PBF Research Briefs #01

KDN No: PP 18580/08/2014 (033983)

ISSUE 1: JULY 2014

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DATE OF PUBLICATION 1 July 2014 EDITORS • Dr. Daniel Baskaran Krishnapillay • Zainon Kasim CONTRIBUTORS • Dr. Daniel Baskaran Krishnapillay • Nurul Irdayu Ismail • Zulfadhlan Ahmad Khushairi • Ahmad Najmi Nik Hassan • Mohd Syaiful Mohammad • Hamiazrim Baharim DESIGN & COMPILATION DESIGN218 www.design218.asia COLOUR SEPARATION & PRINTING Atlas Cetak (M) Sdn. Bhd. No 2, Persiaran Industri, Bandar Sri Damansara, 52200 Kuala Lumpur T: (603) 6273 3333 F: (603) 6273 3833 PUBLISHED BY

PULAU BANDING FOUNDATION Unit 3A-3, Level 4, Perdana The Place, Jalan PJU 8/5G, Bandar Damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

T: (603) 7710 7066 F: (603) 7710 5066 E: info@pbf.org.my W: www.pbf.org.my

It is with great pleasure that the Pulau Banding Foundation has embarked on publishing this newsletter highlighting Research Activities and scientific information of interest relating to the Belum Temengor Rainforest Complex. This newsletter will be published twice a year. Our intention is to share with the public the interesting things that can be found in this 130 million year old forest. This forest complex, to a large extend, is still virgin and undisturbed and houses a large array of nature’s treasure in terms of the flora and fauna found therein. Many of the threatened large mammals are still found here with a balanced and sustainable population and roaming this forest which is about 300,000 hectares in size.

In this first inaugural issue, to set the ball rolling, we would give a brief write up on the Pulau Banding Foundation, its vision and mission and the facilities that accompany this Foundation that are already in place to promote research and eco-tourism activities within Belum-Temengor. As we are all too familiar, to operate the facilities sustainably, there is an overhead cost that has to be met with monthly; that includes salaries of staff members, maintenance of facilities and the utility bills. While procuring funds to carry out research has seen little issues, obtaining the budget for overhead charges has been the major challenge for the Foundation. At this juncture we want to thank SETIA HARUMAN SDN. BHD., in all sincerity for their support and undertaking this task for funding our overhead expenditure. Annually they have allocated a sum of about RM 800,000 to cover this cost for the Foundation. They have been doing this over the last three years and we hope they will continue with such contribution in the many more years to come.

It can be safely said that they are one of our major sponsors and financial contributors now. In the last couple of years we have also received support from NCIA, EMKAY Group of Companies, Sime Darby Foundation and more recently from the Prime Minister’s Department for the construction of a couple of infrastructure projects in the vicinity of the Pulau Banding Research Centre.

In this issue also, we have highlighted two species, one each, of the flora and fauna that is fairly unique and found within Belum Temengor. This would be the smallest falcon that has great speed during flight and the Rafflesia which is one of the largest flower in the world. In subsequent issues we will be also highlighting on research activities that have been and currently being undertaken by the Foundation in collaboration with other universities and research agencies.

GENERAL VISION AND MISSION

To promote sustainable development of the fragile ecosystems of the Belum-Temengor Rainforest and to meet the challenges to balance between Forest and Development.

OBJECTIVES

• To undertake research and organize programmes for studies on various aspects of the tropical rainforest ecosystems • To raise funds to finance the research programmes • To develop an information system to aid in the dissemination of knowledge from such research programmes • To establish worldwide networking • To become self-financing • To promote Belum-Temengor as an Eco-tourism destination

PULAU BANDING FOUNDATION

Early in 2005, EMKAY Group was invited by the Perak State Government to develop the Banding Island - an area of 600 acres. This island on which the east-west highway passes stood out as a gateway to Belum Temengor Rainforest. The Developer strongly felt that any development on the island should follow sustainable and low impact principles. To effect this, a panel of advisors (POA) comprising of experts from the fields of forestry, environment, prominent researchers and local stakeholders were invited to brainstorm and to come out with a list of the do and don’t during the development of the island.

