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
