FRIM IN F CUS

REST R
ES
EARCH

A Quarterly Of The Forest Research Institute Malaysia

IN
STITUTE

ISSN 1394-5467

FO
M

ALA SIA Y

March 2006

This issues focus

Forest Management
Seraya-Ridge and Kapur Forests: Management Prescriptions
Also in this issue FRIM Annual Awards Biological Diversity Conservation Food for Thought - Fungi Focus Gardens of FRIM One Stop Nature Education Centre @FRIM Bats : Friends or Foes

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FOREST MANAGEMENT
Management Prescriptions

Seraya-Ridge And Kapur Forests :

Malaysia is lucky to be blessed with relatively large tracts of natural tropical forests that are rich in timber and other products. Consequently, timber and timber products industry is very important and the forestry sector plays a signicant role in the countrys economy.
Malaysias supplies of timber resources are still being mainly sought from the undisturbed forests, which naturally have high timber stocking of valuable species. Amongst such forest types are the unique Seraya-ridge and Kapur forests extremely rich timber sources sought after by logging companies. The Seraya-ridge forest is characterized by large trees, which is semi-gregarious in nature. It is a common hill forest type that occurs throughout the main range of Peninsular Malaysia. It forms a dominant stand of large canopy trees along the ridge granitic soil. Kapur forests can be found on at and undulating grounds, on foothills and hilly areas, but are mainly restricted to two large blocks along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Kapur has a competitive advantage compared to other trees due to its ability to withstand water stress, strong wind and to grow into large size trees. All inland production forests are currently being managed under the SMS or Selective Management System that came into practice since 1978. The success of the SMS would be dependent on several determining factors such as tree growth and mortality rates, logging damage to the residual stand, an equitable net economic cut and adequacy of residual stock to ensure sustainability. The issue at hand is that the implementation of the SMS is not being met consistently and thus aecting the sustainability of many residual stands. Also, based on analysis from growth plots, the mortality rates per annum are higher than expected. In addition, logging damages inicted on the residual stands are much higher then anticipated. It has been identied that the damages to the residuals and the younger regeneration are mainly from the use of heavy machinery that moreover results in an inadequacy of residuals at the end of cutting cycles. SMS can potentially be a high grading system that tends to cull out the best commercial species, the impact of high grading however, may be evident after more than one cutting cycle.

Kapur forest at FRIM

EDITORIAL BOARD
Advisors Dato Dr Abdul Razak Mohd Ali Dr Abdul Rahim Nik Technical Editor Dr Chan Hung Tuck Editor & Production Coordinator Norhara Hussein Writer Nabila Nasir FRIM In Focus (FIF) is distributed free of charge upon request. We welcome feedback on any of the FIF articles. Address comments and queries to : Production Coordinator FRIM In Focus Forest Research Institute Malaysia Kepong, 52109 Selangor, Malaysia Telephone 603 62797482 Facsimile 603 62731076 E mail norhara@frim.gov.my Website www.frim.gov.my Layout & Design Uneedis Sdn Bhd 1
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Root buttress of Kapur