The outcome of the deliberations saw the development of the Pulau Banding Charter. This Charter became a self-imposed guideline for all the planning, implementation and operations of all activities on the island. One of the requirements in the Charter was the formation of the Pulau Banding Foundation and the setting up of a Research Centre. This Centre is to carry out research on the flora and fauna of Belum Temengor and to disseminate the information to all and also to help facilitate to make the area an eco-tourism destination.

The Pulau Banding Foundation was incorporated on 7th November, 2008. The Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Foundation comprised of the members listed below. The Board of Trustees is the overall custodian for the proper running of the Research Centre.

Patron of the Foundation:

Based on earlier geological studies in the area, the forest has been dated back to over 130 million years in age. This tropical paradise is therefore much older than the great Amazon and Congo Rainforest. The stunning landscape of Belum-Temengor Rainforest houses a diverse range of species of flora and fauna.

Approximately 300,000 hectare, four times the size of Singapore, the Belum-Temengor Rainforest is the ideal place for large animals such as tigers and elephants to roam and breed, undisturbed by man. Currently, it is home to 14 of the world’s most threatened mammals, including the Malaysian Tiger, Malaysian Sunbear, the White-Handed Gibbon, Asiatic Elephant and the Malayan Tapir. This also makes the Belum-Temengor Rainforest an ideal destination for ecotourism activities, such as wildlife watching, education and research initiatives, which support the conservation efforts in the area.

Indigenous peoples of Temengor

Y.A.Bhg. Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Advisor to the Foundation:

Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Hj. Mustapha Kamal Hj Abu Bakar

Members of the Board of Trustees:

1. Dato’ Prof Emeritus Dr. Abdul Latiff Mohamad, Chairman (UKM) 2. Dato’ Dr. Dionysius Shankar Kumar Sharma (CEO, WWF) 3. Dato’ Dr. Hashim Abdul Wahab (MNS) 4. Prof Dr. Mashhor bin Mansor (USM) 5. Dato’ Hj. Abu Bakar Bin Haji Said (UPEN, Perak) 6. Prof Dato’ Dr. Hj. Abdul Rahman Bin Hj. Abd Rahim (DG, FDPM) 7. En Mohamad Suhaimi bin Samsudin (GM, State Park, Perak) 8. Dato’ Yusof Hashim (Ex-M’sian Ambassador) 9. En. Mohanachandran K. (Director, Rimba Mulia Sdn. Bhd) 10. Dato’ Dr. Laili bin Din (Dean, UKM)

Flora and Fauna of Belum Temengor

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PULAU BANDING RAINFOREST

RESEARCH CENTRE

PULAU BANDING RAINFOREST RESEARCH CENTRE

To ensure that the aspiration and preservation work follows through, the Pulau Banding Foundation was simultaneously set up with the construction of the Pulau Banding Rainforest Research Centre (PBRRC). The Research building has been developed on a 2.19 acre plot with a built up area of 2,000 sq. ft. This was made possible with a donation sum of RM2 million provided by the EMKAY Foundation. This research building forms the “nucleus� of the research centre. The building was completed and inaugurated on 9th July, 2008. Currently, the PBRRC provides basic facilities for researchers to station themselves as well as their equipment. The centre thus acts as a transit or working base where researchers can prepare their samples collected from the forest for onward transmission to their respective Universities or Research Institutes for further research and investigations.

A new additional building that has been built recently is the Pulau Banding Foundation Dormitory. The construction of the building was completed on the 29th of July 2013. This facility has been fully funded by the Office of our Prime Minister of Malaysia. The facility is a three storied building occupying a land area of 1653 sq. ft. within the research centre proximity.

