupakan salah satu ancaman utama kepada biodiversiti, habitat dan ekosistem sedia ada. Penyebaran makhluk spesies asing invasif boleh memberi kesan negatif kepada alam sekitar, kesihatan manusia, haiwan dan tumbuhan, dan ekonomi. Perdagangan antarabangsa tanpa sempadan dan industri pelancongan yang semakin berkembang serta perubahan iklim juga telah menyumbang kepada peningkatan sebaran spesies asing invasif.

Ayuh sama-sama kita mengikuti webinar mengenai spesies asing invasif yang wujud di Malaysia serta penerangan mendalam mengenai ancaman dan langkah-langkah pencegahan secara dalam talian melalui pautan pendaftaran ZOOM seperti berikut:-

Pautan pendaftaran : https://shorturl.at/bgsVW
Tarikh : 15 November 2022 (Selasa)
Masa : 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Tempat : Secara atas talian (ZOOM webinar)

Setiap peserta yang terlibat akan menerima e-sijil dan pemenang kuiz akan menerima hadiah eksklusif daripada MyBIS!

Pendaftaran adalah percuma dan terhad kepada 500 orang sahaja.

This ‘tangar semak’ or scientifically named Ceriops tagal (Perr.) C.B.Rob. is another species of Ceriops that occurs in Peninsular Malaysia. Unlike C. decandra, this mangrove species is common and widely distributed in Johor, Kedah, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak and Selangor.

The genus Ceriops is derived from two Greek words, i.e., keras means 'a horn' and -opsis is ‘appearance’, referring to the small horn-like hypocotyl (stem of a germinating seedling) of the fruits, while the epithet tagal comes from the Tagalog language. Thus, this species is locally called 'tagal' not only in the Philippines but also in Sabah.

Ceriops tagal is a small to medium-sized mangrove tree which usually grows up to 25 m tall with a trunk up to 45 cm in diameter. The bark is grey brown and slightly smooth to flaky. The leaves are yellowish-green, 5–12 cm long and 2–7 cm wide. The flower petals are white and turn brown when decay, the calyxes are green with five lobes and the stamens are 3–5 mm long.

It is further distinguished from other species by having a ribbed, long and slender hypocotyl that can grow up to 35 cm long (Madani & Wong, 1995). The flowers emit a mild sweet odour to attract pollinators which are most likely to be insects (Fern, 2014).

Ceriops tagal has various economic importance, for example, the hard tree bole is used to build houses in Peninsular Malaysia and also to make charcoal. In addition, the tree bark is usually used for tanning and toughening nets and fishing lines (Madani & Wong, 1995).

Marantaceae is distributed worldwide and comprises about 630 species in 30 genera (Mabberley, 2008). However, only 55 species in 8 genera occur in Asia (Suksathan et al., 2009). Of these, only 4 genera with 10 species occur in Peninsular Malaysia, namely Donax Lour. (1 species), Phrynium Willd. (5 species), Schumannianthus Gagnep. (1 species) and Stachyphrynium K.Schum. (3 species) (POWO, 2022).

Donax is a monotypic genus with a single species, namely D. canniformis (G.Forst.) K.Schum. which is native to Taiwan, Indo-China and West Pacific region. The genus derived its name from the Latin word for ‘reed’, referring to its tall and slender stem that grows in a clump, similar to a reed’s habit (a reed is a tall grass with slender and often prominently jointed stems that grow especially in wet areas) (Ridley & Curtis, 1902). The species epithet is derived from two Latin words, i.e. 'canni' meaning cane and 'formis' meaning form, referring to the segmented stems that are similar to the cane (Ridley & Curtis, 1902). This species is common and widely distributed in Peninsular Malaysia. Often, it is found growing in damp, wet areas in secondary forests and bamboo thickets, as well as on the forest floors along rivers (Ibrahim & Amalina, 2017).

Donax canniformis is a shrub of about 1.5– 2.5 m, sometimes up to 4 m tall, with hard and upright woody, hollow stems that resemble smooth bamboo stems. The segmented stems grow to about 1 to 2 m tall before branching and producing leaves at each segment (Daud et al., 2011). The leaves of this species are big and broad, 15 to 38 cm by 8 to 21 cm, varying in shape from ovate to elliptic (Niissalo et al., 2016). The flower is white to yellowish white with a very light scent of jasmine and is about 1.7 to 1.9 cm long (Ardiyani et al., 2010; Niissalo et al., 2016). The fruits are round and smooth, and the colour changes from green to yellow when mature.

Locally, D. canniformis is known as ‘bemban’ (Ridley & Curtis, 1902). In Malay culture, the rhizomes of bemban are traditionally used to cure shingles (Ibrahim & Amalina, 2007). The trunk and bark are traditionally used to make roofs because they are robust (Razali et al., 2016). Medicinally, the leaves and root decoctions are used as a bath to cool down fever, and the juice of the stems are applied for snake bites. Additionally, poultices of leaves and stems are used for treating sore eyes (Hanum & Hamzah, 1999). The raw leaves and fruits are eaten by the orang asli of Temuan tribe in Ulu Kuang, to treat boils and abscess (Azliza et al., 2012).

Pitta moluccensis or Blue-winged Pitta is a passerine bird under the family Pittidae. Pittas have stout bills, short tails and long legs with no visible scaling (Camfield, 2004; Robson, 2015). The adult has blackish to dark brown colour from the top of the head to the nape and a white throat. At the side of its head, there is a narrow superciliary stripe. The colour of their mantle and scapular are green while the upper wing coverts are deep violet-blue in colour. The vent is red with a plain buff underpart. Both sexes have the same plumage colours including the juveniles. However, the juvenile can be distinguished by having a duller plumage and a whiter chin (Robson, 2015).

The Blue-winged Pitta is called as burung pacat (leech bird) or burung kubong (Robinson, 1927; Avibase, n.d.). Its range extends from India to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, southern China and the Philippines (Avibase, n.d.; BirdLife International, 2016). It hops on the ground and on small branches to forage for invertebrates such as insects and worms (Strange, 2000).

The Blue-winged Pitta is a non-breeding visitor in the Malay Peninsula but it has been confirmed to breed in the extreme north, in Perlis and adjacent Langkawi Island (Lambert and Woodcock, 1996; Medway and Wells, 1976) with incubation period recorded between May to July (Medway and Wells, 1976).

In 2005 in Taman Negara National Park, Pahang, a Blue-winged Pitta was observed carrying food back to its nest in a dead tree stump, an unusual location, with three nestlings estimated to be around one week old (Hutchinson & Mears, 2006). This species usually builds its nest close to the ground level by using dry leaves and branches bound together with mud to construct a spherical mound (Lambert and Woodcock, 1996). In Singapore, the first confirmed breeding records of Blue-winged Pitta was recorded on Pulau Ubin in July and August 2016. Although an uncommon winter visitor in Singapore (Lim, 2009), two adults and four chicks were discovered in a nest made of dead fronds of rattans (Calamus erinaceus) in a secondary forest (Low et. al., 2016).

Blue-winged Pitta is Least Concern (LC) in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (BirdLife International, 2016) and listed as Totally Protected Wildlife in the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

Arecaceae is the palm family that has some economically important species, such as the oil palm (Elaies guineensis), coconut (Cocos nucifera) and sago (Metroxylon sagu). The agricultural sector benefits from the utilisation of palms, which in turn provides various benefits and sources of income to the community. There are more than 200 genera of palm comprising 2600 species widely scattered in tropical and subtropical countries. A species, Arenga pinnata is widely distributed in Southeast Asia and grows in dry secondary to primary forests.

Arenga pinnata is known as Enau and Kabong among the Malay community. This species is easily distinguished from its trunk appearance covered with black fibres from the old leaf bases. The palm can grow up to 20 meters in height with more than 100 pairs of pinnate leaves. The inflorescences of Enau are large drooping in descending order from the uppermost leaf axil that can lasted for two years. Every single node can produce a single inflorescence. The flowers are yellowish with an unpleasant smell. The fruit is drupe-type, consists of two or three seeds and turned yellow when matured.

Products from Enau are popular among Asians and the entire plant has the same economic value of a coconut tree. The root of this species is also beneficial for soil erosion control, and the extraction from the root is utilised as a component in certain insect repellents (Kurniawan et al., 2018). The old tree's trunk is processed to produce sago-like flour, which is used in a variety of cuisines (Mogea et al., 1991). The fibrous base of the leaves can be used for making tough ropes, brushes and brooms. Some ethnics in China used the leaves to build the traditional roof and cigarette additives and in Indonesia, fibres from the roots were used to make cloaks, mantles and hats (Mogea et al., 1991).

The sap gained from the cutting of the inflorescences had been widely used for making Gula Kabung, nira (local drink), alcohol, vinegar and as a source of biofuel (bioethanol). For the health-conscious, Gula Kabung can be an alternative way to replace white sugar, which tastes better, as a nutrient-rich and low glycaemic sweetener if it is to be taken in moderate quantities (Adams, 2010). To prevent the nira from getting sour, lime and small pieces of bark from the jackfruit tree were added into it (Heryani & Nugroho, 2015). The fruit of Enau can be added to dessert but it has to be boiled to remove the exudates from the outer layer of the fruit.

With the immense potential for making a variety of products, the prospect of cultivation and commercialization of the palm should be explored as currently, the species is harvested from the wild. This is to ensure an uninterrupted of supplies as well as to create a sustainable harvesting regime.

Sertailah webinar biodiversiti bertemakan ‘Penyelidikan FRIM Memperkasa Konservasi Biodiversiti Negara’ pada 13 September 2022 untuk berkongsi maklumat topik-topik penyelidikan FRIM khususnya mengenai langkah-langkah pemeliharaan dan pemuliharaan biodiversiti di Malaysia.

Butiran webinar yang julung-julung kali dianjurkan oleh Bahagian Biodiversiti Hutan FRIM:

Tarikh: 13 September 2022 (Selasa)
Masa: 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Pendaftaran: bit.ly/webinarsept2022FRIM

UCAPAN PERASMIAN
Dr Ismail Hj Parlan, Ketua Pengarah FRIM

MODERATOR
Patahayah Mansor

PEMBENTANG
1. Dr Richard Chung Cheng Kong: Menerokai Kepelbagaian Tumbuhan di Malaysia
2. Hamidah Mamat: Mengenalpasti Kawasan Penting untuk Pemuliharaan Tumbuhan di Semenanjung Malaysia
3. Suhaida Mustafa: Peranan Taman Botani Kepong (KBG) dalam Pemuliharaan Spesies Tumbuhan Terancam
4. Dr Mohd Farid Ahmad: Penglibatan R&D FRIM dalam Kajian Pengurusan Penyakit Pokok Hutan di Malaysia
5. Dr Nada Badruddin: Memantapkan Maklumat dan Kefahaman Berkenaan Serangga di Hutan Malaysia
6. Mohammad Shahfiz Azman: Kepentingan Kajian Berkaitan Landskap ke Arah Pemuliharaan Hidupan Liar di Malaysia

Terbuka kepada 500 peserta sahaja, jadi jangan lepaskan peluang ini!

e-Sijil akan diberikan kepada peserta yang melengkapkan borang kaji selidik.

In celebration of #InternationalYouthDay, the ACB is opening its doors once again to the next batch of ASEAN Youth Biodiversity Leaders -- a fellowship programme for young ASEAN leaders who want to take their conservation impact to the next level!

The programme provides in-depth mentorship and capacity enhancement to strengthen the participation of the youth in biodiversity governance as well as fortify youth-led conservation efforts in the ASEAN.

Microhierax fringillarius, commonly called Black-thighed Falconet, is one of the smallest birds of prey in the family Falconidae. It occurs in Brunei Darussalam, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. The bird can be found in forests, the forest edges, agricultural areas, and parkland, from lowlands up to lower montane elevations at 1,700 m above sea level (Robson, 2014).

This raptor has a shrike-like appearance and a small body size compared to other raptor species, with a body length of around 15-17 cm (Robson, 2014). It is recognisable by its glossy black upperparts, white chest and rusty orange belly. It also has a white forehead stripe that sweeps around its black cheeks. The adult female is similar to the adult male, except for longer tail (Robson, 2014; Lim et al., 2020 and Thai National Parks, 2022). The juvenile looks like the adults but appears paler, and the white areas of the head are rufous (Robson, 2014; Lim et al., 2020; Thai National Parks, 2022). The typical clutch size is around 2 to 5 eggs (Robson, 2014).

This falconet devours insects, including moths, butterflies, dragonflies, cicadas and beetles. It also occasionally feeds on small birds and lizards (White et al., 1994; Wells, 2007; Puan et al., 2020). Setiyono et al. (2014) also observed that this bird species also preyed on a slightly larger bird, the Black-capped Babbler (Pellorneum capistratum), with a body length of 17-18.5 cm (Robson, 2014).

The Black-thighed Falconet usually hunts from perch with good view. It would dash and catch a moving insect swiftly in flight, or catches prey from flowers and leaves above the ground (Setiyono et al., 2014). It commonly returns to the same perch, sometimes a different one.

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Black-thighed Falconet has the Least Concern status with a stable population, where the estimated population is in tens of thousands and has no evidence for any declines or significant threats (BirdLife International, 2016 and BirdLife International, 2022).

A large river toad, Phrynoidis asper (family Bufonidae) is one of the most common anurans species that occurs in almost all forest rivers in Malaysia (Yap et al., 2014). This toad can be found on large river banks and prefers fast-flowing or cascading stream areas in pristine rainforests as their breeding sites (Shahrudin, 2021). Phrynoidis asper is also known as Asian Giant Toad, Rough Toad, Giant River Toad, or Katak Puru Sungai in Malay language.

Phrynoidis asper has a stout dark brownish to blackish body with a broad and blunt head devoid of bony crests. The inconspicuous ‘x’ mark is present on the back between the round-to-oval-shaped paratoid glands at the juvenile stage. The snout-vent length (SVL) of the male Giant River Toad measures about 70-100 mm, while the females have a snout-vent length of 95-215 mm, which is longer than the males (Inger & Stuebing, 2005). The skin is covered with warty, irregularly sized, spinose tubercles where the vernacular name is derived from (Chan et al., 2019; AmphibiaWeb, 2022). It also has rounded or swollen fingertips and a pair of visible eardrums.

According to Amran et al. (2018), the mating call of male Giant River Toad produces hoarse low-frequency calls with two pulsed notes and four repetitive notes per 60 s. It has a low pitch with a frequency of 1 kHz and a low note repetition rate. Yap et al. (2014) also mention that this toad mainly feeds on Formicidae and Termitoidae as a higher proportion of ants and termites were found in their diets, perhaps due to the large availability of ants and termites in social aggregations.

Phrynoidis asper is distributed in Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Myanmar (Inger & Stuebing, 2005; Grismer, 2011; Goldberg et al., 2017). It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List as this species is widespread and has a presumed large population (IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, 2021).

Aonyx cinereus, commonly known as Asian Small-clawed Otter or Oriental Small-clawed Otter, is a native otter species in Asia that belongs to the family Mustelidae. It is the smallest of 13 otter species found globally (Prakash et al., 2012). Their adult body weight barely exceeds 5kg with a body length measurement usually not exceeding 61 cm long, including the tail (Hussain et al., 2011). According to Larivière (2003), the Asian Small-clawed Otter has well-developed plantar pads with considerably narrower and shallower webs and with short blunt claws that do not extend beyond the ends of the digital pads. These distinct features are used to distinguish the tracks of A. cinereus from the other otters.

The social group structure of Aonyx cinereus consists of up to 15 individuals that coordinate predator defense within their groups (Kruuk & Kruuk, 2006; Ladds et al., 2017). This social and intelligent species is widely distributed from India eastwards to the Philippines, Taiwan and southern China (Hussain et al., 2011; Wilson & Reeder, 2005). They are commonly found in freshwater and peat swamp forests, lakes, streams, reservoirs, canals, mangroves and coastal wetlands (Melisch et al., 1996; Roberton, 2007). According to a study conducted by Abdul-Patah et al., (2014), this otter species is most commonly seen in rice fields and casuarina forest areas in Malaysia.

A. cinereus has a plain brown dorsal body colouration or sometimes with a hint of reddish or yellowish-brown, while the underpart is a paler shade of brown and frequently seen with a grey cast. The head of this otter is marked by greyish, nearly white, coloration starting from the edge of the upper lips down to its throat. This distinct coloration eventually forms a tide mark running from below the eye toward below the ear (Pocock, 1941). It has two layers of fur; the shiny guard hairs that are water repellent and the dense fluffy underfur with up to 450,000 hairs per square inch that traps air and helps the otter to stay dry and insulated while in the water (Mason & Macdonald, 2009). Therefore, it is common to see the otters spending quite a lot of time grooming and reintroducing air into their coat.

The presence of stiff whiskers or vibrissae play important roles in detecting movements of prey underwater. Unlike other species, A. cinereus will use their paws that are sensitive in locating and capturing prey to dig through the murky water or mud (Mason & Macdonald, 2009). In addition to feeding on large quantities of fish, rodents, snakes and amphibians, a study conducted on the scat of this species suggests that its diet also consists mainly of insects, crabs and gastropods (Kanchanasaka & Duplaix, 2011). The broad and robust build of the last two upper teeth of this otter enables them to crush hard-shelled prey (Popowics, 2003).

A. cinereus communicates by secreting a strong musky scent on its faeces which originates from the scent gland near its tail. The scent-marked faeces or spraint are often smeared on tree trunks, trails and rocks to mark and establish territory boundaries (Davies, 2009). Apart from scent markings, A. cinereus can produce a variety of sounds comprising more than 12 distinct vocalizations (Timmis, 1971). The vocalizations are classified into four call types: chirps, squeals, barks, and screams. Different types of calls express different levels of stress faced by different otter individuals. Aside from projecting a high-pitch vocal that serves as a distress call to attract other group members for help, a monitoring study on the vocalization of A. cinereus found that the different vocal intensity is associated with the aggression behaviour within the otter group (Scheifele et al., 2015).

Last assessment made by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List in 2015, the Asian Small-clawed otter is listed as Vulnerable. Throughout its range, the population size of this otter is thought to be declining especially over the past 30 years (Wright et al., 2015). The main factor affecting their survival is habitat loss due to anthropogenic activities such as the development of farmland and aquaculture as well as the expansion of human settlements in peat swamp forests and mangroves. Reduction in food resources is also an important factor. Besides over-exploitation of fish resources due to overfishing, the loss of fish resources due to heavy metal and organochlorine pollution also affects the survival of this otter (Hussain et al., 2011). Conservation measures such as restoration of habitat vegetation and stream pollution treatments are urgently needed to ensure the continued existence of this species.

Coffee, fondly loved worldwide, and the lesser-known gambier, are from the Rubiaceae family. This ‘coffee family’ is the fourth biggest flowering plant family comprised of 611 genera and more than 13,150 species around the world. According to Wong (1989), species from the Rubiaceae play an important role in the lower story in the forest because most of the species are shrubs and small trees and hence this contributes to forest floor density and soil fertility. In Peninsular Malaysia, only four endemic genera were recognised. Species from the Rubiaceae are easily distinguished through several characteristics such as the simple and opposite leaves, leaves margin entire and intrapetiolar stipules with joined, wholly or partly petals with an inferior ovary.

Mycetia is one of the genera in Rubiaceae which is easily distinguished by the shape of its fruit and flower. One of the species, Mycetia malayana, is native to Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo (Wong et al., 2019). This species also grows in lowland to hill forests, and can also be found in limestone forests.

Mycetia malayana is usually a shrub but can grow up to 4 meters in height. This species can be recognised by its hairy leaves, inflorescences at the terminal and the main branches of inflorescences in a zig-zag arrangement. The flowers are cream to whitish with the calyx lobes fringed and tiny gland on the stalk (Ridley, 1923).

This chinese-okra or "petola" in Malay, is a popular vegetable for soup or stir fry. The plant belongs to the genus Luffa and family Cucurbitaceae. French Botanist Joseph Piton de Tournefort introduced the formal genus name Luffa in 1706 (Kumar, 2016), Latinised from the name "Loofah" (Wilde & Duyfjes, 2012). The genus consists of nine accepted species including several common species such as Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb., L. aegyptiaca Miller, L. operculata (L.) Cogn. and L. sepium (G. Mey.) C.Jeffrey (POWO, 2021).

This "petola" is scientifically named Luffa acutangula, and 'acutangula' means 'with sharp ridges' which refers to the fruit's distinctive ridges (Anon., 2019). The species can be recognised by its cylindrical fruit, 15-30 cm long, that enlarges gradually towards the end. The fruit is usually fibrous and spongy inside and contains flattened, black ovate seeds of 11-22 mm long. The flower is pale yellow, 4–5 cm in diameter, and the green calyx is 10-12 mm long. The leaves, 15–20 cm long, are usually alternately arranged, and the petioles are 8-10 cm long (Panicker, 2020). Luffa acutangula is almost indistinguishable from L. aegyptiaca, except that the leaves of L. acutangula are pale green and the flowers are pale yellow (Chabert-Llompart, 2016) whereas the leaves of L. aegyptiaca are dark green and the flowers are deep yellow (Anon, 2019).

Other than cooked as vegetables, young fruits of L. acutangula can be eaten as bite-size pickles (Anon., 2019). In India, this species is widely utilised as a traditional medicinal herb to treat various health issues (Panicker, 2020), for example, the leaves and fruit powder are used to cure jaundice, and the fruit is used to treat diabetes (Shendge & Belemkar, 2018).

Kuala Lumpur, June 21, 2022 - Today's Doodle honors the late Dr. Lim Boo Liat, an eminent zoologist and mammalogist who dedicated his life to unearthing and conserving Malaysia's biological diversity. He helped start Zoo Negara and wrote more than 300 scientific publications about mammalogy and parasitology.

On this day in 2003, Dr. Lim was awarded an Honorary Membership to the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) for his outstanding contribution to the science of mammalogy. He was the first Southeast Asian (and only the fourth Asian) to become an Honorary Member of the ASM, an award that dates back to 1919.

The life and career of Lim Boo Liat

Dr. Lim was born on August 21, 1926 in Klang, Selangor. He was first exposed to small animals and insects during his time in high school when he would frequent the local school garden. In 1941, World War II hit Malaysia and Lim being only 16, was forced to abandon his studies and take on odd jobs to support his family. This led him to Carey Island in the coastal region of Selangor in 1944, where he befriended the Orang Asli, and learned how to identify animals from them.

In 1947, after the war, he applied for a temporary Lab Assistant job at the Institute of Medical Research (IMR) in Kuala Lumpur. The zoological knowledge that he obtained from the Orang Asli also led him to his first role which found him involved in field biological research under his mentors, the late Professor J.L. Harrison (Medical Zoologist) and the late Professor J.R. Audy (Medical Ecologist) specializing in host-parasite relationships in the study of zoonotic diseases.

In 1952, he was promoted to a permanent Lab Assistant and was involved in a number of scientific expeditions. From 1955 to 1969, he published more than 80 scientific papers on vertebrate animals and was asked to head a newly founded Medical Ecology Division at the IMR. He became an expert recognized by both local and foreign research institutions in the study of animals and their role in the transmission of diseases. He founded the concept of 'ecological labeling by parasite pattern' in which parasites and food habits of small mammals were good indicators of their behavioral habits in their natural environments. The finding was published in the Zoological Society of London's Journal of Zoology in 1967.

Seeing his potential and expertise in the field, a few professors from European universities paved the way for him to pursue his Master's Degree, despite his lack of a formal education. In fact, Dr. Lim did not even receive his Bachelor's Degree before his sponsorship to the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. He returned to Malaysia in 1972 and continued running the Medical Ecology Division, this time as a full-fledged zoologist. Dr. Lim received his PhD in Zoology at the Universiti Sains Malaysia in 1977 and was seconded to the World Health Organization (WHO) in Indonesia where he headed the Vector Biology Control Research Unit in charge of conducting research on subjects such as plague, malaria control, and rodent control, until his retirement in 1987.

Even after retiring, he remained active in the scene, assisting research studies for undergraduate and postgraduate students at local universities and was involved in the conservation of natural history in association with government and non-government agencies.

Leaving a legacy behind

Dr. Lim Boo Liat is an inspiration to the industry. Dubbed as 'the father of zoology', Dr. Lim and his fellow researchers discovered a new species of the mountain reed snake, Macrocalamus gentingensis, in Genting Highlands, Pahang, which is found nowhere else in the world. Today, his work is recognized and has been cited in many journals and publications around the world.

In recognition of his contribution in the field of biological science, the following species have been named after him by foreign and local scientists:

1. Chigger: Babiangia booliati (Audy, 1965), Leptotrombidium limi (Nadchatram & Traub, 1962);
2. Flea: Medwayellia limi (Traub, 1972);
3. Parasitic worms: Plasmodium booliati (Sandosham, Yap & Omar, 1965), Heligmonella limbooliati (Durette-Desset, Diaw & Krishnansamy, 1975), Brienlia booliati (Ho & Singh, 1973);
4. Beetle: Thalliseliodes limbooliati (Chu?jo?, 1963);
5. Protozoa: Sarcocystis booliati (Dissanaike & Poopalachelvam, 1975);
6. Lizard: Dibamus booliati (Das & Yaakob, 2003);
7. Snake: Oligodon booliati (Leong & Grismer, 2004);
8. Frog: Kalophrynus limbooliati (Matsui, Nishikawa, Belabut, Norhayati & Yong, 2012);
9. Snail: Rahula limbooliati (Foon & Marzuki, 2020).

Honorable recognitions

Dr. Lim has been awarded numerous accolades including the 1977 Sandosham Gold Medal from the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, the 1995 Science and Technology Award by Malaysia Toray Science Foundation (MTSF) in recognition of his outstanding achievements in vertebrate ecology and zoonotic diseases in the environment, the 2007 Spallanzani Award from the North American Society for Bat Research, and the 2013 Merdeka Award for the environment category.

Thank you, Dr. Lim Boo Liat for your dedication and advocacy in protecting the nation's rich biodiversity!

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With its beautiful colours and details, Sitta frontalis or Velvet-fronted Nuthatch is one of the most attractive birds in the Sittidae family (Del Hoyo et al., 2008). The Velvet-fronted Nuthatch is also known locally as Pepatuk Dahi Hitam (Jeyarajasingam, 2012). It measures about 12-13.5 cm in length and weighs between 9 to 17 grams (Robson, 2008).

Sitta frontalis is quite a colourful bird with violet-blue upperparts, lesser, and median upper wing coverts, and upper tail area (Del Hoyo et al., 2008). The male has a red bill, violet-blue upperparts, a black forehead and narrow post-ocular stripe, a whitish throat, and pale dull beige underparts (washed lavender on flanks, belly and vent) (Robson 2008; Lim et al., 2020; Jeyarajasingam 2012), while females lack a black post-ocular stripe, and their underparts are slightly more cinnamon-coloured and less lilac, especially on the breast and belly (Robson, 2008). The juvenile is similar to the adult except that the bill is blackish with a fleshy to yellowish gape, the upperparts are slightly duller and greyer, the underparts are washed cinnamon-orange to warm buff with no lilac tones, and the undertail-coverts are pale pinkish-buff with fine dark cinnamon-brown barring (Robson 2008; Lim et al., 2020).

Sitta frontalis can be found in primary, logged, and secondary forests ranging in elevation from the lowlands to nearly 2,200 m above the sea level (Lim et al., 2020; Robson 2008; Jeyarajasingam 2012). This bird forages in the canopy and middle storey, often in small noisy groups or alone, rapidly moving up and down tree trunks (Jeyarajasingam, 2012). It primarily feeds on insects and spiders, which are often caught on tree trunks and branches where the bird forages upside-down (Del Hoyo et al., 2008). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List has listed S. frontalis as Least Concern (LC).

WEBINAR MyBIS KINI KEMBALI

WEBINAR MyBIS SIRI 2/2022 KALI INI BERTEMAKAN PENGURUSAN FLORA MALAYSIA: SATU LANGKAH PENGHIJAUAN BUMI & PERKONGSIAN FAEDAH

Kempen Penanaman 100 Juta Pokok ialah satu langkah penghijauan bumi bagi pengurusan flora di Malaysia. Dengan tema “Penghijauan Malaysia: Pokok Kita, Kehidupan Kita”, kempen ini diadakan sebagai satu usaha untuk mensasarkan penanaman 100 juta pokok dalam tempoh 5 tahun bermula dari tahun 2021 sehingga 2025.

Sehingga kini (Mei 2022), kempen ini telah mencapai 33,681,193 penanaman pokok di Malaysia dan sekaligus dapat meningkatkan jumlah flora yang merupakan salah satu daripada pelbagai sumber biologi di negara kita.

Walau bagaimanapun, sering kali sumber biologi negara diambil dan dibangunkan tanpa izin sehingga negara tidak mendapat apa-apa faedah daripadanya. Untuk membanteras isu biopiracy di negara kita, Malaysia telah meratifikasi Konvensyen Kepelbagaian Biodiversiti (CBD) pada 24 Jun 1994. Bagi melaksanakan objektif ketiga CBD, satu perjanjian antarabangsa iaitu Protokol Nagoya mengenai akses kepada sumber biologi dan perkongsian faedah (Access to Benefit Sharing – ABS) telah diterima pakai pada tahun 2010 untuk menangani isu ini. Bagi menzahirkan komitmen Malaysia terhadap ABS, Akta Akses kepada Sumber Biologi dan Perkongsian Faedah 2017 [Akta 795] dikuatkuasakan pada 18 Disember 2020. Akta 795 ini menyediakan tatacara yang jelas kepada pengguna dan pemberi sumber biologi berhubung akses sumber biologi dan pengetahuan tradisi berkaitan sumber biologi serta perkongsian faedah yang adil dan saksama.

Ayuh sama-sama kita mengikuti webinar mengenai Kempen 100 Juta Pokok serta penerangan berkenaan Akta 795 secara dalam talian melalui pautan pendaftaran ZOOM seperti berikut:-

Pautan pendaftaran : https://bit.ly/3aqREzr

Tarikh : 15 Jun 2022

Masa : 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Tempat : Secara atas talian (ZOOM webinar)

Setiap peserta yang terlibat akan menerima e-sijil dan pemenang kuiz akan menerima hadiah eksklusif daripada MyBIS !

The fighting fish, commonly known as Betta, is a freshwater ray-finned fish found in the Southeast Asia region. Betta is usually small in size, but they are energetic and colourful. Currently, there are around 75 species of Betta recorded worldwide, with Malaysia having approximately 28 species, with 10 of them being endemic.

The emerald-spot fighting fish or Betta livida, is one of the endangered fighting fishes, which is rare and endemic to the northern Selangor and southern Perak states in Peninsular Malaysia. It belongs to the family Osphronemidae and is locally known as ikan picat or laga sungai besar in Malay (Zakaria-Ismail et al., 2019).

Betta livida inhabits peat swamp areas and blackwater streams, which is highly acidic and have a pH value of five or less. In general, this species occurs in well shaded shallow and stagnant water, which is less than one meter (Zakaria-Ismail et al., 2019).

The species epithet is derived from the Latin word, lividus meaning jealousy, which refers to the green eyes of this fish species. The flanks of this species have an iridescent green blotch. Betta livida exhibits sexual dimorphism, whereby the males are more colourful and have longer dorsal fins than the females when they reach maturity. Also, the posterior rays of the male can reach beyond the base of the caudal fin and up to one-third of the caudal fin (Zakaria-Ismail et al., 2019). It can grow up to 36.3 mm in length. Its diets include insects and small invertebrates (Ng & Kottelat, 1992).

Betta livida is currently assessed as Endangered species under the IUCN Red List. This is because their habitat, mainly in peat swamp forests, have been depleted and converted to monoculture plantations and industrial-scale forestry on a massive scale. There are hobbyists who catch the Betta for aquarium fish trade and conservation, but the latter is an alternative to the survival of the species. Recently, a group of hobbyists has released the endangered B. persephone back into the wild in Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve, Muar, Johor (Zakaria, 2022). This event also could be a viable solution to ensure the survival and conservation of B. livida in the remaining peat swamp forests in Selangor and certain parts in Perak.

Kementerian Tenaga dan Sumber Asli (KeTSA) dengan kerjasama Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM), Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) dan Jabatan Perhutanan Sabah (SFD) akan menganjurkan webinar bersempena dengan sambutan Hari Biodiversiti Antarabangsa 2022 pada 20 Mei 2022 (Jumaat) di laman rasmi Facebook Kementerian Tenaga dan Sumber Asli.

Webinar ini bertemakan "Membina Masa Depan Bersama untuk Semua Kehidupan" bertujuan untuk mengiktiraf kepentingan pemuliharaan biodiversiti yang memberi implikasi secara terus kepada pelbagai bidang lain, termasuklah ekonomi, sosial dan kesihatan.

Perincian webinar adalah seperti berikut:

Tarikh : 20 Mei 2022 (Jumaat)
Masa : 9.30 pagi hingga 11.30 pagi
Tonton melalui : Facebook rasmi Kementerian Tenaga dan Sumber Asli (https://www.facebook.com/KeTSAMalaysia)

Jumpa anda di sana!

Embelia Burm.f., with approximately 130 species of tropical climbers, is one of the big genera in the subfamily Myrsinoideae of Primulaceae (POWO, 2021). However, only 23 species and 2 subspecies are found and recorded for Peninsular Malaysia, including E. pergamacea A.DC. (Dubéarnès et al., 2015). Embelia pergamacea grows from the primary lowland to the upper montane forests in Pahang, Perak and Selangor (Dubéarnès et al., 2015).

Embelia pergamacea is closely related to E. coriacea Wall. ex A.DC. and often synonymised under the latter (e.g. Stone, 1989). However, E. pergamacea is accepted as a distinct species based on its pinkish-red flowers along with other consistent characters such as the leaves being ovate-lanceolate not exceeding 13 cm long with acute or cuneate base and the apex is acuminate (POWO, 2021; Dubéarnès et al., 2015). The leaves of this species have a smooth surface like a parchment paper, and this is how it gets the name ‘pergamacea’ that is derived from the Latin word pergamena meaning ‘parchment’.

Embelia pergamacea is classified as Endangered (EN) in Peninsular Malaysia based on the IUCN conservation criteria because it is rarely found and data about its current existence are scarce (Dubéarnès et al., 2015). In addition, few habitats are not totally protected such as Gn. Mengkuang and Fraser’s Hills.

In Peninsular Malaysia, the economic importance of this species is not documented but in Indonesia, the species is used medicinally as mouthwash. According to a study done by Arbiastutie et al., E. pergamecea also has potential as a cervix anticancer agent (Arbiastutie et al., 2017).

Brown spiny rat or locally known as Tikus Duri Hitam Pudar is one of the species from the family Muridae (Rats and Mice). Its body is covered with brown, sometimes with tinged reddish or orange hairs and has a darker midline with numerous stiff grey-brown spines (Francis, 2019). Its underparts are white with many short, soft white spines and usually with dark brown streaks along the middle of the belly in adults. Its inner sides of thighs are covered with white hairs which normally extend to feet. Its tail is sharply bicoloured, dark brown above and pale below, with thinly haired features. This species is about 16.5-22.5 cm (head-body length) and weighs around 95-220 g.

The brown spiny rat occurs throughout peninsular Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and adjacent smaller islands (Francis, 2019). It inhabits primary and secondary lowland forests up to 1100 m, including peat swamp forests and is occasionally found in plantations, especially those adjacent to forests (Nor, 2001; Francis, 2019; Phillipps & Phillipps, 2016). This rat is nocturnal, predominantly terrestrial and omnivorous. It actively forages on the forest ground searching for food such as fallen fruits, seeds, young shoots and insects among leaf litter, but occasionally climbs up to the upper canopy. For instance, the species is recorded to consume figs (Ficus sp.), Dipterocarpus validus fruits, and dipterocarp seeds (Wells & Bagchi, 2005; Wells et al., 2009; Phillipps & Phillipps, 2016).

The population of brown spiny rats is known to increase following general masting (mast seeding) and collapse during inter-mast intervals (Nakagawa et al., 2007). Apart from that, the species is recognised as a scatter hoarder whereby it tends to store fruits on the ground and is usually covered with leaves (Yasuda et al., 2000). The food hoarding behaviour may allow the animals to optimise foraging and feeding as well as to increase chances of survival especially during food scarcity (Yasuda et al., 2000). Scatter-hoarding rodents are considered effective dispersal agents of plants when the germination of neglected seeds is probable (Vander Wall, 1990; Vander Wall, 2001). Therefore, this species may play an important role as seed dispersers, though they are known as seed predators. In addition, this species is a host for Langat Virus vector namely Ixodes granulatus and also one of the carriers for leptospirosis (Madinah et al., 2011; Thayaparan et al., 2015).

Currently, the species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Ruedas, 2016). It is not protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act (WCA) 2010. The populations have declined considerably owing to extensive loss of its lowland forest habitat, largely through commercial logging and the conversion of land to agricultural use (Ruedas, 2016; Francis, 2019). Thus, it is very important to protect this species along with its habitats to sustain our natural forests.

Trimeresurus nebularis, or the Cameron Highlands Pit Viper is a species under the family Viperidae, subfamily Crotalinae (pit vipers). It is also known as the Clouded Pit Viper (Baker, 2020; Uetz et al., 2020) and in vernacular, Ular Kapak Cameron Highland. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin, meaning ‘from the cloud’. This gives the impression that this species inhabits montane rainforests or cloud forests. The Cameron Highlands Pit Viper was first described in 2004 and is found in the mountain ranges south of Pahang, at elevation of around 1500 m. It is an important mesopredator of montane forest ecosystems. This species was subsequently discovered at Fraser’s Hill, 100 km away to the south of the Cameron Highlands. The southernmost encounter of this species was at Genting Highlands (an unreported bite incident). This montane pit viper has been found at elevation ranging from 1000 to 1500 m and is mainly distributed along the central part of the Titiwangsa mountain range, and has been more recently found in southern Thailand (Das, 2012).

Trimeresurus nebularis males can attain about 100 cm, while females reach at least 95 cm. It has a robust and cylindrical body, the head and the neck can easily be distinguished; it’s pupil is vertical within a yellowish green or green iris. The body dorsum is bright green, with a hint of blue. The upper labials scales are usually bluish-green, while the throat and chin are yellowish green. Ventrolateral stripe and postocular streak are typically absent. The tail is green laterally and its vertebral region rusty brown, with a sharp line in between (Sumontha et al., 2011). Trimeresurus nebularis can be distinguished from congeneric pit-vipers, such as Trimeresurus popeiorum (Pope’s Pit Viper) by the clear border between green and brown colours of tail. The iris of eye is red in adults or yellow in juvenile T. popeiorum. Generally, T. nebularis has a lower scale count of supraoculars, subcaudals and ventrals compared to congeners. Trimeresurus sabahi fucatus (the Thai Peninsular Pit Viper), which has a similar distribution in the Malay Peninsula, has a few common characteristics with T. nebularis that may result in the two being confused. However, adult T. sabahi fucatus is smaller in size, has yellowish iris and distinctive ventrolateral stripes (white or red) and higher counts of midbody and caudal scales (Ismail et al., 2022; Charlton, 2020). Birds and small mammals are likely to be part of its diet (Wong, 2018).

Trimeresurus nebularis is venomous and its bite can potentially cause coagulopathy (bleeding disorder) in humans. Based on the Remote Envenomation Consultancy Services (RECS) database in MyBIS Toxinology Module, plantation workers and those working in the agricultural industry in Cameron Highlands are most frequently bitten (Ismail, 2015). The Thai Green Pit Viper Antivenom (GPVAV) has been shown to cross-neutralise T. nebularis venom (Tan et al., 2019), and is used to treat envenoming syndrome from T. nebularis. The GPVAV has been adequately stocked for pit viper bite envenoming at Sultanah Hajah Kalsom Hospital, Tanah Rata, since 2014. Based on the RECS 2014-2022 database, there was no mortality resulting from envenoming of T. nebularis.

T. nebularis is listed as Vulnerable (VU) under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, due to its limited distribution, reaching a maximum of roughly 6,600 km² area in central highlands of Peninsular Malaysia (Grismer, 2012). Nonetheless, the number of mature snakes getting killed following human-animal conflict is increasing. This issue is made worse by unauthorized collection for the pet trade. If this species continues to be hunted, it may progress to higher threat category in the near future.

The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity is inviting young creatives and content creators from ASEAN to join the Young ASEAN Storytellers (YAS). Twenty young leaders aged 18-35 from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Loa PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam will be selected to create powerful stories of conservation throught creativity.

What stories can be told?

1. ASEAN, our home
   • exceptional stories behind the ASEAN's rich flora and fauna, and how their habitats are kept healthy and protected.
   • documenting rere species or habitats and their vital role in ASEAN.
2. ASEAN, our heritage
   • inspiring stories of people who in their own way, honour our intricate link with nature.
   • local culture, food, and livelihoods that showcase the rich natural heritage of the ASEAN and the various ways we benefit from it.

The 20 selected YAS will receive:

• a fully-funded trip to an AHP in their country
• a grant to produce their stories
• training sessions on key biodiversity and communication topics
• a platform for a virtual/physical exhibit
• other learning opportunities

Deadline extended 15 April 2022. For further information, visit https://aybp.aseanbiodiversity.org/yas/

Ceriops Arn., from family Rhizophoraceae, is a small genus of five species, namely Ceriops australis (C.T.White) Ballment, T.J.Sm. & J.A.Stoddart, C. decandra (Griff.) W.Theob., C. pseudodecandra Sheue, H.G.Liu, C.C. Tsai & Yuen P.Yang, C. tagal (Perr.) C.B.Rob and C. zippeliana Blume (POWO, 2021). However, only three species are found in Peninsular Malaysia viz. Ceriops tagal, C. zippeliana and C. decandra. The latter is not only rare, occuring only in the mangrove forests of Kedah, but was also recorded for Peninsular Malaysia as recently as 2014 (Wan Juliana et al., 2014). It may not be surprising that this Ceriops decandra, which is common on the west coast of Thailand, has extended its range to the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia, because the northwest of Peninsular Malaysia, which has experienced a monsoon climate, harbours characteristic species diversity and is closely related to the flora of southern Thailand (Kiew & Saw, 2019).

Ceriops decandra is a shrub to small trees reaching 2 to 5 m in height. The bark is light grey, which peels off into thin flakes. The leaves are oval to obovate, 4–9 cm long and 2.5–6 cm wide. The inflorescences are axillary and in compact, bifurcate cyme-like with 6–20 flowers. The flower is 5-merous with petals white turning brownish with age and measured about 4 mm long and 1.8–2.0 mm wide. The fruits are ovoid 6–10 mm long and 5–6 mm wide, and the hypocotyl is clavate of 8–13 cm long (Sheue et al., 2010).

The most noticeable morphological characteristic that distinguishes this species from other Ceriops is the margins of the flower petals. The flower petals of C. decandra are yellow and covered with hairs c. 0.5 mm long along the margins whereas in C. pseudodecandra, the hairs are shorter and less than 0.1 mm long (Sheue et al., 2010). In addition, the inflorescence bracts are multi-ranked with more flowers in C. decandra but primary (a single layer of leaf-like structure) in C. zippeliana (Sheue et al., 2010).

Similar to Ceriops tagal, this species also has popular uses. In South East Asia, the barks of C. decandra are used to treat viral infections while the leaves and fruits are used to treat ulcers and hepatitis, respectively (Biswas et al., 2021). In Peninsular Malaysia, the sap from the bark of C. decandra yields high quality tannin which is used as a black dye in the batik industry (Perez et al., 2017).

Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) dengan kerjasama Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM) akan menganjurkan webinar Pengenalan Pangkalan Data Biodiversiti Kebangsaan, Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) pada 5 April 2022 (Selasa) secara dalam talian.

Webinar ini bertemakan “Kenali MyBIS” bertujuan untuk mempromosikan laman web MyBIS sebagai satu pusat sehenti bagi maklumat biodiversiti di Malaysia, meningkatkan kesedaran awam mengenai kepentingan pengurusan maklumat biodiversiti serta perkongsian pengalaman pelbagai pihak dalam menguruskan maklumat tersebut bersama MyBIS.

Perincian webinar adalah seperti berikut:

• Tarikh : 5 April 2022 (Selasa)
• Masa : 9.00 pagi hingga 1.00 tengahari
• Tempat : Secara atas talian (Zoom Webinar)
• Pautan pendaftaran:
  https://bit.ly/3tz1R3P

Pendaftaran adalah percuma dan terhad kepada 500 orang sahaja. Setiap peserta akan disediakan e-sijil dan pemenang akan menerima hadiah eksklusif daripada MyBIS!

The Southeast Asian Softshell Turtle, Amyda cartilaginea (Family Trionychidae), also known as Asiatic Softshell Turtle or Black-rayed Soft-shelled Turtle is generally found in all the nations of Southeast Asia, except for the Philippines (Vaught, 2015).

It is a large species with a total carapace length up to 850 mm, showing considerable variation in coloration over its wide range in Southeast Asia (Auliya et al., 2016). The carapace of a young turtle can be grayish-brown or black and sometimes with an olive tint. The colour can be uniform or dotted with yellow or black spots, broad radiating streaks, or star-shaped marks, arranged over the midline and extending laterally (Auliya et al., 2016). However, their plastron is white, pale grey, or pale olive, and may show cloudy dark areas. Usually, their heads will have some yellow spots dorsally and laterally that are reduced posteriorly. For the adult, the spotting on the carapace disappears entirely while some large black marks still remain but it becomes less distinct (Auliya et al., 2016).

Southeast Asian Softshell Turtle has a trait that helps differentiate themselves from other similar species which is its noticeably elongated snout (Vaught, 2015). The elongated snout aids the turtle in breathing when it has submerged in water for extended periods of time. This adaptation is known as “pharyngeal breathing” (Vaught, 2015). It normally lives in freshwater with depths ranging from 1 to 12 m. This turtle is most likely to be found in East and West Malaysia. Hunters and fishermen in Malaysia have trapped this softshell turtle in lakes, slow-moving rivers, and fast-flowing rivers near the waterfalls (Vaught, 2015).

The mating season of the Southeast Asian Softshell Turtle takes place from April to September. However, this may vary based on the specific geographic location of each turtle (Ernst, 1996). Generally, the males reach sexual maturity between 4-5 years old while the females take between 8-10 years old (Vaught, 2015). On average, females lay 3-4 clutches in a year and consequently build up to 3-4 nests in one season. Each clutch comprises a minimum of 1 offspring and a maximum of 30. The incubation period for the eggs is approximately between 60-135 days (Auliya et al., 2016).

Southeast Asian Softshell Turtle has adaptations for fast-swimming and for hiding in sediment. Although this turtle spends most of its time in the water, it will also emerge onto land occasionally at night. It can bury itself in the silty sediment easily because it does not have preneural or dermal bones that run along the vertebrae in the front carapace (Vaught, 2015). It will dive headfirst into the sediment, and use its limbs to kick up the sediment until it is covered completely except for its snout (Vaught, 2015). This behavior had caused the tracking and capturing work of researchers to become more difficult as researchers might accidentally step on it before finding its snout protruding from the sediment.

The Southeast Asian Softshell Turtle plays an important role in limiting the growth of the populations of its prey. This turtle is known for its carnivorous diet and nocturnal hunting patterns. It is a predator that likes to ambush its prey which mainly consists of fish, amphibians, insects, and some crustaceans (Vaught, 2015). The egg of Southeast Asian Softshell Turtle is a good source of food for other predators such as monitor lizards, crows, snakes, eagles, wild pigs, and humans. For adults turtles, the natural predators include smooth otters and tigers (Auliya et al., 2016). Besides the role of predator and prey, the Southeast Asian Softshell Turtle is sometimes a scavenger. According to Vaught (2015), there are algae and berries found in the turtle’s feces. Auliya et al. (2016) stated that this turtle is probably an omnivore as plant material was also observed in its stomach contents and fecal matter.

Turtle oils from the carapace of most species have been used worldwide for treating minor ailments, and dermatological purposes related to preventing aging of the skin. Though these market benefits pale in comparison to the market for consumption, they still exist as a small positive market stimulation (Asian Turtle Trade Working Group, 2000; Jensen and Das, 2008a; Kuchling, 2009). Other than that, habitat destruction due to human activities is also one of the major threats to its survival (Auliya et al., 2016). Currently, it is listed as “Vulnerable” under the IUCN Red List (Asian Turtle Trade Working Group, 2000). In Malaysia, it is a listed as "Protected" under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

Cyrtostachys renda is a popular ornamental plant attributed to its bright green stems and striking red to orange crownshaft. This species is only found to the west of the Wallace’s Line, occurring in the southern part of Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. Naturally, C. renda grows in lowland peat swamp forests, especially in coastal areas (Heatubun et al., 2009).

The genus Cyrtostachys is named after its curved inflorescence (in Greek, kyrtos and stachys mean curved and spike, respectively) (NParks Flora & Fauna Web, 2020). The Malay vernacular name for this palm is pinang rajah, but it is more commonly known as sealing wax palm or lipstick palm (Heatubun et al., 2009).

Cyrtostachys renda is a slender and clustering palm with about 3 or more adult stems that can each grow up to 15-20 m high. The stems are about 6-10 cm in diameter with internodes of 15-25 cm long and green with greyish stripes or yellow with somewhat greenish and purplish stripes. Its crown assumes a shuttlecock appearance with 7-10 leaves. The fruits are ellipsoid to ovoid and turn from light green to black when ripe (Heatubun et al., 2009).

Commercially, Cyrtostachys renda is grown from seeds because growing from suckers is difficult and yields a low percentage of success (Kiew, 1991). There is a great horticultural demand for C. renda and due to its wide cultivation, several infraspecific taxa have been described based on different stem and crownshaft colours such as C. renda ‘Apple’, C. renda ‘Orange Crownshaft' and the cultivar C. renda ‘Theodora Buhler’ (Heatubun et al., 2009; Waddel, 2002). The number of cultivars may continue to grow in response to its popularity as an ornamental plant.

Interestingly, this palm is thought to be associated with ghosts by the Malay people who would either plant them at all corners of their gardens to ward off spirits or not plant any at all in fears of attracting them (Pearce, 1991). Despite this superstition, its stems and leaves are traditionally utilised to make flooring and thatch, respectively. The conservation status of Cyrtostachys renda is Vulnerable (Heatubun et al., 2009).

Distributed in Borneo, Discotettix belzebuth Serville, 1838 (referred commonly as pygmy devil or spiky pygmy grasshopper) is one of the six extant species listed under genus Discotettix, which is exclusive to the terrestrial regions of Southeast Asia (Cigliano et al., 2021). Among its notable morphological characters are the flattened 6^th to 8^th or 9^th segments of antennae, pronotum with net-like elevations, covered with impressed dots and numerous strong projections or spines (Kocarek et al., 2015; Muhammad et al., 2018). Its size is typically about 2 cm in length, which is roughly the diameter of a 20-cent coin. Its colouration is in earthy tones which are brown or dark green, sometimes with or without a red line marking the entire length of its pronotum.

Morphological variability is common in this species, especially regarding the number of pronotal spines. It can differ considerably among individuals, usually between seven and 11 spines per individual with the majority bearing 8 spines. The spines can also appear in two different forms - either fully developed (1.40 ± 0.15 mm) or they are presented as only minor spines (0.59 ± 0.24 mm) (Kocarek et al., 2015).

Bearing numerous spines on their pronotum, they give off a mystical and alien-like appearance especially in macrophotography. Hence, it is no wonder that it has become a favourite subject among nature enthusiasts and wildlife photographers venturing in the pristine rainforests of Borneo.

As with other Tetrigidae species, D. belzebuth feeds on small plants such as mosses and algae. This species is a master in camouflaging when they rest on mossy rocks, tree barks or forest grounds due to their body colour and shape (Tan & Wahab, 2018). Mosses that are entangled in between the spiny projections and punctures on the surface of their bodies could further aid in their camouflaging (Ito & Mohamed, 2001).

Detailed study of taxonomic revision by Kocarek et al. (2015) synonymised two species which are D. adenanii Mahmood, Idris & Salmah, 2007 and D. armatus Costa, 1864 as D. belzebuth. Nevertheless, research on this species and other Tetrigidae especially on behavioural and ecological aspects is still lacking and in need of attention.

The purplish-pink flower with obvious long tubular pistil of this weedy plant, at a glance, resembles the 'bunga raya' or Hibiscus that comes from the genus Hibiscus but actually, it belongs to another genus Urena in the same Malvaceae family. Urena Dill. ex L. is a small genus that has only seven species (POWO, 2021). Two of them viz. Urena lobata L. and U. rigida Wall. ex Mast. have been recorded for Peninsular Malaysia. At KEP herbarium, U. lobata is more commonly collected than the latter species.

Urena lobata is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions (POWO, 2021). In certain countries, it is commonly called Congo jute or Caesar's weed and is listed as one of the invasive weeds that spreads fast and displaces native plants (The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2011). In Peninsular Malaysia, fortunately, such invasion has not been reported so far.

Locally, U. lobata is found growing in disturbed forests, sunny roadsides, waste, riparian or swampy areas, and at the edges of forests or rice fields. It is a subshrub from 15 cm to 1.5 m tall. The leaves are narrowly or broadly ovate, 5-13 cm in diameter, and the young leaves are sometimes lanceolate with the margin entire or 3-5-lobed.

The fruit of this species is called a schizocarp (a dry fruit that splits into single-seeded parts when ripe), 8-12 mm in diameter and the shape is depressed-globose. It has 5 mericarps and each of them is trigonous with a rounded angle. The mericarps are covered with densely stellate hairs and glochidiate (hooked) spines. The hooked spines on the fruits can easily attach or stick to the fur of animals or human clothing upon contact, similar to sticky glutinous rice. Thus, U. lobata is locally called 'pulut-pulut' or 'pepulut' in Malay.

Despite its status as a weed, this species is commercially planted as a fibre crop in some regions of South America, South East Asia and tropical Africa for making carpets and ropes (Austin, 1999; Francis, 2000; Baert & Raemaekers, 2001; Ong 2001). Other than that, parts of leaves, roots and flowers are reportedly used as traditional medicine in Indo-China, Fiji, Malaysia, Java, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea to treat various ailments such as colic, malaria, gonorrhoea, fever, wounds, toothache and rheumatism (Ong, 2001). The decoction from boiled roots with other mixed herbs is used as a tonic after childbirth in Malaysia (Zakariah & Mohd, 2010).

Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) is a one-stop repository database of National Biodiversity, which provides and facilitates access to information on biodiversity studies and management in Malaysia.

Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) has now completed the Annual Report: Year in Review 2021. This report serves as the MyBIS Annual Work Programmes 2021. It covers the history of MyBIS, current and future plans, modules available on the MyBIS website, the number of records on biodiversity data, the Specimen Collection Center, Citizen Science, MyBIS Bot Telegram, Top 10 Countries visited MyBIS 2020-2021, MyBIS activities, fun facts on MyBIS, MyBIS Publications and Collaborators.

You can download it for free by clicking the link below.

Byttneria Loefl., a former genus of Sterculiaceae s.s., is now placed under subfamily Byttnerioideae in the family Malvaceae (Stevens, 2001 onwards). This pantropical genus with approximately 135 species, is separated from its closely related genus Ayenia L. based on the morphologies of androecium and petals. However, recent phylogenetic analysis showed that Byttneria is paraphyletic (a group of organisms which contains a common ancestor and some, but not all, of the descendants) with Ayenia nested within it (Whitlock & Hale, 2011). This had led to the combination of these two genera into one. Thus, the members of Byttneria have been transferred into Ayenia though the changes have not been widely accepted or validly published, including most species known in Peninsular Malaysia viz. Byttneria curtisii Oliv., B. elegans Ridl., B. jackiana Wall., B. maingayi Mast. and B. mastersii Cristóbal (POWO, 2021; IPNI, 2021).

Byttneria maingayi is distributed in Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Singapore. In Peninsular Malaysia, it has been recorded from Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and Johor. This unarmed liana can be found in both primary and secondary lowland forests, hanging on the trees near forest pathways or roadsides.

This species can be recognized by the leaves which are usually elliptic-oblong, rarely ovate, 9–22 cm long, 3–9 cm wide and glabrous on both surfaces; the petiole is glabrous and much longer up to 10.5 cm long with swollen at both ends; and the bristle on capsule is shorter from 2 to 3 mm long (vs. 5–9 mm long in other Peninsular Malaysian species). The inflorescences are axillary or in lateral along the stem, and the 5–7 flowers arranged in cyme on 2–6 cm long peduncle. The calyx is white, 5-merous, lobes ovate-lanceolate, 4–8 mm long. As shown in the picture, the corolla is yellow, with long, slender tips, and clawed which fold backwards to connect to the base of the calyx lobes, sheltering the stamens. The stamens are five and pale yellow while the ovary is red. The base of calyx and rim of inner corolla lobes are also red.