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The impacts of high grading could be reduced if a conservative approach is taken in decisions on cutting regimes. It is also indicated that the clumping of species in Seraya-ridge and Kapur forests may result in high logging damage if xed cutting limits are applied. A simulation could demonstrate the potential damage that could be inicted on a Seraya-ridge forest if unsuitable cutting limits, although fullling the SMS selection criteria,were applied. It was indicated that application of single cutting limit could result in a large amount of timber removed from the area resulting in high damage and a poor and impoverished stand. Therefore, it is proposed that an alternative management prescription is to be applied for unique forests such as the Seraya-ridge and Kapur forests, to ensure that sucient healthy residuals are retained for the next crop, the integrity of the forest structure is maintained by avoiding large gaps, the regenerative capacity of the stand is not compromised, species composition of the desired residuals is not reduced, and an economic cut is fullled. The chronological of activities of the proposed management prescription to be adopted are to implement pre-felling inventory, to make an assessment of the growing stock, and lastly, to determine the threshold level of harvest. In this inventory, all trees above 30 cm dbh (diameter at breast height) will be fully enumerated and mapped. The information to be collected includes species, tree coordinates, health condition and merchantable height. Based on the results of the inventory, an assessment of the growing stock would be made. Stock and stand reports would be generated for trees, basal area, volume and stand density index. Then, a maximum threshold for harvesting would be determined to ensure sucient residuals are retained for the next crop and that the regenerative capacity of the stand is not compromised. The tree location map generated would assist in determining trees to be felled. Forests managers would be able to produce a GIS map of the area that indicates the position of the trees, the alignment of the roads to be constructed, the buer zones and the protected areas. The GIS map could also be enhanced to include the direction of felling, slope classes and drainage pattern. Having this, a software could be developed to assist in the selection of trees to be felled based on the criteria selected. Collecting information on tree positions may incur additional costs, but the value of the data for planning is worthier than this. Identifying tree positions enables the manager to better plan the forest operation before, during and after logging. Some of the aspects that could be facilitated include stratication of the area based on stocking density and skid trails and landing sites, planning the rehabilitation work and monitoring of the harvesting operations. It could also assist in timber certication by providing evidence on the number of residuals retained. In unique forests such the Seraya-ridge and Kapur forests, where the stocking commercials are very high and where large trees dominate more than 80 percent of the net stand volume; applying a strict cutting limit approach to management would result in a high removal of the growing stock. This approach is detrimental, as it will cause extensive damages to the residual stand, not only in terms of stocking but also soil damage and overall reduction in productivity. Therefore, the suggested approach would ensure that the integrity of the residual forest stand is not compromised to an extent that will aect its capacity to regenerate to the desired crop within the cutting cycle. However, it has been proposed that the method be tested further and studied in a suitable area to evaluate its eectiveness and eciency.
Summarised from the project paper Proposed Management Perscription for Seraya-ridge and Kapur Forests by Samsudin Musa, Dr Abd Rahman Kassim & Dr Shamsuddin Ibrahim Photos: Asmar Hassan FRIM IN FOCUS

Kapur forest at FRIM

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FRIM
Dato Sazmi addressing FRIM sta One of the recipients of the Excellent Service Award Dato Sazmi ociating the Terengganu Traditional House 3
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AnnuaL Awards

Furniture Components Made From Laminated Veneer Oil Palm (LVOP), a project led by Abdul Hamid bin Saleh won the FRIM Best Research Award at the Institutes Awards Day and 20th Anniversary ceremony held on 9 December 2005. The occasion was ociated by Dato Sazmi b. Miah, the Parlimentary Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

The Best Thesis Award (Ph.D. category) went to Fathilah binti Abdul Razak from the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya. Her thesis was entitled, An in vitro study on the potential anti-plaque eect of Piper betel and Psidium guajava. The ceremony also saw 64 FRIM sta members receiving Individual Award for Excellent Service and 52 receiving the Award for Long Service (Anugerah Khidmat Setia). The Annual Best Sta Award went to Mohd Zaki bin Mohd Isa (professional and management group) and Asmar bin Haji Hassan (support group). In conjunction with the ceremony, FRIMs Terengganu Traditional House was also ociated by Dato Sazmi. This rare and antique 100-year-old Rumah Bujang Berserambi Selasar was originally situated 50 m from Terengganu River in Pulau Rusa. It was purchased and relocated into the FRIM grounds as part of the collection and display of traditional Malay houses.
Photos : Asmar Hassan

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Biological Diversity Conservation

I m p r o v e d F o r e s t P l a n n i n g To o l s t o S u s t a i n t h e D i v e r s i t y o f L i f e