The dormitory has three floors with five rooms on each floor that are fully furnished. The rooms at the ground floor are single rooms, air-conditioned and with attached bathrooms. On the first and second floor, each room is equipped to accommodate 4 persons. In total, the dormitory can accommodate 45 researchers at any one time. The building is equipped with

The dry and wet laboratory at Pulau Banding Ranforest Research Centre

internet facilities, a kitchen, and toilet facilities. Additionally, the facility has been installed with machines for washing and drying of clothes.

The purpose of this facility is to provide accommodation at a reasonable cost for researchers and scientist to stay and to carry out their research activities within the Belum Temengor Rainforest Complex for longer periods. Spending more time and doing more relevant research at Belum Temengor by researchers, we hope, will result in more research relevant findings becoming available for the Perak State and the State Park. Such findings would be useful for decision making processes and for developing necessary conservation strategies for the protection and preservation of the most endangered flora and fauna within the Forest Complex.

Another building in progress is the Pulau Banding Interpretative Centre, which is to provide facilities for visitors to obtain firsthand information on Belum Temengor and what they can expect to see when they go into the forest. The development of the Interpretative Centre is funded by Yayasan Sime Darby and Pulau Banding Foundation jointly. It features open and closed exhibition and display areas. The outdoor area will be fitted with an aquarium, and a collection of rare and endangered plants of Belum Temengor.

The indoor area will consist of galleries of mounted specimens of local fauna, theatre room, cafeteria, souvenir shop, restroom and prayer room. This facility therefore aims to expose first time visitors to Belum Temengor on the magnificent biodiversity that Belum Temengor Rainforest Complex offers.

FAUNA

Travellers OF THE WIND

Approaching up to 322 km/h, the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) dives down (called a ‘stoop’) to its prey (mostly medium-size birds), hits the target with its wing, causing harm to the prey while sustaining no injuries to itself. Due to the high-speed dive, peregrine falcon has been recorded as the fastest bird in the world.

PEREGRINE FALCON (Falco perigrinus)

The name peregrine comes from the word ‘peregrinus’ meaning “traveller” or “foreigner” in Latin. The species is classified in the family Falconidae. This bird is a crow-size falcon, where its body length is between 34-58cm and wingspan from 74cm and up to 120cm. What really distinguishes the peregrine falcon from other raptors is its long, pointed wings, malar stripes (sideburns), and its black head which looks like a helmet. Other than that, this species has a blue-grey wing, pale on the underside while the juveniles are darker. The size and several physical characteristics varies between subspecies. Males weigh about 700g and the female more than 800g. Peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, where the females are larger than the males.

Their diet mainly consists of medium sized birds as they are impeccable hunters in the sky. Additionally, they also hunt small mammals, small reptiles and also insects for their meals. Juvenile peregrine will reached maturity at the age of 2 years. During mating season, the males will start by reaching the nesting sites and they display a series of aerial acrobatics to attract their mates.

A juvenile Peregrine falcon ernesti in flight: Juveniles have a brown or darker underside compare to adults.

Photo by Dr Robert DeCandido.

THE ‘STOOP’

‘Stoop’ is a diving technique especially for raptors to hunt their preys. With speeds reaching more than 300 km/h, the air pressure can severely damage the falcon’s lungs if the air is taken directly into its respiratory system. The falcons, however, have unique features in their nostrils which guide the air flow during such high speed stoops, thus facilitating breathing without causing any damage to the lungs.

Silhouette in normal flight (left) and at the start of a stoop (right).

Artwork by Shyamal.

THE RESIDENT SUBSPECIES IN MALAYSIA (Falco peregrinus ernesti)

The resident subspecies that we have in Malaysia is the Falco peregrinus ernesti. This subspecies has distinguished plumage which is very dark, with slate-grey back and black head lacking white with some grey suffusion. To date, no confirmed sighting of local peregrine nest on trees has been noted. Entries commonly recorded are on cliffs and tall building in urban area. Molard, Kery and White (2007) from their observations reported that most of the nests of this subspecies in Malaysia are found in places surrounded by forest, suburbs, urban cities and plantation where human population are present. Apparently this subspecies has adapted to some degree to the human-modified environment.

