tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645607247584743342024-03-12T18:34:43.663-07:00SiputKuning JournalJKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-88159635873787965032012-02-20T06:34:00.000-08:002012-02-20T06:40:59.942-08:00Matang: Romanticising the Mangroves (2)<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><u><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">ON FISHERMEN AND THE CHARCOAL FACTORY</span></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-axgb-OAwcQY/T0JXP62jl9I/AAAAAAAABD4/tdIiE2k3pWs/s1600/DSC04431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-axgb-OAwcQY/T0JXP62jl9I/AAAAAAAABD4/tdIiE2k3pWs/s320/DSC04431.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A small trawler boat crusing by the mangroves of Matang.</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H-AFi3T7ZOw/T0IdKlzwC4I/AAAAAAAABCY/lpd0Lf_wG4s/s1600/DSC04346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H-AFi3T7ZOw/T0IdKlzwC4I/AAAAAAAABCY/lpd0Lf_wG4s/s320/DSC04346.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A view of Kuala Sepetang fishing village.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xf2Y6ZAxT-c/T0IdXXqd78I/AAAAAAAABCg/clgpyzUmf90/s1600/DSC04347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Afternoon sees the placid brown rivers of Matang disturbed by incoming fishing boats. The chugging engines tear the calmness of the air previously dominated by whispers of heated updrafts carrying rounds of white bellied eagles (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Haliaeetus leucogaster</i>) high in the sky. Crab and prawn pots can be seen stacked highly on these smallish boats. As their bows swing towards wood-planked berths stretching out into the waters from village and warehouses, workers on the boats pulled out blue drums loaded with the day’s catch. The berths were lined with people readying to pull the drums up with metal hooks and strong muscles. The cued thud of the starboard on the berth signals a synchronised hauling of the catch from the deck to the berth in minutes. Once all catches are landed, the captain reverses the boat and head out once more to the sea. In a small frame of time, the fishing village of Kuala Sepetang laid its hands on another couple of tonnes of crustaceans. </span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aMX22E0s8JI/T0Icjil5qOI/AAAAAAAABCA/I38cX6fLbas/s1600/DSC04335.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aMX22E0s8JI/T0Icjil5qOI/AAAAAAAABCA/I38cX6fLbas/s320/DSC04335.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The distinctive fishing village jetties of Kuala Sepetang.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZA1eCLRgYi4/T0IcwgQ2oNI/AAAAAAAABCI/oIcM_OvVqAI/s1600/DSC04338.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZA1eCLRgYi4/T0IcwgQ2oNI/AAAAAAAABCI/oIcM_OvVqAI/s320/DSC04338.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A boat heading out to sea.</i></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;">The livery of Kuala Sepetang’s fishing industry for the last 200 years (</span><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(255, 255, 255);">1</span><span style="background-color: white;">) is an enduring testimony of the importance of ecosystem services provided by the mangroves. Mangroves are major nursery grounds for many fishes that inhabit the open waters of the Straits of Malacca (</span><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(255, 255, 255);">2</span><span style="background-color: white;">). During breeding seasons, commercially important fishes such as groupers (garupa; </span><i style="background-color: white;">Epinephelus</i><span style="background-color: white;">), catfish (keli; </span><i style="background-color: white;">Arius</i><span style="background-color: white;">), snappers (ikan merah; </span><i style="background-color: white;">Lutjanus</i><span style="background-color: white;">) and rays (pari; </span><i style="background-color: white;">Neotrigon</i><span style="background-color: white;">) head into its murky waters to breed (</span><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(255, 255, 255);">2</span><span style="background-color: white;">). </span>The tangled roots and restrictive channels kept large predators away from the vulnerable young fry while they develop into adults. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mkrMCwA7kVI/T0Ic9UWpZFI/AAAAAAAABCQ/XYMHtLgPxEI/s1600/DSC04345.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mkrMCwA7kVI/T0Ic9UWpZFI/AAAAAAAABCQ/XYMHtLgPxEI/s320/DSC04345.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"> A selection of crustaceans such as flower crabs (</span></i><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Portunus pelagicus</span><i><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">), mask crabs (</span></i><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Charybdis feriatus</span><i><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">), tiger prawns (</span></i><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Penaeus monodon</span><i><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">) and a mantis shrimp (</span></i><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Harpiosquilla sp.</span><i><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">) found often near mangroves.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></div><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">These fishes also share their homes with a myriad of other mangrove residents. The celebrated dried shrimp (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Acetes spp.</i>) spreaded on the verandas of village houses, drying under the tropical sun, came from the same habitat as the fishes. The greenish-grey mud crabs (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scylla serrata</i>), bounded and packed in rattan baskets were taken from mud banks in the wake of receding tides. </span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d3lcStEsSnY/T0Idj3r-fBI/AAAAAAAABCo/Ju2ON3hEOeY/s1600/DSC04348.