Tropical rainforest a diverse ecosystem

Biological diversity has been one of the most discussed topics in the eort to reach the UNs Millenium Development Goal (MDG) and Malaysia is fully committed to protect and conserve biological diversity in its natural tropical forest. In trying to fulll this noble commitment, Malaysia, through the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) has proposed a targeted research project on Conservation of Biological Diversity Through Improved Forest Planning Tools to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for funding. Tropical rainforests are the most complex and diverse ecosystems on earth. In addition to having extremely rich and diverse plant and animal life, these forests also play a signicant role in the socio-economic development of the countries that harbor them. These countries also value the forests for their roles in the maintenance of soil and water resources, stabilizing climate and the conservation of biological diversity. However, current forest management practices in many tropical countries tend to over-emphasize timber production. Appropriate planning tools that will enable planners and decision makers to decide on areas for conserving the rich biological diversity in tropical forest ecosystems are lacking especially within production forests. This deciency would certainly threaten sustainability and conservation of biological diversity. This project will develop tools that are needed to ensure that productive forests are planned and managed in a manner that will contribute to biodiversity conservation, besides sustaining a removal of timber species to meet the demand by timber industries. Therefore, the tools that will be developed by the

project will complement eorts to promote sustainable management of tropical rainforests. It is also now generally accepted that eective biodiversity conservation strategies must include the integration of biodiversity considerations into the management of timber production forests. This is especially crucial when those forests adjacent to protected areas that contain assemblages of species that are not well-represented elsewhere. Inadequate valuation of biodiversity in developmental decision-making will continue to result in inecient allocation of forest resources to conservation. This research project addresses these gaps and will develop tools that enable forest planners to assess the adequacy of existing protected areas for biodiversity conservation and, if there is a need to establish additional areas, to determine how large they should be and where they should be located. The project will also include predicting impacts of management on biodiversity and developing models to predict biodiversity changes related to current management practices. Though the project was not designed to implement specic logging practices, it will examine the impact of experimental logging techniques that seek to maintain the three dimensional structures of the forest.
Summarized from the project paper Conservation of Biological Diversity Through Improved Forest Planning Tools by Dr Shamsuddin Ibrahim & Samsudin Musa. Photo: Asmar Hassan FRIM IN FOCUS

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Fungi Focus
need no introduction.

Food for thought

We are all quite familiar with mushrooms or larger fungi. Take a peek at a local supermarket; the succulent oyster mushroom, the ever-famous shiitake, the canned button mushroom and the popular medicinal Ling-zhi. These cultivated or imported fungi are household names that Cendawan busut (Termitomyces sp.)

However, there are local larger fungi which are equally delicious and are said to contain high medicinal values which are less known to the Malaysian public. Names like cendawan sisir or cendawan busut, though very rarely found in supermarkets, are sometimes sold at pasar malam or the night market. The indigenous people of Malaysia and other rural communities consume certain wild mushroom for food and medicine. However, not much is known about this and there has been very little documentation on the types and species of fungi they consume. FRIM researchers took to the task in documenting the indigenous knowledge of fungi utilization as it has never really been systematically recorded. They subsequently met up with the sub-tribes of Semai, Temuan, Bateq, Che Wong and Jakun from the three states of Selangor, Perak and Pahang. Armed with pictures of some commonly encountered forest fungi, the researchers carried out interviews with the indigenous people who were mostly represented by the tok batin or elders of the village. They were shown Cendawan merbau (Clavulina sp.) Betes kismas (Lignosus sp.)

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Cendawan perah (Amauroderma subresinosum)

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pictures of the fungi and asked to give their names for the fungi. Whenever possible, the researchers went together with them to collect the fungi. Unlike collecting plants, this activity has to be carried out during the fruiting season of the fungi. Many compounds useful to humans have been discovered from fungi and these include antibiotics, immunosuppressants, immuno-potentiators and anti-tumour. Besides this, most edible fungi have rich taste. Orang asli are more versatile in their consumption of fungi as food or medicinal purposes. As with most folk tradition, the knowledge of these fungi was passed down verbally from one generation to another. FRIM researchers recorded 38 species of edible fungi from the survey. Among the edible ones are cendawan busut, cendawan perah, cendawan merbau or Clavulina sp. There are about 19 species of medicinal fungi used for treating various ailments such as itchiness, sore eyes, and even as birth control. One particular fungus known to the Semai as Betes kismas or Lignosus sp. has many uses including for the treatment of asthma, cough, fever, cancer, liver-related illnesses, joint pains and they are also used by men to revitalize their bodies and as medicines for women after child-birth. However, to the Semai, this fungus is usually used to enhance paddy yield. According to Dr Chang Yu Shyun, a Senior Research Ocer from the Medicinal Plants Programme at FRIM, approximately 25% of the fungi in Malaysia have been properly studied, and there is still much that we do not know about this particular group of organisms.
Photos: Dr Y.S. Chang & Dr S.S. Lee

