|
|
|
New tree species found in SelangorBy TAN CHENG LISELANGOR may have lost most of its forests to development but the remaining green can still yield surprises. A species of dipterocarp tree new to science was recently discovered in the Sungai Lalang forest reserve. The Vatica yeechongii was named in honour of Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) research assistant Chan Yee Chong who noted the unusual tree during a botanical survey in 2000. Its leaves were larger than known Vatica species but FRIM botanists initially could not identify it just from its leaf morphology (form and structure). To be certain, they had to see its fruits and flowers too. So they kept a close watch and two years later, they were in luck – a tree fruited. “Once we got the fruit specimens, we were sure that it’s a new species as it is distinctively different from described species,” says FRIM senior forest botanist Dr Saw Leng Guan who has published a scientific paper on the species. More good news is in store as the V. yeechongii was also recently found in the Setul Forest Reserve in Negri Sembilan. The new discovery brings to 22 the known Vatica species in Peninsular Malaysia. There are 33 species in Sabah and Sarawak. Known locally as Resak, some Vatica species can grow to huge sizes to produce hardwood favourable for making window and door frames. The V. yeechongii, on the other hand, is a medium-sized understorey tree. It grows to a diameter of 13cm and a height of 15m tall – hardly of any commercial timber value. “This might be one reason why it went unnoticed for so long,” says Saw. Botanists, on the other hand, find much that is of interest in the species. In February, a flowering tree was spotted. With specimens of the blooms, FRIM now has complete information on this species. While most dipterocarp species grow inland and are dispersed by wind, Saw suspects the V. yeechongii seeds are scattered by water. This is because the trees have been observed only near rivers and the seeds are surrounded by small petals which are not conducive for wind dispersal. Saw says the restricted distribution and small population – there are less than 30 in Sungai Lalang and 100 in Setul – reflects the species’ rarity. This places the species at risk. While the Sungai Lalang population is likely to remain protected as the forest forms part of the catchment for the Semenyih Dam which is a major water source for the Klang Valley, the Setul population is threatened by development. “The forest reserve sits close to a main road and this is very tricky for conservation of the trees. If ever that road is extended, the forest will be cleared,” warns Saw. But Saw is hopeful that more populations of the V. yeechongii will show up elsewhere with more surveys. “Now that we know what the tree looks like, chances are we will see it again. Previously, we did not recognise it and probably thought it was a known species.” He adds that the species warrants conservation because of its rarity. Saw has collected seeds for replanting at FRIM. He has also alerted the Forestry Department on the new species so that the protected status of the Sungai Lalang reserve remains unchanged. Saw also described a new species of palm, Pinanga sarmentosa, last year. It was found in the Sungai Nipah forest reserve in Terengganu in 2000. He has, to date, described 10 species of Licuala palms. Another 20 species of Licuala found in Borneo is awaiting publication. Although excited by the discoveries, Saw says it also meant that we lack full knowledge of our country’s plant diversity. He says this can change only with concerted botanical research programmes. “The first safeguard against conservation is to know what there is. Then only can we take steps to protect them. “We have to be realistic. We cannot protect all forests because land is needed for agriculture and development. So we should locate important plants and protect the areas where they are found. “A lot of lowland forests have been converted to agriculture but if we keep the important plant areas, we can still keep species alive.” |
Advertisement | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
25 May 2004
MTC’s