Byttneria, though this genus has medicinal value potential, is not documented yet for all species found in Peninsular Malaysia. However, medicinal value for certain species in the genus has been recorded elsewhere, for example, Byttneria pilosa Roxb. is used for bone fractures, boils, scabies, rheumatalgia, snake bites, syphilis, elephantiasis, poisoning and eye infection in Bangladesh (Sikder et al., 2022), while different parts of Byttneria herbacea Roxb. are used to treat different disease conditions such as wounds, fractures, cholera, dysentery, leucorrhoea and swelling in India (Sharma & Acharya, 2021).

Byttneria maingayi has been assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) in Singapore (Neo et al., 2014), but has not been evaluated yet for its conservation status in Peninsular Malaysia.

Bersempena dengan Majlis Perhimpunan Bulanan Kementerian Tenaga dan Sumber Asli (KeTSA), pelancaran buku ‘Land Snakes of Medical Significance in Malaysia’ telah dilaksanakan oleh YB Datuk Seri Takiyuddin bin Hassan, Menteri Tenaga dan Sumber Asli, diiringi oleh YB Datuk Ali Biju, Timbalan Menteri Tenaga dan Sumber Asli, YBhg. Datuk Zurinah binti Pawanteh, Ketua Setiausaha Tenaga dan Sumber Asli serta YBrs. Dr Ismail bin Hj Parlan, Ketua Pengarah Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM) yang berlangsung di Dewan Baiduri, Wisma Sumber Asli KeTSA. Turut hadir Ketua-ketua Pengarah bagi semua agensi yang bernaung di bawah KeTSA.

Penerbitan edisi ketiga buku ‘Land Snakes of Medical Significance in Malaysia’ ini merupakan hasil kerjasama antara KeTSA, FRIM, Malaysian Society on Toxinology (MST) dan Remote Envenomation Consultancy Services (RECS). Buku ini merangkumi 36 spesies ular darat, dengan taksonomi terkini, penambahan ikon habitat dan jenis ular berbisa, serta peta taburan bagi setiap ular.

Secara amnya, penerbitan buku ini bertujuan sebagai panduan untuk pengamal perubatan, dan orang awam yang membenarkan mereka mengenal pasti dan menguruskan kecederaan berkaitan ular yang berbisa dan berbahaya. Selain itu, buku ini juga adalah untuk meningkatkan kesedaran tentang keindahan dan kepelbagaian komponen biodiversiti Malaysia.

Buku ini boleh dimuat turun secara percuma pada pautan berikut:
https://www.mybis.gov.my/pb/4588

Neurobasis chinensis also called Common Green Metalwing is a damselfly species that belongs to the Calopterygidae family. Known to be one of the most attractive and stunning odonates due to its metallic green hindwings in males (Choong et al., 2018), N. chinensis was the first metalwing discovered by Linnaeus in 1758 (Orr & Hämäläinen, 2007). The damselfly species from the genus Neurobasis are commonly known as metalwing. Currently, there are two species of Neurobasis in Malaysia which are Neurobasis chinensis and Neurobasis longipes (Long-legged Metalwing). Both of these species can be found in Peninsular Malaysia (Orr, 2005; Orr & Hämäläinen, 2007). However, Common Green Metalwing is absent from Borneo (Orr, 2003).

The Common Green Metalwing is widely distributed in mainland tropical Asia occurring in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra (Orr, 2005; Dow, 2009). This damselfly prefers forested areas with open, swift-running streams, both in the lowlands and mountains. It loves to perch in open areas around rivers that are heavily exposed to sunlight. In addition, it adapts well to secondary and disturbed habitats (Dow, 2009). N. chinensis breeds in forested and semi-woodland streams, which are frequently found on agricultural terrain. Females lay their eggs in river-submerged plants, often between root masses, and sometimes immersing themselves completely for several minutes (Nair, 2011).

Neurobasis chinensis is a moderately broad-winged species with hindwing sizes of 30-36 mm in males and 32-38.5 mm in females (Orr & Hämäläinen, 2007). Most part of the male's hindwing is iridescent green while 3/10th part at the ends appears blackish-brown. The hindwing also consists of hyaline (clear or transparent) area at the base, usually one cell row of hyaline cells. Some of the male's hindwing can also appear with mixture of green and blue depending on the angle of light.

The females can be distinguished from the males by hyaline forewings and hindwings with pale brownish veins on both wings. The membrane of the hindwings is slightly darker brown than the forewings. Each of the wings will have notable whitish nodal spots and white pseudo-pterostigmata that are always present at least in the hindwings and sometimes on the forewings (Orr & Hämäläinen, 2007).

The traits of this species, however, depend on where it is located. For instance, the male’s hindwing from South China to southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia is slightly narrower than Sumatra and Nias (a small island off the coast of Sumatra). Besides, the variation in females is much more obvious. In northern and central parts of Thailand (i.e. Chiang Mai), the membrane of the hindwing is distinctly darker brown than the forewing. Meanwhile, the wings are much lighter coloured in the populations of southern Thailand (from Segenting Kra in southern Thailand towards Peninsular Malaysia), with less distinction between the forewings and hindwings (Orr & Hämäläinen, 2007).

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Common Green Metalwing has been categorised as Least Concern (Dow, 2009). Although this species can survive in disturbed areas and also on agricultural land, it could be facing some threats from human activities such as deforestation, which might degrade its aquatic habitat. For example, in Singapore, this species is considered extinct because all the suitable habitats have been destroyed (Ngiam & Cheong, 2016). Therefore, we should take early precautions to protect this species from becoming extinct for future generation.

Odontomachus rixosus Smith, 1857, belongs to the genus Odontomachus, subfamily of Ponerinae and tribe Ponerini (Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014) is a forest species that widely distributed throughout tropical Asia and can be found in the forest of Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. The name Odontomachus derived from the Ancient Greek which literal meaning of odonto is “tooth” and machus means “thrower” due to the presence of its prominent mandibles.

The elongated mandible is massive and lies nearly parallel to the head when fully closed and usually held open to about 180° in ready position. The genus Odontomachus is known as trap-jaw ants due to their predatory mandible strike. The powerful and rapid mandible strike has been recorded to be the fastest self-powered predatory strike in the animal kingdom at 35 to 64 meters per second (Gronenberg, 1995).

Odontomachus rixosus worker morphology are broad pyriform head with eyes situated far apart on lateral side. The petiolar node is conical, with sharply pointed apical spine. The body when observe at the lateral view is relatively slender and long. Like all ants, O. rixosus are eusocial insects which mean that the ants live in a cooperative group called a colony and most of the individual aid the reproductive members or the queens for the success of reproduction. Their colony is polygynous, which means it is reigned by multiple dealate queens of average 25 queens in a single colony (Ito et al., 1996). Queens are responsible not just for egg-laying and egg-care, but also for larval and pupal care, nest wall maintenance, and nest cleaning. They are also capable of foraging outside the nest and bring the caught prey inside the nest chamber.

This ant species is commonly found within the rainforest of South East Asian region. In Malaysia, this ant species has been found inhabits primary, secondary forests and also has been recorded to be present at plantations adjacent to forested areas in lowlands. This species typically nests and forage under leaf litter, in the soil near the base of living trees, and under rotten logs and stumps. O. rixosus are efficient solitary predators and they are generalist predators of arthropods, particularly termites since it is found abundant around their nests (Schmidt & Shattuck 2014). The ants may strike prey items multiple times using their mandible to break up large items into more manageable fragments. Since ants are recognized as important predator in most terrestrial communities, O. rixosus might play important role for pest management in decimating the small arthropods number.

The Stump-tailed Macaque or Bear Macaque (Macaca arctoides) locally known as Beruk Kentoi in Malay is an Old-World Monkey native to Cambodia, southwestern China, northeastern India, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam (Chetry et al., 2020). In Malaysia, this species is particularly known to inhabit the state of Perlis which is located in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia (Syamil et al., 2019; Roos et al., 2014). The only protected area in Peninsular Malaysia where this species can be found is Wang Kelian in Perlis State Park (Jayaraj et al., 2013). This macaque can be found in the broadleaf evergreen forest of tropical and subtropical regions where it inhabits high areas up to 2,000 m in primary or secondary forest (Cawthon-Lang, 2005; Francis & Barrett, 2008).

Macaca arctoides has some special features that distinguish it from other Macaca species. The babies are born with white hair, and becomes darker as they grow older. This species has long, thick dark brown fur that cover their bodies, except for the tail and face. Its tail is shorter than other species of the genus Macaca, measuring between 32 to 69 mm long. Its face is bright pink or red which becomes darken to brown or almost black as this spesies get older and are exposed to sunlight (Cawthon-Lang, 2005). What is special about Beruk Kentoi is that as they grow older, this macaque species will experience hair loss to become partially bald which starts at the forehead and advance towards the middle of their head. This process is similar to the process of hair loss that occurs in males for humans, but the process experienced by this macaque is happening to both sexes, male and female species (Uno et al., 1967).

Furthermore, the male species of M. arctoides is larger than the female species, measuring between 517 to 650 mm in height while the female has an average height between 485 to 585 mm (Cawthon-Lang, 2005). The skull of a female is slightly smaller than a male. If viewed from the front angle of the female forehead bone is not wide and the forehead bone is smaller than the male species. Like all other macaques, M. arctoides also have sacs on their cheeks to store food for short periods of time (Cawthon-Lang, 2005).

M. arctoides mainly spend most of their time foraging and traveling on the ground, as they are not very agile on the trees. They are also known to occasionally climb trees in searching for foods. Adult males are more often found in a tall tree to guard and watch over the troop from any danger. If disturbed, the species usually escape on the ground and through the undergrowth, but occasionally may climb trees (Francis & Barrett, 2008; Fooden, 1990). Compared to other macaques, this species does not know how to swim (Fooden, 1990) and its lifespan is up to 30 years (Cawthon-Lang, 2005).

Typically, the Stumped-tailed macaque lives in relatively large multimale-multifemale social groups (consisting of more than one adult male and female) with troop size varies from 10 up to 60 individuals. Young males would leave their birth group at or before sexual maturity and immigrate into a new group, while the female would remain in the natal group (Fooden, 1990).

The Stumped-tailed macaque wakes up at about dawn, foraging throughout the morning, and stops a few hours before midday for rest and grooming. They continue searching for foods in the evening until sunset where they settled into their sleeping sites which usually be trees or cliffs (Cawthon-Lang, 2005; Fooden, 1990). Their daily estimated distances are between two to three kilometers. This species mainly feed on fruits and plant parts (Fooden, 1990; Sorenson, 2018; Osman et al., 2020). They also eat insects, freshwater crabs, birds, and bird's eggs when available (Fooden, 1990; Sorenson, 2018).

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Stumped-tailed macaque has been assessed as Vulnerable (VU). This species is becoming rare in Malaysia and neighboring Thailand. Globally, this species is regulated by CITES Appendix II (CITES, 2015) and also protected under Malaysia Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act. 716). This macaque species is threatened due to hunting for food, trade, sport, and traditional medicine, habitat loss caused by logging, and infrastructure development. Thus, among the solutions to increase the populations of this species are by increasing education programs, highlighting the status of threatened species in these areas, and also implementation of better enforcement in forest protection and conservation.

Nycticebus coucang commonly known as Sunda Slow Loris or Greater Slow Loris. It is also referred by local as Kera Duku or Kongkang. It is a mammal that constitutes Family Lorisidae and belongs to Order Primates (Francis, 2019). This species has been recorded in Indonesia (Sumatra); Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia); Singapore and Thailand (Nekaris et al., 2020; Roos et al., 2014). The subspecies, Nycticebus coucang insularis, has been rediscovered at Tioman Island (Rovie-Ryan et al., 2018). In addition, Malaysian Sunda Slow Loris has also been characterized genetically at subspecies and species level to portray systematic relationships toward its sister taxon (Rovie-Ryan et al., 2019; Md-Zain et al., 2019).

The Sunda Slow Loris can be recognized by having grey-brown to reddish-brown pelage with a broad, darker-coloured stripe running down their back to the top of the head, which branches into four lines connecting to the eyes ears (Francis, 2019). It also possesses large eyes with a dark-coloured ring around each eye. The large eyes provide increased visual acuity to this mainly nocturnal primate. Moreover, it also has only stubs and hidden beneath the slow loris dense fur. Like other primates, it also has hand and feet that can grasp, digits with nails and both eyes on the front of the face (Francis, 2019). The range of head to body length of the Sunda Slow Loris is around 26-30 cm and can attain weights ranging from 375 grams to 900 grams (Francis, 2019).

The Sunda Slow Loris is mostly solitary; social contact is rare and these animals are arboreal, mostly inhabiting small to medium-sized trees in secondary forests. It also has been found in gardens as well as plantations. Wirdateti et al. (2005) reported that N. coucang prefers trees such as ficus and bamboo with tight arrangement of intertwining branches and vines that may provide some protection from predators and facilitates climbing. Furthermore, the roaming area of home ranges varies, probably due to habitat differences; adults inhabit overlapping ranges of 0.004 to 0.25 km² (Wiens, 2002).

Nycticebus coucang consumes a wide variety of foods such as fruits, leaves, flower, nectars, gum, saps, stems, and occasionally insects (Wirdateti et al., 2005; Wiens et al., 2006). The remainder of its diet consists of assorted items, such as snails and bird eggs (Francis, 2019; Weins et al., 2006). The common name “slow loris” probably was applied because of it’s unhurried movement and the absence of leaping or jumping, as is commonly seen in other primates (Ishida et al., 1992). Although its has a high-energy diet , the Sunda Slow Loris has a slow metabolism. The low metabolism may be partly related to energy costs of detoxifying certain secondary plant compounds in many genera of plants that are consumed (Wiens et al., 2006).

The Sunda Slow Loris also has been termed a “unique primate”, as some authors have declared it “venomous” (Nekaris et al., 2013). It produces an oily secretion from brachial glands on the insides of its elbows (Phillipps & Phillips, 2016). This secretion has been hypothetically considered to have variously: a defensive function; a means to remove ectoparasites, and/or have a role in conspecific territoriality, and other proposed functions (e.g., see Hagey et al., 2007; Barrett et al., 2021; Nekaris et al., 2020; Grow et al., 2015). Several postures have been associated with the proposed use of this secretion including upper extremity elevation, and anointing the brachial gland secretion with saliva; ‘anointing’ behaviour can include application on the head, or oral retention of the secretion.

In addition, the Sunda Slow Loris also may apply or anoint this secretion while grooming by using a unique structure in it’s lower jaw called a ‘tooth comb’. As a slow loris is grooming, the branchial gland secretion can reportedly be transferred to offspring as well (Alterman, 1991; Nekaris et al., 2013). Some authors have asserted that the Sunda Slow Loris secretion functions as a “venom”; however, other authors have questioned whether there is sufficient evidence to support “venom function” in this species (e.g., Weinstein et al., 2013) especially because of the lack of evidence supporting a defensive role of this secretion (e.g., several predators including orang-utans and pythons actively prey on N. coucang, e.g., Utami & van Hooff, 1997). The secretion reportedly only becomes toxic once mixed with the saliva (Alterman, 1991). This primate is typically non-aggressive and only bite when they feel very threatened. Humans bitten by Nycticebus most commonly experience local effects including pain; however, the secretion contains a protein with notable similarity to a domestic cat allergen, Fel d-1 (this is the major allergen in cats), and some bitten persons develop life-threatening anaphylaxis (e.g., Wilde, 1972; Utap & Mohd Jamal, 2019; Inoue et al., 2021). This also may occur in susceptible persons after bites from a wide variety of animals and is not consistent with “envenoming” (Weinstein et al., 2013). Slow loris bites can cause moderately local pain in humans (Krane et al., 2003; Matthew et al., 2018), which may heal slowly. There were approximately 10 cases of N. coucang bites in human consulted to the Remote Evenomation Consultancy Services (RECS) in Malaysia from 2013 to 2021. These bite incidences were recorded in Johor, Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Sarawak and Sabah. All involved accidental bites from handling with unprotected hands causing moderate to severe pain. The ‘allergic’ reaction symptoms appears within a few minutes after the bite such as swelling of eyes and face, hoarseness of voice, shortness of breath and urticarial rash. Patients may present with signs of anaphylactic shock at the emergency department. These signs and symptoms reasolved following the standard treatment for acute anaphylaxis i.e. intravenous fluids, adrenaline, antihistamines and steroids. No death has been recorded from the bite of N. couchang in Malaysia.

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, this primate is categorized as Endangered and totally protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010. In addition to the increasingly recognised impact of the pet trade, slow loris populations are also declining (probably more significantly) because of escalating habitat destruction as forests are destroyed for farms, roads and human settlements (Nekaris et al., 2020). The fragmentation of the forests cause broken habitat continuity that may restrict species dispersal because of the species reliance on continuous canopy cover in order to move from tree to tree. Therefore, appropriate conservation measures such as an awareness campaign to expand awareness of the importance of Sunda Slow Loris conservation and sustainable forest management is essential to help recovery of this endangered and less known mammal. It is also advisable not to keep Sunda Slow Loris as pets or to handle them with bare hands. It is important to seek urgent medical help if bitten.

Download the latest issue of Conservation Malaysia HERE.

Articles in this issue:

• Botanical Discoveries of Gunung Sarut, Terengganu
• Unveiling the Beautiful Gesneriads of Sarut Forest, Terengganu
• A Glimpse of the Trees Along the Trail of Gunung Sarut
• Thismia in Hulu Nerus Forest Reserve
• Spying on the private life of the Tortoise Shell Begonia (Begonia kingiana)

We welcome articles on new research information on flora or fauna and discussions related to biodiversity or conservation.

Please send articles to:

The Editor,
Conservation Malaysia Bulletin,
Forest Research Institute Malaysia,
52109 Kepong, Selangor.
(attn.: Dr. Chan Yoke Mui, yokemui@frim.gov.my or Ms. Ong Su Ping, ongsuping@frim.gov.my)

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Black Velvetwing or scientifically known as Dysphaea dimidiata is a moderate-sized damselfly with a hindwing length of 31 mm. This species belongs to the order Odonata in the family Euphaeidae. It has a quite heavily built body where the whole body and parts of its wings are in dark blue and will display a beautiful iridescent blue colour on its wings at a certain angle under the sun. The females have a different appearance from the males which is rather dull with yellowish-brown colour (Choong et al., 2017).

In general, Anisoptera (dragonflies) and Zygoptera (damselflies) have an almost identical appearance at a glance. However, there are some characteristics that separate between the two, which one of them is the position of the wings during perching. Zygoptera shows two perching modes; one with closed wings and another one with open wings. Most species of Zygoptera perch with closed wings, but species in 43 genera of eight families at least occasionally, in most cases usually, perch with open wings (Paulson, 2004); for example Dysphaea dimidiata.

According to Paulson (1981), he spotted one of the Dysphaea males with its wings opened, depressing the wings at an angle below the horizontal, which is very much as in the position adopted by many libellulids at rest. This open wing perching behaviour is quite extraordinary for damselfly species (Choong et al., 2017).

The Black Velvetwing is a widely distributed species. It occurs at many localities including many protected areas, occupying a broad range of lowland forest stream habitats, and it is tolerant to disturbance from commercial logging activities (Dow, 2020). This damselfly species prefers shady, stagnant and slow-flowing forest streams and rivers in lowland areas (Izzat-Husna & Ahmad, 2014). It is widespread in Sundaland and Thailand (Orr, 2005). Currently, the Black Velvetwing is categorised as Least Concern (LC) under the IUCN Red List. However, it is believed to be extinct in Singapore (Tang et al., 2010).

Shorea is the biggest genus in the family of Dipterocarpaceae and is divided into several main groups i.e., Balau, Temak Batu, Meranti pa’ang, Meranti Damar hitam and Red Meranti. Shorea siamensis is the only species in the Temak Batu group. Previously, this species was placed in its own genus, Pentacme.

Shorea siamensis inhabits the deciduous forests of Burma, Indochina, Thailand and Malaysia. In Malaysia, it is restricted to the northern part of the peninsula i.e., in Perlis coast and Langkawi Island. Shorea siamensis is xerophilous; it can adapt and survive in a dry climate and habitat. The conservation status of this species in the IUCN Red List and the Malaysia Plant Red List is Least Concern (Ashton et al., 1998; Chua et al., 2010).

The field characteristics of Shorea siamensis are quite variable according to its geographical habitat. Thus, some characteristics described might occur only to species found in Malaysia. A densely pubescent form of this species was recorded in Burma and Thailand (Symington et al., 2004). The trees of S. siamensis in Malaysia are usually small with trunk diameter of less than 1 m and normally have wide crowns. The trunk is usually gnarled with fissured bark, and small buttresses may be present. The leaf is ovate-rotundate, about 12 × 9 cm with a sub-cordate base and acuminate apex. The twig is slender and smooth when mature. The flowers are beautiful, about 2 cm wide and the petals are creamy white. The fruits have 2 major and 3 minor wings. Mature fruits are about 12 x 1.5 cm.

Temak Batu, the vernacular name for this species, refers to the density and compact texture of its timber. In the northern part of the peninsula, the word Temak is used by the locals to name certain Shorea spp. such as Shorea roxburghii which is known as meranti temak nipis and S. hypochra as meranti temak. Batu means stone that signifies the characteristic of its timber which is hard and compact. It is monospecific and categorised as hard to very hard and heavy timber (MTC, n.d.). As the locality of this species is confined to Malaysia and it is hard to obtain a long log because the stem is usually twisted, Temak Batu has little economic importance although the timber is almost the same quality as Balau.

Trees of Shorea siamensis were planted as living collections at the Dipterocarp Arboretum of FRIM, Kepong. These ex-situ trees flower almost annually, usually starting in December, and fruit from January to Mac. Based on author’s personal observations, the intensity of fruiting and flowering of these trees in the Dipterocarp Arboretum, between December 2020 and April 2021, was about 50% higher than that of from the end of 2019 to early 2020. This might be in accordance with the mass flowering event that occurred this year.

13 Oktober 2021 – FRIM dan Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) telah menganjurkan ‘Webinar Protokol Pemantauan Biodiversiti di bawah Projek Improving Connectivity in the Central Forest Spine Landscape (IC-CFS)’ pada 28 September lalu.

Webinar yang dihadiri 30 kakitangan Jabatan Perhutanan dan Jabatan PERHILITAN Negeri Perak, Pahang dan Johor ini telah dirasmikan oleh Dr. Lillian Chua Swee Lian, Pengarah Bahagian Biodiversiti Hutan FRIM.

Webinar ini bertujuan meningkatkan pengetahuan dan kemahiran para peserta mengenai protokol pemantauan biodiversiti di dalam landskap Central Forest Spine (CFS).

Protokol pemantauan biodiversiti yang dibentangkan melibatkan lapan kumpulan berfungsi iaitu mamalia besar, mamalia kecil, herpetofauna, semut, kupu-kupu, kumbang najis, pokok dan tumbuhan herba serta kaedah reka bentuk persampelan.

Barisan panel dan topik-topik yang dibentangkan adalah seperti berikut:

En. Mohammad Shahfiz Azman
Focal Officer IC-CFS FRIM & Ketua Cawangan Zoologi, FRIM
Pn. Nor Hazwani Ahmad Ruzman
Pegawai Penyelidik Cawangan Zoologi, FRIM
“Protokol Pemantauan Mamalia Kecil di dalam Landskap CFS”

Pn. Tan Cheng Cheng
Penolong Projek ICCFS PERHILITAN
“Protokol Pemantauan Mamalia Besar di dalam Landskap CFS”

En. Kaviarasu a/l Munian
Pegawai Penyelidik Cawangan Zoologi, FRIM
“Protokol Pemantauan Herpetofauna di dalam Landskap CFS”

Dr. Phon Chooi Khim
Pegawai Penyelidik Cawangan Entomologi, FRIM
“Protokol Pemantauan Kupu-kupu di dalam Landskap CFS”

Pn. Nur Zati Akma Mustafa
Pegawai Penyelidik Cawangan Entomologi, FRIM
“Protokol Pemantauan Semut dan Kumbang Najis di dalam Landskap CFS”

Pn. Siti Eryani Suterisno
Pegawai Penyelidik Cawangan Pemuliharaan dan Biodiversiti Informatik, FRIM
“Protokol Pemantauan Pokok dan Tumbuhan Herba di dalam Landskap CFS”

Pn. Wendy Yong Sze Yee
Pegawai Penyelidik Cawangan Pemuliharaan dan Biodiversiti Informatik, FRIM
“Reka Bentuk Persampelan bagi Pemantauan Biodiversiti di dalam Landskap CFS”

Para peserta mengambil kesempatan untuk berinteraksi bersama para panel bagi membincangkan kaedah-kaedah yang terlibat di bawah protokol pemantauan biodiversiti di dalam landskap CFS ini serta kepentingan perlaksanaanya kepada usaha pemuliharaan biodiversiti negara.

As a young field ecologist, witnessing a Shorea leprosula flower fall with minute flowers carpeting the forest floor was truly one of the memorable highlights, considering this magnificent tree flowers only once every few years.

The genus Shorea is named after Sir John Shore, the governor-general of the British East India Company (1793-1798) while the epithet leprosula is derived from the Latin word leprosulus, referring to the appearance of the domatia (Ashton, 2004).

Shorea leprosula is locally and commercially known as meranti tembaga and seraya tembaga, but is more popularly known as meranti tembaga (Wong, 2002). 'Tembaga' means copper in Malay, referring to the yellowish crown of the mature trees (Symington et al., 2004).

Shorea leprosula is a late successional tree that can grow up to 60 m in height and 1.5 m in diameter with buttressing up to 2 m tall. It has a tall and cylindrical bole with deep and wide v-section fissures on its bark. The ovate-oblong leaf blade measures 8-14 x 3.5-5.5 cm with an obtuse or broadly acuminate leaf base. The flowers are small and measure up to 6 x 3 mm with pale yellow petals (Ashton, 2004).

The distribution of Shorea leprosula spans from Peninsular Thailand, throughout the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, to Borneo (Symington et al., 2004). This tree is economically important as a versatile timber to make furniture, skirtings, mouldings, flooring, panelling and many others (Malaysian Timber Council, n.d.). The Standard Malaysian Name for the timber group Shorea spp. is Light Red Meranti.

Presently, the global conservation status for this species is Near Threatened (NT) while at local level, the status is Least Concern (LC) (Pooma & Newman, 2017; Chua et al., 2010; Yong et al., 2021).

Blue Bronzeback or known scientifically as Dendrelaphis cyanochloris is classified under the family Colubridae. Frank Wall was the first to describe it in 1921. It is also known as Wall’s Bronzeback. This species is often confused with Dendrelaphis formosus (Elegant Bronzeback) as the color and pattern are almost similar. The Blue Bronzeback can be differentiated from the Elegant Bronzeback by having black stripe which starts immediately in front of the eye and extends onto the neck only. The Blue Bronzeback has smaller eyes compared to Elegant Bronzeback, and lacks three narrow, black lines posteriorly present on the latter snake. Apart from that, one can easily observe vivid blue of interstitial skin (skin between scales) when the snake inflated its body in defense.

Besides its enticing beautiful form, it is also a nimble creeper, diurnal and arboreal reptile that hunts on birds, lizards and frogs for its diet. The snake is able to grow up to 1.5 meter. The species is classified as non-venomous snake and able to lay eggs up to 5 at a time. Both hatchling and juvenile are resembled to its adult.

Blue bronzeback can be found in lowland primary and mature secondary forests up to 1000 meters above sea level. It is distributed from India through Burma and Thailand to Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. The recent discovery of the species Dendrelaphis ngansonensis indicated that it might belong to D. cyanochloris complex (Jiang et al., 2020). However, there are confusions existing between several species of Genus Dendrelaphis that require further study to answer the true distribution of each species (Lazell, 2002; Lim & Cheong, 2011; Geissler et al., 2011).

The individual in the picture is the first record of occurrence in Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) Campus. FRIM has home for almost 48 snake species in its forest although most of the forested areas are actually planted. Currently, the population of Blue Bronzeback is stable and classified as Least Concern (LC) under IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Calling for all animal lovers

It's time for all animal lovers to show us your extraordinary pets because October 4 is World Animal Day and we're organising a video contest. So show us your adorable pets video and get a chance to win an exclusive book and special gifts from MyBIS.

Theme: My Extraordinary Pets

The participant must upload the video on social media and tag MyBIS Facebook and/or Twitter accounts.

A copy of the video must be sent to hello@mybis.gov.my with the following details:

Name :

Age :

Phone No. :

Facebook/Twitter Username :

Terms and Condition:

1. This contest is only open to 18 years old and above. Participants must have Facebook or Twitter account.
2. Contest Period: Starting 1^st September 2021 until 31^st September 2021
3. The video does not exceed 60 seconds.
4. A brief synopsis of the video MUST include in the caption.
5. Every participant can only upload ONE video in MP4 format.
6. Participants need to 'Like' and 'Follow' official account MyBIS Facebook and Twitter Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (@mybisgovmy)
7. The entry MUST include any elements that relate to the Theme with a fun fact and also can create awareness about the animals. Videos MUST reveal your pets.
8. All entries MUST be original works by the participant, with no parts or elements taken from any other work or resource.
9. Entries MUST not have been submitted to any other contests/competition/film festival before.
10. Copies of the video must be sent to hello@mybis.gov.my with the details: Full Name, Age, Phone Number, Email and Facebook/Twitter Username.
11. The top three (3) winners will get ONE book published by MyBIS and five (5) consolation prizes to the finalists.
12. The winners will be notified by telephone/e-mail as well as through MyBIS social media by 4^th October 2021.
13. Entries that are sexually explicit, pornographic, defamatory, dangerous, offensive, or otherwise include improper content or objectionable material should not be submitted, and the organiser retains the right to request that the competitor eliminate the submission.
14. The organiser reserves the right to withhold the prize or disqualify any contestant’s entry if any contestant fails or refuses to comply with this Contest’s Terms & Condition.
15. By participating in this contest, all contestants and their parents or legal guardians are deemed to have accepted and agreed to be bound by these Terms & Conditions.
16. MyBIS reserves the right to amend the Terms & Conditions contained herein, wholly or in part at any time, and to end the contest earlier or extend it further at its absolute discretion without notifying the contestants.

The entries will be judged equally based on (A) Creativity; (B) Originality; (C) Appropriateness to the Theme and highest engagement on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter (comments, likes, and shares).

Hurry up and let's join this video contest today!

If you have any inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us via hello@mybis.gov.my

The Sunda flying lemur or Sunda colugo (Kubong) is one of the species from the family Cynocephalidae (Colugos). This species usually has grey fur with extensive black-and-white markings, but some individuals have tinged reddish-brown or reddish-brown fur with light buff or orange markings (Francis, 2019). The fur colour blends in with the tree trunks and environment, making it exceptionally well camouflaged to stay hidden from predators such as Changeable hawk-eagle (Lim, 2007; Dzulhelmi, 2013). The adult Sunda colugo has about 33-42 cm head-body length and weighed around 0.925-1.7 kg (Francis, 2019). It has large eyes with excellent night vision, small ears and a pointed snout. Their legs are relatively long and equipped with long, sharp claws on toes that help them grip the tree trunks or branches.

Besides that, the Sunda colugo is an accomplished glider with a more extensive gliding membrane than the flying squirrels (Panyitina et al., 2015). The fur-covered gliding membrane called patagium extends from its neck to fingertips, stretching along both sides of the body to hind toes and enclosing its tail (Panyitina et al., 2015; Francis, 2019). This animal initiates glide at high velocities for about 10 ms^-1 with a leaping range of around 5 m and travels at an extensive distance of approximately 145 m (Dzulhelmi, 2013). This, in turn, reduces travel time searching for good food sources and increases locomotion efficiency to escape threats or predators if encountered (Dzulhelmi, 2013).

Generally, the Sunda colugo can be found throughout Southeast Asia, ranging from southern Myanmar, southern Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Bali and many smaller Indonesian islands (Corbet & Hill, 1992; Ruggeri & Etterson, 1998; Stafford, 2005; Francis, 2019). Colugo populations from Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra are genetically and morphologically different (Jane?ka et al., 2008; Mason et al., 2016). Therefore, researchers have suggested that colugos may include four to eight other species (Jane?ka et al., 2008; Mason et al., 2016). In Malaysia, the Sunda colugo can be found in 27 (Peninsular Malaysia), 11 (Sabah) and 34 (Sarawak) locations from various states and divisions (Dzulhelmi & Abdullah, 2010). It can be found in primary and secondary forests from lowland to upland forests, mountainous areas, mangroves forest, peat swamp forest, tree plantations (e.g. rubber and coconut plantations), orchards (e.g. old durian fruit orchard) and gardens (Lim, 1967; Hill, 1993; Yasuma & Andau, 2000; Feldhamer et al., 2003; Ketol et al., 2006; Abdullah et al., 2010; Francis, 2019).

This strictly arboreal mammal is mainly nocturnal. During the day, the Sunda colugo roost primarily on the tree trunks or tree holes, generally high up, but sometimes can be found to roost as close to the forest ground (about 1.5 m) on the tree trunks (Dzulhelmi, 2013). This animal is usually seen in an upright posture on a tree trunk or hanging in an inverted pose beneath tree branches (Dzulhelmi, 2013). At dusk, it becomes active, mainly foraging in tree canopies and at the end of branches to feed (Dzulhelmi, 2013). It feeds primarily on leaves, especially the young leaves, and additionally on flowers, buds, shoots, sap and fruits such as rambai fruits (Baccaurea motleyana) (Lim, 2007; Ketol et al., 2006; Dzulhelmi & Abdullah, 2009). Occasionally, it also feeds on ants (Dzulhelmi & Abdullah, 2009). Due to its diets, this species may play an essential role in seed dispersal and flower pollination (Burnie & Wilson, 2001).

Moreover, the Sunda colugo is usually found solitary either during the day or night (Dzulhelmi, 2013). Despite that, this animal does live with several other individuals within the same area, forming a set of social structure that consists of one male with few females (about 2-4 individuals) and infants (about 1-2 individuals in any) (Dzulhelmi, 2013). The female often carries a single young which clings underneath its body. Besides, the Sunda colugo also communicates with each other (Dzulhelmi, 2013). Apart from audible calls, this species also uses ultrasound to communicate with each other and avoid predators' detection (Miard et al., 2018). Colugos are believed one of the hosts for lentiviruses that may cause chronic diseases such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (Hron et al., 2014).

The Sunda colugo is categorized as the least concern (LC) by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Boeadi & Steinmetz, 2008). This species is also classified as a totally protected species by the Malaysian Wildlife Conservation Act (WCA) 2010. However, this species' population is threatened by the rapid loss of forested habitat (Boeadi & Steinmetz, 2008). Therefore, it is crucial to protect this precious animal and its habitats and appreciate its roles in sustaining our natural environments.

Cycadaceae (Cycads) family is a dioecious (male and female reproductive structures on different plants), palm-like tree that can grow up to 12 m tall. The family is represented by a single genus known as Cycas. Currently, there are 120 accepted species (The World List of Cycads, 2021) with 4 of them recorded in Peninsular Malaysia i.e, Cycas cantafolia (locally known as Paku lagu and Paku Mas in Temuan tribe), Cycas clivicola, Cycas edentata (Paku Laut in Malay) and Cycas macrocarpa (Bogak in Malay) (Jutta, 2012).

The epithet for the species clivicola is derived from the Latin words 'clivis' meaning a cliff and 'cola' meaning a dweller as this plant usually grows on cliffs. In 1999, K.D. Hill described Cycas clivicola to two subspecies namely C.clivicola subsp. clivicola and subsp. lutea.

C. clivicola subsp. clivicola is known as Paku Aji in Malay. This subspecies is distributed in Southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia especially in Kedah, Perlis and Perak. It is restricted to inland and offshore limestone, usually on cliffs, where it directly grows on a rock or wedged into crevices and cracks (Jutta, 2012; Yong et al., 2021).

This tree can grow up to 7 m in height with a prostrate-pendulous to pendulous stem with 60 cm in diameter at the base where it is conspicuously enlarged and bulbous. The bark is light grey with a honeycomb-like pattern, smooth and becomes deeply fissured as it ages. It can produce up to 50 or more leaves per tree. The young leaves are covered with woolly, pale yellow hairs that are shed eventually as the leaves uncurl. Each leaf has about 20-60 cm long petiole, 40-140 cm long rachis and 30-100 pairs of linear-shaped pinnae. The pinnae are stiffly coriaceous (resembling the texture of leather), shiny to glaucous green above (especially in younger leaves) and paler beneath. The pinnae also have flat margins with notable midribs above and below (Jutta, 2012).

The cycads family is known to produce the largest sperm and ovules in the plant kingdom. Male plants produce male cones while the females produce female cones consisting of leafy-like structures called megasporophylls. The megasporophylls are not organised into true cones; instead they are arranged spirally in a loose or dense grouping around the stem apex.

A male cone of C. clivicola subsp. clivicola is pale yellow, ellipsoid (measuring about 68 cm long with 17.5 cm in diameter) and shortly stalked. The male cone consists of many spathulate, pale yellow microsporophylls containing closely arranged pollen sacs (microsporangia) that cover about three-quarters of the surface. Meanwhile, the female cone forms a closed-type cone where the individual megasporophylls remain erect and form a tight overlapping structure similar to a cabbage-like head. The cone is covered with soft, yellow-brown silky hair throughout and each megasporophyll carries 1-4 ovules (Jutta, 2012).

Cycads are generally traded as ornamental plants, resulting in decreasing wild populations of some species, i.e. Cycas edentata and Cycas clivicola subsp. clivicola. In the Malaysia Red List, C. clivicola subsp. clivicola is considered as Endangered (Yong et al., 2021) due to overharvesting for commercial trading as an ornamental plant (Jutta, 2012). However, the species is globally listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Hill, 2010).

This webinar is co-organised by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (KeTSA), FRIM, and MyBIS. This webinar session will bring a special panel from FRIM, Mr. Shahfiz Azman, Head of Zoology Branch to discuss the landscape conservation approach for wildlife in Malaysia, including future planning, management, and conservation efforts.

Details of the webinar are as follows:-

Date: 13 August 2021 (Friday)
Time: 3.00 pm

Participation is free and limited to 100 attendees. Registered participants will receive the Zoom link after registration and an e-cert after the webinar. Therefore, secure a place quickly by scanning the QR code on the poster or click the link below:

https://forms.gle/jtenrRLuKRFgk7eX9

Ardea alba, commonly known as Great White Egret or Great Egret was first described by Linnaeus in the year 1758. Previously, it was classified under the genus Casmerodius as C. albus (Sibley & Monroe 1990, 1993), but recently Hoyo and Collar (2014) revised its genus and placed it under the genus Ardea. The four subspecies of Ardea alba are classified according to a different region where populations in the southern Palearctic (from central Europe to Russian Far East) known as A. alba, while A. modesta population are distributed in India to northeastern China and Japan to Australia. In addition, the subspecies A. melanoryncha is recorded in Africa, and Madagascar and A. egretta found in North and South America.

Compared to other egret groups, this species has a much larger body size. The wingspan of this bird can reach up to 145 cm, and the body length ranges from 94 cm to 104 cm. It has a long S-shaped neck, long leg, white body and a dagger-like bill. The non-breeding adult has a yellow bill with blackish legs, while the breeding adult has a blackish bill and a reddish leg. The juvenile has a similar morphology as the non-breeding adult. In flight, its neck is tucked in, and the legs extend far from its tail.

The species can be found in both freshwater and saltwater habitats such as coastal and inland water bodies, paddy fields and mangroves (del Hoyo et al.,1992). It is a diurnal feeder and commonly active during dawn and dusk in coastal areas where its feeding behavior is influenced by the tide cycle (Kushlan & Hancock, 2005). During hunting, the bird stands still observing its prey, and as its target passes by, it will strike with its bill at an incredible speed. The diets for this species include fishes, frogs, crustaceans, and other small aquatic animals. In drier habitats, lizards, small birds and mammals are some of the choices of its food (del Hoyo et al., 1992).

An average life span of Ardea alba in the wild can be up to 15 years. The populations in the tropics are usually bred in a place (del Hoyo et al., 1992) and sometimes will migrate to another habitat when the rainfall season starts (Brown et al., 1982). Ardea alba usually moves locally in response to breeding or wintering needs. Thus, it is resident or partially migrant species when one fraction of the population is migratory while the others are sedentary (Corrêa et al., 2016). Commonly, the Great Egret starts making its nest when the raining season peaks as the food resources are abundantly available (Kushlan & Hancock, 2005). Great Egret in Palearctic and Nearctic ecozone will begin to migrate when comes its breeding season (Flint et al.,1984; del Hoyo et al., 1992). Kushlan and Hancock (2005) reported that the populations in the temperate region breed in the summer and winter seasons. Once the breeding season over, the bird will migrate to a new breeding site (del Hoyo et al., 1992).

The conservation status for Ardea alba in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Least Concern (LC) due to its extensive distribution range. Besides, the population size is large. Thus, it does not approach the threshold for Vulnerable. However, in the past, Great Egret were highly threatened by hunting for their white feather and used in plume trade. Nowadays, the species suffered from loss and degraded of wetland habitats due to invasions, land reclamations and pollution. Ardea alba is totally protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716) in the second scheduled where hunting is not permitted.

Sterculia foetida L. is distinguished from other Sterculia species recorded in Malaysia by having palmate leaves (Wilkie & Berhaman, 2011). It is popularly known as 'kelumpang jari' in Malay because the leaves look like 'jari' or fingers containing 5-6(-9) leaflets (Francis, 2010). Besides, this species also called kelumpang, kelapung, kayu lepung, kepoh, kepah, giant Sterculia, Java olive, and Poon tree (Abd. Latif et al., 2014; NParks' Publication, 2009). The genus Sterculia, named after the Roman God, Sterculius, the God of privies, and stercus in Latin means faeces (Wilkie & Berhaman, 2011), referring to the foul-smelling flowers of some species in this genus. The species epithet 'foetida' comes from the Latin word, foetidus, which means evil-smelling from the flower's aroma (Wilkie & Berhaman, 2011). The genus Sterculia was originally categorised under the family Sterculiaceae. However, a recent molecular study reclassified the genus under the family Malvaceae (Wilkie et al., 2006).

This deciduous tree can grow up to 30 m tall, and the crown is roughly conical and quite dense (Nparks' Publication, 2009). The bark is grey to brown, fissured to dippled, and lenticellate. The leaves are palmately compound with 5–9 leaflets, clustered towards the ends of twigs, and have leathery blades with long leaf stalks. The flowers are greenish-yellow becoming red at the margin, red in the middle, hairy, 5-lobed and emit an unpleasant odour. The fruits are attractive with 1-5 big red pod-like woody capsules clustered together. Each fruit splits open to reveal approximately 20 purple-black ellipsoid seeds of c. 2.5 cm long and 1.3 cm in diameter (Wilkie & Berhaman, 2011). According to the Malaysia Plant Red List 2010 (Chua et al., 2010), the species has not been evaluated for its conservation status.

Sterculia foetida is mainly found in the coastal area from East Africa to Northern Australia, including Southeast Asia, Malaya, and Pacific Islands (NParks' Publication, 2009). The tree can withstand drought and different soil types. Because of that, it is becoming popular in the urban landscape as a shade plant. Also, the shape of the foliage and fruits of this plant are unique making it attractive to the community. This tree is propagated by seeds. The trunk of this tree is used as lumber in the making of tea chests and packing crates. The leafy branches can be used as livestock feed (Nparks' Publication, 2009). The seeds can be eaten like nuts by roasting or cooking them first and are a source of cooking oil. The bark, leaves and roots are used in traditional medicine, such as for treating fever, broken bones and dislocated joints, and jaundice in babies (Abd. Latif et al., 2014).

Bersempena sambutan Hari Harimau Sedunia 2021 ini, Kementerian Tenaga dan Sumber Asli melalui Jabatan PERHILITAN akan mengadakan sesi webinar bertajuk 'Harimau Malaya: Kelangsungan Hidup Mereka Tanggungjawab Kita Bersama' yang akan dirasmikan oleh YB Datuk Seri Dr. Shamsul Anuar bin Hj Nasarah, Menteri Tenaga dan Sumber Asli melalui aplikasi Zoom atau melalui Facebook Live @ Jabatan PERHILITAN Semenanjung Malaysia seperti ketetapan berikut:

Tarikh: 29 Julai 2021 (Khamis)
Masa: 9.30 pagi

Program ini menampilkan barisan panel seperti:

YBhg. Tan Sri Dato' Seri Abdul Wahid Omar
Pengerusi Bursa Malaysia
"Peranan dan Inisiatif Badan Korporat Dalam Konservasi Harimau Malaya"

YBhg. Prof. Dato' Dr. Tajuddin Abdullah
Profesor Fakulti Perikanan dan Sains Makanan, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
"Kepentingan R&D dan Keperluan Mengukuhkan Kerjasama Strategik Dengan Institusi Pengajian/Penyelidikan Untuk Memastikan Kelangsungan Hidup Harimau Malaya"

Encik Ahmad Azhar bin Mohammed
Pengarah Bahagian Taman Zoologi, Jabatan PERHILITAN
"Isu, Cabaran dan Inisiatif Jabatan PERHILITAN Dalam Memastikan Kelangsungan Hidup Harimau Malaya"

Encik Liang Song Horng
Pengarah Eksekutif, Pertubuhan Pelindung Alam Malaysia (PELINDUNG)
"Penglibatan NGO Dalam Kesedaran Awam dan Kerjasama Komuniti Orang Asli Bagi Memastikan Kelangsungan Hidup Harimau Malaya"

Cik Shakila Zen
Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam (KUASA)
"Ekspektasi dan Sumbangan Generasi Muda Untuk Memastikan Kelangsungan Hidup Harimau Malaya"

This webinar is co-organised by the Kementerian Tenaga dan Sumber Asli (KeTSA), FRIM & The Habitat Foundation, the session will disclose interesting research findings on mass flowering as well as highlight strategies and activities undertaken by various agencies and organisations to ensure collections of seeds for the production of planting materials for forest conservation and restoration.

Scan the QR code on the poster or click on frim.gov.my/webinar to secure a place. Participation is free of charge and limited to 1,000 attendees.

Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) Director General Dr Ismail Parlan will deliver the opening remarks and also serve as the Moderator for this webinar.

The following are the topics to be presented by six panel speakers:

• 'Pattern of flowering in Malaysian Forest: Trend over a 30-year period' by Nashatul Zaimah Noor Azman (Head of Seed Technology Laboratory, FRIM);
• 'Seeds collection for ecosystem restoration' by Mohd. Rizal Sabran (Head of Section, Planting Material Technology, Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia [FDPM]);
• 'General flowering of tropical forest and its implication to forestry in Sabah' by Dr Reuben Nilus (Head of Forest Ecosystem Management Research Programme, Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department);
• 'Managing source of planting materials in governing Sarawak's greening Programme' by Zarina Hj Shebli (Assistant Director, Restoration and Industrial Forest Division (RIFD), Forest Department Sarawak)
• 'Community-powered conservation: A voluntary dipterocarp seed project' by Afzaa Abdul Aziz (Project Manager for Elmina Rainforest Knowledge Centre, Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre [TRCRC]); and
• 'NGO's role towards greening programme through CEPA' by Prof. Dr Ahmad Ismail (President, Malaysian Nature Society [MNS]).

Registered participants will receive the Zoom link before the webinar and an e-cert after the session. For any enquiry or assistance, please contact: urusetia_webinar@frim.gov.my.

The humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) is an endangered coral reef fish belong to the family Labridae. The genus name is derived from Greek word, cheilos meaning lip, while the species epithet is derived from Latin word, undulatus meaning wavy or undulating.

The adults will develop a large hump on forehead that can protrude anterior to eye. The size a mature humphead wrasse can reach up to 2.29 m in total length, and the heaviest fish recorded is 190.5 kg. However, the common total length of male is around 60 cm. The body colour of the humphead wrasse is olive to green with a vertical dark bar on each scale above and behind pectoral fins. The head of the adults are blue-green with highly irregular undulating yellowish lines. Also, the adults have two black lines extending posteriorly from eye. For juvenile, the colouration is lighter to white with dark scale bars and prominent black line extending posteriorly from eyes. Also, the juvenile has two lines extending diagonally up and back from eye and two diagonally downward on snout in front of eye (Carpenter & Niem, 2001).

The humphead wrasse is found broadly distributed in the Indo-Pacific. It can be found living on coral reefs at depths of 5 to 60 m. It is diurnal, active in the day time to search for prey. It diets includes fishes and benthic, hard-shelled, invertebrates such as molluscs and crustaceans (Carpenter & Niem, 2001).

In the market, this species has high retail price and in high demand in Asia. In Malaysia, the price of a frozen humphead wrasse selling online is around RM 135/kg (Catch and Carry Seafood, 2021). Due to high demand, the juvenile and sub-adult of humphead wrasse were seriously overexploits. Therefore, this fish species is being listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) during the 13^th Conference of Paris (COP13) in October 2004 (CITES, 2017). Also, this species is being assessed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

As its name suggests, the bearded pig (Sus barbatus) possesses a unique characteristic different from other species in the Suidae family. There is a 'beard' of bristles along its upper jaws (Meijaard, 2000). This species is classified under Order Cetartiodactyla, comprised of cloven-hoofed animals, and the subspecies Sus barbatus oi is native to Peninsular Malaysia, while Sus barbatus barbatus is endemic to Borneo. Subspecies is the subgroups within a species that have different traits. It appears that the difference between the subspecies falls on their coloration, as S. barbatus barbatus has various shades of brown (Luskin & Ke, 2017).

This species' distinctive characteristic, which is its beard grows longer with age and present in both sexes, but it is mainly pronounced on males. This beard comprised coarse, wavy grey bristles that protrude from their mandibles and across the snout, potentially obscuring their vision with whiskers up to 15 cm long. The tusks are present in both sexes and can grow up to 25 cm long (Luskin & Ke, 2017).

Compared to all extant pigs, the bearded pig has the slimmest torso and longest head, with distinguished two warts on the face. It has a dark brown-gray coat, small eyes, and fairly long ears, which corresponds to its well-developed sense of hearing. The ends of its snout have a mobile disk-shaped structure that bears the nostrils. Their lower canine teeth formed a set of tusks on their nose (Knibbe, 2000).

The bearded pig can be found in the Malay Peninsula, Riau Archipelago, Sulu Archipelago, Sumatra, Bangka, Borneo, Karimata Island, Balabac, and Palawan, along with Calamian islands in the western Phillippines. It inhabits tropical rainforests of all elevations, mangrove thickets, and secondary forests, as well as in disturbed or logged forests (Meijaard & Sheil, 2008; Knibbe, 2000).

Knibbe (2000) states that they use their long snout to dig in the ground for earthworms and roots. It feeds on a large variety of fruits, seeds, soil invertebrates, and grubs. Another one of their feeding behaviour is they follow monkeys and primates' troops to obtain the fallen fruit.

This large mammal species is famous for its migration behaviour, in which they track the mast-fruiting events across Borneo's forests. Dove (1993) stated that the local forests' difference to prolifically fruit trigger the bearded pigs to migrate at a large distance to gain benefits of the temporary abundance of food, as masting in South East Asia usually occurs every 3-7 years. Bearded pigs seek the nuts of the Dipterocarpaceae tree, and they move in huge herds (sometimes more than 1000 individuals), covering hundreds of kilometres. This resource also provides to female and allow them to raise several litters within a year (Leighton & Leighton, 1983; Caldecott & Caldecott, 1985). However, due to habitat loss and fragmentation, this migration can hardly be observed or may have disappeared (Mackinnon et al., 1996). Plus, this species is usually hunted as a food source. “Sinalau bakas” is a smoked bearded pig, a delicacy that is usually sold along the main roads in some parts of Sabah.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List has listed the S. barbatus as Vulnerable (VU). This species is threatened by the habitat loss caused by the rapid deforestation and forest fragmentation throughout their range. Thus, better enforcement in forest protection and conservation will reduce further forest fragmentation, resulting in an increasing rate of declining population trend of this species.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are excited to invite nominations for the 2nd iteration of the Pathfinder Award.

The Award serves as a unique and timely opportunity to showcase best cases of conservation management models and promote solutions that generate co-benefits for all.

With this award, UNDP will celebrate, honour, and support individuals, groups, or organisations for their effective solutions that contribute to the success of protected and conserved areas. The 4 award winners will receive a financial grant of US$ 10,000 and a plaque and certificate of achievement, promotion and visibility, and an invitation to the awards ceremonies. As the gatherings of the three Rio Conventions (CBD COP 15, UNFCCC COP 26 and UNCCD COP 15) are set to take place within 2021 and 2022, winners will be selected in three categories and presented during each of the conferences. All eligible solutions will be published on the PANORAMA – Solutions for a Healthy Planet web platform and be promoted further through the PANORAMA initiative.

The 2021 Pathfinder Award seeks initiatives focused on sites with innovative, integrated approaches to protected and conserved area management that successfully conserve nature while making development gains related to:

(A) Protected and conserved area solutions for innovative and outstanding conservation management practices that preserve human health

(B) Protected and conserved area solutions for innovative and outstanding use of technology for successful nature conservation

(C) Innovative Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for adaptation

(D) Protected and conserved area solutions that contribute to Land Degradation Neutrality

For more information, please click the link below:

https://panorama.solutions/en/news/pathfinder-award-innovation-nature-conservation-nominations-now-open-until-15-july

FRIM in collaboration with UiTM Perlis Branch will organise a webinar entitled, 'Expert Partnership 1.0: Biodiversity in Perlis' on 16 June 2021.

The details of this webinar are as follows:

• Date : 16 June 2021 (Wednesday)
• Time : 09:00 AM Kuala Lumpur
• Medium : Zoom Application

Two interesting presentation topics will be presented, namely:
1) Biological Diversity of Tropical Rainforests by Prof. Dr. Norhayati Ahmad, Head of Biodiversity Heritage Research Program from the Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM); and

2) Latest Knowledge on Flora Diversity in Perlis by Rafidah Abdul Rahman, Research Officer of FRIM's Forest Biodiversity Division who is also the Head of the Kelantan and Perlis Limestone Flora Documentation Project.

Please register by scanning the QR code or participate by clicking the link below:
https://forms.gle/7GCZjTdi2Za1fo1A6

Entry is free and limited to 450 participants via zoom!

CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION and MYSTERY PRIZE await you!!!
Only students who fill in both the questionnaire before and after the webinar will be given a certificate of participation.

In consistent with the themes for the International Day of Biological Diversity and World Environment Day 2021, UNDP is organizing a webinar in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (KeTSA) to contribute to the policy discussion, knowledge and experience exchange at policy-making level with the participation of a wide range of stakeholders on the overall concept of Ecological Fiscal Transfer (EFT).

Register now via https://bit.ly/WED_EFT.

The proboscis monkey is an iconic primate species found only on the Island of Borneo. Populations of this species are found in the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, the Indonesian province of Kalimantan, and Brunei. Proboscis monkey is classified under the family Cercopithecidae and is scientifically known as Nasalis larvatus. Throughout its range the proboscis monkey is also known by various local names such as kera belanda, monyet belanda, monyet probosis and orang belanda. In Sabah, proboscis monkey is known as bangkatan. The proboscis monkey gets its nickname – long-nosed monkey from its long pendulos nose. Proboscis monkeys typically inhabit lowland forests on water-logged acidic soils such as riverine, mangrove and peat-swamp forests, mainly along major water courses such as rivers and their tributaries not far from the coast line (Payne & Francis, 2007).

Proboscis monkeys have reddish-brown fur on the head, face, shoulders and upper back. Their fur on the lower back and stomach are grey, feet are yellowish-white while their throat and neck are white (Sjahfirdi & Noviandini, 2018). The tail is long (55-67 cm) and white or greyish in colour. The body length of adult male is about 56-72 cm with an average weight of 20 kg whereas adult female body length is about 55-62 cm and weight about 10 kg (Britannica, 2020; Sha et al., 2011). Adult males, especially dominant animals, have much larger and longer noses than females. Females have short pointy witch-like noses. The large nose in adult males is a product of natural selection and they are used in sexual displays and as amplifiers, producing loud honking calls (Covert, 2018). Infants are born with small snubby noses and dark blue faces. Their noses gradually will develop into their signature larger noses and the dark blue face slowly turns greyish and then pink, like adults when they reach maturity. Males reach sexual maturity at 60-84 months while females reach maturity at 36-60 months (Sha et al., 2011).