FRIM researchers interviewing the indigenous people

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Solan um m

acran

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GARDENS OF FRIM
KEPONG BOTANIC GARDEN
Hoya sp.

A botanical garden is a museum of live plants that houses planted ora for the purpose of research, especially in botany. A 200 acres area has been allocated for the Kepong Botanic Garden as part of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). Situated at the edge of the Bukit Lagong and Bukit Hari Forest Reserves, it was originally an abandoned tin mine, covered by bushes. A large part of the area is congured hill slopes and lakes of various sizes. Previously, this location has also been a site for pine forest. Envisioning a tropical botanic garden, the Kepong Botanic Garden (KBG) is connoted to be the centre of excellence in the conservation of ora and their habitats as well as an axis of knowledge to the general public regarding the roles and importance of plants, forests and the e nvironment as a whole. It also acts as an information focal point and a core-breeding centre for plants in Malaysia. FRIMs mission amid the KBG is to facilitate an eminent centre for research in horticulture, botany and ethnobotany, as well as works on domestication and documentation of selected tropical plants, and education. It is also part of FRIMs eort to create public awareness on the signicance of plants and forests to the environment and to provide a recreation space within the botanic garden. Moreover, it is an exceptional approach using resources to its fullest in producing high quality plants and fullling the much needed research infrastructure for forestry in Malaysia. Many do not know that Malaysia is the twelfth country in the world in mega biodiversity, and much eorts have been taken to preserve this biodiversity. Therefore, KBG has been built to highlight the heritage of Malaysias rich nature, said Noorsiha Ayop, a Research Ocer at the Garden Management Unit of FRIM.

Costus speciosus

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more on next page

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ETHNOBOTANIC GARDEN
The term ethnobotany denes the study of all plants which are of economic importance, or considered as the cultural and social heritage of certain ethnic group. The 0.7 ha ethnobotanic garden at FRIM houses collection of plants used in traditional medicine and which sometimes are of economic importance too. Realizing the limited attention given to the study of medicinal and aromatic plants, FRIM Ethnobotanic Garden was established with the main purpose of research. However, it is also intended to promote public awareness and appreciation of the value and importance of these plants. The garden is a repository of more than 200 species of both local and introduced species of medicinal and aromatic plants with particular emphasis on the species from the Malaysian forests. Majority of the species are used in traditional remedies. In this garden, the plants are planted according to types - forest species, ornamentals, citruses, gingers, fruit trees, vegetables, ferns, palms and climbers. The seedlings or saplings of these plants were collected from various places in Malaysia including Johor, Perak, Selangor, Pahang and Terengganu. more on next page
f Fruits o Ga trovirid rcinia a is

FRIM Ethnob

otanic Garden

A (Ga sam g rcin ia a elugor trov iridi s)

From page 7

One would imagine the complicated processes involved in order to ensure the success of ex-situ conservation, a method of preservation that takes a specimen out of its habitat and nurtures it in another environment altogether. At the KBG, the infrastructure support is provided for such eorts. The ground also includes the edice of various themed gardens such as orchids, gingers, aroids, ferns, palms and climbers. There are also terraces of plants with economic and medicinal values, decorative shrubberies and various species of timber. Adding to the already impressive array of ora is a part of vegetation life that can only be found in specic habitats such as limestone and fresh water swamps. Exhibitions on plants according to their characterizations will also be exposited. Unlike the botanic garden in Penang, which functions as a place of recreation and history, the KBGs role is to be a centre of research excellence and an education whistle stop for the public to learn of the various species of plants available in Malaysia. Although having said that, there are tracks lining round the KBG for visitors who take pleasure in jogging and cycling while enjoying the lush tropical surroundings Noorsiha added. Set to be opened to the public soon, the Kepong Botanic Garden, needless to say, would not be of disappointment to its patrons.
Photos: Noorsiha Ayop