Aerial fight between peregrine falcon ernesti and black-winged kite (Elanus caeruleus). Photo by Jonathan Soon.

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In Belum Temengor this subspecies can be sighted at the limestone outcrop (Pulau Batu Putih) within the Temengor Lake in the southern part of Belum Temengor. Diving of these birds for their preys is a sight at this location during their mating season which is around March to May each year.

THREATS TO PEREGRINE FALCON IN MALAYSIA

One of the most obvious factors that threaten the population is our human activities which tend to alter the natural habitat of Peregrine. Malaysia as a developing country is undergoing substantial infra-structural development. To cater for these developments, limestone quarrying for the production of cement has become an extensive activity. Quarrying activities tend to destroy Peregrine nesting sites at limestone outcrops. Though these Peregrine falcons will find alternative sites for nesting with some degree of success, it has to be borne in mind that the dwindling number of limestone outcrop throughout Peninsular Malaysia will result in the endangerment or total disappearance of the species from its natural habitat.

References 1. Victorian Peregine Project of Birdlife Australia, Peregrine Falcon, 2012, http://www.birdlife.org.au/locations/australasian-raptor-association/publication-ara 2. US Fish and Wildlife Service, Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), May 2006, http://www.fws.gov 3. Molard, Kery and White (2007). Estimating the Resident Population Size of Peregrine Falcon in Peninsular Malaysia, Forktail 23: 87-91

Peregrine falcon ernesti in flight; during a stoop, this bird tucks its wings in to gain speed. Photo by Jonathan Soon.

4. Ratcliffe, D.A (1988). The peregrine falcon population of Great Britain and Ireland 1969-1985. In Cade,T.J., J.H.Enderson, C.G.Thelander and C.M.White(Eds), Peregrine Falcon Populations: Their Management and Recovery. The Peregrine Fund, Boise, 1988. Page 147

Breeding range of the subspecies throughout the world. Compiled from the Handbook of the Birds of the World (2011).

FLORA

Rafflesia

“THE CORPSE FLOWER”

R. cantleyi on the forest floor attached to Tetrastigma vine in Belum Temengor Rainforest.

Photo by Pulau Banding Foundation

The Rafflesia flower got its name after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (1781-1826). He was a diplomat, orientalist, a founder of London Zoo and also a naturalist. The species was first discovered in 1818 at the Bengkulu, Sumatra’s rainforests. However, it was spotted even earlier by a French surgeon, Louis Auguste Deschamps (1765 – 1842) during his exploration of the Java’s flora (Attenborough, 1995). It has been reported that there are 20 species worldwide (Sofiyanti, 2011; Siti-Munirah, 2012). In South East Asia, the species can be found in specialized localities within the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Philippines and Southern Thailand.

Rafflesia, is a large solitary flowering plant belonging to the family Rafflesiaceae where its leathery petals can reach over 90cm in diameter. The species is holoparasitic which means that it depends completely on its host to get its nutrients for its existence. The host for this flower is the straggly climbing stems of the Tetrastigma vines that belongs to the Vitaceae (grape) family thus making it known as a parasite. The penetrating thread-like strands of roots that the Rafflesia has, mimics the fungi’s mycelium. The plant then develops a haustorium that is embedded within the host cell through which nutrients and water are obtained (Mat Salleh, 1991). Unlike fungi, although it is a parasite, it does not kill the host but only takes up a part of the water, nutrients and fixed carbon produced by its host. Different species of Rafflesia might have different species of vine belonging to the Vitaceae family as their host plant.