Both sexes have bulging stomachs that give the monkeys what resembles a pot belly. They have a specialized multi-chambered stomach (sacculated stomach), somewhat like the digestive track of cows. Their large sacculated stomach helps them to breakdown leafy material into digestible substances and also helps detoxify leaves that are otherwise poisonous to other primates (Payne & Francis, 2007; Sha et al., 2011). Generally, their diet includes leaves, fruits and shoots.

Proboscis monkeys are proficient swimmers and they swim across rivers frequently. They have partially webbed toes to aid them in swimming and allow them to walk on soft mangrove floor without sinking (Payne & Francis, 2007). Proboscis monkeys are arboreal animals where they feed and travel in the tree canopy using connecting branches. Occasionally, proboscis monkey descends to the ground to cross gaps in the forest.

The proboscis monkey has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since the year 2000 and listed under Appendix I of CITES. Habitat loss and fragmentation, forest fires, hunting and illegal wildlife trade are some of the major threats to the continued survival of the proboscis monkeys (Covert, 2018). Proboscis monkeys are an important eco-tourism attraction. Due to their association with major water courses and sleep in the trees located by the riverbanks in the evening and early morning (Bernard et al., 2011), the proboscis monkey is an easily observable animal with high encounter rates in the wild. Therefore, large numbers can be sighted by cruising along the river in a boat. Where major populations of proboscis monkey are found, such as in Sukau, Kinabatangan and Klias Peninsula in Sabah, major proliferation of tourist establishments have taken places (Sha et al., 2011). Conservation efforts are now urgently needed to safeguard the populations of proboscis monkeys.

In conjunction with International Biodiversity Day (IBD) 2021, The Habitat Foundation and the Society for Conservation Biology are proud to partner with the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (KeTSA) in organizing the Greening Malaysia: 100 Million Trees Campaign Webinar Series as a platform to share experience and expertise on forest restoration across Malaysia.

The campaign emphasises that all stakeholders and sectors have a role to play in realising this vision of ecosystem restoration. We hope that this platform will lead to synergies and collaborations for greater impact and will provide a fertile meeting place to share resources and insight on the science and practice of forest restoration.

The first session of the Webinar Series which will take place on 25 May 2021 at 10.00am. In addition to providing some background on the 100 Million Trees Campaign, the session will showcase case studies from around Malaysia, and provide opportunities for participants to engage in a discussion of knowledge gaps and interests.

Kindly click on the registration link to secure your place. https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kKCExcKrTCaKfRBQE1i9MQ

The Academy of Sciences Malaysia and Malaysia Open Science Alliance Working Group on Capacity Building & Awareness will jointly organize a Forum on Malaysia Open Science Platform: Bridging the gap in research ecosystem.

This Webinar aims to showcase the harmonization of different research and data platforms for the advancement of research ecosystem in Malaysia. The Webinar also provides an opportunity for participants to discuss and exchange views about future directions of Open Science in Malaysia.

Malaysia is one of the world's megadiverse countries. What is the way forward for the wealth of biodiversity data Malaysia possesses?

Join us in celebrating #BiodiversityDay by attending this webinar. Be part of the biodiversity data conversation!

Naming Nature 2 aims to craft a future path to address these problems for Malaysia, including nomenclature, specimen digitisation and data stewardship. The ensuing recommendations will be brought to TropSc 2021 (on 25-27 October 2021).

(Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3sF5kjoU98)

Prevost's Squirrel is a diurnal, medium-sized, arboreal squirrel scientifically known as Callosciurus prevostii (Lurz et al., 2017). It is the largest squirrel of Callosciurus species (Baker, 2021). The genus word, “Callosciurus” give a meaning of beautiful squirrel. It is found in Malaysia, southern Thailand, Borneo and nearby islands (Lurz et al., 2017).

Like its general features, Callosciurus prevostii is also known as Asian Tricolored Squirrel or Tupai Asia Tiga Warna in Malay. This species can easily be identified by the tricolored body pattern with black upperparts and dark reddish underparts together with white stripes along the sides (Lurz et al., 2017). Callosciurus prevostii has an arboreal and diurnal behavior, where they are active during the day and sometimes will descend to the ground from the tree canopy to cross the gaps (Francis et al., 2019). Callosciurus prevostii communicates with each other through touch or smell. In addition, the male chases the female before mating, by emitting squeaking sounds loudly and the female will respond to the squealing along with screeches to show her reaction (Lurz et al., 2017).

According to Hoffman (2003), the breeding season for Callosciurus prevostii takes place all year, but it peaks from June to August. Besides, the pregnancy rate broadly connected to the amount of rainfall in central Malaysia. Although the newborn Callosciurus prevostii are altricial and hairless, the pigmentation of the black back and dark reddish belly can be seen at 14 days of age (Lurz et al., 2017). The maximum lifespan of Callosciurus prevostii is 21.1 years in captivity.

Callosciurus prevostii mostly consumes coconut, rubber seeds, oil palm fruit and other soft fruits, such as figs (Hoffman, 2003). The fruit seeds will be dispersed on the ground and new plants will grow in different areas. Other than consuming sweet fruit, the Prevost's Squirrel also eats insects like termites, ants and beetles, which were dug from decaying wood. It occurs in the high and secondary forests. Prevost's Squirrel breaks into gardens and plantations to feed on fruits from nearby forests (Francis & Barrett, 2019).

Callosciurus prevostii is categorized as least concern (LC) by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Cassola, 2016) due to the most common and widespread in a variety of protected areas. Also, it can be tolerant of certain degrees of habitat change. However, there is a very limited surviving area in this lowland ecosystem. Plantations have absorbed a large portion of its natural range. This kind of Prevost's Squirrel is extensively hunted for pets trade in Sarawak (Cassola, 2016).

Commonly known as Star Apple in English or epal bintang in Malay, Chrysophyllum cainito in the family Sapotaceae, is a small evergreen tree native to Central America and the West Indies. The genus name Chrysophyllum, meaning “golden-leaved”, is derived from the Greek words for “gold” and “leaf”, in reference to the golden hairy underside of the leaves, while cainito is the West Indian vernacular for Star Apple (NParks Flora Fauna website, 2020). This tree is commonly planted in the Philippines, Thailand and Indo-China while in Malaysia, it can be found in Perak, Selangor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Johor and Malacca (Zawiah & Othaman, 2012).

This tree can grow up to 21 m in height with a straight, cylindrical trunk that can be up to 60 cm in diameter, usually with a fluted or spurred base. The bark is brownish with a rough and irregular fissured surface while the inner bark is orange-white to yellow-white, fibrous and exuding white latex when cut. The leaves are simple, elliptic or oblong-elliptic in shape with green upper surface and coppery beneath (Zawiah & Othaman, 2012). The petiole is reddish-brown, hairy, 1.3-1.6 cm long. The inflorescence is axillary, ramiflorous or cauliflorous. Each inflorescence contains 5-35 unisexual or bisexual flowers which are small and inconspicuous, yellowish-white in colour. The seeds are black, about 1 cm long (Aman, 2001).

The fruit is usually round, 5-10 cm in diameter with a smooth, glossy surface, green with purple stripes, or fully purple in colour. The young fruits contain more latex and are not suitable for eating while the matured fruits that can be eaten raw have white, transparent, sweet, soft and juicy flesh consisting of eight translucent whitish segments in which the seeds are embedded. When the fruit is halved transversely, the segments appear star-like, hence the common name Star Apple (Zawiah & Othaman, 2012).

The tree is usually planted along roadsides as an ornamental and/or shade tree. It has reddish to dark brown sapwood and heartwood of fine to medium texture with fairly straight grain, and is strong and hard. It can be used for general indoor construction, such as shelves and partitions, and furniture (Aman, 2001). The conservation status of this species has not yet been assessed.

Cananga odorata, commonly known as Ylang-ylang in English, belongs to the Annonaceae or custard-apple family, and is well-known for its fragrant flowers. In Malay, it is known as Kenanga or Kenanga hutan. Presently, the genus Cananga consists of two species, namely, Cananga odorata and Cananga brandisiana (Plants of the World Online: Kew Science). The genus name Cananga is derived from the Malay vernacular name ‘Kenanga’ (Turner & Veldkamp, 2009), whereas the species name odorata is derived from the Latin word, which means fragrant or sweet-scented.

The flower of C. odorata has three sepals and six petals up to 8 cm long. The petals are twisted when young, turning limp and drooping when mature. There is a dwarf form of C. odorata called C. odorata var. fruticosa which grows to only 1.5 m in height. This plant with very curly-petaled flowers is often seen in tropical gardens. It flowers all year round but never produces fruits (Manner & Elevitch, 2006). Within the custard-apple family the common name Ylang-ylang also refers to Artabotrys hexapetalus, an evergreen climbing shrub from India. The flower of this plant is also fragrant and greenish-yellow to yellowish-brown in colour when mature, which is similar to C. odorata. However, its flowers are unattractive and smaller in size, with six non-twisted petals.

Generally, C. odorata is a medium-sized evergreen tree that grows up to 30 m in height and has a fast growth rate of more than 2 m per year in its early years. It has long drooping, leafy twigs dangling 3-6 m and the bark is greyish white to silvery and smooth. The leaves are dark shiny green, simple, alternate, and ovate-oblong shaped (Adnan et al., 2018). The flowers are pollinated by nocturnal moths and relatively small beetles from the families Curculionieae, Nitidulidaea, and Chrysomelidae. The distinctive aggregate fruits are greenish-black, olive like, 8−15 individually stalked, and turn from dark green to black when ripened. Small mammals such as monkeys, bats, squirrels, and frugivorous birds are known to eat the fruits and disperse the small hard seeds (Parrotta, 2014). The seeds are pale brown, flattened, ellipsoid, smooth, and irregularly pitted.

Commercially, essential oils extracted from the flowers of C. odorata are used in beauty products such as perfumes, soaps, shampoos, and hair oils (Parotta, 2014). The essential oils from the tree have also been reported to be one of the ingredients used in natural insect repellent products as has been demonstrated in studies against several mosquito species (Tan et al., 2015). In Malaysia, the tree is used as an ornamental plant in streets, parks, or large gardens as its very pleasant fragrance makes it appropriate in landscaping. In Borneo, the dried flowers of C. odorata are worn in women's hair and also placed between clothes due to its fragrant scent (Parotta, 2014).

Cananga odorata is widely distributed from Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, to the Solomon Islands (IUCN, 2019). In Malaysia, it generally grows wild on forest edges in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia to Negeri Sembilan (Ong, 2004). This species is frequently found in Sabah but is much rarer in Sarawak. It inhabits lowland forest, both primary and secondary up to 200 m altitude (Turner et al., 2014). Ylang-ylang is a light-demanding species; it needs a hot and wet climate, well-drained fertile sandy loam soils, preferably a rich volcanic soil, and protection from strong winds (Manner & Elevitch, 2006).

Globally, C. odorata is considered as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List (2019) as it currently faces no significant or major threats. In the Malaysia Plant Red List Book it is listed as Not Evaluated for Malaysia (Chua et al., 2010).

The Jullien's Golden Carp is one of the rarest and most highly valued freshwater carp in the world. It is also one of the largest cyprinids in Peninsular Malaysia, measuring at least 120 cm in length (Zakaria et al., 2012). It is scientifically known as Probarbus jullieni, or commonly known as temoleh, temelian or esok in Malay. This species is distributed in Southeast Asian river basins encompassing Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia. In Malaysia, it is found in lowland river basins in Pahang, Terengganu and Perak.

One of the interesting features of this fish is its pharyngeal teeth which consists of one row of four teeth (Zakaria-Ismail et al., 2019). It has a small mouth and a long gut. The body of this fish is elongated and it has an attractive golden colouration with five deep black, longitudinal stripes and a uniformly white abdomen. Normally, adults and larger juveniles have much more red and sometimes yellow coloration on the head, body and fins (Froese & Pauly, 2019).

In Malaysia, the spawning season of the Jullien’s Golden Carp is from February to April (Anonymous, 2020). During this time, all fishing is prohibited. Also, the mature fish will migrate upstream to specific spawning areas. Until now, not much is known about the real age of maturity (Zakaria et al., 2012). In some reports, the weight of mature males in the wild range from 5 to 20 kg, while mature females are larger and weigh from 10 to 50 kg. However, under captive rearing conditions, the male and female brood stocks presently available in the market place range between 7 and 15 kg, respectively (Mattson et al., 2002). This fish species is omnivorous; its diet includes zooplankton, aquatic plants, fruits, invertebrates, molluscs, shrimps and crabs (Baird, 2006).

Numbers of this species have dropped significantly in the Perak River Basin mainly because of the development of hydropower in the spawning sites, and habitat degradation as a result of land clearing and deforestation (Bair, 2006). Due to this, the conservation status of this freshwater fish has been elevated from Endangered (EN) to Critically Endangered (CR) in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2019 (Ahmad, 2019). Also, this freshwater fish is listed in Appendix I in the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), as it is threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only under exceptional circumstances but not for commercial purposes, and which do not harm the survival of the species (CITES, 2019). Artificial reproduction methods are being carried out in efforts to increase its population but as this fish grows slowly, it may take years for them to mature. Because of this and its high commercial demand, the price for this fish can reach between RM65 and RM100 per kg. Due to its CR conservation status, cultural and biological value, proper management and conservation of this species is a must in order to prevent its extinction.

Locally known as Horsfield’s fruit bat, Larger Dog-faced Fruit Bat or Cecadu Pisang Besar in Malay, Cynopterus horsfieldii is a medium-sized plant-visiting bat belonging to the family Pteropodidae (Tan et al., 1999). This species was named after an American physician and naturalist, Dr. Thomas Horsfield (1773–1859), who made extensive collections of plants and animals while working in Java for the Dutch East India Company.

Generally, fruit bats have a typically dog-like face with large eyes, and simple and relatively small ears. Their wings are usually broad and mostly without fur. In addition to these features, C. horsfieldii has grey-brown upperparts, slightly yellowish-brown underparts, and a dark reddish-brown collar in adult males which is paler in females (Francis, 2008). The immature bat has dull buff or grey fur. The edges of the ears and outline of the wing-bones are white in colour. Cynopterus horsfieldii has broader and squarer cheek teeth than other Cynopterus bats, with distinct cusps or ridges on the lower premolar and first lower molar. Its larger body size with an average mass of 57.9 g, distinguishes it from C. sphinx (Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat) which is smaller and has more rounded cheek teeth (Francis, 2008).

Together with C. brachyotis (Lesser Short-nosed Fruit Bat), C. horsfieldii is also known as the most common and abundant species in Peninsular Malaysia (Hasan et al., 2012; Jayaraj et al., 2012). In mainland South-East Asia, it is distributed in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia. It is also found in Borneo, Sumatra, Java and the adjacent islands (Francis, 2008). This bat can be found in a wide range of elevations ranging from mangrove forest and the lowlands to the hills, sub-montane and montane forests. Medway (1983) and Hodgkison et al. (2004) also stated that these bats are commonly found in oil palm plantations, orchards and open areas.

According to Payne et al. (1985), C. horsfieldii roost mainly in rock shelters or caves and occasionally in trees or palms. It has also been found roosting in or under banana leaves (Musaceae), which were modified into an inverted ‘V-shaped’ structure which the bat made by biting the midrib of the leaf midway between base and tip (Campbell & Kunz, 2006). This bat has a polygynous mating system, with a harem-based social structure which consists of one adult male and up to five adult females and their offspring (Tan et al., 1999; Campbell et al., 2006).

Cynopterus horsfieldii is a predominantly frugivorous bat, but leaves, flowers and nectar are also in its diet. It also tends to feed on larger fruit than other Cynopterus species (Francis, 2008). This species has been reported to feed on the fruits of Mangifera indica (Mickleburgh et al., 1992), strangler figs (Ficus spp.), Elaeocarpus stipularis, and Payena lucida, and flowers of Parkia speciosa (Campbell et al., 2006). When fruit is scarce, especially during the dry season, it feeds on pollen taken from a wide variety of plants (Campbell & Kunz, 2006). Because of its wide diet, it plays an essential role as pollinator for fruit tree species as well as seed dispersal agent for forest regeneration (Mickleburgh et al., 1992).

Cynopterus horsfieldii is categorized as least concern (LC) by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Bates et al., 2019). Although no major threats to this species have been reported, deforestation and habitat loss will decrease its population numbers, which thereby will affect fruit production in the future.

Malaysian Greening Program Pre-Launch Ceremony - 100 Million Tree Cultivation Campaign with YB. Dato 'Dr. Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources virtually.

The details are as below:

Date: 22 Disember 2020
Time: 11 am
Venue: Dewan Baiduri, Wisma Sumber Asli, Putrajaya
Link: https://www.facebook.com/100jutapokok

The aim of this campaign is to spread awareness to all Malaysians on the importance of conserving forest areas and is also one of the Malaysian government's efforts to maintain at least 50% of the country's land area covered by trees and forest areas in line with the commitment during the Rio summit de Janeiro in 1992.

Lets join us now!

#OurTreesOurLife #PokokKitaKehidupanKita #100JutaPokok

Our trip to Hutan Lipur Lata Tembakah, Terengganu, in May 2019 was unforgettable. Not only because of its mesmerizing waterfall, but the mass flowering event of trees in the Dipterocarpaceae family made it so worthwhile to travel the approximately 500 km from Kuala Lumpur to Jerteh for the field work. Many trees of Dipterocarpus spp. and Shorea spp. were flowering and fruiting during our visit. The forest floor was naturally adorned with the creamy and slightly pink petals of aborted dipterocarp flowers.

One species that was flowering heavily and fruiting was Dipterocarpus grandiflorus. The epithet grandiflorus literally means “large flower” in reference to the size of the flowers. The ridge on its calyx tube resembles the shape of a star fruit or Averrhoa carambola, which in Malay is called “belimbing” (Symington et al., 2004). Thus, its vernacular name Keruing belimbing, Keruing being the Malay name for Dipterocarpus spp.

Dipterocarpus grandiflorus is an emergent tree that can grow up to 45 m tall and 1.5 m in diameter. Trees in the Dipterocarpaceae family are known as “dammar group trees” and like all trees in the dammar group, its stem produces resin. It has leaves which are thick, glabrous (hairless) and leather-like in texture. The leaf also has a long petiole, about 9 cm long and at least 2 mm in diameter. The flower is whitish or yellowish pink and the bud is 3.5 X 1.3 cm in size. Generally, Dipterocarpus spp. flower buds range in size from 1.5 X 0.5 to 6 X 2 cm (Ashton et al., 2004). Dipterocarpus grandiflorus also produces winged fruits that are among the largest in the genus. The calyx tube is about 7 X 3.5 cm, with two major wings of about 22 X 3 cm and another three shorter calyx lobes of about 1.5 cm long (Ashton et al., 2004). The dark purple young leaves and twigs with purple pink stipules are among physical characteristics that can be used for identification of this species.

This species has a wide distribution, from the Andaman Islands, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia to Singapore. In Malaysia, this species can be found in almost every state except Sarawak (Ashton et. al, 2004; Chua et al., 2010).

In Malaysia, the trade name for Dipterocarpus spp. timber is Keruing. The timber is also sold under the name Apitong and Panang in the Philippines, Gurjun in Burma, Eng in India and England, Hora in Ceylon and Yang in Siam (Gerry, 1952; Symington ,2004). Keruing is categorised as a medium hardwood and the timber is harvested for many commercial purposes such as to produce furniture, ship planking, poles, beams, vehicle bodies and railway sleepers (Gerry, 1952; MTC, n.d.).

According to Lim (1992) dammar has been one of the major forest resources harvested by the aborigines in Peninsular Malaysia for trading purposes since before the establishment of Melaka as an international port. Gerry (1952) reported that the resin obtained from Dipterocarpus spp. was also used as varnish, torches and caulk in Southeast Asia. In these modern days, dammar is still used by the aborigines, Malays and Chinese in Malaysia for spiritual and medicinal purposes, incense, and local trade. Hence, dammar from Dipterocarps and other resin producing plants are susceptible to unsustainable exploitation and illegal harvesting in Malaysia (Mohd-Rafi, 2020a & b). Adrian and Rizki (2019) in their case study of D. grandiflorus tapping in Indonesia, highlight the potential medicinal properties of Keruing oil or oleoresin, and suggested tapping of the tree as a sustainable alternative to felling for timber.

In addition, D. grandiflorus trees provide ecological services by reducing the occurrence of soil erosion in the forest (Orwa et al., 2009). The trees have also been planted to improve soil conditions as its high rate of litter deposition produces abundant decomposed organic matter that provides nutrients to the soil (CABI, n.d.).

Its global conservation status has been assessed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List (Ly et al., 2017). Populations of D. grandiflorus are decreasing world-wide due to habitat loss caused by land acquisition for agriculture and timber harvesting. However, in Malaysia, this species is listed as Near Threatened because although its habitat of tropical lowland forest is among the most threatened habitats globally, there are still many individuals in protected areas (Chua et al., 2010).

Pentaspadon motleyi is known in Malay as Pelong licin. The epithet for the genus Pentaspadon is derived from the Greek words ‘penta’ meaning five and ‘spadon’ meaning eunuch, which refers to the five sterile stamens in the flowers. The species name motleyi honours James Motley, a 19th century English plant collector in Borneo (Soepadmo et al., 1996).

Pentaspadon is a small genus containing only nine species in the family, Anacardiaceae, which also includes common species such as cashew, mango and pistachio. Pentaspadon motleyi is widely distributed in Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The tree is often found in swamps, primarily along rivers and streams, up to 200 m altitude (Adnan et al., 2018).

Pentaspadon motleyi is a large tree that can reach up to 50 m tall and 70 cm in diameter, with a spreading canopy and slender buttresses. The outer bark is grey-brown and scaly, while the inner bark is pink and produces a whitish sap when cut. The species has compound leaves with 4 to 5 pairs of leaflets which are spirally arranged, clustered at the end of the twigs, and pinkish in colour when young. The leaflets are oblong-elliptic in shape, oppositely arranged, 5 to 13 cm long and 2 to 6 cm wide, with pointed tips and rounded bases. The leaflets have about 6 to 10 pairs of secondary nerves and hairy domatia (small leaf cavity inhabited by insects or mites) in their axils (Lim, 2012). The leaf stalk is usually red when young, turning green when mature.

The inflorescence is 30 cm long and formed in the shoot terminal. Flowers are yellowish white and small in size, 4 mm in diameter. It flowers twice annually from March to May and subsequently in October until November (Ng, 1989). When in bloom, the spreading canopies are dense with flowers. The flowers are bisexual with a 5-lobed calyx and petals overlapping like tiles, and 5 fertile stamens alternating with 5 sterile stamens (Lim, 2012). The fruits are fleshy, contain a single large seed with a hard cover (drupe), ovoid, about 3 to 5 cm in length and 2 to 2.75 cm in width. The fruits are green with brown dots when fresh, turning dark brown with pale brown dots when ripened (Hong, 2003).

Pentaspadon motleyi is grown as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens providing shade and a beautiful sight when in full bloom. The fruits can be eaten fresh, roasted, fried or boiled (Lim, 2012). Ex-situ conservation or living collections of this species can be found at the Kepong Botanic Garden, Non-Dipterocarp Arboretum, and a few research field plots in FRIM. The conservation status of this species is categorized as Data Deficient in the IUCN Red List (WCMC, 1998).

The family Hypericaceae comprises eight genera and 400 species distributed in temperate and tropical regions. This family is characterized by the numerous numbers of stamens that are joined together into 3 or 5 groups/bundles. Only two genera are distributed in Malesia; these are Cratoxylum and Hypericum with seven and one species, respectively.

Cratoxylum cochinchinense is known as Derum Selunchor and Kemutong in Malay. The genus name Cratoxylum is a combination of the Greek word, “kratos” and “xylon”, meaning strong timber. The species name, cochinchinense refers to the natural distribution of the species, Cochin China which is known today as southern Vietnam.

Cratoxylum cochinchinense is a small to big-sized tree, reaching up to 33 m in height. It can be recognised from its orange-brown to brownish yellow bark which peels off in angular pieces or in long strips. Its bark is quite similar in texture to that of Tristania sp., commonly known as Pelawan locally. The young leaves are reddish, turning green with purplish leaf margins when mature. The flower which is usually found in pairs, is crimson in colour and faintly fragranced. This attracts wildlife such as bats and insects like hoverflies, butterflies and bees which act as a pollinators. The plant is a food source for caterpillars of the common butterflies, the Archduke and the Common Grass Yellow (National Parks Board Singapore, 2019). The fruit is a loculicidally dehiscing capsule which releases unilateral winged seeds. Among the seven species of Cratoxylum in Malaysia, C. cochinchinense can be distinguished by the faint appearance of the lateral veins on the underside of the leaves.

This species is widely distributed from China through mainland Southeast Asia (except Singapore), Borneo and Sumatra. It grows in lowland, hill and heath forest and can be found in both primary and secondary forest (Wong, 1995). Globally, the species is considered by the IUCN Red List (1998) as Least Concern (LC).

The wood of C. cochinchinense is used for making woodcuts, tool handles and wood pallets (Wong, 1995) and is also used for construction, cabinets, furniture, and inside fittings (National Parks Board Singapore, 2019). The tree is suitable as an ornamental plant due to desirable features such as attractive flowers and bark, tolerance to full sun exposure and moderate cost of maintenance (National Parks Board Singapore, 2019). During dry weather, the tree flowers after shedding its leaves showing off the vibrant colour of its flowers and attracting butterflies and others insects, providing a feast for the eyes. Corner (1952) recorded it as having been planted in Malacca and the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Vatica odorata, a member of the Dipterocarpaceae, is known by the locals in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak as Resak ranting kesat. The vernacular name is derived from its characteristic twigs (Symington et al., 2004). In Malay, Resak is the name of the genus Vatica, while ranting means twig and kesat is an adjective meaning rough. The roughness is caused by the presence of a tomentum of soft rusty coloured hairs on the surface of the twigs. The term “pubescent” can also be used to refer to this characteristic. In Sabah, this species is known as Resak biabas. Biabas is a Borneon indigenous peoples’ word which refers to Guava fruit trees (Schneeberger, 1937) or Psidium spp. The characteristic twigs and leaves of V. odorata resemble the greenish brown pubescence of the Guava twigs and leaves.

Generally, V. odorata is a small-sized tree and has a slow growth rate. However, it is still known to grow up to 40 m tall and 60 cm dbh. The leaves are thinly coriaceous and the leaf blade is narrowly elliptic to ovate with 11—15 lateral veins. Other than the twigs, the calyx of the flowers and the calyx lobes of the fruits are also densely pubescent. The flower petals are pale yellow and about 6-10 mm long. The term odorata in its Latin name means scented and is in reference to the pleasant smell of its flowers. The fruit is a globose nut, with 2 wings of about 5.5 X 1.5 cm and 3 shorter calyx lobes of about 14 mm length (Ashton et al., 2004; Symington et. al, 2004).

This species can be found in South China, Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and the Philippines. It is widely distributed in Malaysia and is divided into two subspecies, namely, V. odorata subsp. odorata and subsp. mindanensis (El-taguri et al., 2020; Julia et al., 2016; Chua et al., 2010; Ashton et al., 2004; Symington et al., 2004). The former subspecies is widespread in Peninsular Malaysia but rare in Sabah and Sarawak. It inhabits lowland and hill forests up to 700 m altitude (Ashton et al., 2004). The second subspecies is widely distributed in Sarawak and can also be found in Sabah but has not been recorded from Peninsular Malaysia. It is recorded to inhabit lowland to upper montane and kerangas forest up to 1,100 m altitude (Julia et al., 2016).

The timber of Vatica spp. and another dipterocarp, Cotylelobium spp., is commonly known as resak in Malay. Resak is well known as a valuable medium to heavy hardwood. The timber is used in heavy construction, piling, ship flooring, furniture production, and for many other purposes (Malaysian Timber Council, n.d.; Lemmens, 1993).

The conservation status of V. odorata subsp. odorata in the IUCN Red List is Least Concern (LC) while for V. odorata subsp. mindanensis is Endangered (EN) (Ashton, 1998). However, according to Chua and co-workers (2010) V. odorata ssp. odorata is categorised as Vulnerable (VU) for Malaysia. The Sarawak Plant Red List lists V. odorata ssp. mindanensis as Least Concern (LC) as this subspecies is widely distributed and occurs in both Totally Protected Areas and protection forest (Julia et al., 2016). Thus, the current global conservation status for both subspecies is in need of updating.

A living collection of Vatica odorata ssp. odorata can be observed at the Dipterocarp Arboretum of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia at Kepong, Selangor. The tree at the arboretum has many low branches, hence, its characteristic rough and hairy, rusty-coloured twigs can be observed easily under the canopy. This tree was last recorded fruiting in April 2017. The exact fruiting and flowering pattern of V. odorata is unknown. Various factors such as temperature, humidity and solar radiation could determine the flowering and fruiting frequency of a species. Based on my observations in FRIM since 2016, some Vatica spp. such as V. bella, V. paucfilora and V. umbonata flower and fruit annually and sometimes even twice a year, as recorded by Suhaida et al. (2018) for V. yeechongii in Sg. Lalang Forest Reserve. Long-term monitoring and further studies are needed in order to further understand the reproductive behaviour of V. odorata and other Vatica spp.

Dryobalanops is a genus of the family Dipterocarpaceae, with a total of 7 species distributed in Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo (Ashton et al., 1982). Only three species of Dryobalanops are found in Peninsular Malaysia; these are D. aromatica, D. oblongifolia and D. beccarii. Locally, D. aromatica is known as kapur, D. beccarii as kapur bukit, and D. oblongifolia as keladan.

These three species share the same characteristics of having deep green leaves, with numerous parallel veins. The leaves of these three species, however, differ in their shape and size. Kapur has thick, leathery, broadly ovate leaves measuring 4 to 6 cm long and 2 to 4 cm wide while kapur bukit has thinner, leathery, oblong lanceolate to ovate lanceolate leaves measuring 5 to 8 cm long and 1 to 3 cm wide. Keladan has oblong shaped leaves measuring 6 to 11 cm long and 2 to 4.5 cm wide. In fruit characters, D. aromatica and D. beccarii have 5 calyx lobes, 4 to 6 cm long, which expand into wings while D. oblongifolia has calyx lobes which are shorter than the nut.

Dryobalanops aromatica is found in Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. The species epithet, aromatica is derived from the Latin word, ‘aromaticus’ meaning spice-like, referring to the aroma of the dammar or resin. Both the cut wood and crushed fresh leaves produce the aromatic scent (Ashton et al., 1982). Naturally, Kapur grows in clusters on well-drained soil on hillsides, and exhibits the ‘‘crown shyness’’ phenomenon where the tree crowns do not overlap or come into contact with one another (Chew, 2014).

In its natural habitat, Kapur can grow into a large tree of up to 60 m height with buttresses. The diameter of the bole can reach 3.4 m and the bark surface is longitudinally fissured. Kapur tends to flower once every 2 to 7 years depending on the presence of a prolonged dry period. Its flowers are white to cream in colour with glabrous and oblong petals. Each flower has 30 stamens that are shorter than the style. The fruit is a 5-winged nut with wings up to 6 cm long. The seeds and cotyledon-stage seedlings are often consumed by vertebrates such as rodents and wild pigs (Kachi et al., 1995).

Kapur is an important source of timber in Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. Its medium hardwood is highly valued for construction due to its attractive pale brown colour and is used locally for construction of walls and floors of houses. A clear yellow and aromatic liquid, known as camphor oil, is produced from the trunk of young trees, and through the process of crystallization forms true camphor. Camphor is used for its scent in religious ceremonies, in perfumery and aromatherapy, as an ingredient in cooking (mainly in India), and for medicinal purposes. A powder of the fruit kernel is used in local remedies, especially for stomach ache and for staunching blood flow (Soerianegara & Lemmens, 1994).

Although Kapur is considered Near Threatened (NT) for Sabah and Sarawak due to decreasing populations, it is considered Least Concern (LC) for Peninsular Malaysia because it grows gregariously in areas where it is found naturally. Overall, it has been evaluated in the Malaysia Plant Red List Book as Near Threatened for Malaysia (Chua et al., 2010).

Shorea lamellata Foxw. is a dipterocarp tree species belonging to the white meranti group (usually called Meranti Pa’ang). In Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak, this species’ preferred name is Meranti lapis (Chua et al., 2010), while in Sabah, it is locally known as Melapi lapis (Wong & Chung, 2002; PROSEA, 2020). The epiphet name, lamellata is derived from the Latin word “lamellatus” meaning arranged in layers, which refers to its laminated inner bark (Soepadmo et al., 2004; Symington, 2004).

Meranti lapis is widely distributed in Sumatra (Riau Archipelago) and Borneo (Sarawak and Kalimantan but absent in Sabah) (Soepadmo et al., 2004) and in Peninsular Malaysia it can only be found in Dindings, Kuala Kangsar, Kinta and Batang Padang districts of Perak (Symington, 2004; Chua et al., 2010). It is scattered on low hills in mixed dipterocarp forest, on sedimentary and sandy clay soils and even on the Arip rhyolite, at altitudes of 500 m, but can also occur as high as 900 m a.s.l. in valleys.

Shorea lamellata is a large emergent tree that can grow up to 50 m in height and 1.75 m in diameter. It has a well-shaped cylindrical bole with short, stout buttresses that can reach up to 3 m in height. The bark is fissured; greyish to purplish-brown in colour with laminated pale and dark yellow inner bark. It has ovoid-falcate leaf buds and oblong-obtuse stipules. Its leaves are thinly coriaceous, elliptic-oblong or oblong to ovate in shape, about 10–15 x 4–8 cm in size, greyish when dry, and are stellate-hairy on the underside. The flowers are small, with white petals and 15 stamens. The fruits have three long outer wings up to 18 cm in length and two shorter inner wings of up to 7 cm. The nut is ovoid in shape measuring 1.4 x 1.0 cm (Soepadmo et al., 2004; Symington, 2004).

Shorea lamellata is listed as Critically Endangered (CR) in both the Malaysia Plant Red List (Chua et al., 2010) and IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Ashton, 1998). This is mainly due to its restricted distribution, logging and habitat loss. In Kalimantan, this species is also threatened by harvesting as it produces high quality timber and is one of the major sources of light red meranti timber (Trimanto & Shofiah, 2018). The clear resin produced from this timber is used commercially in Borneo (PROSEA, 2020).

At the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Kepong Dipterocarp Arboretum, Shorea lamellata can be viewed in the living collection.

Impatiens curtisii is a forest herb with an erect stem. It was described by Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1906 (Hooker, 1906). This species is endemic to Perak, and can only be found on Bukit Larut and Gunung Hijau at altitudes of 900 to 1,200 m above sea level.

Bukit Larut, Perak, is the smallest hill resort in Malaysia. Formerly, it was known as Maxwell Hill. Bukit Larut, gazetted as a permanent forest reserve in 1910, is part of the Bintang mountain range. There are actually two peaks on Bukit Larut, namely, Bukit Larut (1,035 m) and Gunung Hijau (1,449 m). Bukit Larut is one of the wettest places in Peninsular Malaysia, receiving on average 5000 mm precipitation per year (Khairuddin, 1992).

Impatiens curtisii grows on wet rocks in a humid environment. The genus name originates from the word, ‘impatient’ which refers to the immediate instant bursting of the mature seed pods when touched. The species name commemorates Charles Curtis, the first person to collect this species. He was an assistant Superintendent of Penang Botanic Gardens and Forests Straits Settlements for 7 years from mid-1884 until the end of 1891 (Gledhill, 2008).

Impatiens curtisii can be distinguished from other Impatiens species by its long petiole and rough hairs on the upper surface of its leaves. The leaves are sometimes opposite or alternate with 8 pairs of veins. The solitary flowers are axillary, and pale white-purple. The fruit/seed pod is a fleshy capsule, swollen in the centre with many flat seeds.

Since the species is endemic only to Bukit Larut and Gunung Hijau, it is feared that the distribution of the species could be threatened due to its ease of discovery, as it is often found on the forest edges.

Responsible parties such as Majlis Perbandaran Taiping should take extra precautions to maintain the habitat for this species. Plants could also be propagated in an area with similar climate, soils and other microclimatic factors, for example, at Cameron Highlands Montane Park (CHiMP), in order to ensure the continued survival of this species. The conservation status of I. curtisii has not yet been evaluated but it could be categorized to Near Threatened (NT) since it is endemic to such a small area in Perak which is also a popular tourism destination.

Troides helena, locally known as the Common Birdwing, with its distinctive black and yellow wings, is among the most beautiful butterflies in Malaysia. It belongs to the family of Swallowtail butterflies, Papilionidae. It is a large butterfly; its forewing is about 8 cm in length with rich velvety black-edged upperparts and pale greyish streaks in the male which are broader in the female (Corbet & Pendlebury, 1992). The extent of the pale streaks varies between subspecies; in the peninsula, it is usually present in the female but vestigial or absent in the male. The hindwing is golden yellow with black veins and wavy black borders. Females have a complete series of large black spots inner to the black border while these spots are smaller or usually absent in the male.

The Common Birdwing is widely distributed from North India to South China, through Southeast Asia as far as Sulawesi (Kirton, 2014). Two subspecies are found in Malaysia; T. h. cerberus, occurs in Peninsular Malaysia (Corbet & Pendlebury, 1992) while T. h. mosychlus occurs in Sabah and Sarawak (Fruhstorfer, 1913). The Common Birdwing is a forest species that inhabits lowland and montane forests (Kirton, 2014) but is also often seen near villages, town gardens and parks near forests, with both sexes flying around flowering plants (Corbet & Pendlebury, 1992).

Tan (2011) documented the life history of T. h. cerberus where it goes through four stages, namely, egg, caterpillar (larva), pupa and butterfly. After mating with the male, the adult female will lay the eggs singly on the under surface of leaves or stems of the host plant. The eggs hatch in six days into caterpillars. The caterpillar stage consists of 5 instars and takes about 3 weeks to complete. The caterpillar feeds on the wild jungle climbers Aristolochia acuminata and A. foveolata for protection, as these plants contain aristolochic acid which is poisonous to predators (Weintraub, 1995). It stays for about 19-20 days in the pupa stage before emerging as an adult butterfly.

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, this butterfly has been assessed as Least Concern, but ironically, it is threatened due to habitat loss through wood harvesting activities (Böhm et al., 2018). In Malaysia, it is protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716) and the trade of this species is regulated by CITES Appendix II (CITES, 2015). It is known to occur in some protected areas, for example, Imbak Valley region of Sungai Imbak Forest Reserve in Sabah, Endau Rompin National Park in Johor, nature reserves within Singapore, Gorumara National Park in West Bengal, and Bantimurung Nature Recreation Park in Indonesia (Böhm et al., 2018). However, in Indonesia, together with some other butterflies, declining populations have been reported due to collection activities (Putri, 2016).

Populations of Common Birdwing could also be locally threatened, for example, at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia, this butterfly has not been seen for several years (Phon et al., 2015). Also, in Singapore, it is considered potentially vulnerable to extinction within parts of its range (Khew & Neo, 1997). Apart from protecting its natural habitat and increasing public awareness, the population and visibility of this butterfly species can be increased and maintained by planting preferred host and nectar plants as has been reported in Singapore (in Alexandra Hospital Butterfly Trail; Khew, 2008) and Peninsular Malaysia (in Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Phon et al., 2015).

Firmiana malayana is commonly known as mata lembu in Malay or Bullock’s Eye in English. Firmiana is named after Count K.J. von Firmian (1716-1782), who was the Austrian Governor of Lombardy under the Empress Maria Theresa. The species name, malayana, is the Latin word for Malaya. Firmiana malayana is distributed in Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Java and Borneo (Prawirohatmodjo et al., 1998). The tree is often found in lowland forests, near rivers, forest fringes and mountains, up to 1,200 m altitude (Adnan et al., 2018).

This tree can grow up to 28 m in height with a diameter reaching up to 75 cm. The bark is smooth and silvery-grey, with a pale brown-yellow inner bark. The twigs are smooth and grey-brown with prominent leaf scars. The petioles are 5-20 cm in length and smooth, with caducous (soon dropping off) stipules. The leaves are deciduous; the leaves are shed after the dry season and the tree remains naked for six to eight weeks. The leaves are ovate, often shallowly trilobed, 9-17 x 7-14 cm, usually symmetric, with a shallowly cordate base and acute to rounded apex, pale green to green, papery with an entire margin (Wilkie & Berhaman, 2011; Adnan et al., 2018).

During the period when the tree is devoid of leaves, flowers and fruits will appear for four to five weeks after which new shoots will emerge. Inflorescences of 3-13 cm length are formed in the leaf axils, and covered with dense orange star-shaped hairs. The flower is a 5-lobed long calyx tube, with a bright orange outer surface and bright red inner surface, 15-30 mm in length, 6-9 mm diameter, often recurved. The fruit is boat-shaped, consisting of a follicle with 1 to 4 marginal seeds, pale green turning pale brown and 7.5-10 cm in length (Wilkie & Berhaman, 2011; Adnan et al., 2018).

As the tree has very attractive orange flowers, it is often planted as an ornamental (Wilkie & Berhaman, 2011). It can be grown from seed and planted under full sunlight with moderate watering. Its wood is categorized as non-durable timber. According to the Malaysia Plant Red List 2010 (Chua et al., 2010), its conservation status has still not been evaluated.

Spongispora is a new boletoid genus of the Boletaceae with Spongispora temasekensis as the type species (Wu et al., 2018; Index Fungorum, 2020). Spongispora temasekensis was first described from Singapore and has thus far been recorded from two locations in Singapore, namely, Singapore Botanic Gardens and Zhenghua Park (Anonymous, 2018; The Global Fungal Red List Initiative n.d.). It is reported to form ectomycorrhizas with Hopea odorata as its host tree (Wu et al., 2018). In Peninsular Malaysia, it has been found in an ex-tin mining area at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) Research Station, Bidor, Perak (Thi et al., 2018; 2019) and on the grounds of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia at Kepong, Selangor.

At Bidor, this ectomycorrhizal fungus is also found growing under Hopea odorata, as has been reported in Singapore. At FRIM, however, it has been observed emerging from leaf litter under Dryobalanops aromatica and D. oblongifolia. So far, no further studies have been made to confirm whether this fungus forms ectomycorrhizas with a restricted or widespread range of hosts. Fruiting bodies are produced mostly singly and scattered under the host trees.

Spongispora temasekensis has a convex to broadly-plano convex pileus of 30-70 mm diameter, chocolate brown to brownish and brownish-orange. Initially its young pileus is subtomentose, later cracking into patches with age. The flesh is whitish turning pale brown very slowly upon exposure. The tubes are about 1.5 cm deep, at first whitish to cream becoming blond and yellowish brown to light brown with age. The pores are small, roundish to irregularly angular and of the same colour as the tubes when young, later becoming apricot yellow to grayish orange with age. Like the flesh, the pores turn brownish to brown when bruised. The reticulated stipe or stem is 45-70 mm tall, 8-10 mm wide, yellowish white at the apex, orange gray, brownish white, brownish orange to brownish at the base with blue mycelium (Wu et al., 2018).

Because of its rarity and recent discovery, little is known about its wild populations. Currently, Spongispora temasekensis is listed as preliminary assessed in The Global Fungal Red List Initiative for the global IUCN Red List. Thus, further studies are still required on the distribution pattern, habitat(s) and host-fungus association of this unique mushroom species.

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Articles in this issue:

• Rediscovery of Shorea kuantanensis, a Dipterocarp believed extinct in Malaysia
• Confirmation of an elusive moss from karst limestone in Peninsular Malaysia
• Botanical Exploration of Gua Pelangi, Negeri Sembilan

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The recognition of ‘Largest Online Records on Biodiversity Information - 47,000 species’ in Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) was awarded to the Malaysia Biodiversity Information System - MyBIS operated by FRIM and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (KeTSA). This event was held on 28th August 2020.

Christopher Wong Hong Wai, MBR Chief Operating Officer has presented the certificate to Datuk Dr. Abd Latif Mohmod, FRIM Director General at the MBR Certification Ceremony held at the FRIM MBR Corner.

Also present, Dr Lillian Chua, Director of FRIM Forest Biodiversity; Tan Kok Kiat, MyBIS Project Leader; Toh An Nee, FRIM Head of Corporate Communications Unit; Praveena Balai Kerishnan, FRIM Research Officer and Siti Hajar Johor, MBR General Administration Executive Officer.

The Atlas Moth, known scientifically as Attacus atlas, belongs to the family of the giant silkworm moth, Saturniidae. Its common name is either derived from the Titan of Greek mythology, Atlas, or its map-like wing pattern. In Malay, this moth is probably known as “Kupu-kupu Kuda” (Stamp catalog, n.d.).

The Atlas Moth is the largest moth in Malaysia with respect to wing surface area and wingspan. The wingspan can spread over 9.8 inches or up to 35 cm from wing tip to wing tip, with females being slightly larger and heavier than males (Mary et al., 2016). The wings are brown in colour with light yellow, red, purple, black and pink accents. The wing tips of the forewing are hooked. The forewing and hindwing have translucent “window” patches, which are triangular and bordered in black. The apex of the forewing looks like a “snake’s head”, and functions as defence against predation. The body of the Atlas Moth is much smaller than the wings. The male’s antennae (c. 1-2 cm) are longer and much more feathery than the female’s. The male antennae have chemoreceptors which are used to detect the pheromones released by the female which can be up to several kilometres away. The larvae or caterpillars are greenish white in colour with soft spines on their back. The adults do not have mouth parts and can only survive for a few days on the food stored during the caterpillar stage (Mary et al., 2016). The main aim of the adult moth is to fly around and find a mate. One generation of the Atlas Moth from an egg to adult ranges between two and four months depending on the surrounding environment and food availability (Bhawane et al., 2011; Sathe & Kavane, 2014).

One population of the Atlas Moth can be quite large. This was seen when a teenager found hundreds of the caterpillars and moths breeding on an unidentified tree in urban Shah Alam rendering the tree almost leafless (Zakaria, 2012).

The Atlas Moth is distributed in Asia ranging from India to the Philippines and south to Indonesia (The California Academy of Sciences, 2020). Its habitat ranges from lowland forests up to upper montane forest at about 2,000 m a.s.l. The moths are cultivated in Northern India for their silk, called fagara, which is rough and woolly, to produce purses, ties and scarves (Mary et al., 2016). In Malaysia, the moth has been used as a symbol on a 1996 RM0.50 stamp (Stamp catalog, n.d.).

Its conservation status has yet to be evaluated. This species is being proposed for listing in CITES Appendix II (CITES, 1999). Presently, the Atlas Moth is being sold online via channels such as Mudah.my and Etsy, and can cost between RM 8.00 and RM 320.00 depending on the specimen’s condition, whether in the pupal state, or as a framed specimen (Banteay Srey Butterfly Centre, n.d.; Mudah.my, n.d.; Etsy, n.d.).

Dipterocarpus costulatus is known by locals as keruing kipas. Keruing is the vernacular name for the genus Dipterocarpus while kipas is the Malay word for fan. The common name of this species is associated with its conspicuous ridged leaves which resemble the corrugated surface of a palm fan commonly used during grilling of satay or a traditional hand-held fan.

In Negeri Sembilan, D. costulatus is also known as keruing mara kluang and keruing pekat. However, both vernacular names are also shared by other Dipterocarpus species. For example, keruing mara keluang is also a vernacular name for D. costatus while keruing pekat also refers to D. grandiflorus, D. rigidus and D. verrucosus. The Malay word pekat means thick which refers to the viscosity or consistency of the oil produced from the wood of all of the above mentioned species (Symington et al., 2004). Thus, to avoid confusion keruing kipas has been chosen as the preferred vernacular name for D. costulatus.

This species is an emergent tree that can grow up to 1.2 m dbh and 50 m tall. It has a grey bole and patchily peeling bark that is covered with lenticels. The leaf is thick and has a leather-like texture. The leaf blade is broadly elliptic to ovate, measuring 12–20 X 7–14 cm. The stipules are greenish white and can measure up to 16 X 2 cm. The flowers are typical Dipterocarpus flowers, with 5 pinkish cream petals measuring about 3 X 5 cm. The fruits have 2 major calyx lobes of 20 X 4 cm and another 3 minor calyx lobes of 0.7 X 0.6 cm (Ashton et al., 2004).

Dipterocarpus costulatus is native to Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and Borneo. Ashton et al. (2004) stated that the species is common in the peninsula but infrequently found in Sabah while Julia et al. (2014) reported that this species is widely scattered throughout Sarawak’s southwest.

Its preferred habitat is lowland mixed dipterocarp forest that can sometimes be subjected to inundation. However, it can also be found on higher areas, as it has been recorded on a hill up to 600 m elevation in Bubu Forest Reserve in Perak (Symington et al., 2004).

Like other Dipterocarpus spp. such as D. crinitus and D. grandiflorus, the timber of D. costulatus locally known as keruing, is classified as medium hardwood, which has a high commercial value. The timber is used for heavy construction, boat building and flooring. In addition, after appropriate treatment, the timber can be used to build bridges, railway sleepers and power-line poles (Malaysian Timber Council, n.d.).

According to Symington (2004) the major threat for D. costulatus is forest conversion which can lead to habitat loss. In Malaysia, it is categorised as Near Threatened (NT); the populations are still well represented in Totally Protected Areas of Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak (Chua et al., 2010; Julia et al., 2014). The global conservation status for this species is also Near Threatened (NT) as the areas where this species grows is considered as threatened habitats (Barstow, 2019).

A living collection of D. costulatus can be observed at the Dipterocarp Arboretum of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia at Kepong, Selangor.

Climacodon sanguineus belongs to the family Meruliaceae, order Polyporales in the phylum Basidiomycota. The genus Climacodon was first introduced by Petter Karsten, a Finnish mycologist in 1881. The genus name, meaning “ladder teeth”, is derived from the Latin words climac and odon which means ladder and teeth, respectively. Climacodon is a hydnoid or toothed fungus where the hymenium (spore-bearing surface) on the underside of the cap takes the form of teeth instead of gills or pores. This genus has variable coloured basidiocarps or fruiting bodies ranging from white, cream to buff, rose pink, red and dark red brown with a monomitic hyphal system (consisting of only generative hyphae) and clamp connections (Maas Geesteranus, 1971; 1974).

Seven species of the genus Climacodon have been recorded worldwide (Index Fungorum, 2020). In Malaysia, three species are known, namely, C. dubitativus (Lloyd) Ryvarden, C. pulcherrimus (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Nikol. and C. roseomaculatus (Henn. & E. Nyman) Jülich (Mass Geesteranus, 1971), with one unidentified, possibly new species (Zainuddin et al., 2010). Climacodon sanguineus is the fourth species of Climacodon reported from Malaysia and represents a new record for the country. Previously this species was called Hydnum sanguineum and then Donkia sanguinea before it was renamed C. sanguineus by Maas Geesteranus (1971).

Specimens of Climacodon were collected during expeditions to Cameron Highlands in 2007, 2010 and during a recent field study in January 2020 under the Cameron Highlands Montane Park (CHiMP) project. The fungus was found growing solitarily or in small groups on woody substrates such as twigs and branches. The DNA sequence of the most recently collected Climacodon specimen was matched against the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database and it showed high similarity of 96% with the species C. sanguineus studied by Moreno et al. (2017). The phylogenetic analyses by Moreno et al. (2017) showed that C. sanguineus forms a well-supported clade with C. septentrionalis, the type species of Climacodon. Climacodon sanguineus has been reported in tropical forests of Central Africa, such as Congo (Beeli, 1926) and Gabon (Moreno et al., 2017), and seems to be confined to tropical regions only.

Climacodon sanguineus is recognised by its scarlet red colour and velvety cap, with coral to salmon coloured spines or teeth-like protrusions on the underside of the cap. The cap is 15-75 mm wide and the spines 1-3 mm long, extending down the stipe or stem. The stipe is up to 10 mm long and 4-7 mm wide. The name of the species originates from sanguis, the Latin word for “blood”, in reference to the red colour of the cap. Some species of Climacodon are saprophytes, for example, C. pulcherrimus (Moreno et al., 2007) while some are plant pathogens, such as C. septentrionalis which causes wood decay (Koski-Kotiranta & Niemela, 1987). There is, however, limited information about the ecological roles of C. sanguineus in the forest.

Among the species of Climacodon, C. sanguineus resembles C. roseomaculatus which has similar cap colour, hymenophore and spore shape. However, C. roseomaculatus has an effused-reflexed (flattened fruiting body with the edge rise from the substrate forming a shelf-like structure) or sessile (attached directly to the substrate) pileus with narrow base, and rarely has a stipe compared to C. sanguineus, which has one (Mass Geesteranus, 1971). The DNA sequence of our Climacodon specimen was also matched against the NCBI database and it only showed 91% similarity with the species C. roseomaculatus. Climacodon sanguineus has so far only been encountered at Cameron Highlands at altitudes ranging from 1400 m to 1600 m above sea level (a.s.l) while C. roseomaculatus was reported in Mount Kinabalu at an elevation of between 1500 m and 1700 m a.s.l., implying that these two species are distributed in high altitude tropical forests.

Presently, C. sanguineus has only been found in one locality in Malaysia, restricted to highland forest in Cameron Highlands. Apart from C. roseomaculatus which is also found in highland forest, other species of Climacodon in Malaysia such as C. dubitativus are widely distributed and have been collected from several localities of lowland forests at Pasoh, Negeri Sembilan and Tembeling, Pahang (Mass Geesteranus, 1971; Ryvarden, 1992). Another species, C. pulcherrimus was reportedly found in different localities such as Mawai in Johor, Tembeling, Sungai Cheka and Fraser’s Hill in Pahang (Mass Geesteranus, 1971). Climacodon sanguineus has not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List although a study by Moreno et al. (2017) reported this fungus as an extremely rare species. Thus, it is crucial that further studies be conducted on this species and its conservation status assessed.

Despite its appearance and name, the moonrat (Echinosorex gymnura) is not closely related to rats or other rodents. This Southeast Asian insectivore is classified under Order Erinaceomorpha, the same group which includes hedgehogs and gymnures, that feed primarily on insects as well as other arthropods. In Peninsular Malaysia, the moonrat is generally black and white in colour, with the face covered by white fur and marked by three prominent black patches. Another subspecies, Echinosorex gymnura alba is found in Borneo and appears to be generally white with only a sparse scattering of black hairs, although those from western Borneo have more black hairs than those from the eastern region. The three black patches on the head of E. gymnura are located as follows: one patch between the ears and a patch around each eye. The tail is blackish along its first half and white at the tip, and appears scaly with sparse hairs.

The moonrat has a long, mobile nose which has a groove on its underside, from the tip to a point between the upper incisors. Its body is long and narrow and the canine teeth are usually larger than the adjacent teeth. Commonly, it weighs up to 1.4 kg and its body is 26 to 45 cm in length with a 17 to 29 cm long tail (Britannica, 2005).

The moonrat uses its teeth and long snout to seek out earthworms and arthropods by scratching and probing in rotten trunks and leaf litter. Its sensitive whiskers and snout tip are used for the detection of prey. This solitary species flees immediately when disturbed, but emits ‘hiss-puffs’ and low roars followed by head swinging from side to side as defensive acts during captivity. An odour of rotten onions or ammonia envelops the moonrat and this is caused by secretions from its paired anal glands (Britannica, 2005). During movement, the moonrat elevates its body high off the ground, tending to raise its snout and elongating its posture; this is common in other mammals (Eisenberg, 1963; Eisenberg & Gould, 1970). In an aquatic environment, the moonrat uses its tail as a rudder by swishing it from side to side. It keeps its chin above water, but when submerged, it can close its nostrils.

The main diet of the moonrat includes terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates. For instance, Gould (1978) recorded the presence of cockroaches, beetles, millipedes, centipedes, spiders, molluscs, crabs, earthworms and arthropods from an examination of the stomach contents of 20 moonrats. A diet that includes aquatic invertebrates suggests its swimming ability and preference of feeding in streams (Gould, 1978). Observations by Gould (1978) in an oil palm plantation resulted in the discovery of two moonrats with intense orange stain on the fur of their heads, suggesting consumption of oil palm fruit. During captivity, it has been observed that this species also preferred other fruits, including bananas and apples (Lim, 1967).