Kepong Botanic Garden

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In an interview with Zainon Abu Samah, an ethnobotanist at FRIM, she said that the garden focuses on the collection of forest species used by the indigenous people in their traditional medicine. We target an addition of 10 - 15 species to the garden every year she said. People do not realize enough how important it is to conserve these plants and to learn of their values as they bring many benets to us. Therefore, this ethnobotanic garden at FRIM would help them to understand the agricultural principles of the indigenous people, Zainon added.

Some useful plants in the FRIM Ethnobotanic Garden

Garcinia atroviridis, locally known as asam gelugor. Extracts taken from the roots, leaves and stems of this plant are high in antioxidants and used to treat rheumatism. Eurycoma longifolia, the famous tongkat ali is consumed to revitalize the body. Piper betle, also known as sireh melayu is used as an antibacterial agent. Goniothalamus scortechinii, also known as gajah beranak in Malay, is used to improve blood circulation. Sireh melayu (Piper betle)

Though the highlight of the garden is the Ethnobotanic Garden is the ex-situ conservation of plants. FRIM is also stressing on domestication aspect. In addition to this, the garden also functions as an education centre for the public. It is a popular place for visitors to FRIM , in particular with students from schools, colleges and the universities. FRIM researchers evaluate the therapeutic as well as commercial potential of medicinal and aromatic plants. Besides conducting basic research on these plants, FRIM in collaboration with SIRIM Bhd. has successfully developed personal care products and insect repellents using essential oils from serai wangi or Cymbopogon nardus. FRIM is also assisting the local industries through training, development and application of modern techniques in the production process of herbal and medicinal products. MOUs have also been signed with several companies to develop the standardized extracts into cosmeceutical products. It is also here that the university students nd the opportunity to conduct research and receive relevant training. They could also benet from the comprehensive ethnobotanical information provided by FRIM researchers. At the moment, FRIM Ethnobotanic Garden is a growing trove of medicinal and aromatic plants and FRIM intends to expand into its full potential.
Photos: Zainon Abu Samah & Dr Y.S. Chang

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Tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia)

! ONESTOP
Nature Education Centre
The FRIM-MNS-SHELL Nature Education Centre (NEC) was established in 1993 and is situated within the lush tropical forest of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) manages the NEC with an annual grant from Shell Malaysia. This tri-partite eort aims to increase awareness of nature and the environment and to reach out to the public, especially children. Housed in a renovated bungalow at the end of Jalan Symington in the grounds of FRIM, it is just 16 km away from the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
Enjoying games organized by the NEC With environmental education as the main purpose of the Centre, displayed on the walls of NECs main hall are the objectives: To promote appreciation and conservation of the natural heritage To instill positive attitude towards the environment To explore the rich and diverse natural resources in the environment In line with the objectives, the NEC has developed a series of modules that more on next page cover major issues relating to environment education and awareness in Malaysia today. These modules are then implemented in the form of nature camps that are open to the general public. The nature camps could span between half a day to three days. Participants could choose which program they are interested in. The topics that the NEC focuses on are insect study, forest ecology, freshwater stream ecology, the 3R concept (reduce, reuse and recycle), 10

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@FRIM
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What have I caught in my net ?