LIFE CYCLE

What makes it different from the other parasitic plant, is that the flower lacks any distinguished plant parts such as the stem and leaves and the only part that can be identified is the flower. The life cycle of this plant starts when the tiny seed germinates, embeds in the vine stem and develops a haustorium for food absorption. This could take a period of up to a year. The visible part will only appear when the species is ready to reproduce. A small bud resembling a cabbage emerges from the woody vine. As the bud grows, it feeds through its absorptive root (haustorium) embedded in the host. It draws the nutrients and water from the host and lives off this action. After approximately 9 months of development, the bud (now resembling a cabbage) blooms into a 5 leathery petals flower which is generally orange in colour and has cream-coloured warts mottled on it. Zooming inside the flower, one can see a spiked disk. The sex of the flower will be determined by the occurence of either stigma or stamens. The foul odour that this plant emits will attract insects especially carrion flies and these flies help

A close up of Rafflesia cantleyi on the vine stem.

Photo by Nur Zahirah bt Hanafi.

in the pollination process when they travel from one flower to another. Due to this enticing aroma of rotting flesh, many locals describe this species as a ‘corpse flower’. The fruit produced by a successful pollination process will bear numerous tiny seeds which takes 5 to 7 days to reach maturity. Once its reaches maturity, this is a signal of the end of the life cycle of that particular Rafflesia flower.

Generally, seed dispersal is believed to be carried out by small mammals such as the tree shrews and squirells. Such seeds are carried away and embedded on the stems of Tetrastigma vines nearby which ensures the continuity and existence of this species. Much more studies are needed to fully understand the dispersal mechanism of the seeds of this species.

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SPECIES FOUND IN BELUM TEMENGOR RAINFOREST COMPLEX

Malaysia, being blessed as a mega-biodiversity country has 8 out of the 20 species found in the world. The 8 species are R. tuan-mudae, R. azlanii, R. kerii, R. cantleyi, R. hasseltti, R. tengku-adlanii, R. pricei and R. keithii. Three (3) of these species are endemic to Peninsular Malaysia. They are R. azlanii, R. kerii and R. cantleyi which are widely distributed within the Belum Temengor Forest Complex.

Rafflesia cantleyi Solms-Laub

R. cantleyi is named after the Singapore Botanical Garden Curator (1880-1886), Nathaniel Cantley, who collected the first specimen. This species is classified as a medium sized flower which is 30 to 55cm in diameter. It is found in the lowland forests.

It is recognisable by the 6-8 white coloured spots of the warts on its petals, which are aligned horizontally. Additonally, another 10 spots are aligned horizontally at the bottom of the perigon lobes.

Rafflesia kerrii Meijer

Inside the flower is a spiked disk, to which either stigma or stamens are attached. Photo by Fletcher & Baylis.

This species got its name from A.F.G Kerr who is an Irish physician and who became Siam’s first government botanist. He made a collection of a number of Rafflesia specimens that he deposited in a herbaria. However, over the decades his specimens went unnoticed until it was picked up by Meijer in 1981. R. kerrii is the largest species in Peninsular Malaysia where the open flower measures from 50 to 70cm in width. The host of this species is Tetrastigma tuberculaturn (Blume) as reported by Latiff (2001) and can be found at 500-1000m above sea level in primary or logged over forest.

Rafflesia azlanii Meijer

This species is newly found in Peninsular Malaysia and named after the late Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah. According to IUCN Red List, this species has been included as an endangered species. This species has always been confused with R. cantleyi.

At a first glance both of the species show the same characteristics, however, on close scrutiny the cotton white spot of warts is much bigger than R. cantleyi. The diameter of a bloomed flower is 38 to 50cm. Another characteristic that can be observed is that the spots are connected together with 4 strips of white spots on the perigon lobes. It can be found at an altitude ranging from 150 to 400m above sea level.

R. kerrii

Photo by Siti Munirah

R. azlanii

Photo by Siti Munirah

THREATS

These species which emits a repulsive smell are unique floral treasures that need to be protected from being lost. They are becoming very rare, hard to find and are almost on the verge of extinction due to habitat loss. Another factor that can cause threat to the survival of these species is the difficulty in pollination. As it is known, the male and female flowers are separate and they need to bloom at the same time to ensure that pollination occurs. Even if pollination does occur, high rates of mortality of the buds happen due to the destruction of the habitat. Only a few of the buds reach maturity for blooming. Use in traditional medicinal is another factor that is a threat to the species. Buds are harvested for use by the locals as they believe that it helps women to recover faster during confinement, when the bud is consumed in a medicinal concoction.