Although this species is active both during the day and night (Harrison & Medway, 1969), it is generally more active at night. This species tends not to wander far from streams and usually rests in hollow rotting tree trunks on the ground, under tree roots or in-ground cavities (Britannica, 2005). Dens of the moonrat consist of either burrows or rock crevices on the forest floor and are usually marked by secretions. In mangrove forests, nipa palms serve as dens.

Its natural distribution includes the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra and also the island of Labuan. It prefers primary and secondary lowland forests, moist areas such as mangrove forests and swamp forest, and also rubber plantations located next to rainforests.

According to Cassola (2016), E. gymnura is listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as Least Concern (LC). Although the moonrat does face threats such as forest loss due to conversion to oil palm plantations and other land development projects, it is relatively adaptable to the changes. Despite its LC status, further studies still need to be carried out to ensure its ability to survive in oil palm plantations and conservation measures need to be implemented to create a sustainable environment for this species to continue to exist.

Known as cerapu or mencupu in Malay, Garcinia prainiana is a small tree up to 10 m tall, in the family Clusiaceae. This tree commonly grows in lowland and hill forest, on ridges, up to an altitude of 900 m above sea level. Its natural distribution is in Southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia. In Peninsular Malaysia, it can be found mainly in Pahang, Perak and Negeri Sembilan.

The bark is greyish brown in colour and produces a white sap when slashed. The oppositely arranged leaves are large, ovate, 15-23 cm long and 5-10 cm wide, reddish when young becoming glossy dark green when mature (Zawiah & Othaman, 2012).

Garcinia prainiana is dioecious (male and female flowers on separate trees). The sweet fragrant flowers are red to orange in colour and emerge like bunches of jewels from the green branch tips (Aman, 2006). The male and female flowers look identical in size, shape and colour, but while the female flower has no pollen, the male flower has a heavy ring of highly visible pollen encircling its center.

The fruits are round, 3-5 cm wide, shiny and green when young turning yellowish orange when fully matured. The fruits can be eaten fresh and have a pleasant sweet-sour taste (Adnan et al., 2018). In traditional Malay food, the young fruits are cooked together with dried fish in ‘gulai lemak cili api’ (Zawiah & Othaman, 2012). The fruiting season occurs once a year, from July to September.

This tree is very slow growing but long-lived and can produce fruit when only a few feet tall. The young plants are used as rootstock for the mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana. Garcinia prainiana is an excellent plant for landscaping in parks and gardens and is considered as Least Concern (LC) in the IUCN Red List version 3.1, 2011 (Nparks Flora Fauna website, 2020) because it is widely grown and does not face any threat of extinction.

In conjunction with Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair (KLIBF), a Facebook live to talk about the biodiversity in Merbok will be held in Penerbit USM official Facebook Page.

The details are as below:

Speaker: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suhaila Ab. Hamid, Dr. Nik Ahmad Irwan Izzauddin Nik Him

Date: 1 July 2020 (Wednesday)

Time: 10.00-10.30 am.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/pg/PenerbitUSM/

In conjunction with World Environment Day 2020, an Awareness Talk on Biodiversity Conservation will be presented by two guest speakers, Dr. Khairul Naim Adham and Mr. Yasser Mohamed Arifin. This talk will be live on KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital official Facebook page.

The details are as below:

Date: 29 June 2020

Time: 1.00 pm - 2.00 pm

Link: https://www.facebook.com/kpjampangputeri/

The Tropics has a population of 3 billion people, 55% of whom are under 5 years old, and covers 40% of the world’s agricultural areas. It also suffers rampant poverty and worsening impacts of climate change. The oceans in the Tropics drive the dynamics of climate change and with global warming the tropical region is expanding into higher latitudes at 50 kilometres per decade. The latter will induce the escalation of tropical diseases into unforeseen regions. Eighty percent of the world’s biodiversity are in the Tropics and yet every year 140 000 square km of tropical rainforests are destroyed. While there are scientific and technological remedies to some of the problems, the Tropics needs solutions that are designed for its challenges while harnessing its values.

Malaysia resides in the Tropics and in the past has led R&D in several fields through many institutes of international repute. She has a great role to play in the future in driving the agenda for the Tropics. This webinar serves to remind Malaysians of our past and current successes as well as to provoke thought on the potential for leadership roles for Malaysia to play. The latter should be seen in the international context of the importance of the Tropics.

For more updates visit : http://www.msa-foundation.org/ or please contact, Varsheta Sellappah at varsheta@akademisains.gov.my

Naja sumatrana is more commonly known as the Sumatran Cobra (Das, 2015). It is in the Family Elapidae and is also called the Equatorial Spitting Cobra (Ecology Asia, 2019; Grismer et al., 2012). This venomous snake is a medium-sized species with an average length of between 0.9 and 1.5 metres (Das, 2015).

The features of this snake include a thick body, short tail, elliptical and depressed head which is slightly distinct from the neck, with a short, rounded snout and large nostrils. The colouration of N. sumatrana varies according to its geographical origin and size. In Malaysia, the common body colouration of this snake is black to bluish-black, and in the juvenile, the throat bears narrow, pale, cross-bar markings (Das, 2015; Ecology Asia, 2019).

Generally, the Sumatran cobra is widely distributed in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Borneo (Das, 2015). This cold-blooded species generally inhabits forested areas in the lowlands and mid-hills. Moreover, it is also found in oil palm plantations, rice fields, and gardens. Naja sumatrana also sometimes enters human habitations in towns and villages located near forest edges. This is because this snake has evolved to adapt well to heavily disturbed habitats (Das, 2015).

This terrestrial and mainly diurnal snake is an oviparous species. It generally mates in the months of August to October and lays clutches of between six and twenty-three eggs with an average incubation period of 70-90 days. This carnivorous snake mainly devours rodents and frogs; however, it will also feed on other snakes, lizards and small mammals (Das, 2015). This cobra helps in maintaining ecosystem equilibrium by being one of the carnivores that control rodent populations which when too high, may cause damage, especially in forest and plantation areas. It is also one of the medically important cobra species in South-east Asia as research on its venom composition is used to optimize snakebite management (Yap et al., 2014; 2011).

Naturally, N. sumatrana is not an aggressive creature; nonetheless, it will readily spit venom when threatened. Its spit contains neurotoxic venom with substances that can damage nerve tissues and shut down individual cells. The venom can cause serious damage if it gets into the eyes, nostrils or skin wounds. Venom sprayed into the eyes of a victim can possibly lead to permanent damage of the tissues surrounding the eye which could result in blindness if left untreated. This cobra may also strike and bite when it feels threatened. The injection of its venom through a direct bite may be fatal to the victim (Das, 2015).

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, this snake is depicted as a Least Concern species, but ironically, it is threatened by humans. Common perils faced by this species include being victims to the international pet trade, and being harvested for food and usage in traditional medicine (Grismer et al., 2012). Therefore, there is a need to enhance public awareness towards N. sumatrana in order to respect its existence and appreciate its role in maintaining our natural ecosystems.

Kementerian Tenaga dan Sumber Asli bersama-sama ERE Consulting Group telah menganjurkan Webinar Biodiversiti Kebangsaan bersempena Hari Biodiversiti Antarabangsa 2020. Tema Hari Biodiversiti Antarabangsa tahun ini adalah 'Our Solutions are in Nature'.

Webinar ini bertujuan membawa bersama pihak berkepentingan untuk berkongsi pengalaman dalam memulihara kepelbagaian biologi kita.

Webinar ini telah dijalankan dalam dua sesi pada Khamis, 21 Mei 2020 iaitu:

Sesi 1: Dasar Kepelbagaian Biologi Kebangsaan: Cabaran dan Halatuju
Masa: 10.00 pagi - 12.00 tengah hari

Panelis sesi webinar 1 adalah seperti berikut:

1. Dr. G Balamurugan (ERE Consulting Group)
2. Dato' Mohd Ridza Awang (Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia)
3. En. Ahmad Azhar Mohammed (Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara)
4. Pn. Ivy Wong Abdullah (Yayasan Hasanah)
5. Dr. Rahimatsah Amat (Sabah Environmental Trust)

(Link video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4eq4UIqeIE)

Sesi 2: Kepelbagaian Biologi - Sumbangan kepada Masyarakat
Masa: 2.30 - 4.30 petang

Panelis sesi webinar 2 adalah seperti berikut:

1. Dr. Khairul Naim bin Adham (Kementerian Tenaga dan Sumber Asli)
2. Dato' Dr. Marzalina Mansor (Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia)
3. En. Frederick Kugan (Jabatan Perhutanan Sabah)
4. Pn. Margarita Naming (Sarawak Biodiversity Centre)
5. Dr. A. Aldrie Amir (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia)

(Link video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3E4NqaC6-M)

Commonly known as kriah, sekriah or keriat in Malay, Aglaia korthalsii is a member of the family Meliaceae, which includes some common species such as sentul (Sandoricum koetjape) and sentang (Azadirachta excelsa). Aglaia korthalsii is named after P.W. Korthals, a Dutch botanist and traveler. In Peninsular Malaysia, this tree can be found in all states except Perlis, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka. It grows in lowland dipterocarp forest up to 340 m above sea level (Mabberley & Pannell, 2013).

It is a small to medium tree, up to 26 m tall with a bole of up to 70 cm diameter. The bark is pale to dark reddish-brown or pinkish-brown to grey in colour, with dark greenish-pink and pink inner bark. It has compound leaves comprised of leaflets with unequal leaf bases. The petiole is 7-12 cm long and covered with shiny reddish brown scales that can also be found on the leaf axis and twigs. The inflorescences are densely covered with peltate scales; the male inflorescence is up to 40 cm long and wide while the female inflorescence is smaller and fewer-branched (Mabberley & Pannell, 2013).

The flowers are subglobose or depressed globose, about 1.1-1.5 mm long and 1.1- 1.6 mm wide comprised of 5 petals, with 5 rounded calyx lobes which may be covered in scales like those of the twigs. The fruits are berryoid, 2-2.5 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide, reddish orange outside, densely covered with orange-brown peltate scales (Mabberley & Pannell, 2007). The mature fruit breaks open along the ridge on the fruit wall when pressure is applied. The fruit contains a seed with a translucent, yellow, juicy, sweet or rather bitter-tasting fleshy aril (Nparks Flora Fauna website, 2020).

Aglaia korthalsii is still grown as a fruit tree in villages in Kelantan and Terengganu. The Orang Utan and Lar Gibbon are known to consume the fruits (Norsyam, 1992). The wood is also used for house poles. Although this species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (Pannel, 1998), the conservation status for this species in Peninsular Malaysia is Least Concern because there is no threat of extinction.

Do you know that there are more than 400 species of palms that are native to Malaysia (Tan, 2014)? Malaysia has an estimated 28 genera of palms and Johannesteijsmannia is one of the most magnificent. Only four species of this genus exist in the world and all of them can be found in Peninsular Malaysia, viz. J. altifrons, J. lanceolata, J. magnifica and J. perakensis.

Johannesteijsmannia lanceolata is an endemic species and is known locally in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan as Slender Joey Palm or chica in Malay (Chan & Saw, 2009). The epithet for the genus honours the Dutch gardener and botanist, Johannes Elias Teijsmann (1808-1882), while the species epithet is derived from a Latin word, lanceolate denoting a lance head-like shape, referring to the shape of the leaf (Dransfield, 1972).

The Slender Joey Palm is a solitary, stemless, small to medium-sized understorey palm, up to 3.5 m tall. Compared to other species in the same genus, the leaves of this species are narrower, 30 cm wide and up to 2.4 m long. The inflorescence has three to six thick branches. The flowers are creamy white with broad, papillate petals. The broadly triangular petals can grow up to 1 mm long, and are very thick. The flowers are sweetly scented and attract certain insects such as flies, black ants, and stingless bees (Chan, 2009). The fruits are reddish-brown, globular with short warts, and can grow up to 3.4 cm in diameter (Dransfield, 1972). The reproductive cycle from flowering to fruiting takes about 14-15 months (Chan, 2009) which is longer than the human gestation period. There is a high possibility of self-pollination or autogamy in the Slender Joey Palm and this may be facilitated by some pollinators, such as flies (family Phoridae and Cecidomyiidae), black ants, and stingless bees (Trigona sp.) (Chan, 2009).

The distribution of this palm is very restricted; it is only found in Pahang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. Seeds of J. lanceolata are harder to find compared to other Johannesteijsmannia species because it produces few seeds. It thrives in river valleys, but only on well-drained sites. Some individuals have been found growing in logged forest near rivers (Dransfield, 1972).

The leaves of this palm are used by the local indigenous people for making roof thatch. However, this is quite rare now and only occurs during a celebration feast (Chan & Saw, 2009). In the meantime, this plant is being sold as an ornamental and decorative plant for homes and landscaping.

Johannesteijsmannia lanceolata is listed as Endangered according to the IUCN Red List Category and Criteria ver 3.1 (2001) (Chan et al., 2011). This palm is categorised as Endangered due to its endemicity with restricted extent of occurrence (EOO) and small population size, which is less than 250 mature individuals in the largest subpopulation (Chan et al., 2011). Concurrently, this genus is banned from being exported overseas under the Customs (Prohibition of Export) Order 1998 (Chan & Saw, 2009). Collection of plants and seeds from the wild is allowed with permits from relevant authorities, but this is not encouraged. As a conservation measure, domestication of this palm is recommended as this will reduce the pressure of wild seed collection. To ensure the sustainability of the Slender Joey Palm, more ex-situ planting of the palm and preservation as well as protection of its existing populations and habitats should be done.

Coelostegia is a small genus in the subfamily Helicteroideae-Durioneae, family Bombacaceae or Malvaceae from western Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Java, Sumatra and Borneo). Prior to 1998, taxonomic and systematic studies based mainly on morphological and anatomical characters carried out by various authors (e.g., Hutchinson 1959, Keng 1969) included Coelostegia in the tribe/section Durioneae of the family Bombacaceae. From the late 1990’s, however, phylogenetic studies based on chloroplast and nuclear ribosomal DNA (e.g., Nyffeler & Baum 2000, Bayer & Kubitzki 2003) strongly suggested that the core Malvales families (Bombacaceae, Malvaceae, Sterculiaceae and Tiliaceae) be merged into an expanded family Malvaceae, and that nine subfamilies should be recognised, with the genera of the Durioneae-group to be included in subfamily Helicteroideae-Durioneae. Cheek (2006, 2007), however, disagreed and proposed placing the Durioneae genera (including Coelostegia, Durio, Kostermansia and Neesia) in a separate family, the Durionaceae.

Coelostegia was first described by Bentham & Hooker in 1862. Coelostegia and other genera in the family are very difficult to distinguish from vegetative characters alone. Flower and fruit characters are very important for species recognition. Gross morphological and micro-morphological characters show that the genus Coelostegia can be readily distinguished from other genera in the family by the epicalyx being much shorter than the calyx, the induplicate-saccate calyx (having edges or margins folded inward/sac-shaped) character and the ovary being partly enclosed by the receptacle. This distinction is also supported by micro-morphological characters derived from trichomes, stomata and pollen.

A revision of the genus Coelostegia in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo was conducted resulting in the recognition of six species. These are the common C. borneenis which occurs more or less throughout Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo, C. griffithii which is common and recorded from Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Java, Sumatra and Borneo, and four other species, i.e. C. chartacea, C. kostermansii, C. montana and C. neesiocarpa which occur only on Borneo Island (Nadiah & Soepadmo, 2011).

Coelostegia montana was formally described as a new species by Kade Sidiyasa in 2001 (Sidiyasa, 2001) based on fruiting specimens from Bukit Batu Tibang, Kapit, Sarawak (Anderson S 28461) and young flower buds from Kayan Mentarang National Park, East Kalimantan, Indonesia (Sidiyasa & Arifin 1529). During field work at the Rafflesia Information Centre, Tambunan, Sabah in 2008, this species was found along the Rafflesia trail at 1342 m altitude, in lower montane forest. The specimen collected from the area (Nadiah et al. SAN 149577), bearing matured fruits and fully developed flowers, represents a new record of this species for the state, thus extending its distribution in Borneo (Nadiah & Soepadmo, 2011).

Coelostegia montana is a large tree, reaching heights of up to 50 m and 45 cm diameter. It has narrow buttresses, shallowly fissured, reddish brown bark, and the leaves are simple alternate arranged, with a leathery texture, elliptic or slightly obovate in shape with acute base and shortly acuminate apex. This species can be distinguished from other Coelostegia species by having leaves with 7–8 pairs of lateral leaf veins; approximately 6 mm long and narrowly obovate stipules; and depressed conical flower buds about 3 mm in diameter. The most unique and attractive part of this species is the subglobose, dark bluish fruits which have a rounded base and are about 12 cm long and 10 cm in diameter. The outer surface of the fruit is submuricate (less rough with small and less sharp spines) and the inside wall is glabrous, brownish and rough. The seeds are pale white when young, turning shiny brown when matured.

This species can be found growing in dipterocarp and submontane primary forests, on ridges, well-drained soils, on igneous (andesitic) derived soil or on slopes. The epithet montana is derived from the Latin name montanus, meaning growing on mountains. Apart from the morphological characters, this species has a distinct altitudinal distribution pattern and is only found at high altitudes (approximately 884–1450 m altitude) while all the other Coelostegia species occur in the lowlands (c. 20–606 m altitude).

Coelostegia montana has not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List. It is considered an endemic in Borneo as it is confined to three localities only (Sabah, Sarawak and Kalimantan).

Shorea henryana Pierre is one of the 62 Shorea species that occur in Peninsular Malaysia (Chua et al., 2010). It belongs to the family Dipterocarpaceae and is categorised under the white meranti group of Shorea (commonly called the Meranti Pa’ang Group). Members of the Dipterocarpaceae are tall hardwood tropical trees which usually have 2-5 winged fruits although there are some exceptions. Species of dipterocarps are the most abundant among the upper storey of the lowland evergreen rainforest in Malaysia. Since the early seventies, dipterocarps have provided the bulk of tropical hardwoods traded in the international and domestic markets (Soerianegara & Lemmens, 1993). Together with Parashorea, Shorea is listed as the most important source of world timber supplies from the family Dipterocarpaceae, producing the different forms of 'lauan', 'meranti' or 'seraya' (Killmann et al., 1994).

Shorea henryana is recorded to occur in Myanmar, Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia (Perlis and Kedah). On Langkawi Island, its local preferred name is Meranti jerit, but in Perlis and Kedah, it is known as Meranti Sutera. Other than in seasonally dry tropical forests on granite, the species is also found on quartzite and deep limestone soils (Chua et al., 2010).

Shorea henryana is a large emergent tree that can grow up to 40 m tall. Its leaves are simple, wider in the middle, shaped like a lance tip, long, about 6.5-12.5 x 2.5-5 cm, pinkish on the undersurface and reddish brown when dry. Its midribs are canaliculated (channelled, with a longitudinal groove) above, with widely parallel secondary veins oblique to the midrib, and oblique tertiary veins. The fruit is a short-stalked, five-winged ovoid nut, about 22 x 4 mm in length, glabrous, and yellowish-green when young. The three outer wings are slightly narrower at the base and rounded at the tip (Symington, 2004).

Meranti Jerit has high economic value. It produces one of the hardest and heaviest meranti pa’ang timbers and is used in the construction of tongkang (Chinese sailing ship) in the Langkawi Islands (Yong et al., 2011). Besides that, its trunk produces clear or brownish resin (dammar) which is used traditionally for purposes such as caulking boats and baskets, as an adhesive, medicine, fuel for torches and sometimes in food as a clouding or glazing agent. The resin is obtained from the trunk by tapping, and is exported commercially from Langkawi (Yong et al., 2011).

Shorea henryana is categorised as Endangered (EN) under the Malaysia Plant Red List (Chua et al., 2010) and IUCN Red List (Ly et al., 2017). This is mainly due to habitat degradation, selective logging, and deforestation. Thus, conservation actions such as protection of the species and its habitat, information on its population size and ex-situ collections are needed in order to sustainably manage the species and prevent its population from declining.

Sea turtles, also called marine turtles, are well-known sea creatures that have lived on earth for more than 100 million years. There are seven species of sea turtles in the world and four of them nest in Malaysia (Kemf et al., 2000). These are the Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea).

Among the marine turtles, the Leatherback Turtle is the largest and the heaviest (Spotila, 2004). The common name, 'Leatherback', is derived from its carapace (shell) characteristics. The Leatherback Turtle has an elongated carapace that tapers towards the posterior which is covered by a leathery skin, differentiating it from other sea turtles. Their leathery carapace and the longitudinal ridges along the carapace make them easily recognizable. The largest Leatherback ever recorded in the world was a male turtle stranded on the West Coast of Wales in 1988 that reached 256 cm long and weighed 916 kg (Morgan, 1989).

The Leatherback Turtle inhabits the open ocean, and nests on oceanic islands as well as on wide mainland beaches. During the spawning season, they will return to their hatching beach to lay their eggs. Each clutch comprises approximately 90-130 eggs and the duration of incubation lasts for approximately 65 days (about 2 months) (Das, 2015). In Malaysia, the Leatherback Turtles nest primarily on the mainland beaches of Terengganu, along a 15 km stretch of beach centred in Rantau Abang (Chan, 2006). Unfortunately, the species has not landed in Terengganu since 2010, but at the end of 2017, a total of 92 leatherback turtle eggs were found on Rhu Beach near Rantau Abang; sadly they never hatched (Zawawi Ali, Terengganu State Fisheries Director, pers. comm.).

Leatherback Turtles predominantly feed on jellyfish and they are capable of diving to a depth of 1,200 m in northern temperate waters in search of food (Das, 2015). They play an important role in the ocean ecosystems by controlling the population of jellyfish.

However, the population of Leatherback Turtles continues to decline due to several threats such as entanglement in fishing gear, habitat loss and degradation, as well as consumption of their eggs and meat, climate change and pollution. Currently, the Leatherback Turtle is categorised as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List (Wallace et al., 2013).

Download the latest issue of Conservation Malaysia HERE.

Articles in this issue:

• Managing Production Forest of Peninsular Malaysia Through Intensive Forest Management
• Insect visitors of Beluno (Mangifera caesia) flowers in Sabah
• Welcoming a New Butterfly to FRIM: The Malayan Birdwing

We welcome articles on new research information on flora or fauna and discussions related to biodiversity or conservation.

Please send articles to:

The Editor,
Conservation Malaysia Bulletin,
Forest Research Institute Malaysia,
52109 Kepong, Selangor.
(attn.: Dr. Lillian Chua, lilian@frim.gov.my)

Conservation Malaysia is published twice a year and hardcopies are free upon request.

Please contact The Editor for any queries or comments.

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Chaperina fusca, commonly known as the Saffron-bellied frog, is a terrestrial amphibian in the family Microhylidae and was first described from Sintang, Borneo by F. Mocquard in 1892 (Mocquard, 1892). It is the only species under the genus Chaperina. This frog is native to Southeast Asia where it can be found in Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, and some islands in the southern Philippines. In Peninsular Malaysia, it can be found mainly in Perak, Pahang and Pulau Tioman while in the Philippines, it can be found on the islands of Palawan, Mindanao, and Jolo. It occurs in primary or mature secondary forest, in hilly areas and adjacent lowlands.

The adult frog may not be as attractive as other colorful amphibians but the interesting feature of this species is the large yellow spots found on its belly. These yellow spots are also visible along its lower flanks and can sometimes be larger in some individuals due to merging of the spots. The adult C. fusca is dark brown to black in colour with marbled bluish coloration on its dorsum but this can vary in each individual. Some individuals may be greyish with bluish or greenish spots. The male is usually smaller than the female where it barely reaches 20mm in length. This species is normally small in size averaging 18mm to 26mm which makes it difficult to find in nature. Its tadpole is typically small, slightly flattened above and oval in shape. Its body is black above and paler underneath while the fins are transparent. When viewed from above, the eyes of the tadpole reflect a silver iris ring (Das et al., 2007).

Generally, it is easy to distinguish a typical frog call from the calls of other animals or insects. However, it is difficult to recognise this species from its call as the call of the male is more insect-like and not very loud. Apart from being terrestrial, C. fusca is also a scansorial species, that is, it has an ability to climb. It usually becomes active after rain and perches on the forest floor and lower vegetation. The male calls to attract the female while resting in a small pool of rainwater that has accumulated inside a tree trunk or holes in trees. At times, some individuals climb up trees or buttresses to call for their mates to breed.

Chaperina fusca is classified as least concern (LC) under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The population trend of this species is unknown but it is abundant in Borneo, uncommon in Peninsular Malaysia and patchily distributed in the Philippines. The major threats to the species include the pollution of streams and rivers, deforestation and habitat conversion to agriculture (IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, 2004).

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The genus Argyreia derived from Greek, "argyreios", meaning silvery, refers to the shiny hairs on the underside of the leaves of some species and the epithet name "maingayi" refers to Alexander Carroll Maingay (1836–1869), a surgeon-general and magistrate in-charge of the Melaka jail between 1862 and 1868. He became the Superintendent of the jail at Rangoon, Burma (now known as Yangon, Myanmar) in 1868, where he was murdered a year later during a mutiny by the prisoners. His name is commemorated in several plant names because he made a significant collection of plants in Melaka.

The genus Argyreia belongs to the Convolvulaceae, better known as the morning glory family. Argyreia comprises about 100 species and in the Malesian region, about 45 species have been recorded. They are mainly found in Peninsular Malaysia (c. 13 species), Sumatra (12 species) and the Philippines (10 species) (Wardini, 2003). The genus Argyreia is very similar to Ipomoea, and the two can only be distinguished by the fruits. The fruits of Argyreia are indehiscent, fleshy or mealy berries whereas fruits of Ipomoea are dehiscent dry capsules (Staples & Syahida-Emiza, 2015).

Argyreia maingayi is a liana with fulvous-hirsute twining stems. The leaves are ovate, c. 9–20 cm long and 3.5–11 cm wide, rounded or shortly attenuate (tapering gradually) at the base and strigose (straight, stiff, sharp and appressed) hairs are found along the veins on the lower leaf surface. The inflorescences are densely capitate (in dense heads) and pendulous (hanging or drooping downward) while the peduncles are stout and up to 5 cm long. The bracts are large, up to 4 cm long and persistent. The sepals are long-acuminate, 4.5–6 cm long and the corollas are white with a pink, red or purple stripe in the middle of each lobe. The fruits are ovoid, c. 12 mm long and pinkish in colour. This species occurs in lowland and hill forest up to 1,120 m altitude, on river banks, sometimes on limestone, and in secondary forest. The flowering season is from June through to December while the fruiting season is from November through to July.

Locally, this species is known as akar terong-terong, akar bunga butang, akar ulan gajah, akar k'lupus in Melaka; akar sumulut in Negeri Sembilan and bunga akar saptu utan in Selangor. The slightly sweet fruits are edible and a decoction of the roots is used externally to treat pain in the bones (Hoogland, 1952; Ooststroom & Hoogland, 1953; Burkill, 1966; Wardini, 2003).

Argyreia maingayi is endemic to Peninsular Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia (all states except Kedah and Penang) (Staples & Syahida-Emiza, 2015). This species is widespread and common throughout the Malay Peninsula and is categorized as Least Concern (LC) because there is no threat of extinction.

The Spectacled Leaf Langur or Dusky Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus obscurus) is known as Lotong bercelak in Malaysia. It belongs to Family Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys) and is further classified under subfamily Colobinae (which are mainly arboreal, lack cheek pouches, have a long tail and a large, sacculated stomach with many chambers) (Groves, 2001; Francis, 2008). Trachypithecus obscurus is commonly called the Spectacled Leaf Langur or Dusky Leaf Monkey because of its appearance; it has incomplete white rings around its eyes resembling spectacles (Md-Zain & Ch'ng, 2011), and a dietary habit of eating leaves. According to range and hair coloration, T. obscurus is divided into 11 subspecies; these are T. o. obscurus, T. o. carbo, T. o. corax, T. o. flavicauda, T. o. halonifer, T. o. phayrei, T. o. sanctorum, T. o. seimundi, T. o. shanicus, T. o. smithi and T. o. styx (Brandon-Jones et al., 2004). These subspecies are distributed from India to Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia (Brandon-Jones et al., 2004). There are at least five subspecies native to Peninsular Malaysia. These are T. o. obscurus (Reid's dusky leaf monkey) which is the major subspecies in Peninsular Malaysia except along the north coast, T. o. flavicauda (Blond-tailed dusky leaf monkey) which is found in northern Peninsular Malaysia, T. o. styx (Perhentian dusky leaf monkey) which occurs on Perhentian Island and probably adjacent coastal areas, T. o. halonifer (Cantor's dusky leaf monkey) which is mostly restricted to Penang Island, and T. o. carbo (Tarutao dusky leaf monkey) which is found on Dayang Bunting Island and Langkawi Island (Brandonn-Jones et al., 2004).

Trachypithecus obscurus can be easily distinguished from other primates due to its unique appearance. Apart from the white-ringed eyes, it also has contrasting bare pink patches on its upper and lower lips. The upper part of its body is greyish-brown to dark grey, while the underparts, outside of hind legs, tail and crest on top of the head are a paler grey. The new-born Spectacled Leaf Langur is yellow to pale orange with a pink face (Francis, 2008). The young's fur colour will change to grey or brownish within 6 months. The average lifespan of a female Spectacled Leaf Langur under captivity was found to be around 15.3 years (About Animals, 2017).

The Spectacled Leaf Langur is mainly arboreal and inhabits a variety of forest types, from lowland to hill forests. It can also be found in other habitats such as coastal, riverine and urban forests, botanical gardens, and parks. This species is primarily folivorous (herbivore specialized in eating leaves). It mainly feeds on leaves and shoots but also eats some fruits, especially unripe ones (Francis, 2008). Some fruits consumed by this species include Ficus delosyce, F. sumatrana and F. stricta (Lambert, 1990). Recently, Baker & Graeme (2017) reported that this species also feeds on dry pods of Acacia auriculiformis where the adults would extract part of the pod using their teeth, but the infant was seen extracting only the seeds with its fingers. This langur is able to feed on leaves and unripe fruits due to the presence of bacteria in its gut which can break down cellulose and help to detoxify poisonous leaves or unripe fruit. It consumes 2 kg of food everyday while weighing only 6.5 kg to 7.5 kg.

The Spectacled Leaf Langur is diurnal and mostly active during the day. It spends most of its time feeding, followed by resting and moving (Md-Zain & Ch'ng, 2011). It prefers foraging and staying up in canopies of tall trees, moving around, running, climbing and leaping from the branches of the trees. It is known to be territorial and lives in groups of 5 to 20 individuals, consisting of juveniles, two or more adult females and one or more adult males, with only one dominant male. The dominant adult male is responsible for maintaining the group together, alerting the group members of predators, and defending its territorial boundaries (Curtin, 1980). The non-dominant males tend to leave their birth group and form "bachelor" groups which consist of other solitary males (Downey, 2016). Sometimes, males or females can also be found living solitarily. Each group can occupy a home range of 5 to 20 ha (Francis, 2008).

Unlike other primates, the Spectacled Leaf Langur lives peacefully with one another. It shows low aggression, focusing more on reconciliation. During reconciliation and consolation, it often uses tactile communication which involves social grooming and embracing. This species also often uses visual communication such as tongue flicks, and lunges to show domination and also to send signals when threats are observed. It also uses vocal communication which involves alternate soft warning and coughing calls during detection of threats while honking is used for demarcation of the group's territory. During aggression, this langur uses tactile communication which involves jump kicking, grappling, wrestling, pulling, and grabbing each other. If a dispute occurs within the group, they tend to reconcile by ventro-ventro (belly to belly) hugging.

Trachypithecus obscurus is a polygynous breeder which means that only the large, aggressive and powerful male fertilizes the females. During mounting, the dominant male will stand behind the female and raise its rump into the air with or without grasping the female's ankles, while the female has its four limbs on the ground. Its gestation period is 145 days on average. Usually, the female gives birth during the months of January, February and March. It is known to give birth to one or two offspring but usually only one will survive. Both sexes reach maturity at between 3 and 4 years of age. The majority of the parental care is provided by the mother.

Unfortunately, the Spectacled Leaf Langur population is currently decreasing and it is listed as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The main reason for the noticeable decline of this species is hunting by humans for food (Boonratana et al., 2008). The species is also threatened by habitat loss and degradation due to expanding oil palm plantations, agriculture and urbanization (Boonratana et al., 2008). In Peninsular Malaysia, this species is frequently the victim of road-kill (Boonratana et al., 2008). This species is currently protected internationally by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) as it is listed under Appendix II, and in Malaysia it is protected by the Wildlife Conservation Act (WCA) 2010 as a Protected Species.

It is very important that this species be protected because it plays an important role in seed dispersal and serves as prey for predators. Let us work together to protect the Spectacled Leaf Langur from extinction and to sustain this species for future generations.

In conjunction with the Carnival Putrajaya & Putrajaya Open Day 2019, we will organise an exhibition related to "Urban Biodiversity Study in Putrajaya" in Dataran Putrajaya. This exhibition is organised by Biodiversity Management and Forestry Division, Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources in collaboration with Perbadanan Putrajaya, National University of Malaysia (UKM) and Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM).

Various activities like game, quiz, exhibition and books related to biodiversity will be held here.

Details of the event:

Date: 4 - 6 October 2019 (Friday to Sunday)
Time: 9.00 am - 9.00 pm
Venue: Dataran Putrajaya, Presint 3, Putrajaya

See you there!

There are 14 accepted species of Caryota worldwide, distributed from tropical and subtropical Asia to Vanuatu. The genus Caryota is derived from the Greek word, caryon, meaning a nut. Malaysia has three native species, namely Caryota maxima, C. mitis and C. no. Caryota maxima, commonly known as the giant mountain fishtail palm, is a solitary, upright palm and is quite similar to C. mitis but the latter is a clustering, multi-stemmed palm. The epithet mitis in C. mitis is a Latin word meaning unarmed or harmless, in reference to its physical presence of an unarmed palm (National Park Board, 2013). Caryota no, known as the giant fishtail palm, is a fast-growing, large, solitary palm that is endemic to Borneo.

Caryota mitis is a slow-growing, understorey palm that can be found in India and Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. The natural habitat of this palm includes lowland rainforest, secondary forests and disturbed areas. It is known as beredin, dudok, ibul, pinang or tukas in Malay (Quattrocchi, 2012). It can grow up to 25 m in height (Abdullah, 1992). The stems are clustered and the leaves are bipinnate with triangular shaped leaflets and praemorse, jagged leaf tips as though bitten off, resembling a fishtail as a whole. Hence, its common name, the clustering fishtail palm. When this palm grows to about 3 m in height, flowering begins from the top, progressing down the stem. The inflorescences are spirally-arranged. After fruiting, the stem holding the inflorescence will die off and the next inflorescence below will bloom. This process is repeated until the whole plant eventually dies off. The colour of the flowers is cream or white. The tiny unisexual flowers are borne in groups of three, with two males and one female. When the round fruit matures, it will turn from green to dark red in colour (Abdullah, 1992). The fruits are sometimes eaten and dispersed by the common palm civet, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus (Zona & Henderson, 1989) and long-tailed macaque, Macaca fascicularis.

Sago can be obtained from the trunk of this clustering fishtail palm as the trunk contains starch. The leaves are eaten by animals. The seeds are edible if cooked (Quattrocchi, 2012). On the other hand, the fruit pulp and juice of this palm cannot be consumed by humans. This is because the pulp contains calcium oxalate crystals which cause irritation when in contact with the eyes, skin and mucous membranes (Abdullah, 1992). Burning and swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue and throat may occur. In the Malay Peninsula, the juice of the fruit when mixed with other materials like bamboo hairs and extract of toad, produces a deadly poison (Quattrocchi, 2012).

This palm is popular as an ornamental in gardens and along roadsides as it is able to thrive well under full sun as well as in shady locations (National Park Board, 2013). This palm is categorised as Least Concern as it has a very wide distribution and the current population around its native region is stable (BGCI & IUCN, 2018).

In conjunction with the 'Hutan Kita' exhibition starting from August 24 to September 22, 2019, at KL Tower, the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources (KATS) in collaboration with Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) and Forestry Department of Peninsular (JPSM) are organising a one-day event with talks given by invited speakers and various exhibitions.

The details of the talk are as below,

Theme: Malaysia Biodiversity
Date: 11 September 2019 (Wednesday)
Time: 9 am - 5 pm
Venue: KL Forest Eco Park

Session 1

8.30 am : Arrival of respected guests

9.00 am : Launching ceremony of Pocket Talk: Malaysia Biodiversity and 'Royal Belum-Temengor Rainforest: The Hidden Treasure of Perak' book

Live video : https://www.pscp.tv/mybisgovmy/1zqKVEvonmaxB

Session 2

Pocket Talk: Malaysia Biodiversity

10.30 am : Royal Belum-Temengor 2015/16 Scientific Expedition by YBrs. Dr. Zarul Hazrin Hashim of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)

Live video: https://www.pscp.tv/mybisgovmy/1yNGapzMOogKj

11.30 am : The Biodiversity of Medical, Veterinary & Forensic Importance Flies in Malaysia by YBrs. Dr. Heo Chong Chin of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)

Live video: https://www.pscp.tv/mybisgovmy/1DXxypBQDmPJM

12.30 pm : The Flying Beauty: Dragonflies and Damselflies of Malaysia by YBrs. Prof. Madya Dr. Choong Chee Yen of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

Live video: https://www.pscp.tv/mybisgovmy/1OdKrLaMDQvJX

1.30 pm : Human-Venomous Animals Encounter: Can We Live Together Harmoniously? by YBrs. Dr. Ruth Sabrina Safferi of Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh, Perak.

Live video: https://www.pscp.tv/mybisgovmy/1DXxypBbbjLJM

2.30 pm : Bats of Malaysia by YBrs. Dr. Juliana Bt Senawi of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

Live video: https://www.pscp.tv/mybisgovmy/1BdGYepDOWBGX

3.30 pm : Fireflies: Present and potential role in biodiversity conservation in Malaysia by YBrs. Dr. Nada binti Badruddin of Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)

Live video: https://www.pscp.tv/mybisgovmy/1gqGvgwDmznJB

4.30 pm : Fishes of North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest by YBrs. Prof. Madya Dr. Mohammad Noor Amal Azmai of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)

Live video: https://www.pscp.tv/mybisgovmy/1ZkKzABombLxv

5.30 pm : Tea break and end of event

Exhibitions by:

• Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)
• Management & Ecology of Malaysian Elephant (MEME)
• Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
• Ecocentric Transitions
• Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS)

The event is FREE and is open to the general public.

Norhayati’s Gliding Frog or Rhacophorus norhayatiae is an arboreal tree frog that can be widely found in Peninsular Malaysia. This species is in the family Rhacophoridae which in Malaysia are comprised of tree frogs (genus of Polypedates, Rhacophorus, Theloderma), flying frogs (genus Rhacophorus), bush frogs (genus Philautus), and the Cinnamon frog (Nyctixalus pictus).

Rhacophorus norhayatiae was only described in 2010. Initially, the frog was identified as Reinwardti's Flying Frog (Rhacophorus reinwardtii). However, when Chan and Grismer (2010) reassessed R. reinwardtii populations in Southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia, they found that these populations were morphologically dissimilar from the populations first described from Javan and Bornean populations; hence this is a new species. Rhacophorus norhayatiae can be differentiated from R. reinwardtii by a larger maximum snout-vent length (SVL) in males (64.7 mm vs. 55mm), lack of spots on the dorsum, higher degree of interdigital webbing, pigmentation on hands and feet, and rusty brown markings on the flanks. The specific epithet norhayatiae honours Professor Dr Norhayati Ahmad of the National University of Malaysia (UKM) (Chan & Grismer, 2010).

An adult male R. norhayatiae can grow up to 64.7 mm in length while the female can reach up to 83 mm (Chan & Grismer, 2010). It has a flattened head with a pointed snout while both head length and width are about equal. The tympanum is distinct and its diameter is about three-quarters of the horizontal width of the eye. It has smooth dorsal skin, but the skin above its belly, the side of the body and lower surface of its thighs are coarsely granular. There is no dorsolateral fold. This frog is easily distinguishable on the basis of its colours. In the adult frog, the dorsal surface is a uniform bright green, lacking spots or other markings. The underside of the body and throat are white to pale grey, mottled with small dark spots. It is typical for genus Rhacophorus to have fully webbed hands and feet; the webbing is blue and black in R.norhayatiae.

Rhacophorus norhayatiae inhabits lowland and hill forest, living on trees up to 7 m above the forest floor, next to temporary water bodies such as pools and puddles and in water-filled tyre tracks on logging roads (Chan & Grismer, 2010). Its call has been described as rattling and woodpecker-like (Chan & Grismer, 2010). Habitually, the frog can be found up to 550 m above sea level, but some have been found at 1500 m above sea level in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Pahang (Berry, 1975). Apart from Peninsular Malaysia, it also occurs in the extreme south and a small area of west-central Thailand, near the border with Myanmar (Dring, 1979; Chan-ard, 2003). The conservation status of R. norhayatiae has still not been assessed under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) but it is believed that the frog requires immediate conservation action due to heavy deforestation and habitat loss occurring within its distribution range.

The Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus) is a relatively small bird measuring 10.5--1 cm long, in the Zosteropidae family. Its key feature is the visible ring of white feathers around the eyes which makes it easily recognizable. The bird has yellow greenish upperparts and pale grey underparts. Some subspecies have a whitish grey belly while other subspecies may have a yellow mid-ventral stripe. Unlike other species or birds, the male looks similar to the female.

Zosterops palpebrosus inhabits open woodland in tropical Asia, including deciduous forest, swamp forest and mangroves, extending to cultivated areas, parks and gardens, from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia. It is a common resident in Southeast Asia except for Northern Vietnam and Singapore.

The Oriental White-eye moves in flocks of varying sizes. It is very sociable and frequently moves from tree to tree. On the move, they constantly make soft calls. Although sociable, they will separate from flocks on the approach of the breeding season. This begins in December lasting up to September of the following year, but April is the peak season (Oates, 1889) when nests can be found almost everywhere (Doyle, 1933). These birds build delicate, little, cup and cradle-like nests from cobwebs and twigs, between 1.5 m and 18 m above the ground. The nest takes approximately 4 days to be completed. The eggs can be pale blue or greenish-blue in colour. At least 2-4 eggs are laid within a couple of days (Doyle, 1933). Both male and female share the duties of brooding by sitting very close and do not leave the eggs. Chicks are fed with live food like caterpillars, flies or small winged insects that supply sufficient protein. On the tenth day, the parents begin to feed fruits to the chicks (Page, 1912).

The adults feed on pollen, small seeds, fruits and small insects, especially ants. The Oriental White-eye helps in pollinating flowers when they forage. There was a case when this species was misidentified due to its forehead being covered by chestnut-coloured pollen (Harrington, 1910).

Zosterops palpebrosus is listed as Least Concern based on IUCN red list. The population appears to be decreasing due to on-going habitat destruction, but the decline is not sufficiently rapid for it to be listed in the Vulnerable category (IUCN, 2017). For this reason, no measures have been taken to conserve this species yet.

Recognising the importance of negotiation skills in international fora, the Biodiversity and Forestry Management Division of the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources organised a simulation exercise on Conference of Parties proceedings.

This session was facilitated by Dato’ Dr. Gurdial Singh Nijar and Ms. Gan Pei Fern. Both facilitators possess extensive knowledge and experience negotiating on behalf of Malaysia in international biodiversity conventions like the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). The facilitators also presented about the Access to Biological Resources and Benefit Sharing Act 2017.

Participants of the simulation exercise included policymakers and senior officials from several biodiversity related ministries and agencies. This includes the Ministry of Urban Development and Natural Resources Sarawak, Forest Department Sarawak (SFD), Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC), Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Biodiversity Centre (SaBC), Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM), Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), PLANMalaysia, Department of Fisheries (DOF) and Department of Agriculture (DOA).

Participants were divided into 5 groups representing 5 major negotiating blocs at the COPs and were tasked to prepare interventions on the text for Digital Sequence Information of Genetic Resources (DSI).

World Sea Turtle Day is celebrated on 16th June each year and this is a day to honour and highlight the significance of conserving this unique species. Sea turtles are very spectacular in their very own way. They are not only beautiful reptiles in the marine habitat but also show incredible perseverance and resiliency towards the ecosystem.

These are 5 things you never knew about marine Turtles:

1. Turtles don’t have teeth. Keratin is the main component that builds the sheaths on their upper and lower jaws. It fits onto the skull like a pair of false teeth.

2. Over 50 bones fused together to make the turtle shells and the shell grows larger as turtle size becomes larger.

3. "Lost years" is the term used to describe the first few years of a marine turtle’s life. The duration between the turtle eggs hatch, crawl into the sea, returning to coastal shallow waters to forage and nesting, remains a mystery to humans. However, there is some research in America, where the turtles end up in a current called the North Atlantic subtropical gyre.

4. Marine turtle species vary greatly in size. The smallest turtle, namely Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle, are measured around 70 cm in length and up to 40 kg in weight. Meanwhile, the leatherback can reach up to 180 cm and 500 kg in weight. That’s approximately 12.5 times heavier!

5. Under natural condition, a rough estimation has been made that as few as 1 in 1,000 to 10,000 marine turtle eggs will survive to adulthood.

Lepisanthes rubiginosa, commonly known as mertajam in Malay, is a shrub or small tree from the family Sapindaceae. The genus name comes from the Latin word, lepis which means scale and anthos, referring to the flower, describing the flower which has scales on the inner surface of its petals. The species name, rubiginosa means rust-coloured, referring to the rusty brown indumentum of the leaflets and twigs (Adema et al., 1996).

Lepisanthes rubiginosa can be found from North India to Indo-China and South East China, throughout Malesia, to North-west Australia. In Malaysia, this species can be found in all states. This tree is common in coastal forest or on islands, or in the transition zone between mangrove and dry land. It can also grow in inland lowland forest, by streams, in secondary forest and wastelands, up to 300 m altitude.

Mertajam can grow up to 16 m tall with diameter of up to 28 cm at breast height. The compound leaves are elliptic-ovate with 2-9 pairs of velvety hairy leaflets. The leaflets are elliptic, oppositely or sub-oppositely arranged, 6.5-18 cm long and 3.5-8.5 cm wide, with rounded base and obtuse to acute or acuminate apex. The flowers are small and white in colour. The very fragrant flowers are visited in abundance by stingless Trigona bees (Van Welzen, 2017). The infructescence are unique because they have a variety of colours caused by the uneven ripening of the fruits. The fruits are small, green when young, turning yellow, reddish and finally dark purple to nearly black when fully ripe (Adnan et al., 2018).

This species is popular among villagers and sometimes it is cultivated as an ornamental tree along roadsides in villages. The fruits are edible and relished as a snack, mainly by children. The timber is said to be valuable, but in Malesia it is used only for firewood (Adema et al., 1996). The conservation status of this species is Least Concern (Van Welzen, 2017).

"Turtles" is an "umbrella term" that includes sea turtles, freshwater turtles (also known as terrapins and softshell turtles) and terrestrial turtles (also known as tortoises). All turtles are reptiles, they are cold-blooded, and females produce eggs and have scales or scutes. They have no teeth but serrated jaws, they lay their eggs on land, whether at the beach or nesting bank, and they breathe using lungs.

Now we will take a look at the characteristics of each turtle.

Sea turtles are larger in size compared to terrapins and tortoises. Their feet look like flippers and they cannot retract their head and flippers into the shell. Besides, sea turtles are unable to lift their body for locomotion. Thus, they can only crawl on the beach. Of the seven species of sea turtles in the world, four species nest in Malaysia. They are Leatherback Turtle, Green Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, and Olive Ridley Turtle. All of them are categorized as threatened in Malaysia. Sea turtles spend most of their lives in the ocean. A Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) lays an average of 160 eggs in each nest and the eggs take approximately 45 - 60 days to hatch.

Freshwater turtles are also known as terrapins. There are hard-shelled and softshell turtles. Freshwater turtles are typically found in rivers, ponds, and lakes. Fifteen species are native to Malaysia.

Unlike sea turtles, terrapins possess webbed feet and they can retract their head and feet into the shell. They are also able to lift their body and walk on nesting sandbanks. The majority of terrapins are herbivorous. The Southern River Terrapin (Batagur affinis), one of the most critically endangered species, lays an average of 25 eggs and a maximum of 43 eggs. Typically, the incubation period takes approximately 60 - 90 days.

Another group of freshwater turtles are known as softshell turtles. Softshell turtles have a protruded snout that enables them to hunt for fish. Compared to terrapins, softshell turtles are carnivorous and they feed on fish, insects, crabs, and worms.

Tortoises have stumpy and scaly legs. They are generally smaller than sea turtles and freshwater turtles. Their diet commonly consists of vegetables, fruits, and grasses, which make them herbivorous. Unlike sea turtles and freshwater turtles, tortoises live on land. In Malaysia, three species of tortoises can be found. One of them is the Asian Brown Tortoise (Manouria emys), which is an endangered species. This species lays an average of 42 eggs, and the incubation period ranges from 60 to 70 days.

However, it is important to note that most of the species in Malaysia have been assessed as threatened species by the IUCN Red List due to climate change, environmental pollution and illegal poaching and trafficking.

As a conclusion, understanding and predicting what will happen is the first step to save them in future such as increase public awareness and community participation in conservation of turtle through educational programs, plant vegetation along beaches to provide better nesting habitat, stop throwing rubbish or chemicals waste into the rivers and crack down on illegal poachers and their products by enforcing laws and agreements.

Sandoricum koetjape, locally known as sentul, is a common species recorded throughout Peninsular Malaysia. Sandoricum in Latin, is taken from sandori, the Moluccan name for this species while koetjape is taken from the Javanese name for this species, ketjapi (Nparks Flora Fauna website, 2019). Sandoricum koetjape is distributed from Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra to Papua New Guinea (Madang). It is found in different types of lowland forests at altitudes of up to 1200 m. This species is considered as Least Concern (LC) in Peninsular Malaysia (Mabberley & Pannell, 2013).

Sandoricum koetjape produces edible fruits which are popular among local villagers. The ripe fruits are eaten raw with sugar, salt and soy sauce, or pickled with spices added. Its timber is used for making barrels, boats, carts and butchers' blocks. Besides that, the bark is used to tan fishing nets (Mabberley & Pannell, 2013). It is a fast-growing tree and is suitable as a shade or street tree (National Parks, 2009). Several places in Peninsular Malaysia are named 'Sentul'. One of these is Sentul town in Kuala Lumpur. Other than that, there are the villages of Gong Sentul and Sentul Patah in Terengganu and also Setol village in Seberang Prai (Abd. Latif et al., 2016).

The tree with pale pinkish brown bark can reach up to 45 m tall. The leaves are compound, arranged spirally, and trifoliolate. The leaflets are glabrous or with a few brown hairs on the midrib above while the underside of the leaflets is subglabrous to densely brown pubescent. The leaf is ovate, with an acute base and round to acuminate apex. This species has yellow-green, fragrant flowers. The fruits are depressed globose, velvety and yellowish to light golden brown when ripe. The portion which is edible is the mesocarp which is white, translucent, very sour to juicy and sweet. The seeds are brown and inedible.

There are two species of Sandoricum in Peninsular Malaysia, S. koetjape and S. beccarianum. The difference between these two species is based on the shapes of their leaf, leaf apex and fruit. Sandoricum beccarianum has a more obovate (to elliptic) leaf, with a rounded or emarginated apex and subglobose fruit, approximately 2.5 cm in diameter (Mabberley & Pannell, 2013).

Platycerium coronarium is one of the largest ferns in the family Polypodiaceae. It is an erect epiphytic fern that lives on large trees. It is commonly known as the staghorn fern due to the shape of its fertile fronds which resemble stag's horns. The species is locally known as paku langsuyar or tanduk rusa (Malay) or keruin (Temuan).

Platycerium coronarium is widely distributed in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sumatra, Java, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo and the Philippines. It is widespread in Peninsular Malaysia but under-collected due to its huge size (Hovenkamp, 2013). This fern can commonly be found growing under light shade or in full sun, in the lowlands or hills, up to 1000 m altitude.

Platycerium coronarium attaches to tree trunks, mostly old trees. It produces two kinds of fronds, namely, nest fronds which are broad and upright in habit, and form a "basket", and fertile fronds which are narrow, pendulous and variously dichotomously forked. Young plants produce only circular nest fronds to cover the rhizome and roots, while old plants eventually encircle the tree trunk or branch. This species exhibits the nest mechanism. The nest fronds form a basket and trap leaf litter which decomposes into humus that retains water and nutrients, to be supplied to the roots (Hovenkamp, 2013).

In Peninsular Malaysia, three species of Platycerium are recorded, namely, P. holttumii, P. coronarium and P. ridleyi. The differences between these species are as follows: P. holttumii has two or more soral patches on each fertile frond and its scaly rhizome scales do not have a wide flabelloid margin; P. coronarium and P. ridleyi have a single soral patch on each fertile frond and their rhizome scales have a wide flabelloid margin. In addition, P. coronarium has long and pendulous fertile fronds and its fertile lobes are semi-circular to kidney-shaped compared to P. ridleyi which has erect fronds and fertile lobes which are obovate or elliptical, or rarely lobed.

Platycerium coronarium is unique because it is a large epiphyte that grows in clusters whereas P. holttumii and P. ridleyi grow solitarily. The rhizome scales are basifixed, about 15-35 mm long and 4-10 mm wide, margin with short hairs and a rounded apex. The nest fronds are sessile, green in colour, recurving when old, up to 50-110 cm long and 25-55 cm wide, and erect at its upper part. The fertile fronds mature serially. They are asymmetrical and 50-125 cm long or longer. The fertile fronds are 3-7 times forked with 4 main lobes. The main veins are prominent and dichotomous while the secondary veins form a conspicuous network. The central sterile lobes are elongated and pendulous, while the central fertile lobes are stalked, simple, semi-circular to kidney-shaped and horizontal, about 7-36 cm long and 5-20 cm wide. The stalk is 2-9 cm long. The soral patch fully covers the fertile lobe (Hovenkamp, 2013).

Platycerium coronarium is commonly cultivated in the garden and is popular as an ornamental due to its uniquely shaped fronds. As for its conservation status, P. coronarium is categorized as Least Concern (LC), (Hovenkamp, 2013).

Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair (KLIBF) will be coming to Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) this Friday (29 March 2019) until 7 April 2019. This event will start from 10 am till 9 pm. During this school holiday, children are encouraged to join this book fair with their parents to learn more knowledge. Book sales, games, contest and many more fun activities will be held in this event. MyBIS will join FRIM in conjunction with this event and you can find us in Pulau Pinang room, level 2. You all are cordially invited.

An exhibition and various activities in conjunction with World Wildlife Day (WWD) 2019 were held in MyTown, Cheras at 17 March 2019. This event was co-organised by the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources (KATS) and PERHILITAN in collaboration with MyTown Shopping Centre. The WWD 2019 celebration and 'Save the Malayan Tigers' campaign was launched by YB. Dr. Xavier Jayakumar, the minister of KATS. Visitors had the chance to know MyBIS as Malaysia's biodiversity database and join various fun activities during this event. There were also seaweed specimens provided by University Malaya and insects specimen provided by FRIM Entomology Unit to give an insight on some of the rich species diversity in Malaysia. Other exhibitors include various agencies and NGOs such as Jabatan Perikanan Malaysia, JPSM, PERHILITAN, TRAFFIC, WCS, WWF, MyCAT, MPOC, MNS, RIMAU, MEME, ECOCENTRIC & NEST. We are very grateful to the organizers and visitors for your support throughout this event.

Gnetum gnemon is an evergreen tropical tree from the family Gnetaceae which is grouped under the Gymnosperms together with conifers, cycads and ginkgo. It is known locally as belinjau or melinjau and well-known among local people for the product 'keropok belinjau' which are crackers with a slightly bitter taste. The crackers are made from the seeds of the tree by first removing the pulp, then pounding the kernels into flat discs before sun-drying and finally deep frying (National Parks, 2009). Besides the seeds, the leaves are also edible; in traditional Malay cooking they are cooked together with fish or shrimp in 'gulai masak lemak' (Adnan et al., 2018). Apart from that, its wood is used for making boats and wharfing rafts (Nparks Flora Fauna website, 2019). It is also planted as an ornamental plant; it has a narrow crown that is suitable for smaller gardens and limited roadside spaces.?