and wildlife. These activities are supplemented by other fun and informal activities such as night walks and blind trails, which encourage experiential learning for the participants. On a clear night, they might even have an astronomy class while stargazing! As the safety of the participants is of vital importance to the NEC, there would be at least one education ocer on the premise at all times, and facilitators would guide activities that involve some degree of risk. The NEC has two dormitories with a total of 36 beds furnished with fans and attached bathrooms. Bed sheets, pillowcases and blankets are also provided. For large groups, arrangements for camping could be made. For overnight camps, food is included in the package. Typically, the dishes served are Malaysian delicacies such as nasi lemak, nasi ayam and chicken curry. Apart from the nature camps, the NEC has other activities in store such as nature talks and exhibitions. It is also an excellent place to source for research materials. Reference books and educational materials are available for sale. Besides that, visitors and guests could also make use of the photocopy machine and audio visual aid such as the LCD, slide projector, OHP, television and VCR. Field course equipments such as binoculars and microscopes are also made available. Furthermore, they could bring Malaysian Nature Society souvenirs home. Having all the resources and expertise available to assist participants to explore nature, the FRIMMNS-SHELL Nature Education Centre is without a doubt, the hub for gaining environmental knowledge and valuable experiences.
Photos: Courtesy of NEC

Wow ! what a big fungi .

This is how you recycle paper

Learning about stream ecology Those interested to nd out more about the NEC can contact: Nature Education Centre Tel : 03 62771703 Fax : 03 62754376 Email : frimnec@po.jaring

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BATS
Friends or Foes

Bats are not an uncommon sight in most urban areas. Although you may never have a bat in your house, you cannot avoid them. Bats are shy, intelligent animals that are important to our ecosystem and of considerable benet to humans.
Rhinolophus sedulus

Christine Fletcher fell in love with bats the moment she laid eyes on them, caught in her harp trap in Gunung Nuang way back in 1999. She has never looked back since. She began studying bat species at various altitudes of Gunung Nuang in Selangor. Christines current research at Krau Wildlife Reserve in Pahang is to understand the selection criteria of bat roosts - a project funded by the Malaysian Bat Conservation Research Unit (MBCRU) in collaboration with FRIM. Her work at the MBCRU more on next page

includes conducting Earthwatch expeditions and creating environmental awareness. She says, As we continue to encroach into bats natural habitats and cut down trees, we are bound to encounter them taking up residence in our homes and oces. There is no need for us to kill or capture bats as they bring no harm. They are simply little winged creatures lost in this concrete jungle we have created for ourselves, Christine added.
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A few facts on bats that you might not have known before. Bats are the ONLY true ying mammal (ironically, ying squirrels cant y but use non-powered glide) Bats are not blind. Bats do have eyes. In fact, the eyes of the fruit-eating bats are relatively large because they depend highly on their sense of sight and smell to locate fruits at night. The eyes of insect-eating bats are so small because they use more of their echolocation ability to detect fast ying insects. Bats do not suck blood! There are three vampire bat species in Central and South America but none in Asia. They feed mostly on the blood of cattle and birds by pricking a hole in the skin and lap up the blood that ows out. Bats are not dirty. Like cats, they frequently groom and clean themselves using their tongue and claws. Bats not only live in caves, but also in a variety of habitats; fallen tress, under leaves, under bridges, eaves of roofs, abandoned houses, tunnels and drains. The wings of bats are essentially elongated nger bones and a skin membrane that stretch between the ngers to form the wing. Hence the order Chiroptera to which bats belong to. Chiroptera means hand wing in Greek. The hind limb of a bat rotates 180 degrees so that its knees face backwards. This helps it to hang upside down with their feet. Like humans, bats give birth to the young, as frequent as once a year. They nurse the young from a pair of mammary glands. At birth, the baby weighs a third of the adult weight. That is equivalent to a 60 kg mother giving birth to a 20 kg baby! Most bats are very faithful and devoted to their mates. For a mammal of its size, it has exceptionally long life 34 years. There are 1111 species of bats worldwide. 126 species are found in Malaysia, of which 108 species are insect-eating bats and 18 are fruit-eating bats. Up to 40% of the mammals in Malaysia and 50% of the mammals in Malaysian rainforests are bats. Already 25% are listed as vulnerable to extinction. The smallest bat in the world is the bumblebee bat found only in Thailand and Myanmar weighing less than 2 g and have a wingspan of 15 cm. The largest bat in the world is the giant ying fox found in Malaysia with a wingspan of 180 cm! Bats are the main pollinators of the durian (Durio zibethinus) and petai (Parkia speciosa) owers generating up to an annual US$120 million worth of durian fruits throughout Southeast Asia and USD$2.8 million in Klang Valley of Peninsular Malaysia alone. Bats are excellent as natural pest control. A single insect-eating bat can catch up to 1200 tiny insects in an hour. In Peninsular Malaysia, only the ying foxes are partially protected. Regulated hunting is still permitted under license. Only in Sarawak are all bat species protected by law.

