MNS Mangrove Botanic garden Project:
Immediate Needs:
Mangroves (including associated mangroves species) are declining rapidly in Malaysia and worldwide due to human activities. Some mangroves are getting rare and endangered and disappeared from their natural habitat. This is due to low awareness on the importance of mangroves.
Mission:
A gene bank for all the mangrove and associated mangroves species in Malaysia is needed. Enrichment planting of degraded mangroves and reintroduction of mangrove species which has disappeared from their local habitat. Communities awareness and involvement in maintaining the mangrove nurseries and botanical garden
Mangroves (including associated mangroves species) are declining rapidly in Malaysia and worldwide due to human activities. Some mangroves are getting rare and endangered and disappeared from their natural habitat. This is due to low awareness on the importance of mangroves.
Mission:
A gene bank for all the mangrove and associated mangroves species in Malaysia is needed. Enrichment planting of degraded mangroves and reintroduction of mangrove species which has disappeared from their local habitat. Communities awareness and involvement in maintaining the mangrove nurseries and botanical garden
The project:
Set up and maintain the mangrove botanic gardens (probably the first in the world) with nursery in Kuala Selangor Nature Park involving the communities. Enrichment planting on degraded mangrove sites involving the local communities. Providing education , training and awareness materials for the communities and public
The old aviary for Milky Stork breeding and reintroduction in Kuala Selangor Nature Park will be reuse as the mangrove botanic garden for the immediate transplanting of EMS and become a center for research, propagation and education. A nursery will be set up for future replanting. Signages and exhibit be set up showcasing Malaysia’s EMS refuge. The EMS center will strengthen the proposed Ramsar site for KSNP conservation. The in-situ sites will be mapped out and forwarded to Forestry Department to be officially designated as HCVF site. Signages will be placed in-situ and continuous monitoring will be done through citizen science activities. In the future, genetic mapping is encouraged for viability of species and taxonomic purposes. A chip can be inserted to prevent theft.
Set up and maintain the mangrove botanic gardens (probably the first in the world) with nursery in Kuala Selangor Nature Park involving the communities. Enrichment planting on degraded mangrove sites involving the local communities. Providing education , training and awareness materials for the communities and public
The old aviary for Milky Stork breeding and reintroduction in Kuala Selangor Nature Park will be reuse as the mangrove botanic garden for the immediate transplanting of EMS and become a center for research, propagation and education. A nursery will be set up for future replanting. Signages and exhibit be set up showcasing Malaysia’s EMS refuge. The EMS center will strengthen the proposed Ramsar site for KSNP conservation. The in-situ sites will be mapped out and forwarded to Forestry Department to be officially designated as HCVF site. Signages will be placed in-situ and continuous monitoring will be done through citizen science activities. In the future, genetic mapping is encouraged for viability of species and taxonomic purposes. A chip can be inserted to prevent theft.
Endangered mangroves species (EMS)
Two mangrove species, Brugueria hanesii and Sonneratia griffithii are listed as critical endangered species under the IUCN Red Data List (IUCN 2010) from the first ever global assessment of mangrove species. Since the first committee meeting, MNS with FRIM had initiated preliminary assessment to search for previously recorded sites to verify the species numbers. It was found that there are some individuals still surviving but very threatened from land reclamation and mangrove forest clearance to give way to aquaculture farms, coastal development projects and agriculture purposes. New efforts resulted a new technical committee derived from this is the national task force, comprised of MNRE, FRIM, JPSM and NGOs, for EMS was formed in December 2012 to conserve rare and endangered mangrove species from extinction in Malaysia as well as globally.