Gnetum gnemon is distributed from Assam, through Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, to Sumba, Celebes, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Fiji. The Latin name, Gnetum gnemon, is derived from the Moluccan name of the tree, ganema. This species is considered Least Concern (LC) in the IUCN Red List version 3.1, 2011. It can be commonly found growing near stream banks in lowland and secondary forests. Because of its association with the ectomycorrhizal fungus, Scleroderma sinnamariense, this plant is able to access phosphorus and some micro-elements more readily for its growth and development (Barua et al., 2015).

The tree has a narrow, conical to columnar crown, with short drooping branches. It has dark green leaves with simple and opposite arrangement. The flowers are separated between male and female, borne on different trees, and are called cones. A cone consists of a cone axis, where nodes and internodes are present. In the nodes, whorls of circular bracts are arranged one above the other to form cupulas or collars. The flowers are borne in these collars. The male flowers are alternately arranged in definite rings above each collar on the nodes; sterile ovules are borne in the rings above the male flowers. The female flowers are light yellowish-green in colour and bear 4-10 ovules on a single ring above each collar. The seeds are olive-shaped and change from green to yellow, then orange and finally red when ripe. It is pollinated by insects (moths) (Gong et al., 2015; Kato et al., 1995) while the seeds are probably dispersed by birds.

Dryobalanops rappa is one of seven camphor species belonging to the family Dipterocarpaceae. In Sabah and Sarawak, its preferred name is kapur paya because it is dominant in paya, or peat swamp areas, in Malay. In Sarawak, it is also called kapur ranggi or kapur rappa. In West Kalimantan, Indonesia, this species is known as kapur kayatan (Sosef, 1993). Its genus name, Dryobalanops, is derived from the Latin words dryas meaning a nymph associated with oaks, and balanops which refers to the acorn-like nut. Its epithet comes from an Iban word, kerapa, meaning a shallow swamp, referring to the habitat of the species.

Dryobalanops rappa is an endemic species of Borneo only. In Sabah, it has been recorded in Beaufort, Papar and Sipitang districts, while in Sarawak, it is known from Bintulu, Kuching, Lawas, Limbang, Lundu, Marudi, Miri, Sematan and Sibu districts. This species grows in coastal mixed peat swamp forest, on sandy beaches and clay, and rarely in kerangas forest, at altitudes of up to 900 m.

Dryobalanops rappa is categorised as endangered (EN) in Sarawak (Julia et al., 2014) where most of the populations occur in fragmented and disturbed forest, outside the Total Protected Area network. In addition, peat-swamp forest which is its main habitat, is highly threatened by forest conversion (Julia et al., 2014). However, no detailed information is available about its conservation status in Sabah and Brunei. As an ex-situ conservation effort, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) has taken the initiative to plant D. rappa within its campus.

Dryobalanops rappa is an emergent tree, up to 55 m tall and 1.5 m diameter at breast high. This species is easily recognized from its crown which is copper-coloured (Wood & Meijer, 1964). The bark is scaly and reddish-brown in colour. The slash bark has a slightly aromatic odour (like camphor). The leaf lamina is coriaceous, ovate-lanceolate, 6-11 cm long and 2.5-4 cm wide, obtuse at the base and slender acute at the apex. The lateral veins are subequal, visible on the upper surface and not raised underneath. The inflorescences are terminal or axillary, doubly branched, and up to 8 cm long. The flower bud is ellipsoid, up to 10 mm long and 5 mm wide. The sepals are narrowly deltoid, obtuse at the apex while the petals are cream in colour and lanceolate, up to 4-5 cm long and 1 cm wide. The fruit calyx is a shallow basal cup and the calyx lobes are thinly coriaceous, linear-spathulate to 5 cm long and 0.6 cm wide, tapering at the base and subacute at the apex. The nuts are ovoid, up to 1 cm long and 0.6 cm wide, and mucronate at both ends (Ashton, 2004).

Kapur is known as an excellent medium heavy, moderately durable timber. Its bark is suitable for walls, perhaps house walls (Sosef, 1993). Its wood has been used for railway sleepers for the North Borneo Railway from Jesselton (Kota Kinabalu) to Weston and Melalap. Moreover, it is also used locally for building, perhaps for houses (Wood & Meijer, 1964).

Prionailurus bengalensis is commonly known as the leopard cat. This species is among the small wild cats under the family Felidae. It is about the size of a domestic cat with a more slender body and a head-to-body length of between 40 and 55 cm. It has longer legs than the domestic cat, with well-defined webs between its toes, and weighs about 3 to 5 kg (in the wild). The average length of its tail is between 23 and 29 cm (Francis, 2010).

The leopard cat has a small head with a short, narrow, white muzzle and black, round ears with central white spots. Its small head is marked with two prominent dark stripes running from the eyes to the ears, and smaller white streaks running from the eyes to the nose (Phillipps & Phillipps, 2016). Its colouration varies from reddish-orange to yellowish buff with the entire upperparts marked with black spots. The pattern and size of the black spots vary considerably among individuals, ranging from large spots to numerous small spots, to large irregular splotches with darker brown centres. The spots may be rounded or elongated in shape and often form dotted streaks (Phillipps & Phillipps, 2016). In contrast, the belly and chest are white with black spots. The tail is spotted with a few indistinct rings at the tip.

This wild cat is mainly distributed in Asia, especially throughout most of southern Asia, including Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia (Jawa, Kalimantan, and Sumatera), the Philippines and Singapore, and also in Nepal, Siberia, China, Pakistan, India, and Taiwan. The species has been recorded throughout Malaysia, including Mersing and Panti Forest Reserves in Johor, Sungai Yu Forest Reserve in Pahang, Pasoh Forest Reserve in Negeri Sembilan, Gunung Inas Forest Reserve in Kedah and at Danum Valley Conservation Area and Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah (Ross et al., 2015).

The leopard cat inhabits a variety of habitats, from tropical rainforest to temperate broadleaf forest and marginally, coniferous forest, as well as shrub forest and successional grasslands (Ross et al., 2015). It can also be found in plantations and even suburban areas (Tweedie, 1978). The species has also been reported in orchards and oil palm plantations including forest patches within oil palm plantations (Rajaratnam et al., 2007; Silmi et al., 2013; Bernard et al., 2014; Yue et al., 2015).

This carnivorous and primarily ground-dwelling mammal devours small vertebrates including rodents, lizards, amphibians, birds and insects (Miller, 2011; Azlan et al., 2016). This nocturnal cat is a fast and agile climber and spends most of its daytime resting up in trees (Yu, 2010). The leopard cat is a solitary animal that communicates with conspecifics and marks its territories using scat and urine. Like other feline species, it hunts by quietly ambushing its prey (Nowak, 2005; Miller, 2011).

This species mates throughout the year. Its gestation period lasts from 65 to 72 days and the female can give birth to 1 and up to 4 cubs at one time. The cubs weigh from between 75 and 120 g at birth and can open their eyes within 10 days after parturition. The cubs become sexually mature at around 18 months old (Miller, 2011 & Nowak, 2005).

This cat is one of the natural biological control agents in an ecosystem, especially in forests and plantations. It can help to control pest populations in rural and agricultural areas, thereby controlling the transmission of diseases associated with rodents to humans and other animals within the ecosystem (Miller, 2011).

In terms of conservation status, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classifies P. bengalensis as Least Concern (LC). This may be due to its wide geographic range and relatively high abundance (Nowell & Jackson, 1996), as well as its ability to persist in modified habitats. Although the species has been massively hunted for fur in China (Yu, 2010; Ross et al., 2015; Azlan et al., 2016), its population is believed to be relatively stable in other parts of its range.

Dragonflies were in existence before the dinosaurs, almost 300 million years ago (Jenkins, 2002). Dragonflies belong to the order Odonata, which means ‘toothed one’. Up to now, around 6,000 species have been described worldwide, with the greatest numbers occurring in the tropics (Dijkstra et al., 2013). In Malaysia alone, there are over 400 species of Odonates, and there are more to be identified.

One of the most recognised and well-known Odonate species across the continents of the globe is Pantala flavescens whose common name is the Wandering Glider. The Wandering Glider can be found almost everywhere, except Antarctica. It can be found throughout Malaysia in habitats ranging from permanent running water and lakes, to small, temporary rain pools, especially, in open country (Low et al., 2017). As its common name suggests, this dragonfly has globetrotting capabilities, for instance, it can fly more than 3,500 km over open waters from India to East Africa and vice versa across the Indian Ocean (Troast et al., 2016). Also, this species can make multigenerational journeys of about 18,000 km with individual globe skimmers flying more than 6,000 km to complete the migration (Troast et al., 2016). This is because it has adapted to follow prevailing seasonal winds to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a narrow zone near the equator that produces low atmospheric pressure. Wind-assisted passive dispersal and an enlarged hindwing base for gliding are other factors that allow this dragonfly to migrate long distances (Troast et al., 2016).

The Wandering Glider belongs to the family Libellulidae, the skimmer dragonflies. Its hindwing can measure up to 41 mm in length. Its species name, flavescens, is the Latin word meaning yellowish which refers to the yellowish colour of this dragonfly. The colour of its abdomen depends on its stage of maturity; younger individuals have a lighter ochre abdomen, while the abdomen of the female ranges from yellow ochre to umber brown (Orr, 2005). The eyes of the males are reddish-brown or bluish-grey, while in females, they are olivaceous-brown when seen from above (Husain, 2015).

Primarily, the female breeds on standing or slow flowing water. The larva of the Wandering Glider is quite similar to the larva of Hydrobasileus croceus, the Amber-winged Glider, but the former is more slender and lacks dorsal spines on the abdomen. The life cycle from an egg to an emerging adult can be completed in two months. Both larvae and adults are predators. The larvae feed on a wide variety of aquatic insects, including mosquito larvae, mayfly larvae, and freshwater shrimps. The adults prey on small flying insects like mosquitoes, flying ants and termites (Lung & Sommer, 2001). The adults can venture far from water, over the rainforest canopy and mountain tops, to migrate and hunt for food (Orr, 2005). Compared to other Libellulids, the Wandering Gilder usually perches vertically on low stems and twigs (Tang et al., 2010).

The Wandering Glider is categorised as a Least Concern (LC) species under the IUCN Red List (Boudot et al., 2016). This is due to its ability to live in a wide range of habitats, its widespread distribution throughout the tropics and its migratory habit.

Always remember that dragonflies existed before humans appeared. Forest development and changes in the urban environment will have some impact on the dragonflies too, for example, the dragonfly may not survive in polluted water. Further research should be carried out and conservation measures taken to ensure that dragonflies continue to exist.

Anaxagorea javanica belongs to the soursop family, Annonaceae and is commonly known as Twin-seed because it usually has two seeds in each fruitlet. It grows in lowland forest, including limestone areas, and is widespread across South East Asia, from Thailand, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Java, Borneo, to the Philippines. This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List and is considered as near threatened (NT) since it can be commonly found.

The flower has thick and fleshy, light cream-green tepals. Small beetles act as pollinators because they are attracted by the light colour and sweet odour of the flowers, forcing their way between the closed tepals. The flowers have pre-existing entrances at the base of the inner petals through which the beetles may reach the centre of the flower where the stamens and ovary are located (Silberbauer-Gottsberger, 2005).

Each cluster of 4 to 8 club-shaped fruitlets contain one or two hard, shiny black seeds that are tightly pressed together. The fruitlets turn from green to light brown when mature. This species has a remarkable type of seed dispersal. As the fruitlets dry, they contract under pressure and burst open with a click, flinging the seeds simultaneously for a considerable distance (Corner, 1949).

In Asia, A. javanica is a popular ornamental plant among gardeners as the tree can grow up to 6 m tall, making it a suitable shade plant for parks or small gardens, and the flowers produce a pleasant fragrance. Anaxagorea javanica is considered easy to cultivate as it requires minimum care. It can be grown from seed, and prefers fertile, well-drained soils. It grows in full sun and semi-shade, and needs moderate watering (Boo et al., 2006).

Malaysian Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) team of FRIM Forest Biodiversity Division has participated the Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Show (MAHA) 2018 exhibition for four days from 22 to 25 November at MAEPS, Serdang.

Throughout the exhibition, MyBIS was introduced to the public as a website that serves as a national biodiversity database in Malaysia. Public also have the opportunity to try MyBIS system on their own by using the kiosks that have been provided. In addition, there are also exhibitions of scientific materials such as FRIM's published books, brochures, articles and research bulletins. In fact, some of them can be downloaded for free through the MyBIS website.

There are also various agricultural products that have been exhibited by various agencies throughout the MAHA 2018. In fact, some also introduce innovative ideas and the latest technologies used in the agro-based industry.

Hopea odorata, a member of the Dipterocarpaceae, is popularly known locally as Cengal Pasir or Merawan Siput Jantan. The genus name, Hopea, honours Dr John Hope (1725-1786) who was a Scottish botanist at the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, U.K., while the species name, odorata, refers to the fragrant flowers.

Hopea odorata is distributed from Bangladesh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Indo-China, Thailand, and Malaysia to Indonesia. In Peninsular Malaysia, it is a well-known tree in Pulau Langkawi, Perlis, Kedah, northern Perak, Kelantan and Terengganu (Symington, 2004). It is found in lowland dipterocarp forest and seasonally dry tropical rain forests, mainly growing in riparian areas, and is rarely found far from streams. This species is very common in Peninsular Malaysia because it has been widely planted, especially as a roadside tree. However, in the wild it is rare, and the species is considered as Vulnerable (VU) for Malaysia (Chua et al., 2010) due to forest clearance.

Members of the Dipterocarpaceae are known to have winged fruits and also produce resin. The fruit of this species is an ovate-conical nut with two-wings. The flowers are pale yellow and leaves unequal-sided. The main characteristic for identification of this species is the presence of the pore-like domatia in the leaf axils. The tree has scaly bark and the inner bark is dull brown or greenish yellow and sometimes tinged very faintly pink.

Hopea odorata is widely grown as a shade tree in the villages of Kelantan and Terengganu. It is a popular roadside tree species, especially in Kuala Lumpur, because of its fast growth, and tall, straight and clear bole. Besides that, this species produces a valuable timber known as kayu merawan that is very durable and strong, and often used to make boats and canoes.

In 1811, Robert Brown, a British botanist, established a new genus, namely, Hoya, in the family Apocynaceae. This tropical climbing plant was dedicated to Thomas Hoy, a gardener at Syon House, England, and consists of 200 to 230 species. In Peninsular Malaysia, 28 Hoya species have been recorded (Lamb & Rodda, 2016).

Hoya elliptica was first described by Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1883 and it is named after its characteristic elliptic leaves. This is one of the few species that produces laterally held inflorescences, which is also seen in H. mitrata and H. ruthiae.

Hoya elliptica is a medium-sized epiphytic climber that is always found on tree trunks. The petioles are round to slightly grooved. It has evergreen foliage; the leaves are thick and leathery, elliptic with a fleshy lamina and apparent lighter green pinnate venation (Flora Fauna Web, 2018). Species of Hoya produce sap which can be of different colours. For example, some species like H. caudata produce a yellow sap while others like H. obtusifolia have blue sap. Hoya elliptica has a white sap that is mildly poisonous and which can irritate sensitive skin.

The inflorescences are negatively geotropic or held laterally, convex to almost globose and bear 10 to 35 flowers borne on a glabrous slender peduncle. The peduncle is around 0.5 to 5.0 cm long. The flowers are erect, 9 to 12 mm in diameter. The white corolla is one of its characteristics. The corolla lobes are reflexed and pubescent inside but glabrous towards the apex. The corona lobes are oblong, laterally compressed and white in colour. The centre of the corona is purple with bright yellow anthers. The fruits are fusiform, broadest at the middle and tapering towards the tip, about 10 to 15 cm long.

Hoya elliptica is widely distributed in Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and Borneo (Kalimantan and Sabah) (Lamb & Rodda, 2016). Based on collections in the Kepong Herbarium, H. elliptica has been recorded from the river edges of Sungai Batu and Sungai Langat (Selangor), Stong Tengah F.R. (Kelantan), and Kledang Saiong F.R. (Perak). It is often found from sea level up to 500 m altitude, usually on trees growing along rivers and streams.

Since H. elliptica has attractive and scented flowers, and is easy to propagate from stem or root cuttings, it is popularly planted as an ornamental plant in small gardens, hanging baskets, and containers (Flora Fauna Web, 2018). Its conservation status has not been evaluated in the IUCN Red List due to lack of data. Presently it is also not possible to assess their local vulnerability due to lack of adequate distribution data.

Following the first priority setting workshop on the 15th of August 2018, the Biodiversity and Forestry Management Division, KATS organised a second priority setting workshop on the 23rd of October 2018. The main aim of the workshop was to finalise interventions that will be made by Malaysia at the multilateral meeting. This workshop builds upon the intervention priorities provided by all Ministries, Agencies and invited experts at the first priority setting workshop.

Malaysia will intervene in several key items of the CBD COP documents including:

1. Sustainable Wildlife Management
2. Mainstreaming of Biodiversity within and across sectors
3. Invasive Alien Species
4. Marine and Coastal Biodiversity
5. Cartagena Protocol
6. Nagoya Protocol

The Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources (KATS) is the ministry responsible for monitoring the implementation of the National Policy on Biological Diversity (NBPD) 2016-2025. However, since biodiversity is a cross-cutting issue, there is a need to engage other Ministries/Departments/Agencies and key stakeholders.

Hence, the Biodiversity and Forestry Management Division (BBP) organised a symposium to increase the understanding of the NBPD 2016-2025 policy among government agencies and selected NGOs who are key stakeholders in the implementation of the policy. The link between Malaysia’s NBPD 2016-2025 and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was also emphasized through this symposium that was organised in the Perdana Leadership Foundation on the 22nd of October 2018.

It is hoped that through the knowledge and network gained through the symposium, stakeholders are able to synergise and mainstream biodiversity issues in their respective policy planning.

Vatica pauciflora is a medium to large-sized tree that can grow up to 30 m in height. The flowers are usually creamy white in colour while some may have a reddish tinge at the base, and in the bud. The ovoid shaped nuts (fruits) are wingless and vary in size, from 10 to 30 mm in length. Symington (2004) stated that without the fruits, V. pauciflora is often mistaken for V. stapfiana. However, even in the absence of fruits, differences can still be observed in the leaves of V. pauciflora which have an average size of 15 x 5 cm, and are a little bit smaller and less thick, less obovate and blunter at the apex than leaves of V. stapfiana. Except in very young trees, the twigs and petioles are quite glabrous with the stipules reflexed backwards on the twig.

The preferred vernacular name for this species is Resak laru because it is a common source of laru. Laru is obtained from the bark of the stem of Vatica spp., such as V. pauciflora and V. stapfiana, and is used as an inhibitor of the fermentation process in toddy production (Symington, 2004). Laru acts as a natural preservative; when added to palm juice it prevents further fermentation from occurring. It can also be obtained from other plant sources, such as limes, clove leaves, guava leaves and mangosteen peel (Rifda et al., 2013). A number of resveratrol oligomers have been isolated from the stem bark of V. pauciflora (Ito et al., 2003) that are well known for their extensive bioactivities, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation and anticancer properties.

Locals also call V. pauciflora Resak paya and/or Resak air, which describes its habitat preference of being near streams or swampy areas in lowland forest. However, V. lobata and V. umbonata also share those names as they have a similar habitat preference as V. pauciflora.

Vatica pauciflora has a wide distribution, from the northern to the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The species is also found in other parts of South East Asia, such as Cambodia, peninsular Thailand, southern Sumatra and Bangka (Symington, 2004).

Pooma & Newman (2017) have listed V. pauciflora as Vulnerable (VU) globally while the Malaysian Plant Red List categorises it as Near Threatened (NT) in Malaysia (Chua et al., 2010). Rapid changes in its natural habitat and population fragmentation are threats to this species. Even though it has a widespread distribution, the population is still declining due to changes in land use for agriculture and timber harvesting activities. Living collections of this species can be found at the FRIM Arboretum. Seedlings have also been collected and grown in the FRIM nursery as an effort in ex situ conservation.

MyBIS QR

1. What is a QR?
QR is the abbreviation for Quick Response. The information can be accessed by simply scanning the QR using any available QR application.

2. How to use QR?
To use QR, you must scan the QR by using a QR application. Readers can obtain additional information related to the species through MyBIS website.

3. Can I use the species QR in my publication?
Yes, you are allowed to do so. The use of QR in the publications can summarize all the information. Additional information about the species will be linked to the MyBIS website.

4. What is the advantage of using a QR code?
The QR can help store additional information so that the writing in publications can be simplified and more easily understood by readers.

MyBIS Species Serial Number (SSN)

5. What is the function of the serial number of each species?
Each species in MyBIS system has its own unique identifying number. This serial number enables a user to search for a particular species quickly without scanning the QR. Go to your internet browser and type these in the Address Bar/URL https://mybis.gov.my/sp/xxxxx (replace xxxxx with SSN)

6. How to use the SSN in my publication?
Search for a particular species in MyBIS website to get its own serial number. It is located under the species QR. Then include the species serial number (SSN) in your publications.

8. Are there other applications that are used to search using SSN?
Yes, this SSN can also be used in the MyBIS Bot in Telegram for quick searching.

9. What are the methods for searching species through the MyBIS Bot in Telegram?
To search species through the Telegram app, you must:

1. Download the Telegram app
2. Search by typing “mybisgovmy”
3. Click 'Start'
4. Type a scientific name, keyword, common name or SSN
5. Send and click on the link to go to the species profile

MyBIS team of FRIM Forest Biodiversity Division takes part in the exhibition held in conjunction with the 12th Heart of Borneo (HoB) Trilateral Meeting held in Miri, Sarawak.

The team promoted MyBIS’ role as Malaysia national biodiversity database as well as highlighting on its function and the variety of information available from the website. MyBIS website is a free website and can be accessed on different interfaces such as desktop, tablet and mobile phones. The application of MyBIS QR codes on materials such as the MyBIS book series enables users to get more information from the website. Recently, users can also use the mobile app ‘Telegram’ for species search by entering the related keyword on the MyBISbot.

Co-organised by the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources (KATS) and Forest Department Sarawak, the event was officiated by the Minister of Water, Land and Natural Resources (KATS), YB Dr. Xavier Jayakumar. The opening ceremony was also attended by KATS Secretary-general, Dato' Dr. Tan Yew Chong; Sarawak State Legislative Assembly deputy speaker Dato Gerawat Gala and Assistant Minister of Urban Development, Land Administration and Environment, YB Datu Haji Len Talif Salleh; Sarawak Forest Director, Hamden Mohammad; participants and delegates from the governments of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Known as Kasai in Malay, Pometia pinnata from the family Sapindaceae, is a large, fast-growing tree found commonly growing along riverbanks, in primary and secondary forest, up to an altitude of 1700 m above sea level. Pometia was named after P. Pomet, a French writer, while pinnata is the Latin word meaning 'feather-like', referring to the pinnate leaves of this species. This species is widespread, from South China and Sri Lanka, through Southeast Asia to the Pacific islands (Ng, 1989).

Pometia pinnata can grow up to 50 m tall with buttresses that can reach up to 5 m high and 15 cm thick, spreading up to 5 m wide. The compound leaves can be up to 1 m long, alternate, with 4 – 13 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are leathery, ovate to obovate, 6 – 32 × 2 – 13 cm with toothed margins. When young, the leaflets are bright red in colour, turning dark green when mature. The inflorescences are erect to drooping, 15 – 70 cm long. The flowers are small, white to green-yellow in colour, with 5 petals. The fruits are ellipsoid to roundish, 1.5 – 5 × 1 – 3 cm, reddish in colour, turning black when ripe. The seeds are egg-shaped, brown in colour, 2.5 × 1.5 cm long (Adema et al., 1996).

Kasai is the standard Malaysian name for the timber, which is a medium hardwood. The wood from this tree is used for several purposes, such as for construction, furniture, flooring, and is well accepted for making boxes and crates. The fruits of P. pinnata are edible and a decoction of the bark is used medicinally to treat fever, sores and also colds (Adema et al., 1996). The conservation status for this species is Least Concern (van Welzen, 2017)

In 1931, C.F. Symington discovered an unidentified species of Vatica, which he called Vatica sp. A. Its identity was only confirmed about eight decades later when complete specimens were collected by FRIM researchers in 2014. This species was then described and named as Vatica abdurahmaniana Chua, in honour of the former Director-General of Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM) (2011 – 2017), Dato' Sri Dr. Hj. Abdul Rahman Bin Hj. Abdul Rahim.

Due to the large size of its leaves, the species is commonly known as Resak gajah (Symington, 2004). Gajah is the Malay word for elephant and is commonly used to describe something large. The large leaves and scaly bole are the main characters that differentiate this species from other species of Vatica. The tree can grow up to 20 m tall with a diameter of 30 cm dbh, and has no buttresses. It also has a small, non-spreading crown. Further, the prominent leaf scars and persistent axillary buds on its older twigs differentiate it from other Vatica species (Chua et al., 2015).

Vatica abdulrahmaniana is a hyper-endemic species; the population has a restricted distribution only in Kledang Saiong Forest Reserve, a hill dipterocarp forest in Perak. About 31 individuals have been recorded on the steep slope near the summit of Bukit Kledang, which is a well-known recreation area among the Kinta Valley community. Vatica abdulrahmaniana is classified as rare as it is known only from its type locality.

A breath-taking view of the Kinta Valley can be observed from the hilltop of Bukit Kledang, which is popular with hikers and joggers. The road to a telecommunications tower on the hill summit provides access to the species' habitat, making it easier for researchers to monitor the population and conduct phenological observations.

According to Chua et al. (2015), erosion of the hill slopes and accidental fires are the major threats to the population. As an effort to conserve this species, its natural habitat was designated as a High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) in 2016 whereby continuous monitoring of the area will ensure its protection from encroachment (Anon, n.d.). Wildings of the species were also collected by FRIM and JPSM for ex situ conservation.

Nepenthes, also known as tropical pitcher plants, belong to the monotypic family, Nepenthaceae. They are carnivorous plants that produce specialized, cup-shaped, fluid-filled leaves (pitchers) that attract, capture, kill and digest insects and other small animals (McPherson & Robinson, 2012). Pitcher plants are known locally as periuk kera among the Malays of Peninsular Malaysia, kekuanga to the Dusun of Sabah, entuyud to the Iban and akah tuyud to the Melanau, Matu and Daro of Sarawak. In Brunei, the local Malays call it somboi-somboi (Adam & Hafiza, 2007).

Nepenthes gracilis was formally described by Pieter Willem Korthals in his 1839 monograph ‘Over het geslacht Nepenthes’ (Korthals, 1839). The epithet ‘gracilis’ is derived from Latin, meaning thin and slender, referring to the shape of the leaves and pitchers of this species. This species occurs in Thailand, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo and Sulawesi. In Peninsular Malaysia, it is the most widespread and common species from the lowlands to 800 m altitude, growing in open places, on poor, acidic waterlogged soil, ranging from the coasts, riversides, forest margins to freshwater swamps. It is also frequently found in disturbed areas, e.g., roadsides or old tin-mining land (Cheek & Jebb, 2012).

Nepenthes gracilis is a climber which can grow up to 10 m high, but it is more often a scrambler over small trees and shrubs. It may also grow as large clumps which produce abundant clusters of ground pitchers on young rosette plants and on side shoots at the base of the climbing stems, or along stems lying over the ground. The lower pitchers are small, cylindrical with a bulbous base, and can reach up to 11 cm tall with wings that are up to 5 mm wide. The upper pitchers are similar to the lower pitchers, but can reach up to 15 cm in height and have a narrow peristome with wings reduced to narrow ridges. In pitcher plants, the peristome is a reflexed ring (or partial ring) of tissue that surrounds the entrance to the digestive tube of these plants. It often possesses sharp, overhanging tooth-like projections which aid in prey retention and it is often studded with nectar secreting glands. The pitchers come in a variety of colours, from green throughout to dark purple on the outside with red speckles on the inner surfaces. An important distinguishing characteristic of N. gracilis is the structure of the leaf base which has no distinct petiole and decurrent margins (i.e., the leaf margins extend along the internode for some distance (Clarke, 2002). An inflorescence is produced from the tip of an upper branch of the slender pitcher. This inflorescence is erect and consists of flowers borne along the vertical stem. The flowers have been variously described as white, green, light red or brown. In Sumatra, this species is reported to be pollinated by moths (Clarke, 2001). After pollination, the flowers develop into specialized fruits known as capsules, which break open when ripe to release the seeds, which are then wind dispersed.

A decoction of the roots of N. gracilis has been reported as a treatment for stomach-ache and dysentery (Cheek & Jebb, 2001; Faridah-Hanum & Shamsul 2004).

Over-collection and illegal harvesting for the horticulture trade are major threats to many species of tropical pitcher plants. In addition, extensive habitat loss caused by agriculture, urban expansion and transport-related construction continue to destroy habitats throughout the range of this genus. Ex-situ conservation and propagation programmes are vital to ensure the survival of many species of Nepenthes. Such programmes can also potentially serve as repositories from which reintroductions into suitable habitats could be made later on. Fortunately, N. gracilis is the most widespread and common lowland species and is currently not threatened with immediate extinction.

As a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Malaysia will send a delegation to attend the 14th Conference on Parties (COP) taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt from the 17th to the 29th of November 2018. For the past 2 years since COP 13 in Cancun, Malaysia has also played the role of chair to the Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries (LMMC); a group of 20 countries that share similar concerns on biological diversity.

Thus, to kick-start discussions in preparation to the two important meetings, the Biodiversity and Forestry Management Division (BBP), KATS have organized a priority setting workshop. The workshop was attended by over 40 representatives from various ministries, agencies and departments including (but not limited to) the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Energy, Science, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC), Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries (MoA) and Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC).

The representatives were divided into 4 major groups:

1. Living Modified Organisms, Synthetic Biology, Genetically Modified Organisms
2. Protected Areas, Wildlife Management, Marine and Coastal Ecosystems
3. Invasive Alien Species and Pollinators
4. Aichi Targets, Climate Change and Mainstreaming

A report about Geostachys tahanensis, the hyper-endemic Geostachys from Gunung Tahan, was published in the MyBIS Newletter of 16 October, 2017 (Lau, 2017). Differing from G. tahanensis, G. sericea grows in its own niche habitat at a higher elevation of over 1,700 m above sea level, inhabiting areas of damp valleys on the forest floor under shade, both along the Kuala Tahan and Merapoh trails.

Geostachys sericea is a large-sized ginger first described in 1915 by H.N. Ridley as Conamomum sericeum in his article, ‘Botany of Gunong Tahan’, published in the historical Journal of the Federated Malay States Museums (Ridley, 1915). Thirty-five years later, R.E. Holttum made a taxonomic combination in his important and still-referred-to-today monograph, ‘The Zingiberaceae of the Malay Peninsula’ (Holttum, 1950). In this monograph, Holttum placed the species into the current genus to become known as G. sericea.

The species’ leafy shoots stand at 1.7 m in height and the rhizomes are supported by stilt-roots of up to 54 cm high. The leaves themselves are up to 51 cm long and 13.5 cm wide, oblong, glabrous, with acuminate apex and cuneate base. The colour of the leaves, as is typical with other gingers, is dark green above and light green underneath. The inflorescences are erect with each flower arranged in an upward facing position around the peduncle. The flower is pale yellow in colour with fine lines radiating from the base of the labellum. The staminode is prominent with patchy red marks. The ovoid-shaped fruits are light green measuring about 1.2 × 1.1 cm and tinged very light orange upon reaching maturity.

Despite being found in the Totally Protected Area of Pahang National Park, the species is categorized as Vulnerable (VU) (Lau, 2014) following the modified Malaysian Red List Categories (Chua, 2012). This is because of the species’ restricted area of occupancy (AOO) of less than 20 km². More detailed inventory work is needed to ascertain the distribution of this species on the popularly visited Gunung Tahan. Furthermore, until more populations are discovered beyond the well-used trails, this species remains vulnerable as the plants are at risk of being trampled or cut down unintentionally at campsites. For the time being, stronger enforcement of existing rules and regulations which prohibit the removal of any flora and fauna from the forests is needed, and higher penalties need to be imposed on guilty offenders.

Following the national level 6NR workshop on the 7th of June 2018, the Biodiversity and Forestry Management Division organised workshops in Sabah (19th July and 20th July) and Sarawak (16th August).

The workshops allowed the secretariat to engage a wider range of ministries, agencies and statutory bodies working in biodiversity thus ensuring a more inclusive national report to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

These inputs, once collated, will be useful in identifying priorities for future biodiversity policies.

On the 30th of July 2018, the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources (KATS) sent a delegation to represent Malaysia at the Regional Workshop on the Implementation of Aichi Target 11 in the ASEAN organized by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). The workshop was held in Manila, Philippines from the 29th July to 2nd August and was attended by officials from ASEAN Member States (AMS) and regional Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

Target 11 reads as following:

"By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes."

At the regional workshop, the Malaysian delegation discussed about the current status of Protected Areas, projections and actions underlined by Malaysia's National Policy on Biological Diversity 2016-2025. The sessions allowed ASEAN delegates to share information and network with professionals working in Protected Area Management.

This workshop was followed by a Meeting on Target Setting for the ASEAN Strategic Plan on Environment (ASPEN) 2016-2025. AMS representatives reviewed the current draft and suggested edits guided by respective biodiversity policies (National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plans – NBSAP).

Rutaceae is known as an aromatic plant family because of the scent of its volatile oils found in the superficial pellucid gland dots (Brummit, 2007). It is a large family comprising 160 genera and 1650 species. In Peninsular Malaysia, 17 genera occur, including the genus Micromelum.

Two species, Micromelum hirsutum Oliv. and M. minutum Wight & Arn., are found in Peninsular Malaysia. They are shrubs to small-sized trees without thorny branches. The genus is characterised by pinnate leaves, with 7 to 15 leaflets on each side of the midrib, with asymmetric bases. The flowers are white to greenish and have a toothed calyx. The berries turn yellow-orange when ripe and attract birds that disperse the seeds. For example, in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, M. minutum is known to be one of the food sources of the Red-sided Electus Parrots (Marshall & Ward, 2004).

Apart from Malaysia, M. hirsutum is also found in Indo-China, Thailand and the Andaman Islands. In Peninsular Malaysia, it is commonly found in Kedah, Perak, Selangor and Pahang. The most significant distinctive character is its inflorescence stalks that are covered with dense woolly, matted grey hairs. In contrast, the inflorescence stalks of M. minutum are covered with short soft hairs.

Micromelum minutum has many common names such as lime berry, cluster berry and cemumar in Malay. It occurs in Sri Lanka, the Nicobar and Andaman Islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and south to Australia. It is widely distributed in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, where it grows in primary and secondary forest, on hills, forest margins and in disturbed areas. It is also quite common on sandy coasts and in limestone areas that are open and exposed to full sunlight.

Old records state that M. hirsutum was used to prevent disturbance by bad spirits but it is unknown whether it worked or not (Burkill, 1966). The leaves of M. minutum contain coumarins, compounds used in fabric softeners and perfumes (Rahmani et al., 1994). The coumarin content depends on the location and environment where the tree is growing. For example, the coumarin content of the leaves of plants placed under direct natural UV is higher compared to plants kept in the dark (Zobel & Brown, 1995). Old references show that the roots of M. minutum were used to treat malaria or other illnesses involving fever and shivering while the ash from burnt M. hirsutum was used for bathing to reduce a fever (Burkill, 1966). In Southeast Asia, the leaves and roots of both species are used externally to cure skin diseases, for example, ringworm (Jones, 1995).

Neither species is endangered as both are quite common with a wide distribution.

The meeting resulted in recommendations to accelerate and scale up actions needed to achieve existing global biodiversity targets by 2020 (the Aichi Biodiversity Targets). Governments also addressed the process for negotiating a new and more effective global biodiversity framework for the post-2020 period.

Dr. Cristiana Pa?ca Palmer, UN Assistant Secretary-General and CBD Executive Secretary, noted that “The results in Montreal reflect governments’ awareness of the need for accelerated actions to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The outcomes of these meetings identified key areas that require additional attention. What we need now is to turn these discussions into effective and inclusive actions on the
ground.”

The 22nd meeting of the Convention’s Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-22) and the second meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI-2), which were held from 2 to 13 July 2018, represented the last preparatory processes before the UN Biodiversity Conference 20181 being held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt this November.

An Atmosphere to Inspire Transformational Change

The negotiations took place in an atmosphere shaped by a desire to bring about transformational change and achieve the goals of building a future of life in harmony with nature. A seminar, organised by the Secretariat in the weekend between the two subsidiary body meetings, brought together social scientists, representatives of the World Economic Forum, governments and a full range of stakeholders active in the Convention process, for a “deep dive” into possible sustainability transitions pathways for systemic change.

During the open dialogue, Dr. Pa?ca Palmer invited participants to reflect on solutions for moving away from the linear way of thinking and path dependencies, to take a systems view approach in our relationship with nature and biodiversity. She framed the discussion around the question: “How do we empower the agents of change and frontrunners to build new pathways or accelerate transition to sustainability?” The resulting discussion provided a variety of insightful perspectives on the possibilities for change.

Delegates to the SBI meeting were also inspired by the words of Canadian astronaut and member of the order of Canada, Roberta Bondar, who delivered a keynote address featuring breathtaking images of the earth from space. Dr. Bondar said "I envy all of you because you are in a position to create change… and encourage others to make change. We know we can do it, we just have to keep our energy alive.”

The government of Canada sponsored a reception at the opening of the SBI meeting, where indigenous traditions, culture and music were shared with the delegates, providing a lived experience of the key role that traditional knowledge plays in building a future of life in harmony with nature.

Looking beyond 2020: Setting the Stage for Negotiations

Inspired by the overall possibilities and the need for urgent action, delegates assessed progress under the Convention, and advanced a proposal for the negotiating path towards the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. Stressing that “2020 is just around the corner,” the CBD Executive Secretary observed that the process for designing the post-2020 biodiversity framework needs to be sciencebased, transparent, and inclusive. The meeting requested inputs from Parties and stakeholders on ways to move forward wth the process by August 15.

Meetings Outcomes:

Delegates recognized the need to leverage emerging new scientific research including the work of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), such as the recently released regional assessments. Parties also invited greater collaboration between the IPBES and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

A major topic addressed at the meeting was mainstreaming of biodiversity into sectors that depend on biodiversity, and whose actions cause potential adverse impacts to ecosystems and species. Governments recommended a package of actions for governments, businesses and other stakeholders, to facilitate the incorporation of biodiversity considerations into the energy, mining, infrastructure, manufacturing and processing, and health sectors.

Advances in the Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol

Countries noted considerable progress in setting access and benefit-sharing frameworks. However, the delegates underlined, that further efforts are needed to make the Protocol fully operational. The meeting also addressed the way forward for advancing on a global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism, and on the question of specialised international instruments related to access and benefit-sharing in the context of Article 4.4 of the Protocol.

Digital Sequence Information

Governments generally recognised the positive contribution of digital sequence information on genetic resources for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, but important divergences in views remain with respect to the implications of this issue for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources. The understanding of the different perspectives achieved during the meeting will underpin the important decisions to be taken on this topic in Egypt, decisions that could influence the future work of the Convention and its Nagoya Protocol.

Synthetic Biology

On the question of synthetic biology, due to uncertainty around the impacts of organisms with engineered gene drives, countries were called to apply a precautionary approach for the release of such organisms, including when it comes to experimental releases. Underlining that more research and analysis are needed, governments called for broad international cooperation to assess the possible impacts on biodiversity of this technology.

On risk assessment of living modified organisms, including organisms containing engineered gene drives, countries agreed on a process for identifying topics that may warrant the development of international guidelines. Delegates requested the CBD Executive Secretary to commission a study on organisms containing engineered gene drives and modified fish. On a few elements, consensus was not possible and further discussions were tabled for the November meeting.

Other Thematic and Cross Cutting Issues

Countries looked at the question of mechanisms for conservation of biodiversity that extend beyond existing notions of protected areas and recommended that the definition ‘other effective area-based conservation measures’ be considered by the COP, along with technical advice on guiding principles.

A methodology and a set of principles to guide the assessment of the role and contribution of indigenous peoples and local communities to the overall implementation of the Convention was also addressed in a draft decision to be taken up by the COP in November.

Governments recognised that, as new scientific information continues to emerge, there may be a need to modify existing ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs). Countries also identified the need for agreed-upon means and approaches to describe new EBSAs in areas where EBSA workshops have already been held. A proposal for processes to revise existing, and describe new, EBSAs was advanced to the COP.

Delegates recommended that COP 14, this November, adopt the global action plan 2018-2030 for the conservation and sustainable use of pollinators. Governments urged the engagement of businesses, indigenous peoples and local communities, and other relevant actors, involved in production landscapes, to address the drivers of loss of wild and managed pollinators in all ecosystems.

Nannophya pygmaea, commonly known as Scarlet Dwarf, is a species of tiny dragonfly belonging to the family Libellulidae. The common name is derived from the size of its body which is the smallest among the Anisoptera (Nakamuta et al., 1983). Its hindwings may measure up to 12 mm while its body length is only 17 mm, making it the smallest dragonfly species in Peninsular Malaysia, and one of the smallest in the world (Choong et al., 2017).

The Scarlet Dwarf is easily identified by its small size, bright red eyes and body. The male is quite attractive with a bright red body and yellow tinted bases of the hindwings and forewings, while the female is brownish yellow with light bands on its abdomen (Choong et al., 2017). Similar to the female, the immature male is also yellowish brown in colour. The male is always spotted perching with depressed wings and raised abdomen (Orr, 2005; Tang et al., 2010). The larvae are squat and tiny, unlike that of the other dragonfly species which are more robust and elongate, and some of which may have a long head and large eyes, and are known to be fierce and agile hunters (Orr, 2005).

The Scarlet Dwarf usually feeds on dayflies. It is normally found on stagnant open water, such as swamps, marshes and grassy ponds at forest edges, up to 1,250 m above sea level. It is widely distributed from subtropical Asia to Australasia (Orr, 2005; Choong et al., 2017).

According to Karube (2009), the population of the Scarlet Dwarf is still strong and stable, especially in areas where its habitat has not been disturbed. However, this species will be threatened by habitat loss due to changes in land-use and agricultural practices, such as crop production and the abandonment of farmed land, as these changes would affect the Scarlet Dwarf’s preferred breeding habitat. Urban development can also have a negative impact on the species’ habitat and result in a decline in the population very quickly. Currently, the Scarlet Dwarf appears on the IUCN Red List and is categorised as Least Concern (LC).

Pothos, with 70 species, belongs to the aroid family (Araceae). It occurs from Madagascar through to India, the subtropical eastern Himalayas, throughout subtropical and tropical Asia into western Oceania and tropical eastern Australia. In Peninsular Malaysia, P. macrocephalus is one of nine species. Its genus name, Pothos, is derived from a Sinhalese vernacular name, potha, meaning a climbing plant, and its epithet from the Latin word macrocephalus meaning having a long or large (macro) head (cephala), referring to the large, mid-yellow, globose inflorescence with flowers densely pressed together to form a head.

Pothos macrocephalus is distributed in Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. In Peninsular Malaysia, it has been found in many areas such as Kaki Bukit (Perlis), Bukit Palong (Kedah), Gua Puteri (Perak), Gua Musang (Kelantan), Ulu Kajang (Terengganu), Cameron Highlands (Pahang) and Sg. Kayu (Johor). These records prove that the species is not rare as it is widespread in many areas in Peninsular Malaysia and likely to be categorized as Least Concern (LC), but its conservation status has yet to be determined. It grows on rocks along rivers or streams as well as in freshwater swamps and is frequently found on limestone or granite. In general, it can be found at altitudes of between 30 and 1,450 m (Boyce & Hay, 2002).

Pothos macrocephalus can be recognized and distinguished from other species by its large yellow and white globose inflorescence, long petiole and small leaf blade (Boyce & Hay, 2002). It is a root-climbing liana where its roots adhere to host plants for support. The stem is up to 15 cm long and 8 – 12 mm in diameter. The petioles are oblong to obovate-oblong. The leaf is bright to mid-green adaxially but paler abaxially, ovate to elliptic or lanceolate, with a decurrent base and truncate, auriculate or rounded apex. The inflorescence is solitary, borne in the axils of the middle leaves. The peduncle of the inflorescence is dull orange-yellow. The spathe is ovate, flat to convex, reflexed and white in colour while the spadix is stipitate. The stipe is erect, straight and pale green. The flowers are bisexual, minute, 1 – 2 mm in diameter with six free tepals. The male part of this flower has six stamens. This species produces one to five club-shaped to ovoid or ellipsoid, 1 – 1.75 by 1 – 1.4 cm berries on a stalk, which are deep green, turning scarlet when ripe. In sub-mature fruits, the epidermis of the upper part is roughened, becoming more or less smooth when ripe.

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Land has true value – invest in it

Land is nature's gift. Not only that it makes our planet habitable, but it offers a multitude of resources for our benefit.

Yet, this gift is not an infinite, but a scarce resource.

For centuries, we have misused this treasure through land grabbing, unplanned urban and industrial sprawl, and unsustainable agricultural practices. The result is that a third of our planet's land is severely degraded. And the trends are worrying. Consumption of Earth's natural resources has doubled in the last 30 years. Unsustainable land management has led to crises, vulnerabilities and risks, with land's ability to support life on Earth being currently in decline. Moreover, land in crisis impacts induces human crises and potential displacements, including the erosion of invaluable traditional knowledge, through its spiritual and cultural connection to the land.

Making the distinction between land use and land abuse becomes, thus, imperative.

It is time to change course.

It would be difficult to achieve many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) without addressing land degradation. For example, addressing land degradation is fundamental to alleviating poverty (SDG 1). Soil organic matter stores rain water and increases the resilience of agricultural systems to shocks, while fertile land is vital for food security (SDG 2). Sequestering carbon in soils represents an effective solution to climate change (SDG 13). Enhancing carbon stocks through agricultural soils could create value on the carbon market from US$ 96 to 480 billion annually (SDG 8). And sustainable land management (SLM) is also central to preserving biodiversity (SDG 15).

Taking action against soil erosion over 105 million hectares could also save up to US$ 62.4 billion in net present value over the next 15 years.

By investing in sustainable land management, we could protect our lands, conserve and sustainability use biodiversity, and enhance livelihoods. By investing in smart agriculture, farmers could gain higher yields while reducing the need for inputs like pesticides. By supporting a biodiversity-friendly economy through investing in technologies and innovation, policy makers and land managers could accelerate the development of healthy and resilient livelihoods and poverty eradication. And by restoring soils' organic matter and thus strengthening CO2 sequestration capacity, countries could make contributions to address global targets on climate change, land management and biodiversity conservation. Yet, only eight National Determined Contributions (NDCs) to Paris climate change Agreement mention soil.

We need, then, to raise awareness.

We need to invest in national data on land management and use it to inform policy-making.

We need to mobilize all relevant actors, from governments to civil society, the scientific community and the private sector.

And we need to develop the value proposition for each and every user of the land, as users are at the heart of any conservation, sustainable use and restoration action.

By sustainably managing our land we can regenerate economies, create jobs, and revitalize communities.

On this World Day to Combat Desertification and Draught, I invite you to support a biodiversity-friendly economy, invest in sustainable land management SLM, and double our efforts to achieve SDG target 15.3 on land degradation neutrality.

Let us invest in biodiversity and in land. The dividends will be generous.

The future is in our hands.

Sindora wallichii is a tall deciduous tree from the family Leguminosae that can grow up to 35 m tall and 80 cm in diameter (Wong et al., 2002). This species is named after the Danish botanist, Nathaniel Wallich (1786-1854), a former Superintendent of the Calcutta Botanic Garden in India. Locally, it is commonly known as Sepetir or Sepetir Daun Tebal (Wong et al., 2002). It is native to Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, and Kalimantan. In Malaysia, this species is absent in the north-west of Peninsular Malaysia, which includes the states of Perlis and Kedah (Whitmore, 1983). Normally, S. wallichii can be found in lowland forests up to 300 m altitude, on well-drained sandy, sometimes clayey soils, or near mangrove swamps (Ding, 2000). It flowers and fruits all year round.

The leaves are alternate and compound, each with 3 or 4 pairs of oppositely arranged leaflets (Ding, 2000). The upper surface of leaflets is glabrous while the lower surface is hairy. The tip of each leaflet is slightly notched. The inflorescences are loosely branched (paniculate) and can grow up to 24 cm long. The yellow-brown flowers are quite small, measuring about 14 mm in diameter.

In order to differentiate this species from other species in the same genus, one needs to take note of the shape of the seed pod which looks like a flattened cactus, or a spiny castanet. The seed pod is 4 to 6 cm wide and covered with dense spines. Each pod can bear one to three circular seeds of about 2 cm in diameter. Sindora wallichii is closely related to S. echinocalyx, locally called Sepetir Daun Nipis, but the leaflets of the former have a smooth, non-reticulate upper surface (Whitmore, 1983).

The timber of S. wallichii is categorised as light hardwood and since it is as durable as teak and rosewood, it is used mainly in the furniture industry (Peters, 2002). The tree is harvested from the wild and is not cultivated in plantations as its growth is quite slow; about 1 cm in diameter per year (Shono et al., 2007). In addition, its seed can be used as traditional medicine after childbirth (Zakaria, 2010); it is one of the ingredients for jamu ratus, a mixture of various plant parts drunk by the Malay womenfolk of Johor. This jamu ratus is reputed to have benefits for blood rejuvenation and womb repositioning.

The conservation status of this species has not been evaluated in the IUCN Red List, but it is listed as Critically Endangered (CR) in Singapore (National Parks Board, Singapore, 2013).

At this meeting, experts and policymakers from Malaysia will provide feedback on proposed recommendations to the CBD that will be legally binding. Malaysia is also chair to the Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries (LMMC) and will be organising an expert meeting at this event.

As a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Malaysia is required to send a report of our progress every four years. Representatives from various government ministries, departments and agencies attended the first National Workshop in preparation for the 6th National Report to the CBD.

The workshop was coordinated by representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) and United Nations Development Programme. Participants were briefed on the National Policy on Biological Diversity 2016-2025 before assigned to break out groups. Each ministry/department/agency provided an account of their annual programmes.

The Malayan Pit Viper or Ular Kapak Daun in Malay, is a species of pit viper found in northern parts of Peninsular Malaysia. Calloselama rhodostoma is a monotypic species in its genus in the family Viperidae (Cox et al., 2012). Members of the Viperidae include vipers and pit vipers which are venomous, and have a pair of retractile hollow fangs that can be folded when not in use (Das, 2012). Vipers possess potent haemotoxic venom and bites from the Malayan Pit Viper are potentially fatal. Snakes of this family are also generally slow-moving and can be easily distinguished from other snake families by their enlarged, triangular-shaped heads with narrow necks. However, some snakes from other families such as Colubridae are also known to mimic the triangular head shape of vipers as a defence mechanism against predators (Valkonen et al., 2011).

In comparison with other vipers, pit vipers differ by having a specialised 'pit' organ between the nostrils and the eyes which serves as a heat sensing system. The thermal receptor in the organ enables the snake to sense thermal cues (Das, 2012) and judge the size and location of its prey. An adult Malayan Pit Viper has a dark brown forehead and dark post-ocular stripe that extends to the base of its jaws; whitish supralabials and slightly curved upward and pointed snout; its eyes are small with vertical pupils. Vipers are typically known to have keeled dorsal scales but the Malayan Pit Viper's dorsal scales are smooth. Its moderately stout body is reddish-brown or purplish-brown on top with a series of dark brown sub-triangular marks on each side with their tips meeting or alternating. The snake has pale brown flanks speckled with dark brown and a pinkish cream belly mottled with brown (Das, 2012). The female is generally larger than the male measuring about 100 cm in length compared to the male, measuring about 75cm long (Cox et al., 2012).

The Malayan Pit Viper is a terrestrial, nocturnal species. Its colouration and pattern serves as excellent camouflage among fallen, dried leaves while lying in ambush for its unsuspecting prey. Its prey varies from small mammals, rodents, frogs, lizards, and probably any other small animal that comes within its striking range. This species is oviparous, meaning that it reproduces by laying eggs (Cox et al., 2012). Its nesting behaviour is poorly known, but observations in a forested area in Thailand reported that a maternal female attended to its clutch of eggs and remained coiled around the eggs for the entire incubation period (Hill et al., 2006). This shows that this species exhibits parental care in the form of nest attendance.

The Malayan Pit Viper is native to Cambodia, Indonesia (Java only), Laos, Malaysia (northwest Peninsular Malaysia), Thailand and Vietnam. According to Das (2012), this snake inhabits dry lowland forests up to sub-montane forests below 1,524 m above sea level, and is sometimes found in plantations with dense undergrowth and rocky areas. It is a common species within its range. The Malayan Pit Viper is listed as Least Concern (LC) according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to its stable overall population and widespread distribution although deforestation activities for logging or agriculture may affect its sub-populations (Grismer & Chan-Ard, 2012).

Dragonflies and damselflies are the two members of the order Odonata. Being closely related to each other, it is easy to confuse them. Without closer inspection, you could hardly differentiate between the two. They may appear to be similar but there are few key characteristics that separate these two species category. Once you knew which part to focus on, recognizing between the two should be easy.

There are some details that you must pay attention to in order to differentiate between dragonflies and damselflies. Even an inexperienced bug-watcher can use it to identify the two species category. The details are:-

1. the eye position
2. the wing position during perching
3. the size and shape of the forewing and hindwing

Have a look at the Table 1 below for a quick comparison between dragonfly and damselfly and try to test your understanding by identifying the images above.

However, it is important to note that there are also several species of damselflies perching with open wings such as Dysphaea dimidiata or also known as Black Velvetwing. This state is an extraordinary behaviour for a damselfly.

Barringtonia racemosa is a common shrub to medium-sized tree commonly known as putat ayam or putat kampung. The genus name, Barringtonia, commemorates Daines Barrington, who was a nobleman, lawyer, and also a naturalist who wrote a book on English trees (Nicholson, 1991). The epithet, racemosa, refers to the unbranched and continuous inflorescences. This genus is also distinguished by the absence of stipules and by its large berry fruit. Another characteristic of this genus is the arrangement of the leaves, which are whorled or clustered at the end of the branches.

It is distributed from Africa through the Pacific islands including the Solomons, Fiji and Samoa, Asia including India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Malesia, to Australia. It is widely distributed in the Philipppines, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. It favours open areas with high humidity, for example, along river banks, or coastal areas. This species is the most widespread genus of Barringtonia and is considered of Least Concern (LC), conservation-wise (Prance, 2012).

The Lecythidaceae family is known for the large size of its flowers with a large number of stamens. Barringtonia is recognized by having attractive and long inflorescences, which can reach up to 100 cm and give the plant a most unique appearance. The flowers are white to pale pinkish and strongly scented. They bloom at night but survive for only one night. Bats are important pollinators for this species.

Most parts of the tree contain saponins which are naturally occurring plant glycosides that are poisonous. The seed is usually used medicinally for various ailments and diseases since it contains the highest concentration of glycosides. The extract of all parts of the plant may be used as an insecticide. In the Philippines, the fruit is used to poison wild pigs (Burkill, 1966). However, the young leaves are not poisonous, and the local Kelantanese eat it as a vegetable or ulam. In the past, the tannin yielded from the bark was used as a natural red dye to colour leather goods (Burkill, 1930).

Murraya paniculata is known as kemuning in Malay and has many other common English names, such as mock orange, orange jessamine and others. The genus name, Murraya, commemorates Johan Andreas Murray, a German-Swedish herbal doctor and student of Linnaeus back in the 18th century.

Kemuning is a small to medium-sized tree, up to 12 m tall. The glossy green leaves are pinnately arranged, while the flower is white, borne singly or in clusters at the tips of branches or in the upper leaf forks. The flowers have a unique scent which is citrus-like blended with jasmine. The fruits are ovoid-shaped berries, pointed at the apex and greenish turning orange when ripe.

The species is widely distributed from southern China, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, to Australia. It can be found in tropical rain forest, lowland and hill forest up to 600 m above sea level. It can also grow on rocky soil or limestone. In many Asian countries it is widely cultivated as an ornamental and landscape plant due to its fragrant flowers and easy management as it is rarely affected by serious pest or disease problems. Futhermore, it can be used as a windbreak if planted in suitable locations.

Local Malays and Thais craft walking sticks, knife handles and sheaths, paper-weights, chessmen inlays and flutes from the wood of kemuning because of its good wood working qualities and yellow colour. The root commands a high price due to its beautiful patterns and figures (Burkill, 1966). In Java, the flowers are used for cosmetics production while in Burma, the bark and roots are used for the same purposes (Han, 1998). The leaf extract contains substances that can kill insect pests, especially the Asian citrus blackfly (Dowell, 1989).