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Typical roost preferred by Rhinolophus sedulus bats

Typical roost entrance of Hipposideros ridleyi bats Rhinolophus trifoliatus and pup

Though more often than not, Christine gets queries from people who are keen to get rid of their furry bat friends from their homes and oces. She recommends the following ways of getting the bats out of the wanted area without harming them: If bats are found in closed rooms or buildings; at sunset observe where these bats leave the room from. There should be a a way through which they gain entry. Once this exit/entrance is found, block it or close it. If bats are roosting under the eaves of the roof, lining the roosting surface with aluminium foil or zinc sheets may prevent bats from hanging there because the surface is too slippery for them to claw onto. Installing small electric fans or ood lights may act as a deterent. When there is a single bat in a room, open all windows and doors leading outside to give the bat a chance to escape. Do not try to herd the bat towards a window. Just allow it to calmly gain its bearings. Within ten to fteen minutes the bat should settle down, locate the open door or window and y out of the room. On a last note Christine said, if all else fails, take advantage of their guano. Place plastic sheets, suspended under their roosts or on the oor directly below their favourite feeding spot in the evening and simply put away the sheets in the morning. Its a win-win situation. We give bats a place to live and they control our insect pests and fertilize our gardens!
Photos: Christine Fletcher FRIM IN FOCUS

Rhinolophus sedulus in a roost

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Kerivoula papillosa emerging from roost