Only about 200 individual trees of Brugueria hanesii (Berus Mata Buaya) have so far been reported in areas like Pulau Indah (Selangor), Kuala Sepetang (Perak), Pulau Kukup (Johor), Penang, Langkawi (Kedah), Setiu (Terengganu), Pulau Manukan and Labuan (Sabah). Populations of Sonneratia griffithii (Perepat Daun Lebar) has been reported only in the upper reaches of Sg Merbok, Sg. Petani, Kedah and the population is considered threatened as it is found outside the forest reserve area. Furthermore, Sg. Merbok mangroves has been steadily in decline since the 1950s. To add to the above two critically endangered mangrove species, researchers from FRIM have identified another eleven (11) mangrove species as rare and endangered in Malaysia - mainly based on the already restricted distribution of the species, plus the rapid loss of suitable habitats for these species to grow:-
i. Aegiceras corniculatum
ii. Brownlowia argentata
iii. Brugueria tersa
iv. Heritiera formes
v. Intsia bijuga
vi. Meropa angulata
vii. Phoenix paludosa
viii. Rhizophora x. lamarckii –hybrid R. stylosa and R. apiculata
ix. R. x. annamalayana –hybrid R. apiculata and R. mucronata
x. R. stylosa
xi. Xylocarpus rumphii
Two mangrove species, Brugueria hanesii and Sonneratia griffithii are listed as critical endangered species under the IUCN Red Data List (IUCN 2010) from the first ever global assessment of mangrove species. Since the first committee meeting, MNS with FRIM had initiated preliminary assessment to search for previously recorded sites to verify the species numbers. It was found that there are some individuals still surviving but very threatened from land reclamation and mangrove forest clearance to give way to aquaculture farms, coastal development projects and agriculture purposes. New efforts resulted a new technical committee derived from this is the national task force, comprised of MNRE, FRIM, JPSM and NGOs, for EMS was formed in December 2012 to conserve rare and endangered mangrove species from extinction in Malaysia as well as globally.
Only about 200 individual trees of Brugueria hanesii (Berus Mata Buaya) have so far been reported in areas like Pulau Indah (Selangor), Kuala Sepetang (Perak), Pulau Kukup (Johor), Penang, Langkawi (Kedah), Setiu (Terengganu), Pulau Manukan and Labuan (Sabah). Populations of Sonneratia griffithii (Perepat Daun Lebar) has been reported only in the upper reaches of Sg Merbok, Sg. Petani, Kedah and the population is considered threatened as it is found outside the forest reserve area. Furthermore, Sg. Merbok mangroves has been steadily in decline since the 1950s. To add to the above two critically endangered mangrove species, researchers from FRIM have identified another eleven (11) mangrove species as rare and endangered in Malaysia - mainly based on the already restricted distribution of the species, plus the rapid loss of suitable habitats for these species to grow:-
i. Aegiceras corniculatum
ii. Brownlowia argentata
iii. Brugueria tersa
iv. Heritiera formes
v. Intsia bijuga
vi. Meropa angulata
vii. Phoenix paludosa
viii. Rhizophora x. lamarckii –hybrid R. stylosa and R. apiculata
ix. R. x. annamalayana –hybrid R. apiculata and R. mucronata
x. R. stylosa
xi. Xylocarpus rumphii
Sg. Merbok Forest Reserve holds the only viable population of the critically endangered Sonneratia grifithii in the country, and also some of the naturally occurring rare and endangered Rhizophora hybrids (i.e. R. lamarckii and R. annamalayana). It should qualify for a High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) area.
There is a need at this critical stage:
1) to identify, locate and map these EMS species and the related sites where these rare and endangered mangrove species are found.
2) to highlight and raise awareness amongst the various stakeholders on the EMS; and
3) to define and undertake specific conservation actions for the conservation of EMS, as part of conservation and protection of Malaysia’s unique flora.
There is a need at this critical stage:
1) to identify, locate and map these EMS species and the related sites where these rare and endangered mangrove species are found.
2) to highlight and raise awareness amongst the various stakeholders on the EMS; and
3) to define and undertake specific conservation actions for the conservation of EMS, as part of conservation and protection of Malaysia’s unique flora.
Mangrove Replanting
There is a critical need to stabilize, conserve and to protect Malaysia coast that could potentially be affected by tsunamis in the future. In 2005, the government had established the “Special National Task Force on Planting of Mangrove and Other Suitable Species in Coastal Areas”, with the major task to identify coastal mangrove areas for rehabilitation, conservation and promotion of research related to planting of mangrove species.
Since then, in December 2007 the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) with the support of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) and its agencies, have worked together to embark on the projects to rehabilitate open mud-flats with soft mud that are exposed to strong tidal waves.
For further info: please contact [email protected] or [email protected]
There is a critical need to stabilize, conserve and to protect Malaysia coast that could potentially be affected by tsunamis in the future. In 2005, the government had established the “Special National Task Force on Planting of Mangrove and Other Suitable Species in Coastal Areas”, with the major task to identify coastal mangrove areas for rehabilitation, conservation and promotion of research related to planting of mangrove species.
Since then, in December 2007 the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) with the support of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) and its agencies, have worked together to embark on the projects to rehabilitate open mud-flats with soft mud that are exposed to strong tidal waves.
For further info: please contact [email protected] or [email protected]