Malaysia has an astonishingly diverse forest flora. One estimate puts the number of tree species in Peninsular Malaysia at over 9,000.  Many of these trees are rare and highly localized.

The state of Perak, in northern Malaysia, has identified five sites where very rare trees are located, and is acting to preserve those sites.  The sites are Segari Forest Reserve, Gunung Bubu and Temengor Forest Reserve, and Taman Negeri Royal Belum (Royal Belum State Park).

Univeristi Kebangsaan Malaysia botanist Prof. Datuk Dr. Abdul Latiff Mohamad said that balau putih, Shorea lumutensis, is found in Segari Forest Reserve and Sungai Pinang Forest Reserve in Lumut, and nowhere else in the world.  Logging of these reserves would likely cause extinction of these species, said Datuk Dr. Abdul Latiff.

Pokok sang, Johannesteijsmannia perakensis, is another rare tree in Perak, found only in Gunung Bubu near Kuala Kangsar, according to Datuk Dr. Abdul Latiff. It is found occasionally in cultivation and is known as Johnny-on-a-stick in the horticulture trade. Local people, known as Orang Asli (original people) use the leaves of Pokok sang for roofing material.

In addition to its exceptional tree flora, Perak is home to four species of Rafflesia, the world’s largest flower.

Picture: Shorea curtisii along a river, Perak, Malaysia. Picture by Tom Kimmerer

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) will create a model forest to include 400 species of Malaysian forest trees on a 27 hectare site near the campus in Serdang and on a 48 hectare site at the Bintulu campus in Sarawak.  The project will receive nearly $400,000 in funding from Mitsubishi Corporation. Deputy Dean Dr. Mohamad Azani Alias said that the purpose of the project is to plant trees of species that are rare and endemic, found only in certain states.  This promises to be an important project for the future of Malaysian trees.  With over 9,000 species in Peninsular Malaysia, the tree flora of Malaysia is incredibly rich, but many species are poorly known and their conservation status is uncertain.   By creating a refuge near campus for these uncommon species, UPM will be able to increase its efforts in the conservation and biology of rare tree species.  With climate change creating uncertain effects on tree distribution, conservation of rare and endemic species is particularly important.

Note: I am a former visiting lecturer at UPM.

Picture: Canopy shyness in upland dipterocarp forest, Malaysia. Picture by Tom Kimmerer