This species is likely to be categorized as Least Concern (LC) because of its wide distribution and cultivation in many countries, but its conservation status has yet to be determined.

Meliosma is a genus of flowering plants in the family Sabiaceae, native to tropical and warm temperate regions of southern and eastern Asia and the Americas. This genus is quite complicated and taxonomic revision by van Beusekom (1971) and van Beusekom & van der Water (1989) described six species which occur in Peninsular Malaysia and seven species in Borneo, including M. sumatrana. According to taxonomic revision and research carried out, species in the genus can be distinguished by differences in some important macromorphological and micromorphological characters. These include either having simple or compound leaves, type of inner petal, ovary either glabrous or densely covered with simple hairs, and small or large fruits (less or more than 10 mm in diameter).

The genus was named from the Greek word, "meli" meaning honey and "osme" meaning odour, referring to the fragrant or honey-scented flowers. The epithet name, sumatrana, refers to Pulo Nias (sic) (Pulau Nias), Sumatra, the locality where this plant was first discovered (Walpers, 1848). Other than Sumatra, this species is widely distributed in Peninsular Malaysia, West Java, Borneo, Sulawesi and the Philippines. This species can be found growing in primary and secondary forest, from lowlands to mountains up to 1500 m altitude. It usually grows on clay soils along rivers and streams, on hillsides and ridges.

Meliosma sumatrana is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree, reaching heights of up to 20 m and 62 cm diameter. This species can be easily differentiated from other species in the genus by having petiolules with a distinct swelling at the base, especially in older leaves. Other diagnostic characters of this species are compound leaves, and lower leaf surface covered by unbranched simple hairs, especially on the midrib and veins. Besides that, the flowers are whitish yellow in colour; the inner petals are elliptic to lanceolate or strap-shaped with wide truncate tip; the ovary is glabrous and the ripe fruits are about 1–3 cm in diameter and red-brownish in colour.

Locally this species is known as mengading besar in Peninsular Malaysia, bulu manok in Sarawak and gapas-gapas in Sabah. The tree is harvested from the wild for local use, such as for food and medicine. It has also been recommended for use in reforestation projects as it is a fast-growing pioneer species. The wood is sometimes used for firewood and the fruits are frequently reported as edible. In Mindanao (Philippines), the leaves and bark are used to treat itchy skin and to clean wounds, or charred and put into water to treat tympanites (Boer & Sosef, 1998).

Taxonomic study of the Sabiaceae family in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo is still in progress. As M. sumatrana has a widespread distribution and can be easily found in Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia (in all states except Perlis, Kedah and Kuala Lumpur), the provisional conservation assessment for this species is Least Concern (LC).

Hylarana erythraea or Green Paddy Frog is a common true frog in the family Ranidae. It is also known as Red-eared Greenback because of the colour of its tympanum. In Malaysia, locals call this frog Katak sawah hijau. This widely distributed frog can be found in large natural water bodies, artificial ponds (Lim et al., 2010) and disturbed areas (Shahrudin et al., 2011). It is distributed throughout South-East Asia including Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

The Green Paddy Frog is a beautiful frog, and the adult male is able to grow to a maximum size of 45 mm while the female up to 75 mm (Brown & Alcala, 1970). This frog is easily identified by the pair of white bands running from behind the eye, along each side of the body to the rump. There is a red tympanum located on the left side of its eye, usually measuring about one-third the diameter of the eye. The top of its head, back and sides is a bright to dark green colour. The upper lip is white and joins a white stripe running over the armpit and along the lower part of the body. The upper surfaces of its limbs are light brown with fine dark markings while its underside is pearly white, occasionally with slight dark mottling towards the outer edges (Inger & Stuebing, 2005).

Like other frogs, H. erythraea's diet consists of small terrestrial invertebrates such as small millipedes, crickets, and ants. This species plays an important role as an indicator of habitat disturbance in Malaysia as it is mostly found in disturbed habitats created by humans, including flooded paddy fields, plantations, and irrigation ditches.

Based on the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2014), this frog is categorized as least concerned (LC) since it only faces minor threats such as water pollution, and over-harvesting. Sometimes it is found in the international pet trade but that only impacts some populations. However, in Malaysia, they are protected under the Malaysian Wildlife Protection Act 2010.

The campaign is called 'The answer is in nature' and raises awareness of NBS. The central message is that NBS, such as planting trees to replenish forests, reconnecting rivers to floodplains, and restoring wetlands, is a sustainable and cost-effective way to help rebalance the water cycle, mitigate the effects of climate change and improve human health and livelihoods.

By using NBS to help meet the water needs of a growing population, we will contribute to the creation of a circular economy, at the same time as helping to protect the natural environment and reduce pollution - both key targets in Sustainable Development Goal 6, which commits the world to ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests (IDF) in 2012. The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests. On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns. The theme for each International Day of Forests is chosen by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests. The theme for 2018 is Forests and Sustainable Cities.

Siebenrockiella crassicollis is a hard shelled turtle in the family Geoemydidae. This monotypic species is commonly known as the Black Marsh Turtle. The genus is named in honour of an Austrian zoologist, Friedrich Siebenrock, while the species epithet crassicollis is derived from two Latin words, crassus and collum meaning "thick neck". The turtle has a characteristically thick neck, forming a collar around the head when it is retracted into the shell; hence its species name. It is native to Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Black Marsh Turtle is easily recognized by its upwardly curved jaw line which gives it the common name of "Smiling turtle". It can grow up to 20 cm (straight carapace length) (Das, 2010). The ovoid carapace is dark grey or nearly black, while the plastron is pale grey with large dark areas in each scute. The juvenile has light coloured spots on the head. These light coloured spots remain in the adult female while they will fade with growth in the male (Das, 2010). The female may lay up to four clutches of eggs, which each clutch containing one or two eggs. This happens between the month of April and the end of June (Franklin, 2007).

The Black Marsh Turtle is nocturnal and comes out during the night to forage and/or to mate. It lives in stagnant or sluggish water bodies including marshes, swamps, ponds, streams and lakes. It is known to be highly carnivorous; it has a broad head and strong jaws for crunching mollusc and carrion bones (Hopson, n.d.). However, it is considered an omnivore too as its diet also includes rotting plants, fruits and carcasses (Moll & Moll, 2004).

This species may sometimes be overlooked as it rarely gets into the headlines. The Black Marsh Turtle is listed in CITES Appendix II, which means that this species is not necessarily threatened with extinction, but its trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival (CITES, 2018). Commonly, this turtle is being traded for food and traditional medicine. Some turtles are kept in ponds of temples, e.g. in Thailand where some Thai people believe that the Black Marsh Turtles carry the souls of people who died saving others from drowning. The Black Marsh Turtle is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to both exploitation and habitat conversion and loss (IUCN, 2018). Official records indicate that 135,000 individuals were exported from Malaysia in 1999 (IUCN, 2000) and sold at a price of RM 5 per individual in the local market, with an estimated 30 individuals sold per week (Sharma, 1999). Due to high demand, the current price for a Black Marsh Turtle has gone up to 50 USD (Anon., 2018) or approximately RM 195. This vulnerable species is listed as protected wildlife under the first schedule of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, to control its export trade.

Having started as a symbolic lights out event in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour is now celebrated in more than 180 countries and territories as a global moment of solidarity for the planet. Online, #EarthHour and related terms last year generated over 3.5 billion impressions in the run up to Earth Hour, trending in at least 30 countries worldwide on the night. The movement has been a game-changer for popularizing climate and environmental action across the globe. As global biodiversity declines at an unprecedented rate, Earth Hour will focus its efforts on galvanizing mainstream support for action on biodiversity and nature.

"Biodiversity and nature underpin our lives, our economies, our health, our well-being, our happiness. It is the foundation of our living planet. Today, as we push the planet and its natural systems to the edge, Earth Hour is our chance to use our power, as individuals and as a collective, to demand and take action to protect this web of life in return for all it gives us. For the benefit of all life on Earth and of our own future," said Marco Lambertini, Director General, WWF International.

In the past decade, Earth Hour has inspired millions to support and participate in critical climate and conservation projects led by WWF and many others, helping drive climate policy, awareness and action. Among its highlights, the movement has helped in the creation of a 3.4 million hectare marine-protected area in Argentina, a 2,700-hectare Earth Hour forest in Uganda and helped pass new legislation for the protection of seas and forests in Russia.

In 2018, WWF and Earth Hour teams around the world will be using the movement to highlight the environmental issues most relevant in their country or region. In Colombia, people will call for the country to commit to zero deforestation by 2020. French Polynesia is expected to move to protect 5 million square kilometers of its seas to preserve ocean ecosystems. In Guatemala, citizens will raise their voice on the importance of freshwater conservation and in India, people will pledge to shift toward sustainable lifestyles. In Nepal, WWF will mobilize public support for a clean, renewable energy future for all.

Starting today, supporters can visit connect2earth.org to share what biodiversity and nature means to them in the places they live in and find out more about it. Created in partnership with the secretariat of the United Nations Convention of Biological Diversity, the platform aims to build mass awareness on the values of biodiversity and nature by kick-starting global conversations on issues such as climate action, healthy oceans and sustainable business. The project is supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety with funding from the International Climate Initiative.

"Earth Hour is a testament to the power of a simple idea to inspire people to take action to protect the Earth. As we take an hour to reflect on the vital role that biodiversity and nature play in our lives, let this be the spark that galvanises action for transformation to a more sustainable future," said Cristiana Pa?ca Palmer, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). "The CBD Secretariat is delighted to be working with WWF, and with people all over the world to build a movement where people and communities make a personal connection with Earth. The reflections, conversations and actions we start today will help protect biodiversity at the local, national and global levels, and lead us on a journey of living in harmony with nature."

Visit www.earthhour.org to know what's happening in locations around the world and read individuals' stories about what they are doing for our planet. This is our time to secure a healthy, sustainable and climate-resilient future for all.

To assist countries from Asia in establishing and effective management of National Clearing-House Mechanisms, the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Asean Centre for Biodiversity’s Biodiversity Information Management Unit (ACB-BIM) conducted the “Regional Workshop for Asian Countries on the Clearing-House Mechanism” in Bangkok, Thailand, from January 29 to February 2.

Representatives from eight the Association of Southeast Asian Nations members-states and participants from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cook Islands, Maldives, Mongolia and Nepal convened at the United Nations Conference Centre of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

Officials from the CBD conducted capacity-building activities to develop the faculty of countries from Asia who are interested in setting up a national CHM, or enhance the existing ones.

The five-day workshop had the CBD providing an overview of the CHM, highlighting the need for countries to understand its purpose and strategic content.

It was emphasized that the CHM started out as a platform for sharing information, and developed into a web of information sources through which biodiversity information is exchanged, and is now intended to support national planning and reporting, specifically National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan and National Reports.

Alexandre Rafalovitch, web-site officer from the CBD, introduced Bioland, an online tool that provides support to CBD member-countries who do not have national CHM web sites or still in the process of web-site establishment.

It was emphasized that Bioland support has numerous advantages, among which are free hosting and efficiency of translations.

As an exercise, each participant was assigned a Bioland test site to be able to experience the functionality of the tool, and design mock CHM web sites for their respective countries.

The participants presented the features of the mock CHM web sites they have created, as well as their feedback on their experience in using the Bioland tool.

On the other hand, ACB presented its programs, as well as its role in biodiversity management in the region. It also highlighted the availability of the Asean CHM, and how it supports the Asean member-states.

The Asean CHM was established to support the implementation of the CBD and its Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, through effective information services and other appropriate means in order to promote and facilitate scientific and technical cooperation, knowledge sharing and information exchange and to establish a fully operational network of parties and partners.

It is one of the flagship programs of ACB and managed by its BIM.

MESSAGE OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY DR. CRISTIANA PA?CA PALMER on the occasion of WORLD WILDLIFE DAY 3 March 2018 "Big cats: predators under threat"

Today we celebrate World Wildlife Day. CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) has chosen the theme of "Big cats: predators under threat." This is an excellent way to capture the attention of the world. Big cats might just be the planet's most majestic predators. They are an iconic species, widely recognized around the globe, and are both powerful and playful; big cats are most definitely charismatic.

But charisma will only get you so far. Today, big cats, which include not only the lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar, but also cheetah, snow leopard, puma, clouded leopard and others, are facing many threats. Populations of big cats are declining at an alarming rate, due mainly to loss of habitat and prey, conflicts with people, as well as poaching and illegal trade. For example, tiger populations have plummeted by 95 per cent over the past 100 years, while African lion populations have dropped by 40 per cent in just 20 years.

Yet, many people may ask 'why should I care? How does losing big cats affect me?' In fact, we should all be concerned. Everything is connected. When we protect animals and plants, we also protect the ecosystems that underlie our economies, our social and cultural traditions and our well-being.

Biodiversity keeps ecosystems functional. Big cats live in a variety of habitats, including forests, tropical rain forests, savannas and mangroves. Ensuring that these ecosystems are as rich and diverse as possible is not only good for them, it's good for us.

Healthy ecosystems allow us to survive, and provide the foundation for the provision of food, fibre and health. When species become threatened, it is a sign that ecosystems are not functioning properly. Given its importance for sustainability and human well-being, it is not surprising that biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, including aquatic and terrestrial wildlife and genetic resources, feature prominently in the Sustainable Development Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The importance of biodiversity as an integral part of sustainable development lies at the core of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets. These targets, adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2010, lay out an ambitious agenda for achieving a future in which ecosystems are able to provide critical services that underpin planetary well-being, and in which the global community can sustainably and equitably benefit from biodiversity without impacting the ability of future generations to do so.

Most of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets have several elements. For example, Target 12 requires that by 2020 no known threatened species goes extinct and that the conservation status of those species most in decline is improved.

But, as noted in the fourth edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook, while significant progress has been made towards meeting most of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the overall conclusion is that biodiversity will continue to decline without urgent action.

There is no time to waste. To achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, business-as-usual approaches must be abandoned. Simply put, we need transformational change. This includes a change in behavior at the levels of producers and consumers, governments and businesses that in turn will lead to tangible results on the ground. Biodiversity needs to be mainstreamed into economic and development planning, resource mobilization, governance and decision-making. We need to remember that biodiversity is not a hindrance, but rather a solution for sustainable economic growth and human well-being by supporting the functioning of our Earth's life support system.

Indeed, it is clear that the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity hold the solution for many of our current global challenges. Furthermore, there is a growing recognition and awareness that nature can help provide viable, sustainable and cost-effective solutions to a range of environmental concerns, such as sustainably managing and restoring natural or modified ecosystems.

Nature-based solutions can help meet the objectives of multiple international environmental agreements. For example, with regards to climate change, nature-based solutions include halting or substantially reducing deforestation and other forms of habitat loss and destruction; restoring and rehabilitating degraded ecosystems, and sustainably managing croplands, pastures and coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses, to ensure soil carbon is kept below ground.

We stand at a critical juncture. What we do next will affect many generations to come.

This year is the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Since entering into force, the Convention has been implemented through the vision and leadership displayed by countries, non-governmental and inter-governmental organizations, indigenous peoples and local communities, the scientific community and individuals alike.

Over the course of this year, the Parties to the Convention will be celebrating and highlighting their successes in implementing the Convention. These stories, in their entirety, will represent a story of our journey to build a life in harmony with nature.

As human beings we are not separate from the Earth. We are part of the natural systems of this planet. We, like the big cats that we celebrate today, need healthy and diverse ecosystems to ensure a sustainable future for us and for generations to come.

Rhodomyrtus tomentosa is an attractive member of the Myrtaceae family. The genus name Rhodomyrtus is derived from the Greek “rhodon” meaning red, and “myrtos”, meaning myrtle, referring to the rose-coloured flowers that are common in members of this genus. The species name tomentosa refers to the short, soft, matted hairs covering the undersides of the leaves and sepals of this species. The plant is popularly known as downy rose myrtle (English name) and locally as kemunting in Peninsular Malaysia, karamunting in Sabah or lidah katak in Sarawak. This species is native to tropical and subtropical Asia, from India, to southern China, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia and Sulawesi. It is often found in open sandy ground, on the seashore or banks of sandy rivers.

Rhodomyrtus tomentosa is a small shrub that can reach about 4 m tall. This species can be identified by the following features: young plant parts are woolly pubescent; the leaves are elliptic with rounded or blunt apex, hairy on the lower surface, up to 7 cm long and 4 cm wide, the petioles up to 0.5 cm long, and the flower petals pink or purplish in colour. The fruits are berries, green when young and turning to dark purple when mature, fleshy, sweet and aromatic. This species has many (40–45) tiny, deltoid seeds embedded in an edible flesh, and the seeds are dispersed by frugivorous birds and mammals.

Kemunting is occasionally cultivated for its edible fruits and medicinal uses. The sweet and aromatic ripe fruits are consumed fresh or made into pies, tarts, jellies, preserves and jams (Lim, 2012). Besides that, almost all parts of this species can be used for traditional medicinal purposes. For example, in Peninsular Malaysia, the fruits have been recorded as treatment for diarrhoea while the roots can be used for stomach ache and diarrhoea, and as a poultice at childbirth. An infusion of the roots is also recommended for squirting into the eyes to treat scars on the cornea. Root decoctions are drunk as a tonic in Sabah and Sarawak, and in Sarawak, leaves pounded together with betel leaves (Piper betle) and betel nut (Areca catechu) have been used as an abdominal poultice to mitigate diarrhoea in babies (Chai, 2006; Lim, 2012). In addition, its red wood is fine-grained and used for making small objects and the wood together with coconut shell is used for making wood tar for blackening the teeth and eyebrows (Lim, 2012).

Kemunting is also popular as an ornamental plant in gardens in the tropics and subtropics for its abundant and much prized flowers. The plant is easy to grow, with no serious pests and diseases reported so far, and is normally propagated using stem cuttings, bearing fruits within two years (Latiff, 1991).

Biotechnology is a multi-billion ringgit industry worldwide with massive growth potential. Malaysia is well-placed to tap into this to develop medicines and other products based from biodiversity. The application of biotechnology can be the catalyst to generate new wealth for the country, but only if resources are sustainably managed. Advances in biotechnology, including modern methods of cultivating and propagating crops and livestock have been made possible largely because of genetic diversity of parent stocks. They could also result in the development of products such as pharmaceuticals, antibiotics and vaccines.

Tourism is the second highest foreign currency earner for the nation and around 25.7 million tourists visited Malaysia in 2015. Malaysia, with its outstanding biodiversity and scenic natural environment has been successfully promoted as an ecotourism and nature-oriented tourism destination in recent years. For example, recreational diving is a high value form of tourism that attracts tourists from all over the world. This type of tourism depends on the diversity of coral reefs and quality of the environment.

Sipadan, Layang-Layang and the oceanic islands in the South China seas are considered to be among the world’s best diving sites. Mulu National Park and Kinabalu National Park are UNESCO World Heritage sites with biodiversity of global significance. Taman Negara National Park annually draws over 80,000 tourists. These and many others help to drive Malaysia’s tourism industry.

Plants and animals are the basis of most traditional medicines. Rural communities in many parts of Malaysia still depend on traditional medicines for their healthcare needs. It is estimated that about 1,200 species of higher plants in Peninsular Malaysia and 2,000 species in Sabah and Sarawak have potential medicinal properties and are used in traditional health care. Furthermore, many of these species are endemic to Malaysia, making them truly a natural asset worth conserving. Modern medicine also uses plants and plant products as the basis for many commercial drugs. Plants and herbs such as “Hempedu Bumi” (Andrographis paniculata), Bitter Melon "Peria" (Momordica charanthia) and White Leadtree "Petai Belalang" (Leucaena leucocephala) have shown potential for dengue treatment.

Plants, animals and fish are our main sources of food. Biodiversity, through agriculture, is an important component of food security because species diversity provides the genetic material for food and agricultural crops.

Wild animals are also important for the healthy growth and pollination of cultivated plants. Many species of insects, birds and bats are pollinators and dispersal agents of fruits and other crops, besides playing an important role in maintaining rainforest dynamics. In addition, domestic animals may be improved by cross-breeding with wild relatives. Conservation programmes of indigenous farm animal genetic resources, such as Kedah-Kelantan cattle, are very important by providing broad gene pool and genetic improvement for future food security in terms of quality meat production.

Malaysia’s fisheries industry has grown significantly over the last two decades. Marine catches have been steadily rising from about 800,000 tonnes in 1980 to over 1.48 million tonnes in 2013. Mangrove swamps are feeding and nursery grounds for fisheries, as well as being the habitats of several of our important commercial fishes and shrimps.

Rice is an important staple food for Malaysians and many other Asian societies. Malaysia has many wild varieties and land races of rice including those that are uniquely cultivated by indigenous people. Currently, 12,258 accessions of rice from indigenous, wild and cultivated sources are conserved in genebanks as genetic materials for further improvement. Protection of such biological diversity is critical for food security.

FAO has estimated that about 10,000 to 50,000 plant species are edible. However, only about 150 to 200 species are cultivated as food. This means that there are many more species that can potentially be used and commercialised as food.

The easiest way to recognise the ‘buah ceri’ tree would be by its drooping branches and spreading crown, resembling an umbrella. Look closer and you will see that its twigs and leaves are densely covered with stellate hairs as well as viscid glandular hairs that are sticky to the touch. The occurrence of 1–2 prophylls (hair-like appendages) in between a tuft of white hairs at the leaf node is another interesting feature of this species. Other spot-characters include the asymmetrical leaf with an unequal base, the sweet-scented white flowers with erect stalk, and the pendent, glossy maroon fruit that looks like a cherry when ripe; hence being dubbed ‘buah ceri’ locally.

The ability of this species to thrive on poor soils and withstand drought has had an impact on its distributional pattern. This fast-growing species which originated from tropical America was introduced to the Old World, first to the Philippine Islands in the late 19th century, then to Thailand and subsequently spreading throughout Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. It is commonly seen growing in disturbed lowland areas, by roadsides, and in old tin tailings. Its ruderal characteristics allow it to inhabit early successional habitats. It is not found in forests.

Formerly, M. calabura was placed in families such as Elaeocarpaceae and Tiliaceae but based on morphology and molecular data, Bayer et al. (1998) proposed a new family, Muntingiaceae that includes Muntingia, Dicraspidia and Neotessmannia. The distinct characters possessed by members of this new family are the co-occurrence of stellate and glandular hairs, flower insertion at the supra-axillary position, and dimorphism of prophylls. Its closest relative in Malaysia is the Thymelaeaceae.

Muntingia calabura was once popular locally as a shade tree but later became unwelcome because of the unsightly pink splashes of its seeds which are dropped by bats and birds. It flowers and fruits continuously throughout the year. Birds, bats, squirrels, monkeys, and even children, hunt for its edible, sweet and juicy fruits. The flowering pattern of M. calabura is quite fascinating. The first flower in a cluster to open has a well-developed pistil and fewer stamens, to ensure fruit formation through pollination. The subsequent flowers that open have smaller pistils and more stamens, presumably to act as pollen donors. However, if a pollinator is not available, self-pollination takes place (Bawa & Webb, 1983). This species attracts flying pollinators, mostly bees, by displaying its flowers above the branches, and facilitates dispersers such as bats that cling underneath branches, by lowering its fruits below the branches. Interestingly, a single mature fruit that measures about 1.5 cm in diameter can contain up to a whopping 5000 seeds (Bawa & Webb, 1983). Because its fruits are attractive to fruit-bats, Singaravelan & Marimuthu (2006) proposed that M. calabura be grown in and around orchards to lessen bat damage to fruit trees.

Symphalangus syndactylus (Primates: Hylobatidae) also known as Siamang, is the largest gibbon species found in Southeast Asia. It is native to the mountains and hills of extreme South Peninsular Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, and the Barisan Mountains of Sumatra, Indonesia (Francis, 2008).

Siamang can be recognised by its all black and long shaggy hair, especially on its legs and long slender arms. These characteristics give it a thickset appearance among the gibbons (Francis, 2008). Its head-body length can reach 750 to 900 mm. An adult male can weigh between 10.4 to 15 kg, while the female can weigh between 8 to 11 kg. Compatible with its large body size and big appetite, it has large hands which are larger and longer than its feet, helping it to move easily from one tree to another in search of food.

Like all other primates, the Siamang is an arboreal animal that is active during the day. It lives in primary and secondary semi-deciduous and tropical evergreen forest (Nijman & Geissman, 2008) although its primary habitat is tropical hill forest (Gron, 2008). It can survive in secondary forest but only at low densities. This is because secondary forest do not have many large mature trees like the primary forest, which it requires for resting and sleeping. Partially logged forest can also be a habitat of this species but only if there are sufficient large trees remaining (Nijman & Geissman, 2008).

The Siamang eats a variety of food consisting of fruits, flowers, leaves and shoots, but also insects and birds’ eggs since it spends most of its time in the trees (Francis, 2008). It plays an important role as a seed dispersal agent in the forest ecosystem as it can defecate seeds over a distance of 300 m, with the shortest distance recorded being 47.6 m from the seed resource. Indirectly, the siamang helps to support forest regeneration and succession (Rusmanto, 2001).

It is monogamous and highly territorial. The gestation period is 230 to 235 days (7 months). Typically, every 2 to 3 years, the female will give birth to one young and sometimes twins (Eastridge, 1999). Unlike other primates, the male Siamang plays a significant role in caring for its young. The juvenile is carried and receives more care from the adult male during the day, only returning to its mother at night (Lappan, 2008). The infant becomes independent at 18 to 24 months and reaches maturity at about 6 to 7 years (Eastridge, 1999).

Siamang communicate through three types of communication channels, namely, vocal, tactile and visual communication. It uses vocal communication to mark territory and to perform its morning “concert”. Both adult male and female as well as the juvenile have a throat pouch that will enlarge during calling which can produce a powerful sound that can be heard from a long distance. Hence, it is more often heard than seen. The male and female mark their territory vocally by singing a duet. It also wakes up at sunrise to perform its morning "concert". Tactile communication is important in social and anti-social activities, such as grooming and physical aggression. Siamang also use visual communication such as facial expressions, body postures and gestures in order to communicate with each other (Eastridge, 1999).

Currently, the IUCN Red List has categorized the Siamang as Endangered (EN) due to habitat loss, selective logging and illegal hunting, as well as trapping for the pet trade (Nijman & Geissman, 2008). In Malaysia, Siamang is protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 as a Totally Protected Species. Thus, it is very crucial to put more effort in protecting this species while at the same time enhancing the existing conservation measures to save this species from extinction.

Hoya coronaria Blume gets its species name from the Latin word “coronaria” meaning crown because of the resemblance of its flower to a crown. The name “Hoya” honors Thomas Hoy, a gardener to the Duke of Northumberland, who brought this plant into prominence. The species was first described by the German botanist, Carl Ludwig Blume. The common name for Hoya is wax flower and locally it is known in Malay as akar setebal which refers to its thick stem (Lemmens & Bunyapraphatsara, 2003). Hoya coronaria is among approximately 550 species of Hoya that belong to the Apocynaceae family (formerly included in Asclepiadaceae) that have latex. It falls into Section Eriostemma with the distinctive feature in most of them having stems and leaves with soft hairs, large flowers, and a thick hirsute calyx.

This climbing plant can reach up to 5 meters in length (Sri Rahayu, 2006). Hoya coronaria leaves are thick, light green, elliptic, up to 14 x 7.5 cm in size and velvety. It has bisexual flowers and is easily recognized by the unique form of its inflorescence that grows in an umbel shape with small star-shaped calyx (Ridley, 1923). The colour of the corolla varies from whitish, reddish, brownish to yellowish. The texture of the thick corolla is waxy. Some people with hypersensitive skin may experience skin irritation from contact with the hairs and latex of this species. The latex is white in colour and poisonous. Its pale coloured flowers and production of a strong scent at night suggests that it is pollinated by moths (Rintz, 1978). This species grows in mangrove swamps and lowland forest on various soil types and is widely distributed in Peninsular Thailand, throughout the Malesian region, the Solomon Islands and northern Australia (Lemmens & Bunyapraphatsara, 2003). Since it is common, it is not considered threatened.

The attractive corolla of Hoya make them popular as exotic ornamental plants in the USA and Europe (Ritz, 1978). Hoya can be cultivated through propagation of parts of the stem, leaf and seeds. In nature, H. coronaria often occurs rooted in loose and highly organic soil. Trimming is required if the plant becomes too compact. Pruning at old blossom spurs should be avoided as a new inflorescence will grow from the same spot (Sri Rahayu, 1994). Hoya needs semi-shade conditions as too much exposure to sunlight will turn the leaves yellow. Hoya can bloom a maximum of once a month and usually blooms less frequently, remaining dormant for months in between inflorescences (Ritz, 1978).

Amolops larutensis, commonly called the Larut Hill Cascade Frog or Larut Torrent Frog, is named after Bukit Larut and was described by G.A. Boulenger in 1899. The Larut Torrent frog is so-called because of its ability to live along fast flowing streams and waterfalls, clinging to big wet boulders using its finger tips which can be dilated into large disks. This frog is considered a common and abundant species, distributed throughout Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand (Taylor, 1962; Berry, 1975).

Six families of Anurans (frogs) are found in Peninsular Malaysia and A. larutensis is placed under the family Ranidae (true frog). The male is able to grow up to 45 mm whilst the female can grow bigger, reaching up to 75 mm. The size of the frog’s tympanum is usually about one-third the diameter of the eye. The skin of the frog is fairly granulated (above) with some flat enlarged tubercles on the sides of its body. Normally the frog appears pale yellowish green in colour with dark blotches on its back. Its limbs are covered with black bars and the ventral part of the frog is smooth and white. The tadpoles of A. larutensis have large ventral suckers which aid in attaching them to rocky surfaces.

Amolops larutensis can generally be found resting on big wet boulders and bedrock in and along fast-flowing clear water forest streams and is able to live up to 1500 m above sea level. Both the adult and tadpole A. larutensis play important roles as bio-indicators for stream quality where they are usually found only in pristine streams. The frog is categorized as least concerned (LC) under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, 2014) but is protected under the Malaysian Wildlife Protection Act 2010.

The White-rumped Shama (Kittacincla malabarica), also known as murai batu, is one of the most popular birds because of its beautiful melodious songs and long beautiful tails. This species belongs to the family Muscicapidae, subfamily Muscicapinae (Old world flycatchers and allies) and is classified under order Passeriformes (perching birds), which is the largest order of birds (Robson, 2014). This species is a resident of the Indian subcontinent except for Pakistan, West Indian subcontinent, North West Indian subcontinent and Andaman Islands. It can also be found in South West China, South China, and the Greater Sundas. It can be found as a fairly common to common resident bird throughout Southeast Asia but is scarce in Singapore (Robson, 2014).

The White-rumped Shama can be distinguished from other species by its striking, conspicuous white rump, and long blackish tail with white outer feathers. The male has a glossy blue-black head, upperparts and upper breast, with orange-rufous underparts (Robson, 2014). Usually the male is more attractive and colourful compared to the female, in order to attract the female’s attention. The female has similar patterns but its head, upper breast and upperparts are a dark greyish colour. The female has duller and paler rufous coloured underparts and a shorter tail compared to the male (Robson, 2014). The sides of the head of the juvenile are paler and brownish, with buff streaks and speckles on the upperpart. The juvenile also has some brownish feather-fringes on the rump and upper tail coverts (initially lacking white), while the throat and breast are buffish and dark greyish mottled (Robson, 2014). This species is approximately 21.5 to 28.0 cm in length with the tail of the male up to 7 cm longer than the female’s (Robson, 2014).

This bird inhabits various types of forest, from broadleaved evergreen and mixed deciduous forest, secondary growth forest to bamboo forest, which can be up to 1,525 m altitude, and low montane forest (Robson, 2014). It likes to stay hidden (or skulking) which is why it prefers undergrowth, shady ravines and also the vicinity of small streams (Robson, 2014; Bird Ecology Study Group, 2017; Collar, 2005, cited in Birdlife International, 2017).

It prefers to forage on the ground and in the lower strata for arthropods and worms (Collar, 2005, cited in Birdlife International, 2017). It also feeds on insects such as grasshoppers, centipedes, ants, worms, spiders and caterpillars which it picks up from the ground or from among bushes (Smythies, 1981, cited in Low, 2006). This species breeds from March to September (in Peninsular Malaysia from March to August) (Robson, 2014; Collar, 2017). Its nest is usually slightly cup- or pad-shaped, in holes of trees or at the base of bamboo clumps, located within 2 m above the ground (Robson, 2014). This species is typically solitary where the male and female have different territories when they are not breeding. During the breeding season, the male and female form monogamous pair bonds that may last two breeding seasons, and live in the same territories, with the male becoming very territorial. The male will defend its territory by singing in order to warn off other males (Aguon, 1994; Low, 2006; Wells, 2007). The female usually lays four to five eggs at a time (Robson, 2014). The eggs are greenish to pale-bluish green coloured, densely streaked and spotted brownish-red to umber-brown (Robson, 2014).

The White-rumped Shama is classified as a protected species under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 and is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Birdlife International, 2017). Although this species is protected by law, it is still being smuggled for the cage-bird trade. For example, in March this year, The Star Malaysia (2017) reported that a total of 247 White-rumped Shama were smuggled by express bus and intercepted at the Kulai rest area, Johor Bahru. The birds were found cramped in 17 cages, meaning that one cage held an average of 15 birds. Sixteen birds died during the journey probably due to the pressure from hot, stuffy, smoky and noisy conditions. This species is popular as cage-birds because of its rich and melodious calls with a wide repertoire. At the same time, it is an interesting bird for breeders especially when it is able to innovate new calls without mimicking other bird calls. In some countries within its range, this species has declined to near extinction because of exploitation for the cage-bird trade (Collar 2005, cited in BirdLife International, 2017).

In conclusion, it is very crucial that steps be taken now to protect this species from wildlife smuggling as it will sooner or later turn out to be “one more in a cage and no more in the wild”. In the future, it will not be surprising if this species becomes extinct if it is not protected starting now.

Abavorana luctuosa, also known as Mahogany Frog or Purple Frog is one of many amphibians found in Malaysia. The species is also found in Indonesia (Sumatra and Kalimantan), with a single old record from southern Thailand (Nakhon Si Thammarat) (Taylor, 1962; Berry, 1975). It probably occurs more widely than current records suggest, especially in areas between known sites (IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, 2014). It was first described based on a specimen collected by W.C.H. Peters in 1871 from Sarawak. Altitudinal records of the species range between 100 and 1,350 m above sea level.

Abavorana luctuosa is a species of true frog (family Ranidae). Previously, it was placed under genus Hylarana (Che et al., 2007) but in 2015 Oliver and his co-workers revised the species under genus Hylarana and placed A. luctuosa in a new genus, Abavorana. The name Abavorana is derived from the Latin avus, meaning grandfather, the Latin prefix ab- indicating away or from, and the Latin rana, meaning frog. Thus, based on phylogenetic results, the species is interpreted as ancestral frog which differs from other Hylarana species (Oliver et al., 2015).

The Mahogany Frog is easily identified based on it physical features. The skin of the frog is smooth with no dorsolateral folds. The dorsal part of the frog is usually reddish to chocolate brown, bordered by a narrow dorsolateral cream-coloured line which starts at the tip of the snout ending above the vent. The ventral surface of the frog is light grey in colour while the side of the body is dark brown or black. The limbs of the frog are marked with pale grey and black cross-bars. Male and female A. luctuosa are able to grow up to 60 mm.

The Mahogany Frog is a leaf litter frog that can be found living in lowland and submontane primary rainforests. Sometimes the frog can also be found in somewhat disturbed habitats. It is habitually found at night sitting on rocks, steep banks or low vegetation near flowing streams and rivers. Currently the species is considered not threatened under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, 2014).

Neobalanocarpus heimii is a monotypic genus that belongs to the family Dipterocarpaceae and is better known as chengal in Malay. Penak is another common name used in some parts of Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and western Pahang (Symington, 2004).

Chengal is an important Malaysian commercial wood species because it is durable and hard. It has anti-termitic properties, so that there is no need to treat it chemically (Kadir et al., 2014). Also, its natural extractives makes the wood resistant to fungal decay (Yamamoto & Tnah, 1988). Hence, it is suitable for bridges, boats, buildings, power-line poles and heavy construction as well as wood carving. In addition, chengal is the source of damar penak which is one of the finest natural dammars that is traditionally used for torches and caulking boats as well as in the manufacture of certain classes of varnish (Symington, 2004).

In terms of wood anatomy, N. heimii is quite similar to timber in the Hopea section Hopea. However, unlike Hopea, there are ripple marks on the tangential surface of N. heimii sapwood. The leaves are alternate and simple, leathery and elliptical-lanceolate. Neobalanocarpus heimii is bisexual bearing flowers with both male and female reproductive structures. The anthers are linear-oblong and the appendage to connective is short, while the ovary is glabrous and stigma minute. The five petals of each flower are creamy white or greenish-yellow. In contrast with other dipterocarps, the seed of N. heimii is heavy and wingless, and is acorn-like (Symington, 2004). Also, unlike most dipterocarps, this species does not show masting behaviour, instead it flowers and fruits annually (Orwa et al., 2009).

Neobalanocarpus heimii can only be found in Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand. In Peninsular Malaysia, it is widespread and can be found in many forest reserves except in those of Perlis and Melaka. This species is found on low-lying flat land and on hills of up to 900 m elevation (Symington, 2004). Chengal is listed as Vulnerable under the IUCN Red List (Chua, 1998) and Malaysia Plant Red List (Chua et al., 2010) because there is a decline in its area of distribution and extent of occurrence, and increase in actual or potential level of exploitation. The high market demand and soaring price are the major causes of illegal logging. To combat illegal logging, forensic studies have been conducted by FRIM to track down illegally logged timber (Tnah et al., 2012a). If not protected, this tree species may become endangered in the near future.

Based on molecular data and due to the high proportion of unique haplotypes, the distribution of Malayan Chengal is segregated into three groups, i.e., northern Peninsular Malaysia (PM), central PM and southern PM (Tnah et al., 2012b). These three separate groups need to be given priority in long-term forest management in order to ensure the population viability is maintained or enhanced. Conservation of mature trees and increasing the population size by in-situ and ex-situ conservation methods must be carried out in order to protect this species. In-situ conservation can be carried out by keeping a minimum population size of 5000 trees in an area of no less than 100 ha for each haplotype (Lawrence and Marshall, 1997). For ex-situ conservation, the authorities can collect the seeds and plant them in botanical gardens and arboreta, thereby preserving the genetic resources (Lee et al., 2006).

Arctictis binturong, commonly called Binturong or bearcat, is the largest species in the Viverridae family, weighing 6 to 10 kg (Phillipps & Phillipps, 2016) with a body length ranging from 61 to 96 cm and an almost equally long tail of 56 to 89 cm (Nowak, 1999). Long black hair covering its body resembling a grizzled shaggy coat and small rounded ears with long tufted hairs make it unique and easy to identify. Additionally, it is the only civet that possesses a prehensile tail which is covered with large bristling hairs. It can twist its tail around branches to act as an anchor during feeding. When mature, the female is about 20 percent heavier than the male (San Diego Zoo, 2012).

The Binturong is well distributed in China, South Asia as in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, as well as in South-east Asia, namely, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines (Palawan) and Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java in Indonesia (Willcox et al., 2016). In Malaysia, Binturong has been detected in the canopy forest of Temengor Forest Reserve in Perak, the important habitat linkage known as Primary Linkage 7 in Terengganu, Danum Valley in Sabah, and Lambir Hills National Park in Sarawak (Mohd. Azlan & Engkamat Lading, 2006; Magintan et al., 2010; Hedges et al., 2013; Phillipps & Phillipps, 2016).

The Binturong is mainly arboreal and lives in the canopy (Khan, 1992). During the day it spends most of its time sleeping high in the forest canopy but is typically active at night and comes out at dusk to forage for food (Khan, 1992). As an omnivore, the binturong’s diet includes a variety of fruits especially figs, small mammals, birds, earthworms, fish and insects (San Diego Zoo, 2012).

The Binturong uses scent markings to communicate (Cosson et al., 2007; San Diego Zoo, 2012). Both sexes have scent glands on either side of their anuses and the female has another pair of scent glands around its vulva. When the binturong climbs a tree, the glands secrete scent on the branches it passes through, allowing others to locate it (Cosson et al., 2007). The scent smells distinctly like popcorn (San Diego Zoo, 2012). Apart from scent markings, the binturong also produces vocal calls such as loud howls, low grunts, and hisses for communication purposes. It also produces chuckling noises to indicate that it is happy and a high-pitched wail when upset (San Diego Zoo, 2012). In addition, the female will create a purring sound when receptive to copulate (Wemmer & Murtaugh, 1981).

The Binturong also plays a vital role in the ecosystem, especially as a dispersal agent for various fruit trees; the seeds passed through its faeces help to regenerate the forest. In addition, the binturong also serves as a natural pest controller since it can catch and eat rodents as well as insects (San Diego Zoo, 2012).

In terms of conservation status, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has listed A. binturong as vulnerable (VU). Its population is now at risk mainly due to habitat deterioration as a result of logging activities and deforestation, the pet trade, as well as poaching activities for fur and traditional Asian medicine (San Diego Zoo, 2012; Willcox et al., 2016). Therefore, multiple strategies and conservation efforts must be taken to ensure the sustainability of this unique species in Malaysia and throughout its natural range.

Gunung Tahan, the highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia, stretches across three states, i.e. Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan. It is a mountain popular with avid and seasoned hikers, with challenging treks. The mountain itself is located in the vicinity of the Pahang National Park and managed under the authority of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (PERHILITAN) with a Totally Protected Area status. The summit of Gunung Tahan is 2187 m above sea level.

Geostachys tahanensis is a small-sized ginger described by R.E. Holttum in 1950 (Holttum, 1950). The leafy shoots are tufted and up to 50 cm in height. The leaves are between 19.5 and 26 cm in length and 6.8 to 9 cm in width, elliptic, glabrous and reddish underneath when young. The inflorescences are usually curved downward with the pale yellow flowers arranged on one side. Not much is known about the characteristics of the flower as descriptions provided on the old herbarium specimens dated the early 1900s, are not comprehensive and are mostly in poor condition. Furthermore, a recent collection made by the author in 2005 was a fruiting specimen without flowers. On the other hand, the fruits are ovoid, glabrous and chili red in colour, measuring about 1.2 × 1.4 cm. As with other Geostachys, the rhizomes are well supported above ground by its stilt roots.

As its name suggests, G. tahanensis was first found on Gunung Tahan and its distribution has not changed much since then. This is because the species has not been found at other locations during subsequent searches. Currently, the species is hyper-endemic, i.e. only to be found in its type locality, which is around the area of Wray’s Camp, a camp site of about a thousand meters in elevation. While no prominent threats are currently identified in its habitat, the population which for the moment is only known to consist of several clumps, is restricted to the site where it grows on loose soil in the understorey. The species is categorised as Vulnerable (VU) following the modified Malaysian Red List Categories (Chua, 2012).

Ptilocercus lowii, also known as the Pen-tailed treeshrew, is the only species in the family Ptilocercidae while the other treeshrews such as the Common tree shrew (Tupaia glis) and Lesser treeshrew (T. minor) are grouped in the family Tupaiidae. This mammal is distributed in Peninsular Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, northern Borneo, including the small islands like Serasan in South Natuna (Phillips & Phillips, 2016). The dorsal part of its body is gray to light brown in colour and it has a white to yellowish belly (Gould, 1978). The body length ranges from 130-140 mm, with a tail about 160-190 mm long, and weight of around 40-60 g. The Pen-tailed treeshrew is easily identified by its long naked tail with a feather-like tip (Charles, 2008). It also has a black eye mask (Clarke, 1926). This treeshrew has a gestation period of around 45-55 days producing 1 to 4 offspring weighing about 10g individually (Parker, 1989).

This species inhabits primary and secondary forests, rubber plantations and houses near forest edges. The Pen-tailed treeshrew is the only nocturnal treeshrew species and can usually be found in areas with lots of vines and undergrowth which it requires to come down to the ground from the canopy to forage for insects (K.H. Han, pers. comm.). This species usually lives in a nest with a family of 2 to 5 individuals, unlike the other diurnal species. The nests are constructed inside trees, lined with dried leaves, twigs and fibres of soft woods (Lim, 1967). A study showed that both its oxygen consumption and body temperature dropped significantly during the day while sleeping, and this may be associated with energy conservation (Whittow & Gould, 1976).

The Pen-tailed treeshrew is the only known wild mammal that consumes alcohol every night. This mammal will spend an average of two hours every night sipping the naturally fermenting nectar from the flower of the Bertam palm (Eugeissona tristis Griff.) which is its primary food source. It frequently consumes alcoholic doses from the inflorescences that would normally intoxicate humans. Yet this flower-visiting mammal shows no signs of intoxication (Wiens et al., 2008). It is an omnivore as it has also been observed eating bananas, grapes, crickets, and grasshoppers (Gould, 1978).

Based on the IUCN Red List 2016, P. lowii is listed as Least Concern (LC). However, the population of this species is decreasing due to loss of forest canopy caused by land use changes, agriculture expansion and habitat fragmentation. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain the sustainability of the ecosystem including limiting deforestation for development, to ensure the continued existence of P. lowii for future generations.

Ixonanthes icosandra is a common tree in Malaysian forests. The genus Ixonanthes was described by William Jack, a Scottish botanist, in 1822 based on the two species, I. reticulata and I. icosandra. The genus name Ixonanthes is derived from the Latin words ixos, meaning birdlime and anthos referring to the flowers. Birdlime flowers refer to the sticky resin produced by the flowers. Ixonanthes icosandra is a medium to large-sized tree known as pagar anak in Malay.

Pagar anak is commonly found in primary and disturbed forest. In lowland forest, it usually inhabits slopes or ridges from sea level to 800 m elevation. Its distribution is widespread, throughout Peninsular Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia to Singapore and Sumatra. However, this species has not been found in Borneo.

The genus Ixonanthes is divided into two sections: Section Ixonanthes, represented by two species (I. reticulata and I. petiolaris) and Section Brewstera, which is where I. icosandra belongs. Section Brewstera is monotypic with only this one species. The shape of its capsule is one of the distinguishing characteristics that differentiates I. icosandra from species in the other section. Capsules of I. icosandra are more tapered at the tip while species in Section Ixonanthes have an ellipsoid capsule which is obtuse at the tip. The petiole of I. icosandra is pulvinate compared to the other species where it is more flattened with the upper side more longitudinally furrowed or narrowly winged. The bark of I. icosandra has inconspicuous lenticels, while species in section Ixonanthes have punctiform bark or bark with slit-like lenticels.

Utilization of the timber is limited due to the poor quality of the wood. It is only suitable for temporary construction where the wood is not in contact with the soil, and for items such as tool handles. It can also be used as firewood. In the past, the Malays used the exudate from the bark for tanning leather and fishing nets, but this does not appear to be practised anymore.

Taxonomic study of the Ixonanthaceae family in Peninsular Malaysia is still in progress. As I. icosandra has a widespread distribution and can be easily found, the conservation assessment for this species is Least Concern (LC).

The largest species in the deer family (Cervidae), Rusa unicolor is commonly known as Sambar or Sambar Deer (Leslie, 2011). It is also the most widely sighted species in the world. This species ranges from India, Sri Lanka and Nepal through Burma, Southern China and Indochina, to Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. It is native to Southern and Southeast Asia (Timmins et. al., 2015). Sambar Deer inhabit gently sloping terrain in secondary forests, but can also be found on steep terrain in tall dipterocarp forests and in swamp forests (Francis, 2008).

Generally, the Sambar Deer has predominantly grey-brown skin covered with dark brown hair which is sometimes slightly reddish and darker along the midline. The underparts are the same colour as the upperparts or may even be darker. The tail is bushy, mainly blackish with whitish underside and around the rump area (Francis, 2008). The male is darker in colour than the female with long coarse hair on the neck, back and abdomen. The young are generally lighter in colour and may sometimes have spots (Leslie, 2011).

The male Sambar is one of the largest of Southeast Asia’s deer, measuring 2 metres in length from head to tail and weighing up to 320 kg. The gender of R. unicolor can be distinguished by the presence of antlers in the male. Antlers of mature males are unique among cervids (Leslie, 2011). Even if the antlers have dropped, the males can be distinguished by the pedicle (Matsubayashi et al., 2007). Adult males typically have 3 tines to each antler with one in front and the other two at the tip of the main beam (Francis, 2008).

During the mating season, the Sambar commonly communicates with its partner by scent-marking, foot stamping and sometimes by tree marking. The male deer will guard its territory and try to attract the female deer through vocal and olfactory displays. The gestation period is about 8 months (Leslie, 2011). The Sambar Deer is very alert and silent, and will freeze instantly if disturbed. Several deer may form a defensive formation, touching rumps and vocalizing loudly at the hunting dholes (Asiatic wild dog) or domestic dogs. When facing danger, the deer will stamp its feet and make a ringing call known as "belling" or "pooking". Males use their antlers, while females use their feet to defend themselves against predators.?

Rusa unicolor is herbivorous (Matsubayashi et. al., 2007). It feeds on grasses, herbs, shrubs, young leaves of woody plants and fallen fruits. It will often approach gardens and plantations to feed. It also often visits natural mineral sources, such as wildlife salt licks, particularly the adult male that needs minerals to promote growth of its antlers (Francis, 2008). Natural salt licks are among the most important mineral sources for herbivores, since they have difficulty ingesting a suf?cient quantity of certain essential minerals through food, especially in inland terrestrial ecosystems. For Sambar Deer, natural salt licks are important not only for daily supplements but also for reproductive support (Matsubayashi et. al., 2007).

Among predators such as tigers and lions, Sambar Deer is the favourite prey species. Furthermore, Hayward et al. (2012) had reported that Sambar is one of the two most preferred prey species throughout the entire range of tigers, the other being wild boar. It is also an important prey because its widespread distribution in Asia largely overlaps that of the tiger in South Asia, South China and Southeast Asia (Corbett & Hill, 1992).

Due to habitat encroachment and being hunted for sport, food, medicinal products and other purposes, R. unicolor has been categorized as Vulnerable (VU) by the IUCN Red List (Timmins et. al., 2015). As a conservation effort to maintain the population and prevent the number of animals from decreasing, the Department of Wildlife with the cooperation of the Perak State Government has established a deer farm at Kampung Manderang, Sungkai. This farm houses a variety of deer species that are left to live freely, as they do in their natural habitat. This farm also provides shelter for certain species of birds and various other wildlife species.

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Tacca is a bizarre flowering plant. Four species of Tacca are found in Peninsular Malaysia: T. chantrieri Andre, T. integrifolia Ker-Gawl., T. leontopetaloides (L.) Kuntze and T. palmata Blume. Tacca chantrieri and T. integrifolia have entire leaves; T. leontopetaloides has pinnatifid leaves and is usually found near the sea while T. palmata has palmate leaves. The genus Tacca was originally categorized under the family Taccaceae. However, recently after molecular research, it has been classified under the family Dioscoreaceae together with the yam or ubi in Malay (Caddick et al., 2000, 2002a, 2002b).

The common species in Malaysian forests is T. integrifolia, popularly known as ‘Bat Flower’, because of its two erect white bracts with mauve to purple venation, which look like bat wings. Its local Malay name is keladi murai. Tacca integrifolia grows on the forest floor in deep shade and is widely distributed in lowland and hill forest in both Peninsular and East Malaysia.

It is herbaceous, rhizomatous, and has large green leaves (11-45 × 5-12 cm). The cluster of 7–14 flowers on a long stalk up to 75 cm tall is held above the leaves. The two upper bracts (3.5-9 × 2-6 cm) of the flower are inserted in the axil of one of the outer bracts, and are commonly called the ‘bat wings’. The two outer bracts are sessile and arranged oppositely. The long filiform bracts like ‘whiskers’, hang beneath and can be as long as 30 cm.

At first, the flowers are erect but after anthesis, they become pendent. The flowers smell like rotting meat and attract flies as pollinators. The fruits (c. 3 × 1.5 cm) are ellipsoid with thick and fleshy walls. They are swollen on the inner side of the base of the stalk causing the whole infructescence to hang down thereby placing the immature fruits on the ground. When the fruits are mature they become a dull maroon colour. They are probably dispersed by small mammals like rodents because of their dull colour and placement on the ground (Saw, 1993).

In the United States and Europe, it is popular as a horticultural plant for its striking and unique inflorescence. The plant is easy to grow in shade with good air circulation.

The island of Borneo nurtures the highest diversity of Dipterocarpaceae species in the world. Of the 267 species that occur naturally in Borneo, 183 of them can be found in Sabah. While some dipterocarps are very common and widespread within the state, a number of them are very rare and highly restricted in their natural distribution. Dipterocarpus lamellatus belongs to the latter group and is one of the rarest and most endangered of all dipterocarps (Ashton, 2004).

Named by the British botanist Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, D. lamellatus is a tall emergent tree that can grow up to 55 m in height and 1.2 m in diameter, with a golden crown when viewed from below. The leaves are boat-shaped and concave with elliptic blades, 13?16 x 6?9 cm, and have a chartaceous texture that resembles paper. Inflorescences are axillary and hardly branched, growing up to 8 cm long, while the flowers are yet to be described. The winged fruits consist of five revolute calyx lobes: two major ones that grow up to 14 x 2.5 cm while the other three are ovate and grow up to 1.4 x 0.7 cm.

Keruing jarang is the preferred vernacular name in Sabah for D. lamellatus, which literally means “the rare dipterocarp”, suggesting the scarcity of the species naturally. In fact, the species is endemic to Borneo Island and was known from only three confirmed collecting localities: Ladan Hills in Brunei Darussalam, and Labuan Island and Beaufort Hills in Sabah, Malaysia (Maycock et al., 2012). The species is found in mixed dipterocarp forest on hills with yellow sandy soil, at altitudes below 200 m and within 50 km of the coast. Ashton (2004) had suggested that the species was probably extinct in Sabah due to loss of its habitat.

Fortunately, individuals of D. lamellatus were found in Sianggau Forest Reserve (Western Sabah, close to the Sarawak border) in 2011, after having not been seen for more than 50 years since the last record in 1955 at Beaufort Hill (Hinsley, 2011). However, the joy of this rediscovery may not last long as the species is still exposed to great threats. Sianggau Forest Reserve is highly vulnerable to fire and a large part of it has been burnt during several El Niño events (Maycock et al., 2012).

Dipterocarpus lamellatus is included in the list of the top 100 most threatened species (including animals, plants and fungi) in the world with only 12 recorded individuals remaining in the Sianggau Forest Reserve (Baillie & Butcher, 2012). On the IUCN Red List, it is classified as Critically Endangered with criteria A1cd+2cd, B1+2c, C1 and D. The Sabah state government is restoring its habitat and reintroducing the species to its previous range in efforts to sustain the long-term viability of the population.

Brucea javanica is a shrub to spindly tree that can reach up to 10 m tall. The genus is named after the Scottish traveller James Bruce, who was the author of Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, In the Years 1768 – 1773. He was the first person to discover the source of the Nile and recommended the usage of these plants to treat dysentery among the natives of Abyssinia (Quattrocchi, 1999). The species name, javanica, refers to Java, the locality where this plant was discovered (Merrill, 1928). Other than Java, this species is widely distributed in China, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, the Deccan Plateau of India, Indochina, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia. In Peninsular Malaysia, this species is commonly found in the northern region.

Brucea javanica can be found growing on a variety of soils such as sandy dunes and limestone rock, under both ever-wet or seasonal conditions. It usually grows in open areas, especially around villages and in sunny secondary forest, up to 900 m above sea level.

The diagnostic characters of this species are the compound leaves, and exstipulate leaves and leaflets with toothed margins. The surface of the twig and leaf is covered by densely matted hairs. Its fruits are berries with 1 to 4 per bunch, the same size as black peppercorns. The ripe fruits are purple in colour and attract bats as dispersal agents. The flowers are tiny, with greenish white to greenish purple or red coloured petals.