References 1. Attenborough, D. (1995). The Private Life of Plants. BBC Books, London.

2. Siti-Munirah, M.Y. (2012). Rafflesia Blooms in Royal Belum. Conservation Malaysia 16: 6 – 9.

3. Sofiyanti, N. (2011). Systematic study of Rafflesia hasseltii Complex (Rafflesiaceae). Ph.D. Thesis, Universiti Kebangsaan, Malaysia.

4. Mat-Salleh, K. (1991). Rafflesia, Magnificent Flower of Sabah. Kota Kinabalu, Borneo: Borneo Publishing Company.

5. Latiff, A. & K. Mat-Salleh. (2001). Note on the discovery of Rafflesia hasseltti Suringar (Rafflesiaceae) in Taman Negara, Peninsular Malaysia. Flora Malesiana Bull.12 (7/8): 393-395

PUBLICATION

PEY BA’A THE LIFE OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF BELUM-TEMENGOR

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THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2ND TEMENGOR SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION 2012

This publication is a product from the working and experiential learning during the involvement of Yayasan EMKAY with the Orang Asli communities in Belum Temengor over the years.

Pey ba’a is a word from the local dialect of Jahai community which means “Come to us”. The objective of this book is to provide a clear picture on the locations of the villages and also the lifestyle of both the Jahai and Temiar communities living therein. At the same time, this book also aims to draw the public closer and to be constructively involved with the Orang Asli community who in general are left far behind in their progress compared to other citizens of Malaysia.

The Proceedings is a compilation of all the scientific papers produced from the 2nd Temengor Scientific Expedition 2012. The expedition was the first scientific expedition organized by Pulau Banding Foundation into Sg. Enam Basin in Temengor on the 1st-10th October, 2012. The main purpose of the expedition is to establish an inventory of flora and fauna in the river basin.

A total of 57 scientists and their assistants, from various Malaysian Universities, relevant Government Agencies and Research Institutions, in their relevant scientific disciplines took part in this 10 days investigation. The outcome of the expedition were the 29 scientific papers written by the scientists who had participated.

UPCOMING SEMINAR /CONFERENCES September 9, 2014 International Conference on Fisheries and Aquaculture (ICFA-2014) Colombo, Sri Lanka

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

September 13, 2014 International Conference on Environmental Systems Research (ICESR 2014) Kuala Lumpur

PBF extends its sincere thanks to the followings for their generous financial support.

PRIME MINISTER’S DEPARTMENT

GLIMPSES THE INHABITANTS OF TEMENGOR FOREST RESERVE Glimpses is a picturesque book, a product following the 2nd Scientific Expedition carried out in Temengor and within the Sg. Enam Basin. The aim of this book is to give a picture journey of the flora, fauna and the Orang Asli living and using this basin. A few snap shot of the expedition team and their activities are also depicted in the book.

The book is divided into four parts.

The first gives highlight to the expedition and a map of the venue of the expedition, the second part features the Orang Asli and their routines, the third part focuses on the flora while the fourth part looks at the fauna.

September 17-18, 2014 International Conference on Chemical, Environment and Biological Sciences (CEBS-2014) Kuala Lumpur

October 8, 2014 4th International Conference on Environment and Bioscience (ICEBS-2014) Jinju, South Korea

CONTACT US Headquarters

Pulau Banding Foundation Unit 3A-3, Level 4, Perdana The Place, Jalan PJU 8/5G, Bandar Damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

T: (603) 7710 7066 F: (603) 7710 5066 E: info@pbf.org.my W: www.pbf.org.my

Research Centre Pulau Banding Rainforest Research Center Pulau Banding, 33300 Gerik, Perak T: 05-7915843 F: 05-7912763 E: info@pbf.org.my W: www.pbf.org.my