fRIM 2005
sepintas lalu...
Nik Zanariah N.M. & Dr H.T. Chan
Tahun 2005 menyaksikan FRIM terus berjaya menonjolkan keunggulannya sebagai sebuah institusi penyelidikan hutan tropika yang disegani dunia. Kejayaan demi kejayaan telah diraih oleh FRIM dan para penyelidiknya pada peringkat tempatan mahupun antarabangsa. Dua belas program penyelidikan termasuk latar belakang, matlamat, objektif dan bidang-bidang keutamaan serta bidang tumpuan penyelidikan bagi RMK-9 telah dikenal pasti sebagai komponen utama penyelidikan FRIM. Program tersebut ialah: Sustainable Management of Natural Forests; Quantication and Sustenance of Ecological Functions and Services of Forests; Conservation and Management of Forest Biodiversity; Urban Forestry and Forest Recreation Management; Plantation Forests for Sustainable Development of Forest Industries; Natural Products Discovery and Herbal Processing Technology; In Search of Promising Lead Compounds for the Development of Phytopharmaceuticals; Biotechnology in Forestry for Knowledge and Wealth Creation; Discovering New Drug Leads for Targeted Diseases; Protection and Development of Wood-Based Products; Quality and Market Enhancement via Technology Development; dan Utilisation of Wood and Wood Fibres for Value-Added Products. Pada tahun 2005, pembiayaan IRPA berjumlah RM8 juta telah diluluskan bagi tiga projek penyelidikan di FRIM. Dua projek utama ialah Flora of Peninsular Malaysia dan Conservation Monitoring of Some Rare and Threatened Plants of Peninsular Malaysia di bawah program Safeguarding the Forest Plant Biodiversity of Peninsular Malaysia. Lembaga Penyelidikan dan Pembangunan Perhutanan Malaysia (MFRDB) telah meluluskan sebanyak RM200 000 bagi pembiayaan dua projek penyelidikan FRIM. Salah satu daripada projek tersebut ialah projek berkaitan kelip-kelip (Pteroptyx taner). Di bawah projek ini, tabiat pemakanan pelbagai peringkat tumbesaran kelip-kelip telah dikenal pasti. FRIM juga berjaya membiak kelip-kelip di dalam makmal. Satu seminar bagi pengusaha kelip-kelip telah diadakan di Kampung Kuantan, Selangor pada 24 April 2005. Buku Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak Jilid 5 telah diterbitkan. Famili tumbuhan yang didokumentasi di dalam Jilid 5 termasuklah Apocynaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Symplocaceae dan Thymelaceae. Tahun 2005 juga menyaksikan beberapa judul baru bagi penerbitan bersiri FRIM yang lain. Di bawah naungan Pasukan Petugas Khas Jawatankuasa Operasi Menanam Pokok-Pokok Bakau dan Spesies-Spesies yang Sesuai di Persisiran Pantai Negara, Jawatankuasa Teknikal Penyelidikan dan Pembangunan telah menganjurkan Bengkel Kebangsaan di Sungai Petani, Kedah dari 13-14 Jun 2005 bagi membincangkan pengalaman, isu-isu, masalah dan cabaran-cabaran yang dihadapi. Peruntukan sebanyak RM1 juta telah diluluskan untuk membiayai pelaksanaan projek pada tahun 2006. Persidangan dan seminar yang turut dianjur oleh FRIM dalam tahun ini termasuklah Perhimpunan Agung ke-6 bagi International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME) yang telah diadakan di Kuala Lumpur pada 24 Ogos 2005 dengan kerjasama ISME, UNDP-GEF, Wetland International, ITTO dan Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia. Pada perhimpunan tersebut juga diadakan Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Eksekutif ISME, simposium hutan bakau yang bertajuk The Importance of Mangrove and other Coastal Ecosystems in Mitigating Tsunami Disasters, bengkel Global Mangrove Information System (GLOMIS) dan lawatan ke lapangan di Matang, Perak dari 23-26 Ogos 2005. Seminar Tumbuhan Ubatan dan Beraroma 2005 yang bertajuk Harnessing Cures from Nature: Trends and Prospects telah diadakan di Kuala Lumpur dari 13-14 September 2005, dan diikuti dengan pameran Herbal Asia dari 15-18 September 2005 juga di Kuala Lumpur. Conference on Forestry and Forest Products Research (CFFPR) 2005 yang bertajuk Investment for Sustainable Heritage and Wealth turut diadakan di Kuala Lumpur dari 22-24 November 2005. Dr Rahim Sudin, seorang penyelidik FRIM telah dinobatkan sebagai Tokoh Pekerja Lelaki sempena Hari Pekerja 2005 dan sekali gus telah menyemarakkan lagi nama FRIM di persada dunia penyelidikan saintik. Penyelidik-penyelidik FRIM yang lain juga berjaya membolot lima pingat pada pertandingan Reka Cipta, Inovasi dan Teknologi Reka Bentuk Industri Malaysia 2005 serta satu pingat gangsa di International Exhibition of Inventions, Geneva dari 6-10 April 2005. Penyelidik FRIM turut mendapat pengiktirafan antarabangsa dengan pelantikan Dr Chan Hung Tuck sebagai Naib Presiden ISME serta Dr Lee Su See sebagai Ahli Lembaga International Union of Forestry Organisations (IUFRO) (20052010) dan Management Committee Member, IUFRO (20062010). Dr Noor Azlin Yahya dilantik sebagai Commissioner for Malaysia, International Federation of Parks & Recreation Administration (IFPRA) manakala Dr Saw Leng Guan pula dilantik sebagai AJK Audit Sains, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. Mesyuarat Ketua-Ketua Eksekutif Badan Berkanun yang dipengerusikan oleh Ketua Setiausaha Negara telah diadakan di FRIM pada 26 September 2005. Sebagai tanda kenang-kenangan mesyuarat, satu majlis menanam pokok telah diadakan di Taman Botani Kepong.