Locally, this species is known as Melada pahit (in Malay) because of the bitter taste of the fruits which resemble peppercorns. Local people believe the more bitter the plant, the greater its medicinal value. Melada pahit is a traditional herbal medicine used especially in Chinese medicine to treat haemorrhoids, corns, warts, ulcers and cancer. In the past, local Malays utilized this plant to treat dysentery and colic. They mixed it with Solanum sarmentosum, as a remedy to reduce fever. Pounded leaves have been used by the Malays and Javanese to treat skin infections and centipede bites. In Kelantan, local villagers use the roots of the plant as an anaesthetic, especially during childbirth (Burkill, 1936). The fruits are used for making an insecticide and Australian indigenous people use the roots and bark as a poultice to cure toothache (PROSEA, 1999). However, the effectiveness and side effects of consuming this plant have still not been tested or scientifically proven.

The yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) is a species of ant which is believed to have originated in West Africa. This non-native species is one of the biggest invasive ant species ranging between 1 and 2 cm in size. Also known as the long-legged ant, it is easily recognised by its long legs and extremely long antennal scapes, and distinct yellowish colour. Unlike Oecophylla smaragdina (also known as the weaver ant or kerengga, locally), A. gracilipes has a more compact petiole.

Known to be ready invaders of disturbed habitats such as urban areas, forest edges or agricultural fields, the yellow crazy ant is easily adapted to and becomes dominant in new habitats due to its traits, such as aggression towards other ant species, efficient recruitment, and large colony size. It is called "crazy" because of its erratic movements when disturbed, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed this species as one of the "One Hundred of the World's Worst Invasive Species".

Anoplolepis gracilipes is a scavenging predator and has a broad diet. It consumes a wide variety of foods, including grains, seeds, arthropods, and decaying matter, including vertebrate corpses. This species has also been reported to attack and dismember invertebrates such as small isopods, myriapods, molluscs, arachnids, land crabs, earthworms and insects (O’Dowd, 1999). However, it gets much of its food requirements from scale insects which are serious plant pests that feed on the sap of trees and release honeydew, a sugary liquid. These ants feed on the honeydew, and in return protect the scales from their enemies and help spread them to other trees; an example of mutualism. The honeydew not consumed by the ants accumulates on the leaves and stems of the trees and encourages the growth of sooty mould which gives the plants an ugly black appearance.

In Malaysia, even though A. gracilipes has established colonies in urban areas and some disturbed forests, it has yet to invade our natural forest. This species can be easily found scavenging for food around us. When disturbed it moves erratically compared to the kerengga. However, kerengga inflict a painful bite due to the production of formic acid while the yellow crazy ant does not bite at all. Fortunately the extent of its damage in Malaysia is unlike that observed in northern Australia and Christmas Island where the ants have caused serious ecological damage and formed supercolonies, especially on Christmas Island (O’Dowd 2009). It is believed that this ant species has not been able to invade our natural forest because it prefers hot and exposed areas unlike the closed, wet and humid environment of our natural forest.

Trachemys scripta elegans is a species of turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is commonly called the Red-eared Terrapin because of the small red stripe around its ears, and its habit of sliding off rocks and logs when startled. The species can also be identified by the shape of its rounded carapace with a nearly smooth outline (Indraneil, 2010).

The gender of the Red-eared Terrapin can be determined by its size; the male is usually smaller than the female, and has a much longer, thicker tail and elongated front claws which are used during mating. The hatchling of T. scripta elegans generally has a green carapace with yellow lines which turn darker as it grows (Indraneil, 2010) but the red blotch around its ears and the fine yellow stripes on its head and limbs remain recognizable. The carapace can measure up to 280 mm in length in the adult. The adult T. scripta elegans is herbivorous but the juvenile tends to be omnivorous, feeding on leaves, fruits, fish, tadpoles and carrion.

Primarily, the Red-eared Terrapin is found in freshwater habitats including ponds, marshes and rivers. It is a native species of the Mississippi River Drainage Basin, USA. It has been widely introduced as a pet in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia (Indraneil, 2010) where it has now become naturalized. It is considered a pest because it can affect freshwater communities (Ficetola et al., 2012) where it may compete with local species for resources and habitats and carry a high risk of spreading diseases.

The Red-eared Terrapin is listed as one of the worst invasive species in the Global Invasive Species Database [GISD]. It could threaten the precarious survival of some of our native species, like the River Turtle (Batagur baska) and the Malayan Box Turtle (Cuora amboinensis), which are listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List.

The Asian Elephant, Elephas maximus or gajah in Malay, occurs in both Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah but is not found in Sarawak. The elephants in Borneo are locally known as the Borneo pygmy elephant, found mainly in Sabah and a small area of Kalimantan. In comparison with the African Elephant (Loxodonta africana), the Asian Elephant is smaller in size with its highest body point on its head whereas the former has its highest body point on its shoulder (Shoshani & Eisenberg, 1982).

Thus far, three subspecies of the Asian Elephant have been recognised, namely, E. maximus indicus of the Asian mainland, E. maximus maximus on Sri Lanka and E. maximus sumatranus on the Indonesian Island of Sumatra (Choudhury et al., 2008). Another proposed subspecies is E. maximus borneensis referring to the Bornean elephant. The results of a genetic study conducted by Fernando and co-workers (2003) suggest that the Bornean Elephant is native to Borneo; it is genetically distinct and is recognised as a separate evolutionary unit. However, the study also suggests that a formal recognition of the proposed subspecies E. maximus borneensis should be done after detailed morphological analysis has been conducted. A preliminary study on the morphometrics of the Bornean elephant finds that there is no significant difference in the morphological measurements between Bornean elephants and Peninsular Malaysian elephants (Othman et al., 2008). Cranbrooke and his co-workers (2008) also suggest that the Bornean elephant’s ancestors are possibly the extinct Javan elephant, supporting the claim that the elephant is introduced to Borneo. The lack of evidence of elephant remains such as bones and skulls in Borneo also suggests that the Bornean elephant is less likely to be native to Borneo. The origin of the Bornean elephant and its indigenous status to Borneo island is still being debated by scientists to this day.

A study by Salman and his fellow researchers (2011) shows that an estimated 1223 to 1677 individual elephants are widely distributed in seven of the 11 states of Peninsular Malaysia, with the largest population occurring in Taman Negara National Park. This is because Taman Negara National Park is the largest protected area in the peninsula and is also the main release area for translocated elephants. The total number of elephants in Sabah has been estimated to be around 2040 individuals with a range of between 1184 and 3652, with the highest density in the upper catchment of the Ulu Segama Forest Reserve followed by the Danum Valley Conservation Area (Alfred et al., 2011).

In Malaysia, habitat loss and forest fragmentation have been the main causes of the decline in the elephant population. Elephant habitats are shrinking because of agricultural development, mainly due to the conversion of forest areas to oil palm and rubber plantations. These plantations are also accompanied by human settlements, roads and dams that further fragment the elephant habitat. Consequently, this has often led to human-elephant conflicts as the elephants encroach into plantations while searching for food and water. These crop raiding elephants have caused major financial losses to plantation owners and damage to properties. The government has been working on the implementation of the National Elephant Conservation Action Plan for Peninsular Malaysia (Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia, 2013) and Elephant Action Plan 2012-2016 for Sabah (Sabah Wildlife Department, 2011) to ensure the survival and recovery of elephant populations and also to prevent habitat degradation.

The overall global population trend of E. maximus is decreasing as a result of illegal poaching and habitat loss. Elephas maximus is now categorised as Endangered, A2c by IUCN (Choudhury et al., 2008). It is also listed on CITES Appendix I which prohibits the international trade of specimens of this species. In Peninsular Malaysia, the status of E. maximus has been elevated from protected species in 1972 to totally protected species in 2010, and hunting, taking, keeping, importing, or exporting of the elephants are subjected to the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010. In Sabah, its status has also been upgraded to Schedule I “Totally Protected Species”, which is the highest level of protection under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment (WCE) 1997.

Catharanthus roseus is commonly known as Madagascar Periwinkle or Rosy Periwinkle. This species is known as Kemunting Cina in Malay. It is actually native to Madagascar, but has over time been widely cultivated and naturalized in most tropical countries where it sometimes becomes an unwanted weed.

This species belongs to the Apocynaceae family with the characteristic presence of white latex in its bark. It is classified as a semi-shrub and can grow up to about 100 cm tall. It has shining dark green leaves arranged in opposite pairs (Ng, 2006). The leaves are oval to oblong, 2.5 – 9.0 cm long and 1.0 – 3.5 cm broad, with a light green midrib and a short petiole about 1.0 – 1.8 cm long. The flower has 5 petals with a basal tube about 2.5 – 3 cm long. The fruit is a pair of follicles, 2 – 4 cm long and 3 mm broad.

In Malaysia, C. roseus is often cultivated as an ornamental plant in the home garden and in some public areas due to its ability to tolerate extreme conditions of drought and heavy rainfall and also because it flowers continuously throughout the year. The various beautiful colours of its flowers, such as pink, purple and white, has also made it a popular choice as an ornamental plant.

Several studies conducted on the extracts of this shrub show that it contains vincristine and other alkaloids (Wong, 2001). These chemical substances have a retardant effect which can prevent the progress of leukaemia and other cancers by disrupting the mitosis process in human cells.

However, C. roseus also has a drawback as it is poisonous. All parts of this plant are poisonous and if smoked or ingested in large quantities over a prolonged period of time, an accumulation of toxins can occur in the organs such as kidneys and liver (David, 1997). The toxins in the plant are also a defense mechanism against grazing animals as they are poisonous to cattle and other livestock.

Phallus indusiatus, commonly known as bamboo fungus, bridal veil fungus, veiled lady or Long Net Stinkhorn (Dash et al., 2010), was initially named by Etienne Pierre Ventenat, a French naturalist in 1798. In 1809, Desvaux placed it in a new genus Dictyophora. It has since been reclassified under its original name, that is, Phallus indusiatus Vent. This fungus belongs to the family Phallaceae, more commonly known as the stinkhorns of which there are five genera and nine species in Malaysia (Lee et al., 2012).

In India, Phallus indusiatus was reported to grow best at temperatures of between 21 degree Celcius to 25 degree Celcius in moist bamboo thickets at 300 - 600 m a.s.l. with 45 - 85% relative humidity (Dash et al., 2010). This fungus can be found in tropical areas, which include Mexico, South America, Malaysia, Australia, southern China, Hong Kong and Japan (Dash et al., 2010). This species also occurs on sandy soil, plant debris and rich substrates in general (Baseia et al., 2006). It is easy to identify due to the presence of a well-developed indusium, white pseudostipe and volva. The indusium is a net-like structure with polyhedral or round links and is pale yellowish-white in colour. The cap is covered with a greenish-brown slime termed as “gleba”. The cup-shaped volva at the base of the pseudostipe is white and thick. The life cycle of this fungus is around 15 - 30 days. The mature fruiting body emits a sharp, sickly-sweet odour of carrion to attract bees and flies. The insects feed on the slimy gleba which contains the spores and eventually deposit their waste matter somewhere else thereby disseminating the spores.

Phallus indusiatus is widespread across tropical areas and has yet to be assessed by the IUCN. In some parts of China people eat the fungus as part of their diet (Dash et al., 2010). Due to their anti-oxidative and nutritional bioactivity properties, the ancient Chinese have been using this fungus to treat many inflammatory, gastric and neural diseases since 618 AD (Ker et al., 2011).

Rhodamnia cinerea, known locally as mempoyan, is a shrub to medium-sized tree. It grows in lowland areas to mountains and is sometimes found in coastal areas. It is common in secondary forest. Rhodamnia cinerea is widely distributed in South-East Asia from southern Myanmar, southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and south to Australia.

The genus name, Rhodamnia is derived from the Latin words rhodon, meaning rose-coloured, and amnion, meaning surrounded by liquid, and describes the red fleshy fruits where the seeds when young are surrounded by liquid. The species name cinerea, means ash-grey, and refers to the whitish lower surface of the leaves. Sometimes this tree is called ‘silverback’ because of this characteristic. However, in shaded environments, the leaves are green on both sides.

Mempoyan resembles species in the Melastomataceae family due to the opposite arrangement of leaves and the three conspicuous parallel veins arising from the base of the leaves. However, they have different stamens and fruits (Utteridge & Bramley, 2014). Members of the Melastomataceae have 8 to 10 stamens and a capsule while the flowers of mempoyan have very many stamens and the fruit is a berry. Sometimes, the mempoyan fruit is covered with silky hairs. Its inflorescence is axillary with clusters of 4 to 6 flowers. Mempoyan flowers have 4 – 5 white to cream petals and a fragrant odour. It has an inferior ovary.

Mempoyan plays an important role in our ecosystem. Its leaves are a source of food for the Malayan flying lemur, an endangered species (Jackson, 2012). Others animals like squirrels, bats, birds and monkeys eat the juicy mempoyan fruits and disperse the seeds. The timber is only used locally for minor construction. In Indonesia, the rich tannin of the bark is used to tan fishing nets and also for producing a black dye (Scott, 1979).

Balanophora is a genus of parasitic plants from the family Balanophoraceae that lack chlorophyll and thus are dependent on the woody roots of their host plant for the supply of nutrients and water. There are currently 46 recognised species of this genus that can be found in temperate and tropical Asia, ranging from the Pacific Islands, tropical Australia, Comoros, Madagascar and tropical Africa. Currently, six species can be found in Peninsular Malaysia (Kiew, 2010) and five species in Sabah (Barkman et al., 2003).

Balanophora papuana is a herbaceous plant that is widespread throughout Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, the Philippines and the archipelago of islands stretching from Sumatera to New Guinea. It can be found in lower to upper montane forest at altitudes of 1000 – 2000 m. It typically has bright red to orange-yellow or yellow inflorescences (Hambali, 1980). The tubers resemble coral and can reach up to 14 – 24 cm diameter with 3 – 12 branches. The surface of the tubers is granular, sometimes with star-like, white warts. The male inflorescences are 2.5 – 5 x 1.5 – 3 cm with expanded flowers, subtended by inconspicuous tooth-like bracts, 1.5 – 3.5 cm long. The male flowers are often arranged in conspicuous vertical rows with median tepals, wide and truncate, 4.5 x 3.5 mm, and lateral tepals, narrow and acute, 4.5 x 1 mm. The female inflorescences are obovoid to globose, deep red in colour, 1.5 – 3 x 1 – 2.5 cm, which is much smaller than the male inflorescence. The female flowers are chiefly borne on the main axis of the inflorescence. The fruits and seeds are unknown (Hansen, 1972).

The flowers are pollinated by wasps. In Peninsular Malaysia, this plant can be found at Gunung Stong, Taiping Hills, Cameron Highlands, Fraser’s Hill, Gunung Angsi, Gunung Ledang, Gunung Panti and Gunung Belumut. The conservation status for this species is least concern. (Kiew, 2010).

Tapirus indicus, more commonly known as Malayan Tapir in English and cipan or tenuk in Malay, is an iconic species to Malaysia, and is the largest among the tapir species. The Malayan Tapir is the only tapir found in Asia. Tapirs, in general, have a fleshy, prehensile nose that is flexible which gives them the ability to grab leaves and feed themselves. They also have an excellent sense of smell. They have rounded ears with white tips and a stubby tail. Compared to other species of the genus Tapirus, the Malayan Tapir is easily recognisable from its physical appearance of a distinctive two-tone black and white body, with the white part extending from its shoulders to its rear end. Young tapirs are covered in brown hair with patterns of white stripes and spots which serve as an excellent camouflage amongst leaf shadows.

Having poor eyesight, the Malayan Tapir relies heavily on its excellent sense of smell and hearing when moving along forest trails while using their extended nose for plucking shoots and leaves, and sniffing on scents for communication. Studies on the feeding behaviour of the Malayan Tapir show that it is relatively choosy and browses on selective plants. Although it is very particular in what it consumes, it seems to eat a variety of plant species in moderate quantities in a single meal instead of eating a large amount of only one species or individual plant. A majority of its food plants are saplings and shrubs, but it is also known to eat woody lianas, vines and herbaceous plants (Simpson et al., 2013)

The Malayan Tapir’s current population is distributed from Southern Thailand and Myanmar, through Peninsular Malaysia to southern and central parts of Sumatra, Indonesia. Presently, it is listed as an Endangered Species by the IUCN Red List as a result of declining population due to ongoing habitat loss and habitat fragmentation caused by agricultural land conversion and human-dominated land-use, increasing hunting pressure, road-kills and bi-catches by snare hunters (Traeholt et al., 2016). The Malayan Tapir is also listed on CITES Appendix I and is totally protected under Malaysia’s Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

Cynopterus brachyotis (Chiroptera: Megachiroptera: Pteropodidae) or the Lesser short-nosed fruit bat is distributed in Sri Lanka, South-East Asia, Philippines and Indonesia (Payne et al., 1985). It is one of the most widely distributed bats in the region and has been collected from many locations in Peninsular Malaysia such as Pulau Langkawi (Kedah), Pulau Tinggi (Johore), and Pulau Redang (Terengganu) (Khan, 1992). Cynopterus brachyotis has a dog-like face, large dark eyes, and brown to yellowish brown fur with a distinct dark orange collar in adult males, and yellowish in females. The fur of immature bat is grey and with an indistinct collar. The edges of its ears and wings are usually white. It has two pairs of lower incisors. Its forearm is about 55 – 65 mm long, tail approximately 8 – 10 mm long, and ears about 14 – 16 mm long. A mature adult bat weights about 21 – 32 g.

Cynopterus brachyotis is largely restricted to more mature forests, from lowlands to hills, where it can be found in both the forest understorey and canopy. In addition, C. brachyotis also inhabit gardens, mangroves and agricultural land (Payne et al., 1985; Francis, 2008). It is one of the commonest and most widespread fruit bats. Cynopterus brachyotis has a tent-making behaviour where it uses the leaves of eight species of broad-leafed palms (Palmae) to form palmate umbrella-like tents for roosting (Tan et al., 1997). It also roosts in other plants and trees without making the umbrella-like tents or in the brighter areas of caves (Payne et al., 1985; Tan, et al., 1997; Francis, 2008). This fruit bat has a harem-type social organization, where the dominant males build umbrella-like tents, and recruit females for the purpose of gaining reproductive access (Tan et al., 1997).

It mainly feeds on small fruits by sucking out the juices and soft pulp, and spitting out the seeds and fibrous matter as a flat oval pellet. It has been reported to feed on the fruits of 54 plant species including Musa spp. (Musaceae), Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae), Eugenia jambos (Myrtaceae), the leaves of 14 plant species, and the flowering parts of four plant species (Tan et al., 1998). Based on the wide selection of fruits in its diet, it is considered a very important seed disperser (Tan et al., 1998). It also feeds on nectar and pollen. In several cases, small proportions of insects’ remains have also been found among its stomach contents (Lord, 1978).

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, C. brachyotis is listed as least concern (LC). However, the species is locally threatened by deforestation resulting from logging activities and conversion of forest to agricultural land and other uses (Molur et al., 2002). Thus, it is important that steps be taken to conserve this species for forest regeneration and for future generations too.

Sesamum radiatum Schumach. & Thonn. is a flowering plant that belongs to the family Pedaliaceae and is the same genus as sesame (S. indicum), known in Malay as bijan. Sesamum is derived from the Greek word sesamon while radiatum is coined from the Latin word radiare meaning radiating which refers to the straight ribs that radiate from the centre of the seed. The species has its origins in Africa (Bedigian, 2004) and is reported to be distributed in Malesia from Peninsular Malaysia to Sumatra and Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak). In Malaysia, this species was first recorded in 1885 from Melaka. It appears to have been naturalized, as has occurred with S. indicum throughout Peninsular Malaysia (Yao, 2010).

Commonly known as Black sesame, Black benniseed and English wild benniseed (Burkill, 1985), S. radiatum is a hairy erect herbaceous plant that can grow to 1.2 m tall. The leaves are simple, opposite, mainly ovate, deep green in colour with sunken veins on the upper surface that are alternately arranged towards the top of the plant. The petioles are about 0.5–3.4 cm long. The bell-shaped flower has a pink to purplish corolla, sometimes white, produced solitarily at the leaf axils and measure up to 3.0 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. The fruit is cylindrical, erect and dull green, up to 3.2 cm long and contains brown or black seeds roughly 3.0 mm long and 2.0 mm wide (Yao, 2010).

In Peninsular Malaysia, this species can be found at roadsides and in abandoned tin mining areas. The plants are usually overrun by ants, probably attracted by the extra-floral nectaries. It leaves a strong foetid smell when crushed (Yao, 2010). Sesamum radiatum resembles S. indicum in habit, but it can be distinguished by its testa structure which has sub-horizontal ribs compared to smooth reticulate ornamentation in the latter.

Most people in Malaysia do not know the uses of this species. It is one of the many neglected and underutilized leafy vegetables despite its numerous nutritional benefits. Sesamum radiatum with its high protein, vitamin and mineral content can be a good supplement to the predominantly starchy diets of the people of the tropics. It also has several medicinal and cosmetic uses.

Gonocephalus grandis more commonly known as the Giant Anglehead Lizard, is one of many lizards found in the evergreen forests of Malaysia. The species is distributed from Southern Thailand, Laos, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra to Borneo.

The Giant Anglehead Lizard is classified under the family Agamidae. It has the general characteristics of a robust body; the male has a nuchal and dorsal crest which are separated, whilst the female lacks a dorsal crest. Typically, the Giant Anglehead Lizard is greenish-brown on its dorsum, appearing darker in colour when under stress. The flanks of the female lizard are brownish-green to nearly black while the male is easily distinguished by its blue flanks with yellow spots. The lizard is able to grow up to 160 mm in length.

The Giant Anglehead Lizard inhabits primary forests at elevations of up to 1,400 m above sea level. One can easily find this lizard near streams or small rivers, camouflaged on the tree trunks. At night the lizards rest on leaves of saplings or twigs overhanging the water bodies.

The diet of this lizard largely consists of caterpillars, ants, flies and cockroaches. The lizard lays up to six eggs at a time. The incubation period of the eggs is between 69 to 75 days. The conservation status of the Giant Anglehead Lizard is least concerned but the species is protected under the Malaysian Wildlife Act 2010.

Alpinia conchigera, known locally as langkuas ranting, langkuas kechil or jerunang (Holttum, 1950), and commonly known as the Lesser Alpinia (Lim, 2016), belongs to the family Zingiberaceae.

Alpinia conchigera is a herb that can grow up to 120 cm tall (Burkill, 1966). This species is semi-wild and it can be found in damp open places such as the edges of rice fields and under the shade of rubber trees and oil palms. It is widespread from eastern Bengal to Indo-China and southward to Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra (Holttum, 1950; Ibrahim et al., 2009). The leaves of A. conchigera are shortly petiolated, lanceolate-oblong, glabrous, dark green and about 30 cm by 9 cm (Holttum, 1950; Lim, 2016). This species has the smallest flowers among Peninsular Malaysian species of Alpinia (Holttum, 1950; Larsen et al., 1999). The inflorescence is about 20 cm long above the base of the uppermost leaf. The flower pedicel is about 5 mm long. The lip of the species is obovate in shape, strongly concave, about 5 mm long. The colour of the lip is either yellowish or pinkish white with 4 or 5 red streaks on each side (Holttum, 1950). The fruit is small and capsule-like, glabrous, containing three to five seeds and strongly aromatic (Lim, 2016).

In the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia, the rhizome is used as a condiment or spice which is added to some foods to enhance their flavour (Burkill, 1966; Ibrahim, 2000). Along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia the rhizome is used as folk medicine to treat fungal infection (Ibrahim et al., 2000). Some people in Peninsular Malaysia consume the rhizomes as a post-partum medicine, while the young shoots are used for preparing vegetable dishes (Ibrahim et al., 2009). Although unlikely used today, the rhizome is reported to be given to elephants for “derangements in the stomach” (Burkill, 1966). The conservation status of this species has not yet been evaluated. Due to its commonness it is possibly not a threatened species (Burkill, 1966; Ibrahim et al, 2009).

The Malayan Sun Bear or Beruang Matahari is scientifically known as Helarctos malayanus and belongs to the family Ursidae. Its common name is based on the U-shaped golden yellowish mark on its chest that resembles the sun. The bear can grow up to 150 cm in length and 65 kg in weight making it the world’s smallest bear.

Helarctos malayanus is a skillful climber with long curved claws that enables it to adapt to a largely arboreal lifestyle. It has the shortest black to dark brown water repellent fur compared to other bears. It also has loose skin which enables it to twist or turn around when being bitten to defend itself against predators. Another remarkable feature of the Malayan Sun Bear is its long tongue that can measure up to 25cm in length which is used to extract grubs and honey from nests. The Malayan Sun Bear is an omnivore; it feeds on fruits, insects, small mammals and birds (Wong et al., 2002).

Among bear species, H. malayanus is the only tropical bear species that inhabits tropical lowland rainforests throughout much of Southeast Asia (Servheen, 1999). It is mainly distributed in the tropical evergreen rainforests of Borneo, Sumatra, and Peninsular Malaysia.

The greatest threat to the Malayan Sun Bear is the wildlife trade. It is hunted for its gall bladder and other body parts which are in demand for medicinal uses by some cultures. Habitat destruction caused by deforestation, land clearance for plantation development and illegal logging are the other major threats to the small, remaining critical population of this species which has been listed by the IUCN as vulnerable (Fredriksson et al., 2008).

This species is classified into two subspecies, namely S. hemsleyana ssp. hemsleyana and S. hemsleyana ssp. grandiflora. The former occurs in peninsular Thailand, Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, whereas the latter is endemic to Borneo and has only been recorded from Sarawak and West Kalimantan. In Peninsular Malaysia, S. hemsleyana can only be found in Perak, mainly in swampy forest areas. It is now classified as critically endangered (CR A4c, D2 for Malaysia) due to logging and land conversion activities which cause forest fragmentation and habitat shrinkage (Chua et al., 2010).

Currently, research for the conservation of this species together with a few other species of threatened dipterocarps, such as Shorea macrantha and Vatica flavida are being conducted at the campus of Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Sri Iskandar, Perak. The identified trees are tagged, measured, mapped and the data recorded in order to determine their population size and distribution. The data from these research activities will be used to support the proposal for the establishment of a conservation area in the habitat of this species as presently none of its natural habitats have been gazetted as Protection Areas.

Shorea hemsleyana produces timber which is graded as red-meranti sub-group 2. However, the timber is not processed as much as red-meranti timbers from other species even though it is harder and heavier as the tree is uncommon and rarely obtained. In the early 1990’s, Indonesia used to be the main producer and exporter of seeds collected from S. hemsleyana and other species of Shorea, such as S. stenoptera and S. robusta. These seeds, recognised as “false illipe nuts”, are a source of income for locals in its natural habitats except in Peninsular Malaysia (Symington et al., 2004). The edible fat from the illipe nuts is similar to cocoa butter and can easily blend with other vegetable fats. It can also serve as a potential substitute for cocoa butter in chocolate. In Borneo, the illipe nuts are used as a replacement for animal fat in cooking, traditional medicine, skincare, and animal and poultry feed.

Goniothalamus with c. 16 species is one of the largest genera of the family Annonaceae (mempisang in Malay) recorded in Peninsular Malaysia. One endemic species is Goniothalamus curtisii King which is distributed in Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johor. This common species is always found in primary lowland to hill forests up to 1000 m altitude, and often grows by streams, on sandy or clay soils, on limestone or sandstone (Sinclair, 1955).

The slender trees of G. curtisii can grow to 10 m tall with many parts of the plant covered with dense brown hairs. The characteristic feature of this species is its large glossy leaf laminas (25−40 cm long) with numerous secondary veins and clearly distinct tertiary veins. Its pendent flowers have three leaf-like sepals and two whorls of three petals. The outer petals are yellowish tinged red and are thinly coriaceous with velutinous hairs. The inner petals are ovate in shape and have velutinous hairs adaxially. The stamens of G. curtisii have long pubescent apiculate connectives and the ovaries are densely covered with hairs. Fruit stalks are short and the fruits are pale green to yellowish, about 2 cm long with very short hairs. It has one hairy seed (Saunders, 2003).

Most Goniothalamus species are widely used in traditional medicine and G. curtisii has been reported as a treatment for diarrhea (Mat-Salleh & Latiff, 2002). In the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, G. curtisii was assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the late K.M. Kochummen, botanist from Forest Research Institute Malaysia.

On top of that, MyBIS Newsletter Online not only cover flora, but other kingdom as well - the animalia and fungi kingdom. In addition, the newsletter will be publishing two newsletters per month instead of one newsletter per month in the FPMO.

MyBIS Newsletter Online was started on April 2016, further update will be announced and an email of notification will be sent to subscribers. Therefore, visit MyBIS website to explore the nature of wonder.

The tiger or Panthera tigris is the largest member in the family Felidacea. Panthera tigris is split into nine subspecies including Panthera tigris jacksoni which was recognized as a new subspecies in 2004. It is commonly known as the Malayan tiger or Harimau Malaya in Malay. Three of the tiger subspecies namely, Bali tiger (Panthera tigris balica), Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) and Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) became extinct during the 20th century.

The general physical characteristics of Panthera tigris jacksoni are quite similar to those of the other subspecies but there may be some differences in terms of skull shape, number of teeth, size, colour and stripe pattern. Most tigers have a reddish-orange coat with vertical black stripes on their body that vary in size, length and spacing. Some subspecies have paler coloured fur while others are darker in colour with either black or dark brown stripes. Tigers in general can grow up to 3 m in length and weigh up to 330 kg. They like water and can swim very well. They can easily cross streams and rivers as wide as 6 to 8 km (Mazák, 1981). They are carnivores and their diet includes deer, wild boar, sun bear, young elephant and rhino calves.

Another subspecies of the tiger, Panthera tigris corbetti from Indochina, is nearly identical to the Malayan tiger in terms of morphology. However, genetic analysis has found that there are differences in their mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and micro-satellite sequences which justifies separating the two subspecies (Luo et al., 2009).

The Malayan tiger is an endemic subspecies because it is only found on the Malay Peninsula and the southern tip of Thailand. Panthera tigris jacksoni is categorized as Critically Endangered (CR) by The IUCN Red List (Kawanishi, 2015) due to major threats to their population caused by forest degradation, poaching activities and the wildlife trade, especially for tiger parts.

Tropidolaemus wagleri is a species of viper commonly known as Wagler’s Pit Viper or Temple Viper. In Malay, it is known as Ular Kapak Tokong. This species is widely distributed in Thailand, Indonesia, West Malaysia, and the Philippines. It occurs from sea level to 1200 m elevation (Cox et al., 1998). It inhabits wet areas such as swamps, mangroves and lowland forest and is usually found near water. It is an arboreal species, meaning that it lives in trees.

All pit vipers are venomous, however Wagler's Pit Viper is generally not considered to be aggressive. In the field, these snakes are most easily identified by their markedly triangular head. The colours are distinct between adult female, adult male, and their young. The female adult has a black body with yellow cross bands, black post-ocular stripe and banded belly while the adult male body is green, with a black border and many greenish yellow crossbars on its back. As they mature the young vipers change their body colour. Basically, the young are all green with spots of white and red that are sometimes arranged in pale crossbars. The adult female can grow up to 100 cm long while the adult male up to 75 cm long.

Being nocturnal, vipers are more active and usually found at night or during dusk and dawn. However, it is also sometimes found in the daytime during or after rain. This species preys on small animals especially birds, frogs, lizards, mice and other rodents.

A potential threat to this species is the illegal trade as an exotic pet. However, this does not seem to affect the population as the species is abundant and occurs in several protected areas. This species has also become a tourist attraction at Ban Kan Lan or Snake Temple in Penang. Due to its widespread distribution and abundance, this species is categorised as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Grismer & Chan-Ard, 2012).

Pongo pygmaeus, more commonly known as orangutan, is a large arboreal animal that is native to the island of Borneo. Orangutan means people of the jungle. There is only one genus of great apes native and extant in Asia; this consists of the Bornean orangutan and Sumatran orangutan, Pongo abelii (WWF, 2016). These great apes possess long reddish hair, long arms, and hooked hands and feet for travelling at the canopy. Due to their dispersed and cryptic nature, it can be hard to find them in the wild if they do not make nests around an area (Meijaard et al., 2010). However, the ones in captivity in Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre near Sandakan, Sabah are a bit extroverted; they like to model for the many tourists who visit the Centre.

Orangutan are frugivorous because fruits make up more than 60% of their average total daily food intake (Wich et al., 2006), even though leaves, bark, flowers and insects are also part of their diet. “Natural gardeners” of the forest is another description for them as they help in seed dispersal. Orangutan exhibit bimaturism or two morphological forms of mature males. The size of the dominant flanged males is double that of the females. They have a long coat of dark hair on the back, a facial disk, flanges and a throat sac used for long vocalisations (Acrenaz et al., 2008). The long vocalisations are used to attract receptive females (Knott et al., 2010). In addition, these males are quite bigoted and likely to be aggressive when they encounter other adult males. In contrast, the subordinate unflanged males do not possess these secondary sexual characteristics and they are almost the same size as the adult female (Acrenaz et al., 2008).

Most orangutan inhabit peat swamp forests, but most of their habitats are outside protected areas. One of the reasons for this is because peat swamp forest have high densities of valuable timber (Whitmore, 1984) and commercial logging is permitted in some areas. Orangutan distribution is highly patchy throughout Borneo Island as large canopy gaps hinder their movement. Changes in forest structure due to selective logging could have negative effects on their population densities (Felton et al., 2003). Their main threats are land conversion to agriculture, forest fire, poaching, and the illegal pet trade. A recent study showed that past populations were more abundant than at the present (Meijaard et al., 2010). According to Acrenaz et al. (2008), the status of orangutan is endangered. The number of orangutan present in Sabah is only about 11000 out of a total of 54000 in Borneo and is now declining.

The genus Maingaya is monotypic and was named after Alexander Caroll Maingay, the magistrate stationed in Melaka during the 1860s. Although his official job was to manage the prison, he had a passion for botany and made a very large number of plant collections from Peninsular Malaysia, many of which are preserved at Calcutta Botanic Garden Herbarium along with his notes and drawings (Hou, 1958).

Maingaya malayana is the sole species in the genus. It is a very rare tree, known from only a few isolated localities. It is endemic in Peninsular Malaysia and when first described, it was known from Gunung Bubu, Perak, and Penang Hill (Whitmore, 1973). However, later on, another population was found in a pristine patch of riverine forest in Negeri Sembilan.

Maingaya malayana is an evergreen tree with bisexual flowers that grows in primary forests from 300 - 1000 m altitude. It can grow to 27 m tall with a diameter of 45 - 60 cm. The leaves have small stipule that leave ring-like scars after falling. The dense, yellow flowers are produced sporadically throughout the year. The fruit is a small woody capsule, with a short stout stalk. It has two chambers and four valves. The seeds are wingless, one in each cell (Dransfield, 1993).

At the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) campus, Maingaya trees were planted along the path from the museum and in the carpark in front of the herbarium building. As a wayside tree, Maingaya malayana is a medium-sized tree which is very attractive when in bloom. A global IUCN conservation assessment for this species categorises it as Vulnerable because its distribution is very fragmented and some of its known habitats are disturbed and degraded by human activity.

Dillenia suffruticosa (Griff.) Martelli, locally called simpoh air, is the common Dillenia found in wet places in Peninsular Malaysia. Suffruticosa in Latin means somewhat woody, which draws attention to its shrubby habit because most Dillenia species are trees (Hoogland, 1954). It is a pioneer species and grows vigorously on eroded soil, wasteland, and forest margins or in swampy areas. Simpoh air is so-called locally because it commonly grows in wet places. There are 10 species of Dillenia in Peninsular Malaysia (Tan & Latiff, 2014).

This shrubby plant can grow up to 10 m tall and has beautiful large glossy leaves (ca. 15–25 by 8–12 cm) with conspicuous veins, large yellow flowers (ca. 8–11 cm diam.), and pink star-shaped mature fruits.

The fruit is surrounded by thick red sepals and when ripe splits open into a pretty pink star-shaped structure exposing the seeds which are covered by a fleshy red aril. The seeds are attached to the margin of the sepals but are rarely seen because they are eagerly eaten by birds. The difference between the similar looking flower and fruit buds is that the flower bud faces downwards while the fruit bud faces upwards. An interesting feature of this plant is that if you put your ear close to the trunk or branch you can hear it hiss when cut.

Simpoh air has very deep tap roots to reach underground water sources. So village elders usually use this tree as a guide as to where to dig a well. In times past, the leaf was used to treat bleeding wounds. Today its large leaf is still used to wrap food, such as tempe, fermented soybean cakes. Nowadays, it is planted as an ornamental along roadsides because it blooms continuously and is easily planted using seeds. It is the national flower of Brunei.

In 2013, Malaysia’s multi-racial and multi ethnic population is estimated at 29.7 million. Malaysia practises a system of Parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy with three branches of government, namely the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. The Supreme Law of the country is the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, where it provides the authority to legislate matters relevant to biological diversity under the jurisdiction of the Federal and State Governments. Some subject matters pertaining to natural resources such as land and forests fall under the responsibility of the State Governments.

Geographically, Malaysia lies entirely in the equatorial zone with an average daily temperature varying from 21°C to 32°C throughout Malaysia. There are eight mountain ranges present in Peninsular Malaysia making up close to 20% of the land area of Peninsular Malaysia with a general alignment of the mountain ranges in a north-south direction. The Main Range, known as the Banjaran Titiwangsa is the largest, most prominent and continuous mountain range in Peninsular Malaysia stretching approximately 500 km from the border of Malaysia with Thailand in the north to Negeri Sembilan where its height decreases and merges into the State of Malacca’s coastal plain. Overall topography of Sabah is mountainous and the iconic Mt. Kinabalu stands at 4,095 m while Sarawak’s mountain ranges rise to over 1,500 m and thereby forms the division between Sarawak and Kalimantan (Indonesia).

Under the pledge of 1992 Rio Earth Summit, Malaysia is committed to maintain at least 50% of her land area under forest and tree cover in perpetuity and approximately 18.01 million ha or 54.5% of Malaysia remains forested in 2012. Of this area, approximately 14.5 million ha have been designated as Permanent Reserved Forest (PRF) or Permanent Forest Estate (PFE). Peat swamp forests contributes a significant portion of forest cover in Malaysia with estimated 1.54 million ha still remaining. Majority of peat swamps are found in the State of Sarawak estimated at around 70%, while less than 20% in Peninsular Malaysia and the remainder in Sabah.

Malaysia has a coastline of some 4,800 km in total and sits on the geologically stable Sunda Shelf. Peninsular Malaysia has a coastline of about 1,972 km that borders the South China Sea in the East, the Straits of Johor in the South, and Straits of Malacca in the West. About half of the coastline is beaches and slightly less than half is fringed with mangrove forest. Coral reefs in Malaysia are estimated to cover close to 4,006 km² supporting not less than 700 species of fish that are dependent on coral reefs as a habitat.

In Peninsular Malaysia, mangroves are found largely sheltered along the west coast that borders the Straits of Malacca. Key near-shore islands such as the Pulau Klang in Selangor and Pulau Kukup in Johor are also predominantly colonized by mangroves. Sabah and Sarawak contain almost 82% of the nation’s mangroves. In Sabah, mangrove forests are found largely on the east coast facing the Sulu Sulawesi Seas while in Sarawak, these forests are located at the river mouths of Rajang and the Trusan-Sundar. Within the PRFs in Malaysia, a total of the 544,032 ha of mangrove areas was recorded in 2012; showing an increase of mangroves areas from 2009 at 539,142 ha. Of which, the largest area of mangrove forest in the country and within PRFs is in Sabah at 333,019 ha, followed by Sarawak at 112,165 ha and in Peninsular Malaysia at 98,848 ha.

Blessed with a vast array of ecosystems, Malaysia is recognised as one of the 12 mega-diverse countries in the world. The core of biodiversity in Malaysia lies in its tropical rainforests, a unique natural heritage which has evolved over 130 million years, resulting in very rich flora and fauna. Both the beach and mangrove ecosystems also boast a distinct, unique and spectacular biodiversity, and provide a broad range of ecological services ranging from tourism and recreation to providing critical habitat for reptilian, crustacean, mollusk and fish species.

Malaysia biodiversity accounts at high fauna diversity with 307 species of wild mammals, more than 785 species of birds, 567 species of reptiles, 242 species of amphibians, more than 449 species of freshwater fish and more than 150,000 estimated species of invertebrates. The flora diversity in Malaysia is not absolutely known but is nonetheless exceptionally rich. A conservative estimate of flora could consist of around 15,000 species. Particularly, there are about 38 species of true mangroves and generally, mangrove plant species diversity is comparable with that of the global diversity; as at least 70 species from 28 families have been recorded.

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Cameron Highlands, Pahang is well-known for its cool climate, enchanting hill views and many vegetable farms. With its highest areas located at over 2000 m above sea level, it is a popular destination among tourists near and far, with hundreds of thousands visiting annually. Standing high among the extensive tea plantations and vegetable farms are some mountains popular with trekkers, such as Gunung (G.) Berembun, G. Jasar, G. Irau and G. Brinchang. The last one, which is located in Brinchang town, is where a unique ginger species,Geostachys megaphylla Holttum strives.

This species has long raised rhizomes and is well supported by reddish stilt roots. It is not unusual to see a jelly-like substance covering the tips of the young roots, possibly for protection purposes. Geostachys megaphylla is one of the larger species in the genus; with leafy shoots reaching up to 3 m. As suggested by its name, the leaf can grow to a size of 70 × 20 cm and is oblong, glabrous and usually darker green underneath. The inflorescence is erect, averaging 15 cm in length, with flowers arranged on all sides of the stalk. One to several flowers can be open at a time. As with the flowers, the trilobed labellum is white, up to 2.8 cm long, tinged with red small spots and pink bands, with a wavy margin. The fruits are ovoid, glabrous and brownish black, about 1.5 cm both in length and width.

So far, G. megaphylla has only been found in Cameron Highlands and there, only at G. Brinchang, therefore making it a hyper-endemic species. Its narrow distribution could well be due to its specialized habitat requirement and low dispersal ability. Current observations reveal that clumps of the plants are to be found towards the mountain peak. There are also reports that it can be found along the trail to G. Irau but this has yet to be verified. While land use change may not be the main factor behind the shrinking populations at the present time since its habitat is in protected forest, climate change and habitat disturbances due to encroachment have been observed to have negatively altered the plant’s demographic patterns. The need for a holistic environmental management plan is very crucial at this point in time.

Impatiens belongs to the balsam family, Balsaminaceae, commonly known as Touch-me-not or Jewel Weed. Balsams are popular herbaceous garden plants, for example, I. balsamina (known as 'keembung' in Malay) is commonly cultivated in homes in Malaysia because of its attractive and colourful flowers. The Latin name Impatiens means impatient, which refers to the seed capsule that easily bursts open when ripe. Children like to play with the keembung plants by touching the ripe capsules, sending the round brown seeds flying out a short distance by ballistic force.

Impatiens scortechinii is a rare endemic that grows on limestones in Perak and Perlis (Ridley, 1967) and on granites in Melaka. Its name is still unresolved (The Plant List, 2010), meaning there is insufficient evidence to decide whether it is an accepted name or a synonym. This soft-stemmed annual plant has pure white flowers with five petals adorned with bright red spots on the inner sides and a two-forked green nectar spur. The leaves are green above, pale green below with red tinged leaf petioles, and arranged spirally. The lenticular seed capsule contains several brown seeds. The plant is armoured with fierce red ants that feed on crystal clear droplets (most probably a sugary substance) secreted by the glands at the leaf base (note the ants in the picture).

The small population observed at Bukit Senggeh, Melaka thrives on top of levelled rocks or rock crevices covered with leaf litter in stream valleys. It shares its habitat with two other rare endemics i.e. Begonia herveyana and Peperomia malaccensis. Unlike the other two species, I. scortechinii is not able to cling onto vertical surfaces. It is rather resilient and able to withstand temporary dry conditions. Flowering was observed in the months of January, September and October in 2007, June and October in 2008, and March to May in 2015. The current status of the populations in Perak and Perlis is unknown.

The conservation status of this rare species is unknown, but given its very limited dispersal ability and endemicity, it may easily face extinction if its habitat is severely degraded or destroyed. This species has good potential for horticultural use and should be domesticated.

Exbucklandia populnea, known locally as gerok in Malay, was named for William Buckland (1784-1856), the renowned British geologist/palaeontologist (Veldkamp,1998). It is a polygamous-monoecious evergreen tree in the Hamamelidaceae, the Witch Hazel family. This family consists of 22 genera and 80 species. Exbucklandia populnea grows in lower montane rain forest and is common from the South-east Himalayas to South China and southwards throughout Malesia. In Peninsular Malaysia, Hamamelidaceae is represented by six genera each with only one species (Corner, 1988).

Exbucklandia populnea is a common tree on the crests and upper hillsides in lower montane forest in Cameron Highlands and Fraser’s Hill, Pahang. It grows well in the hill and mountain forests, mainly from 1000–3000 m altitude. It can grow to 36 m tall with a diameter at breast height of 30–40 cm or sometimes more. The bark is dark-brown with a fissured and flaky texture. Its leaves are alternate, glabrous on both surfaces and broadly ovate with 5–7 veins radiating from the base. The leaves quiver on their long stalks like those of aspens, species of Populus, hence its specific name (Hou,1958). The young leaves are easily recognized by their tri-lobed shape. The large, appressed stipules, oriented skyward that hide the bud and developing leaf blade also make this plant easy to identify. The flowers are small, without sepals but with 2–7 petals, 10–14 yellowish cream stamens joined in bractless heads of 7–20. The individual fruits are roundish, woody with 2 chambers and 4 valves. The seeds are narrowly ovoid, flattened and wingless.

The tree is exploited in the wild for its good timber which is used for planking, door and window frames. The provisional conservation status for this species is widespread (Turner, 1995).

Grammatophyllum speciosum, commonly known as tiger orchid, is probably the largest orchid in South-East Asia. In Greek, ‘grammatus’ means letter and ‘phyllum’ means leaf. Probably ‘Grammatophyllum’ refers to the dark and conspicuous markings on the sepals and petals, perhaps thought to resemble writing. The Latin epithet ‘speciosum’ means showy or splendid. Its other English names include Queen of orchids, giant orchid, and sugar cane orchid. The Malay names for G. speciosum are Bunga puteri (princess’s flower), Bunga bidadari (fairy’s flower), and Ekur gajah (elephant’s tail) (Burkill, 1966)

The stems of tiger orchids resemble sugar cane but with many ridges. They can grow up to 3 metres long, bearing many leaves of up to 75 cm in length. The stems are erect when young but become pendulous when they grow longer and heavier. Tiger orchids have two forms of roots: the common fleshy, thick roots for anchorage and the dry, thin and spiny roots that grow upwards and outwards. The spiny roots help the orchids to trap leaf litter as a source of nutrients that is very important for epiphytes (plants that grow on tree trunks or branches, without taking food from the host) (Lamb, 2011). In a single tiger orchid plant, there are probably more than ten long stems. The flowering stalks arise from the base of the stems. They can grow to more than 2 m long with 80 to 100 flowers on one stalk. The whole plant weighs about 2 tonnes and can bear up to 7000 flowers (Ridley, 1924).

Its flowers, like its Latin name, are indeed beautiful, showy and splendid. The flowers are dimorphic. The normal flowers can grow up to 10 cm wide; the sepals and petals are bright yellow with maroon-brown blotches that somehow resemble letter markings, whence the common name. The abnormal flowers have two sepals (two lower sepals are fused), two petals and no lip, and the column is smaller and sterile. They only appear at the lower part of the flowering stalk. According to Ridley (1924), there are two varieties of this orchid: the common one has larger spots on the sepals and petals, while the other has numerous, smaller spots. Tiger orchids usually bloom around July to August or December to January. The plants flower rather infrequently (O’Byrne, 2001); they may flower once a year, but sometimes once every two or four years or even more infrequently (Orchid review, 1905). The flowering period can last for up to two or three months (Anon., 1905). The tiger orchid produces green seed pods that are as big as a starfruit, about 15 cm long and 5 cm wide. It is probably the biggest fruit in the orchid family, but the seeds are tiny as in other orchids (Lamb, 2011).

This orchid is widespread in South-East Asia, ranging from Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia through Sumatra, Java, and Borneo, Philippines to the Solomon Islands. They usually grow in the lowlands, on big trees overhanging rivers where they get enough space, moisture and sunlight. They also occur in montane and occasionally, limestone forest (Seidenfaden & Wood, 1992). The flowers are probably pollinated by the giant bee, Apis dorsata (Ong et. al., 2011).

Like in the wild, the plants need plenty of sunlight, and good drainage. The plants can be grown on a big tree, or in a big container. Since they will grow larger and heavier, a suitable permanent place should be chosen wisely. The base of the plants must be raised well above the ground by piling up stones, bricks or rubble. Then the base can be covered by a thin layer of compost. After the plants are well established, they require little attention. Organic fertilisers may be applied once in six months (Holttum, 1964).

Spathoglottis plicata Blume is a hardy ground orchid that usually grows in the lowlands, on roadsides and other disturbed areas (Ong et al., 2011). It is a very widespread orchid distributed from India to the Pacific Islands (Seidenfaden & Wood, 1992).

It produces a few short fleshy bulb-like stems with each bearing a bunch of leaves. The leaf is about 80 cm long and fairly broad, with numerous narrow parallel pleats or folds, hence the name plicata. The slender flowering stalks which bear a few flowers can grow to 1 m tall. Before the leaves fall and the old bulb dies, new buds will start to grow near the base, producing new stems and new flowers. Hence, S. plicata is perennial; it grows and flowers throughout the year (Seidenfaden & Wood, 1992).

The flower is about 4 cm wide. It has attractive light pink-purple sepals and petals that are similar in size and shape. The lip is ‘T’-shaped and there is a cap at the tip of the column, under which masses of yellow pollen grains can be seen (Seidenfaden & Wood, 1992). Spathoglottis plicata plants can carry out self-fertilization by producing a lot of fluid in the stigma, until the fluid reaches the pollen masses, induces the pollen grains to produce pollen tubes (Forbes, 1885).

After the flower is fertilised, the seeds will take about six weeks to develop, which is unusually quick for orchids (most need 6-12 months to develop). The fruit or capsule is about 3 cm long, green and cylindrical and hangs downwards. When ripe, the capsule splits open and thousands of tiny seeds are carried away by the wind (Seidenfaden & Wood, 1992).

Spathoglottis plicata and its varieties have been cultivated and many horticultural varieties have been described. The typical S. plicata has bright purple flowers. Some have mauve or pale mauve flowers. The rare pure white form is called ‘Penang White’. Due to its hardiness and fast growth, S. plicata is popular for hybridization with other mountain Spathoglottis species that are difficult to grow in the lowlands to produce more interesting varieties. For example, Professor Eric Holttum’s first orchid hybrid, Spathoglottis Primrose is a hybrid of S. plicata and S. aurea. ‘Dwarf Legion’ is a hybrid of S. Primson and S. tomentosa, a dwarf form that produces many colours of flower, from pink to yellow, and pure cream (Holttum, 1964).

To grow S. plicata, the soil must be well-drained and well-aerated, preferably good burnt soil mixed with manure. When planting, the upper part of the ‘bulb’ must be above the soil level. After planting, the plants should be kept under shade for a week or two for the roots to grow, before exposure to full sun. When new growth starts, dilute liquid fertilizer should be applied frequently for healthy plant growth (Sanders, 1940).

Hopea apiculata, known locally as resak melukut or giam melukut, belongs to the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is endemic to Peninsular Malaysia and is recorded in Perak from Bruas Forest Reserve (FR), Bubu FR, Manong, and Kuala Kangsar and in Kelantan from Ulu Sat FR and Bukit Yong. It inhabits lowland areas of dipterocarp forests up to 610 m altitude.

This species is a small tree with a girth rarely exceeding 1.0 m and has smooth bark. It has a short and dark bole with light patches and a few exudations of pale dammar. The buttresses are rather sharp and tend to be stilted. The thin outer bark is dark in colour while the inner bark which is about 8 mm thick and the sapwood are pale coloured and hard.

The diagnostic characters of this species reside in the leaf and fruit. The leaf resembles that of Neobalanocarpus heimii, known locally as chengal. The leaves are oblong-lanceolate in shape and are sometimes slightly unequal-sided. They have about 12 nerves and turn yellow-brown when dried. Hopea apiculata produces a small fruit with rudimentary wings and the nut is up to 2 cm long.

Hopea apiculata is of no potential value to the timber industry as the trees are too small to produce good timber. The local villagers usually harvest it for poles. According to the Malaysia Plant Red List (Chua et al., 2010), H. apiculata is categorized as Endangered (EN B1b(iii) + c(ii)) due to its restricted distribution and habitat degradation resulting from land conversion activities. Besides, no populations are known to occur in the network of Totally Protected Areas.

Resulting from this, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) in collaboration with Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM) are now undertaking regular monitoring of the populations as the beginning of a series of conservation efforts. Hopefully with this measure populations of H. apiculata will continue to survive in the wild and are conserved for the next generation.

Anisoptera megistocarpa (Dipterocarpaceae) known locally as Mersawa merah, can be found on well-drained and undulating areas of lowland forests. Merah refers to the colour of its leaves which is reddish brown on the under-surface. It is a large tree and is widely distributed in Southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Northern Sumatra.

The diagnostic character of this species resides in the large leaf. The leaf is oblong or obovate-oblong averaging about 15 cm in length and can sometimes be as long as 20 cm. It is smooth and leathery in texture with about 30 or more nerves which are slightly sunken on the upper surface, and coarsely hairy and dark reddish brown on the under-surface.

Anisoptera megistocarpa has a large bole which sometimes attains a girth of up to 4 m. The colour of the bark is usually dull grey-brown or yellowish grey. The outer bark is thick with irregular flakes. The flowers are creamy white and the petals are ovate-lanceolate. The fruit measuring up to 22 x 3.8 cm, has 2 wings and the nut is crowned by a short and thick apiculus.

The timber that is produced from A. megistocarpa can be used for light construction and interiors, such as flooring, window frames and doors. However, owing to the high silica content of the wood which makes it difficult to saw, it is not popular with saw millers.

According to the Malaysia Plant Red List (Chua et al., 2010), A. megistocarpa is categorized as Vulnerable (VU B2b(iii)+C(II)). This species is threatened by land conversion activities. Even though several populations occur in the network of Totally Protected Areas, and it is assigned to a lower threatened category, the populations still require regular monitoring to ensure that the trees are conserved for the next generation.

Phalaenopsis pulcherrima (Lindl.) J.J. Sm. (formerly known as Doritis pulcherrima Lindl.) is a terrestrial or lithophytic orchid. The genus name, Phalaenopsis, derived from two Greek words meaning ‘resembling a moth’, refers to the moth-like flowers while the specific epithet, pulcherrima derived from Latin adjectives, means ‘most beautiful’. Hence its common name, Beautiful Moth Orchid. It is native in India, throughout Indo-China to China and in Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo in Malesia. This orchid is rare in Peninsular Malaysia and is only found in the northern part of Kedah and in Terengganu. Phalaenopsis pulcherrima is a sun-loving species and has been recorded to grow on sandy soil along river banks and also inland or on rocks which are sometimes covered by mosses.

The inflorescence can grow to 60 cm in length with many flowers arranged spirally around the flower stalk (rachis). The flowers are rather showy, wide-open, about 3.3 × 2.5 cm, with reflexed sepals and petals. Usually only 4-7 flowers open at one time. Sepals and petals are white to purplish-pink. Plants from Terengganu have flowers that vary in colour even among individuals within the same population. The lip mid-lobe can be entirely white with purple on the tip or entirely purple whereas the side lobes are white, orange or purple while the base of the lip is white, golden yellow or purple. The column is white to lightly flushed purple and yellow or entirely flushed purple.

The Beautiful Moth Orchid is an attractive and easy-to-grow orchid which is popular with gardeners. Many orchid enthusiasts cultivate it under full sunlight. Although this species is naturally lithophytic, it can also be treated like an epiphyte in cultivation. It can be planted in pots filled with charcoal or wood bark or mounted onto a wooden slab. Spraying foliar fertiliser regularly will ensure that the plants are healthy and free flowering. Since Phalaeonopsis (including P. pulcherrima) is a highly sought after plant group, it is at risk of over-collection. Besides that, habitat destruction is also one of the major causes contributing to its rarity. Therefore, it is important to ensure that its taxonomy is correct and its conservation status assessed so that proper conservation measures can be formulated to prevent its extinction in the wild.

The vernacular name for Hopea polyalthioides (Dipterocarpaceae), Giam rambai refers to drooping leaf-sprays. The leaves are large with an oblong shape (8 x 2.5 cm to 27 x 6 cm), arranged in distichous sprays on long, slender branches rather like some species of Myristicaceae (penarahan) and Anonaceae (mempisang). A leaf has well-spaced veins (about 12) with prominent reticulations on the lower surface.

