1,721,034 research outputs found
Life from Headwaters to the Coast PELAGUS NATIONAL PARK Biodiversity Above the Rapids
Get PDFSarawak’s vast protected areas network, including its National Parks, are
home to many of the State’s natural wonders- floral, faunal, geological
and at the level of landscapes. Central Sarawak, in particular, is an
important area for biodiversity conservation, being home to uncountable
Bornean endemics.
Its thriving National Parks vindicate the commitment of the State
Government as a responsible caretaker of Sarawak’s biodiversity. Halting
biodiversity loss is one of the top State agendas, whereby Sarawak is
determined to conserve and protect its wildlife and natural ecosystem.
This project sits in line with the University’s niche area of biodiversity and
environmental conservation. This book, based on extensive field research by
the staff of our two organisations, brings together new information on species,
their habitats and other aspects of natural history.
Little has been written about Pelagus National Park. Scientific
understanding of biodiversity intended for conservation is crucial for
our advancement to preserve the State’s natural heritage. Identifying the
distribution, richness and habitat use of animals in tropical rainforest are
essential for understanding their ecology, and in facilitating management
of such biodiversity-rich areas. This book attempts to enumerate selected
zoological groups, many of which had hitherto remained undetected in these
dense tropical rainforests. The faunal studies reported here include inventories
of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes and macroinvertebrates, a
critical first step towards understanding the biodiversity of Pelagus National
Park
Wild Mushrooms
Get PDFMushrooms are recognized for their ecological significance. The Baleh region of Sarawak, Malaysia, is a pristine and known biodiversity- Lrich area on Borneo, yet, its mushrooms had awaited exploration and study. 'Wood-decay' mushrooms are essential in decomposing woody debris derived from trees and other woody plants, representing most of the vegetation in forest ecosystems. Mushrooms of the Baleh region can be classified across four taxonomic orders. Nine families and 12 genera have been identified and recorded. Notably, the order Polyporales showed the highest number of species. Within the order Polyporales, the family Polyporaceae was the most dominant, with four species: Microporus affinis, Microporus xanthopus, Favolus emerici and Trametes sanguinea. Ganoderma sp. and Microporus sp. were frequently encountered. Wood-inhabiting mushrooms are an essential part of the forest ecosystem and play an important role in wood degradation
AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES
Get PDFChapter provides an inventory of the herpetofauna of Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary, Sarawak, east Malaysia
Wildlife conservation legislations in Malaysia: Sustainable Livelihood · Prudent Utilization · Management of Natural Resources 13 Wildlife Conservation Legislations in Malaysia: Evolution and Future Needs
Get PDFMalaysia is considered a leader among Southeast Asian countries with regard to conservation legislation and programs; it was among the first ASEAN country to develop national conservation legislation, sign CITES, and develop a national conservation strategy. Malaysia has a protected area system covering over 12% of its land area, and many target species occur in parks and reserves. As many species are being included in the endangered species list, there are also some causes of concern, including staff shortages, financial constraints, and inconsistencies within wildlife protection legislations between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. This paper looks into selected threats to wildlife in Sarawak and compare legislations relating to wildlife protections in Malaysia. Primary needs include a comprehensive review of these legislations and a nationalized strategy to ameliorate the shortcomings
The Efficacy of Protected Areas and Future Challenges for Wildlife Conservation in Sarawak
Get PDFThe protected areas of Sarawak now contain the best examples of what were
once some of the most diverse and continuous mature rainforest in the world.
Excluding proposed sites and marine reserves, Sarawak boasts 26 protected
areas comprising nature reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
These are the only line of defence in efforts to protect Sarawak’s biodiversity
and prevent local extinction. The protected areas cover about 0.5 million
hectares of forest, or 4% of Sarawak’s total area. Accelerated land conversion
to agriculture, agro-forestry and urban development has confined the residual
biodiversity to protected areas and human-modified or secondary habitat. With
protected areas being fragmented and isolated, even minor threats to these
areas could potentially have large impacts on their biodiversity. The ability of
species to persist within such remnants is an issue of concern. With the rapid
pace of anthropogenic land use change, Sarawak is running out of potential
sites for new high quality protected areas. In light of this, and based on past and
present experience, a decisive approach to conserving the remaining diverse
mature rainforest is urgently needed. New criteria for reserve selection based
on basic principles of ecology are critically needed to maximize conservation
gains and priorities
How do people in the “Land of Hornbills” perceive Hornbills?
Get PDFSarawak is known as the “Land of Hornbills”, having the Rhinoceros Hornbill as the state emblem
and with hornbills also being closely associated with important cultural symbols and beliefs among
various local communities. However, up to date there is limited understanding on the perception,
awareness, and beliefs of local communities towards hornbills. This paper aims to describe the
aforementioned factors in western Sarawak, in hope of acquiring the socio-cultural information
needed to fill the gap, and to clarify misconceptions towards hornbill conservation efforts in
Sarawak. Data collection was accomplished using Open Data Kit (ODK). A total of 500 respondents
were approached in five administrative divisions in western Sarawak, namely Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman, and Betong. The questionnaire was carefully formulated to control
acquiescence bias that might arise. Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) modelling was conducted to
evaluate the strongest demographic predictor variables influencing the answers and word clouds
were used to visualise hornbill species by the local community. Sarawakians acknowledge the
importance of hornbills as a cultural symbol (95%) despite hornbills being used for food, medicine,
and decoration. Whilst this study describes the perceptions of hornbills in local communities, a
comprehensive assessment throughout Sarawak is recommended for better understanding of
hornbill importance in other communities. Such socio-cultural information is vital to ensure the
success of conservation efforts and for effective management strategies of hornbills within Sarawak
Eonycteris major, Greater Dawn Bat
Get PDFEonycteris major is assessed as Near Threatened under criterion A2cd as the species global population is
suspected to have declined by a rate of 25–29% over the past 12.9 years (three generations; GL = 4.3
years; Pacifici et al. 2013). Although data are limited as the species is rarely captured, the species
decline is thought to result from the extent of disturbance at their cave roosts, loss of karst habitats, and
the overall extensive forest loss and degradation on Borneo
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