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d3lcStEsSnY/T0Idj3r-fBI/AAAAAAAABCo/Ju2ON3hEOeY/s320/DSC04348.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Roofs of Kuala Sepetang fishing village.</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cZ1ZlooPEv8/T0JTUs5AtVI/AAAAAAAABDw/l3KFmEORkV0/s1600/IMG_4372ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cZ1ZlooPEv8/T0JTUs5AtVI/AAAAAAAABDw/l3KFmEORkV0/s320/IMG_4372ed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The blood clam </i>(Anadara granosa) <i>is a common mangrove mollusc with characteristic red blood (haemoglobin) which aides in its respiration of dissolved oxygen when the tide is far out from its mudflat habitat (4).</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Blood clams (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anadara granosa</i>), an indispensable companion of many Malaysian seafood dishes, clang by their thousands in spinning metal clam-washers. Impurities falling out of the washers form a mound beneath it. This is a mix of spiny murex snails (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Murex occa, M. trapa</i>), tiger moon snails (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Natica tigrina</i>), rock shells (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thais lacera</i>) and sea cucumbers. The first 3 species are blood clam predators and are also increasingly popular on the menu of seafood lovers. This lot is undeniably a section of the mudflat community, which is a unique ecosystem formed by the deposition of nutrient-rich mud on the seaward side of mangrove coasts.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_96yciUq04/T0JS71YlOJI/AAAAAAAABDg/hZym-7xjfYA/s1600/DSC04328.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_96yciUq04/T0JS71YlOJI/AAAAAAAABDg/hZym-7xjfYA/s320/DSC04328.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<i>The well-known charcoal factory near Kuala Sepetang. </i><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Seafood is not the only major industry in Matang’s mangroves. The continual management of mangroves is motivated by the well-known charcoal industry for centuries. The Khay Hor Charcoal Factory is one of the charcoal producers. A tangy vapour of burning mangrove wood greeted me as I was taken a tour of the factory by veteran charcoal-producer Mr. Chuah Chow Aun. Boats holding mangrove logs from allocated logging plots cruises into a canal and unload their cargo. Here, they are processed into charcoal via slow burning in large traditional clay kilns. In the process, strong vapours emitted from the kiln’s outlets are condensed into tannin acid, commercially used for tightening leather but locally used as mosquito repellent. Mr. Chuah explains that the charcoal produced from Matang’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhizophora</i> is dense and odourless, a quality attribute that is reflected by the high demand for his charcoal in Japan.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_KwFT0W4oHo/T0JSMVXEdII/AAAAAAAABDA/zsawFfNw5G4/s1600/DSC04309.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_KwFT0W4oHo/T0JSMVXEdII/AAAAAAAABDA/zsawFfNw5G4/s320/DSC04309.JPG" width="240" /></a></div></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The canal where the unloading of mangrove logs takes place.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-moBMb10RPOg/T0JSj4E0rfI/AAAAAAAABDQ/n4qq_OQGsN4/s1600/DSC04326.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-moBMb10RPOg/T0JSj4E0rfI/AAAAAAAABDQ/n4qq_OQGsN4/s320/DSC04326.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The kilns where mangrove logs are traditionally processed into charcoal.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yUL-dkeanRI/T0JSv0eZSPI/AAAAAAAABDY/V7GfWZuKN5o/s1600/DSC04327.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yUL-dkeanRI/T0JSv0eZSPI/AAAAAAAABDY/V7GfWZuKN5o/s320/DSC04327.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Dark coloured Tannin acid is a byproduct of charcoal production.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">The abundance of useful species is an important lifeline for the people of Kuala Sepetang. However, these are but a handful of species in the midst of the thousands of others which are very much ecologically-intertwined with them. Mangroves as a whole are an integral part of the tropical land and seascape. Its presence gave rise to a unique ecosystem which in turn, influenced other seemingly unrelated ecosystems such as coral reefs and seagrass beds<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(255, 255, 255);"> (2</span><span style="background-color: white;">)</span>. At a time when Malaysia is increasingly losing its mangroves (3<span style="background-color: yellow;"></span>), it is crucial to ensure that Matang's mangrove ecology and interactions are not destroyed or altered significantly under such intensive resource harvesting. As any visitors will realise, the cultural and industrial successes of Matang hangs on the ecological balance of its mangroves.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rzBih5xdh1Q/T0JSBY3Kg0I/AAAAAAAABC4/Fs2oCI76llo/s1600/DSC04305.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rzBih5xdh1Q/T0JSBY3Kg0I/AAAAAAAABC4/Fs2oCI76llo/s320/DSC04305.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Scibbles and numbers probably showing charcoal yields. The future of the charcoal industry, like many others in Matang, depends on a responsible, long-term management of mangroves.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>References:</u></div><div style="text-align: left;">(1)<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"> Watson, JG 1928, <i>Malayan Forest Records: Mangrove Forests of the Malay Peninsula</i>, Forest Department, Federated Malay States.