Hopea polyalthioides is an under-storey tree, unlike many dipterocarps which are emergent trees above the canopy. This small-sized tree has a girth of not more than 30 cm. The 8 mm petiole is velvety when young. The leaf undersurface is velvety soft but later becomes glabrous as it ages. The flowers are pale pink and rather small (1 cm across) when expanded. The fruit is about 2 cm long, the nut is ovate with a sharp-pointed tip and embraced at the base by the sepals.

Hopea polyalthioides is endemic to Peninsular Malaysia. It is recorded in Johor from Panti Forest Reserve (FR), Gunung Arong FR, Jemaluang FR and Tenggaroh FR and in Senaling Inas, Negeri Sembilan. It inhabits lowland areas of dipterocarp forests.

Hopea polyalthioides produces a small pole and has no potential value in the timber industry. This species is threatened by land conversion activities. According to Malaysia Plant Red List (Chua et al, 2010), H. polyalthioides is categorized as Endangered (EN B2ab(iii)). Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) in collaboration with Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM) is undertaking ex situ conservation through germplasm collection. Wildings and seedlings of Giam rambai are being maintained and monitored at the Kepong Botanic Gardens (KBG).

Dubbed as the ‘Malayan Cowslip’, Codonoboea malayana is one of the most beautiful native forest dicotyledonous herbs with its large nodding yellow flowers. It was first described and illustrated in the late 19th century (Hooker, 1896), supplemented by a gorgeous watercolour plate published in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine (Hooker, 1897). It made its debut in an exhibition at the meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, London on 14 July 1896 where it received a First-class Certificate.

Codonoboea malayana is a small terrestrial herbaceous species that grows up to 30 cm tall. The leaves are oppositely arranged and the alternate pairs are at the right angle to each other. The upper surface of the leaves is rich green, covered by a layer of silky white hairs, which gives it a silvery lustre when the leaf surface is dry.

One can hardly overlook this species when it is in flower. It flowers gregariously and the large nodding flowers measure to 5 cm long. The trumpet-shaped corolla is light beige-yellow towards the base and the bright yellow corolla lobes are more or less equal in size. The two fertile anthers are held together and positioned close to the corolla mouth. Codonoboea is the largest genus of dicotyledonous herbs in Peninsular Malaysia (Kiew & Lim, 2011), yet the yellow flower of C. malayana makes it unique. Most Codonoboea species have white, blue or purple, and rarely red flowers.

Codonoboea malayana grows in the hills and mountains. It is an endemic to Peninsular Malaysia.

Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) is well-known for its edible and delicious fruit. It belongs to the genus Rubus in the large family Rosaceae. This genus also includes several other well-known and tasty fruits such as blackberry, boysenberry, dewberry and loganberry.

In Peninsular Malaysia, Rubus is represented by about 6 species and 4 varieties that occur from the lowlands up to montane areas. Rubus sumatranus is one of these. It occurs in open places from about 750 m altitude but is more often collected in montane forest at about 1400 to 1500 m altitude.

The specific epithet ‘sumatranus’ is derived from the place where the type specimen was collected (Teijsmann s.n., Sumatra). It is distributed from NE India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, S China, Taiwan and Japan, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Java.

Rubus sumatranus is an erect or scrambling shrub to 2 m tall. The mid-green stems are densely covered with reddish brown glandular hairs, while curved prickles are sparsely distributed along the stems. The leaves are imparipinnate with 2–3 opposite pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are oblong to ovate, with a cuneate to rounded base, acuminate apex, serrate margins with a reddish brown to purplish red point at the tip of each serration, and has scattered, white hairs on the upper surface of the lamina. Similar hairs are also found on the lower surface of the midrib with dense, reddish brown glandular hairs and scattered triangular, recurved prickles. The 6–12 pairs of secondary veins sometimes fork near the margin, while the tertiary veins are scalariform-reticulate. The inflorescences are axillary and up to 13 cm long. The flowers are bisexual with the hypanthium up to 5 mm across. There are five triangular sepals and five obovate, white petals. The aggregate fruits are up to 1.5 × 0.8 cm when fresh, ellipsoid and dark green when young but ripen ellipsoid to almost globose and orangish-red. They are tasteless although edible.

Burmanniaceae is a family of monocotyledons that includes both autotrophic and mycoheterotrophic species. The latter species were formerly considered as saprophytes but they in fact have a weakly parasitic association with fungi. Burmannia coelestis is a semi-mycoheterotrophic because it has small green leaves as well as having an association with fungi. It is probably this association that enables it to live on nutrient poor substrates.

It was first described by Don from Nepal in 1825 and is a pretty annual or short-lived herb with a very slender green stem about 20 cm tall and small, linear-lanceolate green leaves that arise from the base. The inflorescences at the top of the stem usually have a single or up to 4 flowers (rarely up to 8) and each has a lanceolate bract. In Latin, the specific epithet ‘caelestis’ refers to the skyblue flower colour. However, more accurately the flowers are pale violet-blue with yellowish or almost white tepals. They are 6-8 mm long and the perianth tube has 3 rather broad wings. There are 3 stalkless stamens and the style is short with a 3-lobed stigma. The fruit is a 3-winged capsule. The ellipsoid seeds are tiny and produced in very large quantities. Presumably the seeds are dispersed by wind.

Burmannia coelestis is widespread and commonly found in grassy or sandy areas in poor bare soil. The species is widely distributed in Nepal, Bangladesh, India, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Borneo, Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia. Even though it is a common species, in Peninsular Malaysia it has only been collected from a few localities probably because open field areas are seldom visited by botanists.

Hydrocera triflora belongs to family Balsaminaceae, the same family that the balsams (Impatiens) belong to. It is the only member of the genus Hydrocera. It is commonly known as water balsam or marsh henna and Malays call it ‘inai paya’ (swamp henna). The species is native in lowland areas stretching from India, Sri Lanka, Southern China, Indo-China, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia to Indonesia. Hydrocera triflora can be found in still or stagnant, shallow water in rice fields, wetlands and swampy areas.

Hydrocera triflora is a semi-aquatic succulent herb, erect, up to 1 m tall with a glabrous, angled stem with many branches. The portion of the stem above the water is leafy, whilst the submerged portion is much thickened and spongy in texture. The leaves are alternate, sessile or shortly petiolate and the lamina is narrowly lanceolate with a pointed apex and toothed margin. The lower lamina surface is pale green. Hydrocera triflora has 1-3 flowers together in short bunches from the leaf-axils. The pretty flowers are pale pink to crimson-pink with white and yellow markings. It has five free sepals and petals. The globose, indehiscent berry at maturity turns purplish red, is c. 1 cm in diameter and normally is 5-seeded.

The flowers of Hydrocera triflora yield a red dye that can be used to prepare a dye for fingernails and which serves as a substitute for henna (Lawsonia inermis), hence its common Malay and English names, but, as far as I know, it had not been used in this way in Peninsular Malaysia.

The Reticulated Python is the world’s longest snake as opposed to the anaconda which does not grow as long but attains greater girth. Some records show that the snake is able to grow up to 8 m long and some have even recorded individuals more than 9 m long. Reticulated Python is easily recognized from its netlike pattern which is coloured green, yellow and black.

Reticulated Python is a constrictor and its diet includes medium to small mammals such as pigs, goats, and deer; waterfowl and nesting birds; and even human beings have been known to be its preys. They have a series of heat-sensing pits along their upper lip which they use to detect prey.

The cashew, Anacardium occidentale is native to Brazil but most people in Malaysia think it is Malaysian. In Asia the tree is widely grown in tropical and subtropical regions of Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. It can be grown in sandy soils, in areas with high temperatures and a dry season. In Peninsular Malaysia, the tree is mostly planted on drier sandy soils along the east coast and in the north.

The young leaves are popular in ‘ulam’ (plants that consist of shoots, leaves, stems, seeds, fruits, tubers and flowers are eaten raw, blanched or cooked before eating) and Malays believe, when eaten raw, it can cure certain diseases and make one look youthful. The fleshy cashew apple which bears the seed at one end, has very juicy, light red, spongy flesh with an acidic and pleasant but slightly astringent taste when eaten raw. What is special about this plant is the fruit, more commonly called the nut. Inside the dark nut shell is a large edible curved seed. This is the so-called cashew nut which is an important commercial crop in some parts of the world. Botanically, the nut is the real fruit and the fleshy cashew apple is the swollen fruit stalk.

Anacardium occidentale, locally known as ketereh or gajus in Malay belongs to the same family as the mango, the Anacardiaceae. Ketereh or te’ re’ (in Kelantan dialect) is the name of Ketereh District in Kelantan, where long ago there were a lot of cashew trees. In other countries, A. occidentale is known by various names such as cashew nut (English), jambu monyet (Indonesian & Javanese), jambu golok (Malay-Terengganu), kaju (Hindi), hijli badam (Bengali) and agnikrita (Sanskrit). The genus name Anacardium (ana means “upwards” and –cardium means “heart”) was first given by the famous Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus to the mango which has a vaguely heart-shaped fruit.

Anacardium occidentale is a small evergreen tree to 15 m tall, with a spreading and much branched crown. It has simple, alternate, coriaceous, glabrous, obovate leaves, rounded at the ends, reddish to pale green when young and dark green when mature. The inflorescence is a terminal panicle-like cluster consisting of male and hermaphroditic flowers in the same inflorescence. Female flowers have five green sepals and five green yellowish petals. The male flowers bear one long stamen and nine staminodes.

The conservation status of Anacardium occidentale still not clarified under the IUCN, but this plant continously planted for their nut production escpecially in Southeast Asia likes Indonesia and Vietnam.

The Malayan Horned Frog or scientifically known as Megophrys nasuta is in the amphibian family of Megophryidae. It does not have any “horns” but the projection of the skin over its eyelids give it the semblance of having horns. The species is difficult to spot on the forest floor, it is well camouflaged with a body coloration of tan or dark brown that resembles dead leaves.

The Malayan Horned Frog makes its home on the forest floor. During the day, juvenile Megophrys nasuta hides under dead leaves while the adult prefers dead logs or large rocks. After a heavy rain and in the late afternoons or evenings, one could hear its loud honk.

It’s a species of the lowland forest. Mature individuals can grow to 12 cm long. Itsdiet includes other frogs, lizards, centipedes and even scorpions.

The Copperhead Racer is one of the many common snakes that are found in the forests, rural areas, and paddy fields. It is distinguished from other Malayan racer snakes by its copper-colored head lined with three streaks. Its body is grayish or yellowish-brown with distinct four black stripes at the anterior part of the body. It is a diurnal reptile which hunts actively for birds, lizards and other smaller snakes during daytime. The snake can grow to 230 cm long and produces several clutches of about 5−12 eggs annually with hatchlings measuring 25−30 cm long.

The Copperhead Racer goes into defense when vaguely threatened. It straightens its neck, inflates its throat and vigorously strikes to defend itself. The adult snake has the capability to extend its body to a considerable striking range. However, like other snakes, the Racer is likely to flee rather than fight. When fleeing or fighting are futile, the snake may either play dead or writhe, roll over and partially open its mouth to extend its tongue.

The genus Pteleocarpa has had a varied systematic history. A genus with only one species, Pteleocarpa lamponga, has been placed within families Icacinaceae, Cardiopteridaceae and Boraginaceae (Ng, 1989; Dayang Awa, 1996). In 2011, the genus was placed in its own family, Pteleocarpaceae (Brummitt, 2011), but recent molecular investigations place it in the family Gelsemiaceae which was described in 2014 (Struwe et al., 2014), with P. lamponga as the only representative in Peninsular Malaysia.

Pteleocarpa lamponga (Miq.) K.Heyne was first described from Lampong, Sumatra. In Malay, it is known as singgah or tembusu tikus. It is a medium-sized tree that can reach up to 37 m tall and c. 50 cm diameter. It has a straight bole with smooth to shallowly fissured bark. The leaves are spirally arranged and wither yellow before being shed. The flowers are an attractive very bright yellow with many arranged in umbel form. The fruits of P. lamponga are pale green or yellowish, flat and winged, or samaras. The ripe salmon-pink winged fruits are widely dispersed by wind.

Pteleocarpa lamponga has been recorded from Thailand, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Borneo (Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan). Currently, the species is found throughout Peninsular Malaysia except for Perlis and Perak. It grows in lowland and hill dipterocarp forest, to 600 m altitude, on forest margins, near streams or swampy habitats and on hillsides.

In the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), the species has been planted near the Chemistry Building (D7) and in Kepong Botanic Garden. Tembusu tikusis recommended as a suitable shade tree and for landscaping.

Johannesteijsmannia perakensis J.Dransf. (Arecaceae) is the only member out of four in its genus that has an erect stem (Dransfield, 1972) and can grow up to 5 m tall. Its gigantic, elegant diamond-shaped leaves fan out like a beacon in the lower forest canopy, presenting an awe-inspiring sight. This princely palm is locally known as ‘daun payung’ (umbrella leaf) and the broad leaves can come in handy to save you from being drenched in the rain.

The seedlings and juveniles of this species are very similar to those of J. altifrons and the two species are morphologically difficult to differentiate at these stages. However, they are easily identified when in flower or fruit; in J. perakensis the rachillae (flower bearing structure) are much branched and spaced out and the fruit is darker brown with more pointed knobs compared to J. altifrons. The other obvious character is, of course, the erect stem of the adult J. perakensis, as mentioned earlier. The other three species of Johannesteijsmannia which are also found in Peninsular Malaysia, are understorey plants and considered acaulescent, i.e. stemless or with the stem inconspicuous, because their short stems are buried underground.

J. perakensis is endemic to Perak (after which it is named) and to the southernmost part of Kedah. In Perak, it is locally abundant on specific mountain ranges and forest valleys. The species has been assessed as endangered, chiefly because of loss of habitat due to forest conversion (Chan et al., 2011). It needs to be conserved and it is encouraging that the Putrajaya Botanical Garden has immortalised this magnificent palm in its official logo.

This small tree, ca. 5 m high with slender, spreading branches is known to occur in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China, Hainan, China and Taiwan. Its distribution extends into the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia where it was first collected in 2008 and until now is only known from one location at Gua Labua, Ulu Muda F.R., Sik, Kedah.

Under this species, Jacobs (1965) recognised five subspecies viz. subsp. acutifolia, subsp. viminea (Hook. f. & Thomson) Jacobs, subsp. bodinieri (Lévl.) Jacobs, subsp. sabiifolia (Hook. f. & Thomson) Jacobs and subsp. obovata Jacobs. Kongkanda (1991), however, in her account for Flora of Thailand, sank the first three subspecies into Capparis acutifolia Sweet, and treated the latter two as C. sabiifolia because of the presence of the cataphylls (a rudimentary scale-like leaf). The Peninsular Malaysian plant lacks cataphylls, thus it matches C. acutifolia. This species has been reported for its medicinal value in Chinese Herbal Medicine. The extract obtained from the roots and stems has not only analgesic (as a pain killer) and anti-inflammation activities but is also effective in treating Freund's complete adjuvant arthritis (rheumatism) (Deng 2010).

It was found growing in rock crevices on limestone in lowland forest at altitude ca. 191 m. This is the only species among the ten known Capparis in Peninsular Malaysia which does not have thorny stipules. The discovery of this taxon brings to four species in total that inhabit limestone areas, while the rest grow in dense, riverside vegetation or in forest edges.

Capparis acutifolia is easily distinguished by its ovate-elliptic leaves measuring 10.5–12.5 × 4–5.5 cm, and the 1.5–2 cm long acuminate-caudate apex. The lamina is glossy when fresh; transparent and thinly chartaceous when dry. The slightly flexuous, lenticelate and glabrous twigs terminate in an inflorescence. The flowers are arranged in a series of 3–4 along the twigs. The ovate-elliptic sepals are keeled and measure 5–6 × 2–3 mm; they are hairy outside and glabrous inside. The oblanceolate petals (10–15 × 4–5 mm) are tomentose on both surfaces but more tomentous on the lower surface. The petals are white but pinkish on the elongated disc at the base of the dorsal petals. There are ca. 30 stamens; the whitish pink filaments are 2.5–3.5 cm long and the pale purple anthers are ca. 1.5 mm long. The ovoid ovary is ca. 1 mm long. The fruit is unknown in Peninsular Malaysia.

Capparis acutifolia is classified as Endangered in Peninsular Malaysia under the IUCN conservation status criteria because it is rare; only one mature individual was found during the expedition to Gua Labua limestone hills in 2008 (Kiew et al., 2009).

While the large leaves of H. piperifolium are readily spotted, its flowers are less prominent. They are rather small, usually less than 1 cm across, with 5 widely open bright yellow petals. These flowers are produced in a bunch of 6–7 from the leaf axils along the stem.

The fruit pods of H. piperifolium are very long and thin, growing up to 12 cm in length. Once ripened, the pods split open releasing the seeds within. The seeds are very thin and lightweight with a tuft of long fine silky hairs attached to one end. All these features allow the seeds to be dispersed by wind.

Heterostemma piperifolium has been recorded from limestone areas of Selangor, Perak and Kedah (Kiew, 2014). It can also be found along the roadside and in belukar.

Arisaema anomalum is an endemic species in Peninsular Malaysia. It is popularly known as ‘Cobra Lily’ because the spathe looks like the inflated hood of a cobra.

The uniqueness and beauty of the inflorescence and leaves of this plant are the major factors in its attraction as an ornamental plant for gardeners. It is already cultivated and sold as an outdoor and indoor plant in America and several Asian countries.

The trifoliolate leaves readily distinguish Arisaema from the other genera in the aroid family. There are seven species recorded from Peninsular Malaysia, of which two are endemic. Arisaema anomalum grows in hill to upper hill dipterocarp forest from Kedah to Selangor at altitudes between 350 m and 1700 m. It grows in shady, humus-rich and damp areas especially under big trees or on slopes.

The Arisaema genus is unique in that the sex of the plant depends on the robustness of the plant. Small or weak plants produce staminate inflorescences (male flowers) while robust plants produce pistillate inflorescences (female flowers) (Gusman and Gusman, 2006). The leaf blade is variegated being glossy green with white longitudinal blotches. The spathe tube is cylindrical to slightly funnel-shaped and is white with green veins and rim. The spadix-appendage is dark purple. The special characters of A. anomalum that distinguish it from other Arisaema species include its rhizomatous habit, variegated leaflets, longer inflorescence stalk and green spathe.

Malaysia has undergone rapid economic development since independence which is attributed to the utilization of the country’s rich natural resources and development of human capital. Based on 2012 statistics, approximately 60% of the country’s total land area is still forested, including permanent reserved forest (PRF), state land forests, national parks, and wildlife and bird sanctuaries. This is in line with Malaysia’s commitment to maintain at least 50% of forest and tree cover in perpetuity, as pledged at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. In addition, a total of 10.6% of Malaysia’s land area has been designated as terrestrial protected areas. The remaining land uses comprise agricultural crops, rubber plantations, oil palm plantations, urban and other uses. Malaysia has an estimated 15,000 species of vascular plants, 306 species of mammals, 742 species of birds, 242 species of amphibians, 567 species of reptiles, over 449 species of freshwater fish, over 500 species of marine fish and more than 150,000 species of invertebrates.

Marine protected areas represent a wide range of habitats, including coral reefs, sea grasses and mangrove forests. As of 2013, the Department of Marine Park Malaysia manages 248,613 hectares of marine protected areas, which include 42 islands in Peninsular Malaysia and federal territories that are gazetted as marine parks. Another 32 islands are located within the area covered by the marine park waters. Almost 20% of Peninsular Malaysia and federal territories is located within the area managed by the Department of Marine Park Malaysia. Marine protected areas cover 73,793 hectares in Sabah and are managed by Sabah Parks. In Sarawak, marine protected areas are managed by the Sarawak Forestry Department and cover 234,362.4 hectares.

This ginger species was first discovered on a montane slope along the East West Highway, in the Belum Forest Reserve. It was first collected in 2004 by Datuk Seri Lim Chong Keat, an architect turned avid botanist. After a series of discussions with the author who was then revising the genus in Peninsular Malaysia, it was concluded that a new species had been found. The account was published a year later (Lau et al., 2005) and the species was named Geostachys belumensis C.K. Lim & K.H. Lau, commemorating the location where it was first found in Belum.

This species has short rhizomes and is well supported above the ground by its stilt roots, a typical root system also found in several species of Geostachys. The leafy shoot has a medium height of about 1.3 m and usually occurs in clumps. The leaves are soft in texture, dark green on the upper side and mostly maroon-coloured underneath. It has a decurved inflorescence which is occasionally erect if the peduncle emerges from beneath the thick forest litter. The cincinni are arranged on one side of the decurved inflorescence, with each pointing upwards. A cincinnus is a form of inflorescence on which the successive axes arise alternately in respect to the preceding one. As with the flowers, the labellum is yellow, with red marks appearing in the middle edge towards the staminodes, broadening at the middle. The fruits are ellipsoid, glabrous and dark red, not bigger than 2 cm.

The location where the population was first found is now located in a newly gazetted forest reserve, the Amanjaya Forest Reserve. The gazetting of the forest reserve was aimed at providing better protection to the surrounding environment, especially the wildlife. However, enforcement is crucially needed as subsequent visits to the site revealed that the area is no longer as pristine as it was when first discovered, with signs of encroachment. As G. belumensis is hyper endemic to its locality and many of its aspects yet to be studied, it is therefore of utmost importance that the habitat be preserved by all means.

Hanguana malayana is locally known as bakong ayer in Malay. There are six species in the genus in Peninsular Malaysia of which five are newly discovered (Nurfazilah et al., 2010). Hanguana malayana is a helophyte. Helophytes are plants that grow in marshes, partly submerged in water, so that they grow from buds below the water surface.

Bakong ayer is a widespread species ranging from Sri Lanka to the Philippines (Luzon) and to northern Australia and western Micronesia (Palau). It grows in open lowland areas in sunny but wet habitats, such as along muddy banks of large rivers or on the margin of freshwater bodies or in freshwater swamp forest from near sea level to 100 m altitude. At Tasik Merah, Perak, it is the dominant plant on the northern side of the lake where it forms very large clumps.

Hanguana malayana is a large perennial rhizomatous herb. It can be recognised by its giant leaves that are about 1-2 m tall which arise from runners in the waterlogged mud. The leaves are stiffly erect, sword-like, medium to dark green and flat to shallowly V-shaped with a sharply acute margin. The flowers are produced on an extensively branched terminal inflorescence with spike-like partial inflorescences, sometimes whorled. Like other monocotyledons, the flowers have six green or yellowish tepals. It is a dioecious plant, meaning that the stamens and ovaries are produced in unisexual flowers borne on separate plants. Nectar secretion occurs in both male and female flowers indicating insect pollination. The fruits of H. malayana are ellipsoid and when ripe are dark shining purple-red. They bear 1-3 fruits, each up to 5-10 mm long.

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Article 8(j) states

Each contracting Party shall, as far as possible and as appropriate:

Subject to national legislation, respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and promote their wider application with the approval and involvement of the holders of such knowledge, innovations and practices and encourage the equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of such knowledge innovations and practices.

The ecosystem approach is a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way. Application of the ecosystem approach will help to reach a balance of the three objectives of the Convention.

It is based on the application of appropriate scientific methodologies focused on levels of biological organization which encompass the essential processes, functions and interactions among organisms and their environment. It recognizes that humans, with their cultural diversity, are an integral component of ecosystems.

As described by the Conference of the Parties (COP), the ecosystem approach is the primary framework for action under the Convention. The COP, at its Fifth Meeting, endorsed the description of the ecosystem approach and operational guidance and recommended the application of the principles and other guidance on the Ecosystem Approach (decision V/6).

The seventh meeting of the COP agreed that the priority at this time should be on facilitating implementation of the ecosystem approach and welcomed additional guidelines to this effect (decision VII/11).

Eight mountain ranges are present in Peninsular Malaysia, namely the Nakawan, Kedah-Singgora, Bintang, Keledang, Titiwangsa, Benum, Tahan and Timur Ranges. Collectively, these highlands make up close to 20% of the land area of Peninsular Malaysia. The general alignment of the mountain ranges is in a north-south direction. The Main Range, also known as the Banjaran Titiwangsa, is the largest, most prominent and continuous mountain range in Peninsular Malaysia. It stretches approximately 500 km from the border of Malaysia with Thailand in the north to Negeri Sembilan where its height decreases and merges into the State of Malacca’s coastal plain.

In Sabah, at least 12 different vegetation types are found throughout the State based on elevation and soil type. Since the overall topography of Sabah is mountainous, mountain biodiversity is very vast and important. The iconic Mt. Kinabalu which stands at 4,095 metres is comparatively well studied and has recorded plant species richness to be over 5,000 species (2.5 % of world flora) in an area less than 1,200 km2

The State of Sarawak can be classified topographically into three principal terrain groups: the alluvial coastal plain, the mountainous interior and the central belt of generally undulating country between the coastal plain and the interior. Sarawak’s mountain ranges rises to over 1,500 metres and thereby forms the divide between Sarawak and Kalimantan (Indonesia).

The highest peaks in Sarawak are Murud at 2,424 metres and Mulu at 2,371 metres. Around 37% of the state is over 300 metres in elevation. The highlands form the headwaters of most of the major rivers that flow within Sarawak. The Kelabit Highlands are the headwaters for the important Limbang and Baram rivers in Sarawak. The mountains located in the east side of the State receive the highest rainfall in Malaysia, at times exceeding 4,000 mm in a year.

There are outstanding geological and geomorphological features of the Sarawak highlands such as the Mulu Caves which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, the volcanic tablelands of the Usun Apau and Linau- Balui, as well as the spectacular peaks of Mount Murud and Batu Lawi that are formed by massive sandstone of the Meligan Formation.

In relation to land use patterns, the Sarawak highlands is characterised by large expanse of forested areas, with scattered settlements along river valleys. Small-hold agriculture is situated at close by settlements, on gentler slopes and river basins. National Parks and other Totally Protected Areas are mostly concentrated on the northern region, and these include the Gunung Mulu National Park, Pulong Tau National Park, Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary and the Batang Ai National Park. The major threat to montane flora and fauna is habitat destruction. The development of various types of infrastructures impact the conservation of natural montane flora and fauna communities.

By assigning an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) rank of 1 to all land areas above the elevation of 1,000m, the National Physical Plan (NPP) addresses the conservation of highland biodiversity by managing development and habitat loss in sub-montane and montane ecosystems in Peninsular Malaysia. Multiple protected area approaches are used to protect mountainous areas across Sabah and Sarawak as well.

Marine and coastal biodiversity consist of coastal hill dipterocarp forests, mangrove forests, mud flats, coral reefs and sea grass areas.

Malaysia has a coastline of some 4,800 km, and sits on the geologically stable Sunda Shelf. About half the coastline is beaches and slightly less than half is fringed with mangrove forest. There is relatively little rocky coastline. Both the beach and mangrove ecosystems boast distinct, unique and spectacular biodiversity, and provide a broad range of ecological services ranging from tourism and recreation to providing critical habitat for reptilian, crustacean, mollusc and fish species. Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) on the coasts of Malaysia have been identified and mapped in the NPP. These ESAs include mangrove forests, marine parks, critical coastal erosion areas and turtle landing sites.

Coral Reefs

Coral reefs in Malaysia are estimated to cover close to 4,006 km2. Coral reefs support not less than 700 species of fish that are dependent on coral reefs as a habitat. Coral reefs are valuable economic and ecological resources. They have important ecosystem functions that provide crucial goods and services to hundreds of millions of people, mostly in developing countries. They are the foundation of a significant proportion of the global tourism industry, and are a major source of biodiversity.

It is reported that USD 5.5 billion is generated from the coral reefs of the world annually. Within Southeast Asia, the potential sustainable economic value of coral reefs is substantial, as is the potential economic loss if these resources are degraded. One estimate puts the value of coral reefs at US$115,740 per hectare per year. This places Malaysia's reefs at a value of US$45.31 billion per year. Malaysia is part of the "Coral Triangle", an area recognised by scientists to contain the world's richest marine biodiversity. Coral diversity is highest in East Malaysia, estimated at over 550 species while Peninsular Malaysia has over 480 species of coral. Coral reefs represent an economically important ecosystem and are the foundation of a significant percentage of the country's tourism industry. Economically, coral reef-related businesses in Malaysia are worth approximately US$635 million annually in food, fisheries, tourism and even pharmaceuticals. Malaysian coral reefs have been categorised as fair based on the average live coral cover of 46.4% in 2012. This showed an improvement from the year 2011 of which the average live coral cover was only 42.6%. This indicates that the reefs are recovering from the mass bleaching event in 2010. A further survey in 2013 saw a positive sign of steady recovery with 48.3 % live coral cover.

There are many local threats to coral reefs in Malaysia which include destructive fishing, coastal development, pollution, sedimentation as well as physical impacts from tourism activities such as diving, snorkelling and boating.

Against the local threats above, mass coral reef bleaching has emerged over recent years as a global threat; which is difficult to manage at the local level and has potentially devastating effects. The first significant mass coral reef bleaching event reported in Malaysia was in 1998, as a result of which, an estimated 40% of corals in reefs around Peninsular Malaysia died. Reefs had barely recovered before the 2010 mass coral reef bleaching event occurred, which fortunately saw lower coral death rates ranges from 5% to 10%. This is due to effective management of local threats to reduce stress and allows for natural recovery.

Consequently, Malaysia has developed a Coral Reef Bleaching Response Plan, which aims to put in place a number of actions in response to coral bleaching related events. The key objectives of the plans are to:-

• Raise awareness among key stakeholders of the possible impacts of mass coral bleaching;
• Formulate guidelines for actions to respond to coral bleaching and establish a bleaching reporting/information system for public networking and information sharing; and
• Establish a coral bleaching committee/unit involving government, non-governmental agencies and universities that would encourage immediate and long term actions to reduce local stresses to coral reefs.

The Plan also contains 4 primary components that contribute towards the overall response mechanism which include:

• Early Warning Systems: In view of the increase in coral bleaching monitoring internationally, information is available from a variety of sources that serves as early warning of climate conditions that favour bleaching. This aids towards predicting bleaching events;
• Response Triggers: In view of the fact that bleaching occurrences are not uniform, the plan therefore, identifies a number of triggers that result in programmed actions. This provides flexibility in implementation, and allow for adaptive management in different scenarios;
• Management Actions: implementation of a variety of actions that would reduce or eliminate local threats to coral reefs and thereby enhancing the survivability of coral reefs to bleaching events; and
• Communications: a significant element of the plan involves communications with various stakeholders. The provision of timely, accurate information helps stakeholder groups understand these events and therefore increases the likelihood of cooperation with management authorities towards efforts to reduce the impacts of coral bleaching events.

Mangroves

Peninsular Malaysia has a coastline of about 1,972 km that borders the South China Sea in the East, the Straits of Johor in the South, and Straits of Malacca in the West. About 72% of the coastline in West Peninsular Malaysia is made up of mud coasts, while the rest is sand coasts interspersed with capes, promontories and headlands of granite and sandstone. Most of the mangrove areas are found fringing this coastline. Mangroves in Peninsular Malaysia are found largely sheltered along the west coast that borders the Straits of Malacca. Key near-shore islands such as the Pulau Klang in Selangor and Pulau Kukup in Johor are also predominantly colonized by mangroves.

Sabah and Sarawak contain almost 82% of the nation’s mangroves. In Sabah mangrove forests are found largely on the east coast facing the Sulu Sulawesi Seas. In Sarawak, these forests are located at the river mouths of Rajang and the Trusan- Sundar. In Malaysia, there are about 38 species of true mangroves and generally, mangrove plant species diversity is comparable with the global diversity; as at least 70 species from 28 families have been recorded.

Within the PRFs in Malaysia, the country recorded mangrove areas at 544,032 hectares in 2012; showing an upward trend from the last reporting period where in 2009, mangroves areas was recorded at 539,142 hectares. Peninsular Malaysia, in 2012, recorded total mangrove areas of 98,848 hectares. The State of Sabah has the largest area of mangrove forest in the country and within PRFs, the figure in 2012 stands at 333,019 hectares. Meanwhile, the total mangrove forest area in Sarawak in 2012 is 112,165 hectares.

In 2005, Malaysia launched the ‘Tree Planting Programme with Mangrove and Other Suitable Species along the National Coastlines’ as part of mangrove forest conservation and environmental protection activities. The implementation of this programme is in line with the National Forestry Policy 1978 (NFP) and the National Physical Plan I (NPP).

During the nine-year period of its’ implementation from 2005 to 2013, Malaysia has succeeded in planting 6.2 million seedlings of mangrove trees and other suitable tree species encompassing 2,500 hectares of coastal area throughout the country. The success of this planting programme was achieved through an integrated approach and through the involvement of various parties including the Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia (FDPM), the Forest Department Sarawak, Sabah Forestry Department, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and local communities.

Inland waters biodiversity can be categorised as peat swamp forests, freshwater swamp forest, riparian forests, rivers, ponds, and lakes. They also include streams, groundwater, springs, cave waters, floodplains, as well as bogs, marshes and swamps; which are traditionally grouped as inland wetlands. Malaysia’s estimated total wetland area excluding lakes, oxbow lakes, river systems, sandy beaches, rocky shores and coral reefs is 5.19 million hectares.

As a signatory to the RAMSAR Convention, one of Malaysia’s obligations is to designate wetlands of international significance as RAMSAR sites within the country. To date, six RAMSAR sites have been designated; which are Tasek Bera in Pahang, Pulau Kukup, Sungai Pulai and Tanjung Piai in Johor, the Kuching Wetlands National Park in Sarawak and the Lower Kinabatangan Segama Wetlands (LKSW) in Sabah. By designating these sites, the government is committed to ensure the maintenance of the ecological character of the sites.

In relation to RAMSAR at the national level, Malaysia has published a National RAMSAR Information Toolkit as a resource document for wetlands managers and planners. It provides information that would assist decision-makers in listing aspects/criteria for other potential RAMSAR sites as well as draw attention to the many important wetland sites in Malaysia.

Peat swamp forests are water logged forests and still contributes a significant portion of forest cover in Malaysia. There is an estimated 1.54 million hectares still remaining. Majority of peat swamps are found in the State of Sarawak (estimated around 70%), less than 20% in Peninsular Malaysia and the remainder in Sabah. Threats to peat swamp forest include land use change for agriculture and other developmental activities.

Malaysia continues to work with other countries and organizations in transboundary conservation efforts. Malaysia became a partner to the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) in November of 2012. Bako Buntal Bay, in Sarawak, was accepted as a flyway site in May 2013. Being the partner of EAAFP further signifies Malaysia’s commitment to the RAMSAR Convention.

Bako Buntal Bay, Malaysia’s first EAAFP site is an important habitat for migratory waterbirds. Thirty-two species of shorebirds comprising an estimated 20,000-25,000 individuals winter in the bay and its immediate environs.

Several globally threatened and near threatened species such as the Nordmann’s Greenshank, Asian Dowitcher and Far Eastern Curlew make their stops here. The area supports more than 10% of the global population of the Chinese Egret while the numbers of Red Knot and Great Knot are among the highest for any site in Malaysia. These recordings make Bako Buntal Bay globally significant as an important site for waterbirds. This site has a huge potential for ecotourism which can potentially generate alternative income sources for the local communities in this area while supporting conservation efforts.

Forest biodiversity in Malaysia consists of lowland evergreen forest, lowland dipterocarp forest, heath forests, limestone forests, mixed dipterocarp forests, hill dipterocarp forests and hill mixed dipterocarp forest.

Malaysia is committed to maintain at least 50% of her land area under forest and tree cover in perpetuity as pledged under the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. This is attained through the protection of forests and the application of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) practices. In 2012, approximately 18.01 million hectares or 54.5% of Malaysia remains forested. Of this area, approximately 14.5 million hectares have been designated as PRF/PFE. With regards to land capability and overall land use, it is noted that there is a need for further development to meet the requirements of a growing population and the country’s socio economic development agenda.

Malaysia has benefited tremendously from her forest resources. The rich diversity of the forests has contributed direct economic benefits derived from timber products and other non-timber forest produce. Certain indigenous plants, animals and their derivatives have long been used in traditional medicine by various ethnic and indigenous groups in Malaysia.

The total export earnings from timber and timber products in 2012 amounted to US$6.16 billion. The forestry sector contributed US$2.93 billion or one percent to Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of US$286.96 billion in 2012. In 2012, the forestry sector in Peninsular Malaysia provided direct employment to 37,443 persons in various industries.

Six countries with at least 99% of their areas are classified as dry and sub-humid lands: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Iraq, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Moldova, and Turkmenistan. Malaysia, on the other hand, by its location between the equator and the latitudes 8 degrees north latitude, experiences an equatorial climate with both seasonal monsoon rains as well as frequent convection thunderstorms.

Some parts of the country experience dry seasons, but even then, the average monthly rainfall is ca. 20 mm. While Malaysia hosts a variety of xerophyte flora, they are primarily confined to specialized habitats such as limestone or karst topography, quartzite ridges, coastal sand dunes or heath forests.

Generally speaking, however, Malaysia does not have significant arid/or semi-arid areas.

Agriculture is the third engine of growth in Malaysia which contributed US$16.55 billion or 7.7% of Malaysia’s GDP in 2011 which increased to 10.1% in 2012. Malaysia’s agriculture sector largely consists of oil palm, rubber, rice fields, cocoa, fruit orchards, industrial crops (tuberous crops, fibre, and medicinal plants), vegetable farms, livestock rearing and aquaculture farms.

Sustainable utilization of agrobiodiversity resources is a key component within the agriculture sector in Malaysia. Agencies such as the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), the Department of Agriculture (DOA) and the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) come under the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry (MOA). Collectively these implementing agencies works towards ensuring that genetic resources including plants, microbes, farm animals and arthropods are continuously conserved and sustainably used. These agrobiodiversity resources are essential for future breeding purposes, improving plant varieties or animal breeds; to develop traits that are resistant to pests and diseases; for utilization as biofuel, biopesticides and in food product development.

Plant genetic resources including rice, fruits, medicinal plants, biopesticidal plants, ornamental plants, underutilized fruits etc. are conserved in Malaysia both via in-situ and ex-situ means and mainly in germplasms throughout Malaysia. For example, rice germplasms collection conserved in seed gene banks are as follows; in MARDI, a total of 12,091 rice accessions is found, the Department of Agriculture in Sabah has 1,000 accessions and the Agricultural Research Centre in Sarawak contain 3,938 rice accessions. There has been a substantial increase in these rice accessions since the last reporting period.

In relation to animal genetic resources, conservation of these resources comes within the purview of the DVS and MARDI for the improvement of new varieties. Malaysia has a National Animal Embryo Centre (NAEC) which conducts farm animal research and development (R&D) in collaboration with national and international agencies.

With regard to insect genetic resources, there are more than 30,000 preserved specimens conserved at the Insect Museum at MARDI, DOA and local universities for R&D as well as education and awareness purposes. With regard to microbial and fungal genetic resources, a number of research institutes and universities have registered their respective microbial collections with the World Data Centre for Microorganisms (WDCM). These collections will be continuously increased and registered for future R&D and education purposes.

The species name calcareous derives from the Latin word meaning chalky that reflects its preference for growing on limestone. It was first described in 1933 by Henderson based on his own collection Henderson 22316 . He mentioned that it is distinct from other Sauropus species by its pale round leaves with conspicuous reticulation. It is a very rare species that has not been photographed before.

During our fieldtrip to this area in February 2011, we found a few patches at the foot of Gunung Senyum and the neighbouring hill, Gunung Jebak Puyuh. Its conservation status is Near Threatened (NT).

Shorea peltata belongs to the family Dipterocarpaceae and is a member of Meranti Damar Hitam group. It is locally known as meranti telepok in Peninsular Malaysia while in Sabah, it is called seraya kuning keladi. Telepok in the vernacular name refers to its leaves that are peltate like those of the lotus.

This species is found in eastern Sumatra, western Borneo (Sabah) and Peninsular Malaysia (Johor), clearly having a disjunct distribution. It occurs gregariously in the lowland forests in northeastern of Johor. In Sabah, the population of S. peltata occurs on leached clay soils.

Shorea peltata is a small-sized dipterocarp. It has no buttressed and has a small bole with a maximum girth of 60 cm. Its bark is brown with light patches and warty portions from which exude a small amounts of dammar yellow in colour. This species is clearly distinguished by its peltate leaves on which there are 8 nerves. The flower is yellow, small and very narrow in bud. Unlike most dipterocarps, the fruit has no wings.

Even though S. peltata has no potential value in the timber industry, this species is threatened by land conversion activities. According to Malaysia Plant Red List (Chua et al, 2010), S. peltata is categorized as Critically Endangered (CR B2ab(iii)) for Malaysia; it is Endangered (EN B1ab(iii)) in Peninsular Malaysia while in Sabah, is Critically Endangered (CR B2ab(iii)). Resulting from this, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) in collaboration with Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM) are undertaking ex situ and in situ conservation measures through on-site High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) in Tenggaroh FR and germplasm collection.

Didymocarpus cordatus is one of the larger Gesneriads in Peninsular Malaysia, growing to about 1 m tall. The large ovate leaves with unequal base and toothed margin grow to about 20 by 10 cm. Its inflorescence is a lax, many-branched cymes and bears up to 50 flowers. The small bell-shaped flowers are pale lilac, with dark purple spots outside when in bud.

This species is a taxonomic riddle. Initially, it was described as a species of Didymocarpus in 1845 (de Candolle) but when Ridley revised the Flora of Malay Peninsula (Ridley, 1925), he transferred it to Paraboea. This species was confirmed as a Didymocarpus species when the genus concept of a few Malesian genera was redefined (Weber & Burtt, 1998[1997]), but its affinity with the grouping within the genus was still uncertain. A recent molecular phylogenetic study (Palee et al. 2006) confirms its placement within Didymocarpus. They suggested its affinity to section Didymocarpus, but mentioned it is without strong statistical support.

Didymocarpus cordatus is widely distributed in the mountains of Peninsular Malaysia such as Gunung Jerai (Kedah Peak), Bukit Larut (Maxwell Hill) and Gunung Ledang (Mount Ophir) at 600–1000 m elevation above sea level. It is one of a few Peninsular Malaysian Gesneriads that also occurs in Sumatra, Indonesia.

Begonia (Begoniaceae) is generally known as 'asam riang' or 'asam batu'. Begonia abdullahpieei is one of the many threatened endemic begonias in Peninsular Malaysia. This rare gem is named in honour of Mr. Abdullah Piee, an experienced and dedicated field guide who has made great contributions to the research of native begonias.

Begonia abdullahpieei is geographically rare, i.e., a narrow endemic confined to a single locality in Lata Hijau, Bukit Bintang. At the local scale, however, this handsome plant occurs abundantly, adorning the dull, slippery rocks of the swift and fast-flowing waterfalls.

The charming, lustrous emerald green leaves make this species an attractive decorative item. The upper surface of the leaf feels rough to touch because of the protuding, minute spike-like hairs. Beneath, the leaf vein is red and hairy. The flower is either white or pinkish bearing yellow stamen or stigma (male and female flowers are separate). The male flower will open first followed by the female flower.

The young fruit capsule (also called a splashcup) is reddish green and turns brown upon maturity. The seeds are dispersed by rain ballast i.e., raindrops fall onto the splashcup which then vibrates and shakes the seeds off the capsule.

Orchadocarpa Ridl. is a monotypic genus endemic in Peninsular Malaysia. It is first discovered in Perak and made known to the scientific world in the early 20th century (Ridley, 1905).

Orchadocarpa lilacina is characterized by its very thin leaves covered with dense soft white hairs. It anchors in crevices of vertical granitic rock faces and steep earth banks with its woody rootstock measuring up to 10 cm long. The unequal leaves are oppositely arranged, crowded at the upper end of the rootstock. This habit, together with the exceptionally thin leaves and sharply toothed margin are useful characters to identify Orchadocarpa lilacina in the wild, even when it is neither in flower or fruit.

The flat-faced flower in pale lilac-blue has a very short corolla tube and two unequal lips. The darker-hued upper lip is smaller and deeply dissected to the base, while the lower lip is 3-lobed and the median lobe is longer than the laterals. The centre of the corolla is deep yellow, functioning as a nectar-guide for insect pollinators. The flat-faced flower is also observed in Peninsular Malaysian Paraboea species and very few in Codonoboea. It is, however, not a common character in the region's gesneriads.

Orchadocarpa lilacina grows in pristine montane forests on Titiwangsa Range, usually over 1000 m elevation above sea level.

Basionym: Boschia griffithii Mast.

Synonyms: Boschia acutifolia Mast., Boschia oblongifolia Ridl., Durio acutifolius (Mast.) Kosterm.

Durio griffithii (Mast.) Bakh. formerly included in the Bombacaceae is currently placed in the family Malvaceae subfam. Helicteroideae-Durioneae. The species is named in honour of William Griffith (1810–1845), a surgeon in the British East India Company, an explorer-naturalist of the eastern Himalaya, Tenasserim and Malacca. D. griffithii is a ramiflorous species that produces inflorescences and infructescences along a big branches. The spesies are flowering and fruiting throughout the year and when ripe, the fruits split on the tree and the seeds fall to the ground. According to Kostermans (1958), the inner fruits are glossy, whitish, papery layer of the valves often detaches when drying and the fruits are eaten by monkeys, which are disperse the seeds.

D. griffithii is a small to medium-sized tree that reaches about 30 m tall and 150 cm diameter. The outer bark is greyish brown to reddish brown, smooth, becoming rough and shallowly fissured and flaky while the inner bark is pale yellow, pink, red to reddish brown and the sapwood are white to yellowish white or pink. The leaves are dark-green, glabrous and glossy above, densely minutely appressed silvery-brown scaly below, alternate, coriaceous to chartaceous; the blades are elliptic-oblong to obovate-oblong, measuring about (5–)12.5(–26) × (2–)5(–10) cm, acute to rounded and sometimes slightly cordate at the base and abruptly pointed at the apex. The flower buds of D. griffithii are ovoid or conical, about 3 mm long and densely covered with brownish scales outside. The epicalyx is persistent, green, 2-lobed, broadly ovate, concave, slightly acute, about 9 mm long and 5 mm wide, covered with fimbriate scales outside and stellate hairs inside. The calyx are 3–4 lobes, lanceolate, about 10 mm long and 4 mm wide, acute apex, densely covered with fimbriate scales outside and whitish stellate hairs especially near apex inside. The petals are 5–6, linear to linear spathulate, about 10 mm long and 1 mm wide, glabrous, yellowish white or green-white and turning to orange after anthesis. The staminodes all free, about 1 cm long, with a small ovoid, sterile anther at apex. The stamens are many, about 1 cm long and each with 4–6 obovoid prodehiscent anthers. The ovary are ovoid, covered with slender spines and fimbriate scales outside, while the style are yellowish, glabrous or sometimes covered with sparsely fimbriate scales towards apex. The stigma are subcapitellate and glabrous. The fruits are ellipsoid-obovoid, acute at both ends, measuring about 6 cm long and 2 cm wide, dehiscing into 2–3 locules while still attached on the tree and covered with a sharp pyramidal glabrous spines. The seeds are ovoid, about 3–3.5 cm long and the aril are thin, orange or red and covering only the basal part of the seeds.

D. griffithii is distributed in Peninsular Malaysia (Johore, Kedah, Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor and Terengganu) and also can be found in Sumatera and Borneo (Sabah, Sarawak, Kalimantan and Brunei). Locally, this species is known as durian kuning or durian tupai (in Malay) and can be found widespread on a variety of soil types such as sandy soil, sandstone and limestone in primary forest, open country, flat land to ridges, hillslopes and hilltops up to 915 m above sea level.

D. griffithii are quite similar with D. acutifolius based on flower and fruit characters. This was the reason Bakhuizen (1924) reduced D. acutifolius to a variety of D. griffithii. However, Kostermans (1958) recognized D. acutifolius and D. griffithii as two distinct species and Salma (2011) agrees with Bakhuizen that D. acutifolius should be reduced to a variety of D. griffithii. In the present study, we discovered that the distinct distinguished character of the indumentums as stated by Kostermans (1958) and Salma (2011) cannot be maintained because they are some specimens (e.g., S 22134, S 13583, SAN 16030, SAN 19750, SAN 24231, SAN 34341, SAN 34716, SAN 47236, SAN 74308, SAN 86626, SAN 90843, SAN 92015 and SAN 149418) being an intermediate characters of the indumentums from very dense fimbriate scales to very sparse fimbriate scales on the lower surface of the leaves. Therefore, we consider that D. acutifolius as a synonym of D. griffithii.

Peninsular Malaysia is undoubtedly one of the well-botanised areas in Southeast Asia. Still, lowland forest on the East Coast is analogous to a chest of hidden treasures for botanists: there are new species to be discovered! This statement holds true for Thottea, with five new species recently described (Yao, 2013) from Terengganu. One of them is T. piscodora.

Thottea piscodora grows in seasonal freshwater swamp. It is a shrub with a woody rootstock that produces several vertical stems growing in a clump. The stems grow to 2 meter tall and are sometimes branched. Leaves are alternately arranged on the upper end of the stem. The undersurface of the leaves is conspicuously glaucous.

Flowers are produced at nodes on the lower part of the stem close to ground level. On some old stems, one can observe a few masses of tissue formed from the repeating flowerings. The flower is about 3 cm long and 1 cm wide. On top of the slender ovary is the 3-lobed perianth. It is urn-shaped at the base, and contains 14–15 stamens arranged in two whorls. The specific epithet denotes the smell of the flower. Its rotten fish smell is strong enough to attract a swarm of flies from nowhere, which chased after me when I brought the plant specimens out from the collection site!

The survival of this species is a valid concern. This species is narrowly endemic in the Rasau-Kertih forest fragments in southern Terengganu, where land use is undergoing rapid change.

With a height of not more than 1 m, G. secunda is also supported above the ground by stilt-roots up to 50 cm long. The leaves measure up to 34 × 8 cm and are elliptic, glabrous and sometimes reddish underneath when young. The labellum is light yellow with a slightly toothed margin. The flower anther is not crested. It has the typical Geostachys fruits, which are ellipsoid and dark red.

At the foothill of Gunung Batu Puteh lies the settlement of the Semai indigenous people. They occasionally harvest the forest products, but interviews with them showed that G. secunda is not utilised by them. The species is categorized as Vulnerable based on the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria because of its restricted area of occupancy. Therefore, in this case, the best way to conserve the population is by preserving its habitat.

Elaeocarpus stipularis is a highly variable species distributed throughout mainland Southeast Asia and extended southwards to Central Malesia. The species grows in a wide range of habitats, in both secondary and primary forest, including riverine, peat and freshwater swamp, low undulating and seasonally flooded vegetation, and it is most common and abundant in disturbed vegetation. Outside Peninsular Malaysia, the species occurs also in kerangas (tropical heath) forest.

The tree of E. stipularis grows up to 40 m tall and is often low-branching. The outer bark is pale grey-brown and often lenticellate when mature, while the inner bark is red-brown, with cream sapwood. The plants are usually densely covered with short brown hairs. The palmate-shaped stipules are one of the key characters for the species, they are persistent, and like the leaves, often turn red when senescing. The petioles are short and usually not kneed. The simple leaves are spirally arranged along the twigs in a single plane rather than clustered at the ends of the branches as is the case in most Elaeocarpus species. The leaf blades are 7–13 x 3.5–6.5 cm, usually thin, often with a toothed margin and dry chartaceous, turning dull pale red to orange red when senescing. The racemose inflorescences grow up to 14 cm long and bear 20–40 flowers per inflorescence. Notably, E. stipularis var. brevipes (Merr.) Coode from Borneo is recorded to have as many as 90 flowers per inflorescence (Coode 2004). The whitish cream flowers have entire sepals, but the petals are much divided and finely fimbriate in the distal half. The yellow-orange disc is prominently 5-lobed. The stamens are numerous (25–30 per flower), with anthers that are not awned. The ovary has 3–5 locules, each with two ovules. The fruits are varied in shape and size. The seeds are enclosed within a hard, either smooth or shallowly sculptured stone, which develops from inner mesocarp.

Nine varieties of E. stipularis are currently recognised (var. alticola Coode, var. atjehensis Coode, var. brevipes (Merr.) Coode, var. castaneus (Merr.) Coode, var. latifolius King, var. longipetiolatus (Merr.) Coode, var. nutans (R. Knuth) Coode, var. rejangensis (R. Knuth) Coode, and var. stipularis), of which only var. latifolius and var. stipularis are recorded in Peninsular Malaysia (Coode 2001).

In Peninsular Malaysia, the species has no known uses. In Borneo, the fruits, which are known as sengkurat (Iban), are edible, although astringent and sometimes bitter in taste. The seed dispersal mechanism has not been recorded in Peninsular Malaysia so far, but in Brunei, according to game hunters, the fruits are favoured by civet cats (musang) and fruit bats (keluang in Malay), and the hunters set up their traps near E. stipularis trees during fruiting season.

Elaeocarpus stipularis belongs to the Section Elaeocarpus, an informal infrageneric section whose members have two ovules per locule. Although the ovary has 3(–5)-loculi, often only one loculus is fertile and develops fully, thus giving a flattened D-shaped embryo in the fruit transverse section. Some unpublished molecular phylogenetic findings suggest that Sect. Elaeocarpus is probably paraphyletic, although this has not been explicitly tested.

Dipterocarpus costatus belongs to family Dipterocarpaceae and is locally known as keruing bukit. It is a large deciduous tree and grows to height of 25 to 40 m. This species is widely distributed in the Andaman Islands, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China, Laos and Peninsular Malaysia.

Bukit meaning hill refers to the most preferred habitat of the species. It occurs at the lowland to hill forests at altitudes of 600 to 1100 m. In the seasonal forests of the northern states in the peninsula, it occurs almost at sea level. D. costatus is a gregarious tree and sometimes dominates the upper canopy.

This species has a large straight bole, and its bark is usually greenish grey with yellowish brown patches where scales had recently fallen. When the bark is cut, it reveals a purple-red layer below the outer bark. The outer surfaces of mature stipules are covered with golden silky hairs and the stipules may reach to 5 cm long. It has a small sub-ovate or ovate-lanceolate leaf with about 13 nerved, size about 10 x 7 cm and tomentose on the undersurface. The fruits has calyx tube about 2 cm long, sharply angled, sparsely furnished with golden stellate hairs and wings size to about 11 x 2.5 cm.

The timber is used for general construction and in ship building, but it is not durable in the open. Its resin is valuable in the paint industry. In Cambodia, the resin is used particularly for caulking of boats and making torches.

Dipterocarpus costatus is considered Vulnerable (VU A4c) in Malaysia. This species is threatened by logging activities and loss of habitats. Even though it is given a low threatened category, the populations of D. costatus still requires regular monitoring in order to protect this species from extinction in the future.

Cotylelobium is a small genus belonging to the family Dipterocarpaceae. It has five species and is related to the genus Vatica. Of the five, only two species occur in Peninsular Malaysia, i.e. Cotylelobium melanoxylon and C. lanceolatum. Resak is the vernacular name for Cotylelobium melanoxylon in the peninsula while in East Malaysia, it is known as resak batu.

Cotylelobium melanoxylon is recorded from Tenggaroh Forest Reserve (FR), Jemaluang FR and Gunung Arong FR in north-eastern Johor. This species wide spread in Sabah and Sarawak, with several populations occuring in the network of Totally Protected Areas. It inhabits lowland areas up to hill dipterocarp forests at altitudes below 400 m and in kerangas (heath) on podsols. Populations of C. melanoxylon are usually located not far from the coast.

This species is a small tree with a girth 1-3 m. It has a smooth bole and is brightly coloured like that of a Vatica when young. The outer bark is pockmarked when young and irregularly scaly when old. The inner bark is about 8 mm thick and is tinged purple-pink. The leaf is glabrous with ovate or elliptic-ovate shaped and has about 12 pairs of main veins.

According to Malaysia Plant Red List (Chua et al., 2010), C. melanoxylon is categorized as Endangered (EN B2ab(iii)). Even though C. melanoxylon is not important to the timber trade, this species is threatened by land conversion and loss of habitats. In this respect, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) in collaboration with Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM) has undertaken in situ actions to conserve the populations in its natural habitats. One site in Gunung Arong FR is now a High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF). Hopefully with this measure, populations of C. melanoxylon will continue to survive.