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(2) Ronnback, P 1999, 'The ecological basis for economic value of seafood production supported by mangrove ecosystems', <i>Ecological Economics</i>, vol. 29, pp. 235-252. (Available from: <a href="http://ecosystems.wcp.muohio.edu/studentresearch/climatechange03/productivity/pdf%27s/Mangroveseafoodproduction.pdf">http://ecosystems.wcp.muohio.edu/studentresearch/climatechange03/productivity/pdf%27s/Mangroveseafoodproduction.pdf</a> )</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(3) Chiew, H 2008, 'Mangrove status in Malaysia', <i>The Star</i>, 10 June. (Available from: </span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><a href="http://mangroveactionproject.org/news/current_headlines/mangrove-status-in-malaysia" style="background-color: white;">http://mangroveactionproject.org/news/current_headlines/mangrove-status-in-malaysia </a><span style="background-color: white;">)</span></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">(4) Davenport, J and Wong, TM 1986, 'Responses of the blood cockle Anadara granosa (L.) (Bivalvia: Arcidae) to salinity, hypoxia and aerial exposure', Aquaculture, vol. 56, no. 2, pp. 151-162. (Available from: <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0044848686900244">http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0044848686900244</a> )</span></span></span></div></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-55738300169415635382012-02-13T18:15:00.000-08:002012-02-20T06:42:09.902-08:00Matang: Romanticising the Mangroves (1)<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Matang is a land of contrasts. It is where numerous mud creeks wind slowly under the endless verdant cover of mangrove stands. A land sheltering clusters of rickety stilt-houses home to generations of fishermen and wood-cutters while serving, at the same time, a refuge for mangrove wildlife. A land whose ecosystem is among the biggest carbon sinks on Earth </span><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%;">(<a href="http://mangroveactionproject.org/files/resources/Ong_Mangroves%20A%20Carbon%20Source%20and%20Sink_1993.pdf%20">1</a>)</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"> and yet home to one of the largest charcoal industry in the country (<span style="color: black;">2</span>). Under this paradoxical coexistence, a surprising synergy unveils. This two-part series begins with a visit to the famous mangroves of Matang.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><u><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">THE MANGROVES</span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><u><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></span></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ESRIqQOCShM/Tzkgp6n4suI/AAAAAAAAA-4/Dlt9uPfSLlc/s1600/DSC04426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ESRIqQOCShM/Tzkgp6n4suI/AAAAAAAAA-4/Dlt9uPfSLlc/s320/DSC04426.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">A small river winding among the mangroves of Matang Permeanant Forest Reserve.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">The road crossing Matang’s lowlands is peculiarly straight. Lining both sides of the road are the ubiquitous oil palm and the occasional clusters of coconut stands and kampong houses. I strained my eyes to look beyond the blur of passing palms as the car cruises across this unbroken plain, hoping to catch the glitter of mangrove leaves behind the silhouettes of palm fronds, but there were none. At almost 400kmsq, the mangroves of Matang Permanent Forest Reserve are touted as the largest remaining tract of its kind in Peninsular Malaysia (<a href="http://www.mtc.com.my/info/images/stories/pdf/tm-vol-15-3.pdf"><span style="background-color: white;">3</span></a>). But where is it?</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2XTXjKw76rk/Tzkk-5Y5wrI/AAAAAAAAA_A/GKg_epLy2zo/s1600/matang1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2XTXjKw76rk/Tzkk-5Y5wrI/AAAAAAAAA_A/GKg_epLy2zo/s320/matang1.png" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">The Matang Permeanant Forest Reserve is an agglomeration of mud-rich estuaries and islands cloaked in mangroves on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(<span style="background-color: white;">Picture source: </span><a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7131" style="background-color: white;">4</a>)</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Turning around the corner at the end of the road, the car came into full view of a metalled lane walled by an unbroken line of tall mangroves and dense undergrowth. The mangroves have been hiding just behind the oil palms all this while, continuing under the uniform shadow of its thick canopy. Standing at around 10 metres, this unusually tall mangrove <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhizophora apiculata</i> has a straight trunk with branches that does not appear until right at the canopy. Its wide-arched prop roots often share the forest with the sturdy buttress roots of the Leggadai, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brugueira parviflora</i>, which resembles the roots of lowland rainforest dipterocarps. Indeed it almost feels like I’m deep in a rainforest as I pulled into the Matang PFR visitor centre.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S-fneXxTrZg/Tzkmt69adUI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/KdlbR5hTBFc/s1600/DSC04372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S-fneXxTrZg/Tzkmt69adUI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/KdlbR5hTBFc/s320/DSC04372.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w75Pi5_BY-Q/Tzkm8MbHeFI/AAAAAAAAA_g/AyC738wuLNM/s1600/DSC04396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"> <span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">A 65-years-old Bakau Minyak, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhizophora apiculata</i> displayed in situ.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KinhU9YVjd8/TzkmReOs_UI/AAAAAAAAA_I/CyRFs8gyTY8/s1600/DSC04362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KinhU9YVjd8/TzkmReOs_UI/AAAAAAAAA_I/CyRFs8gyTY8/s320/DSC04362.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">The Piai Lasa, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Acrostichum speciosum</i>, is a fern highly adapted to life in the mangrove forest. It is one of the fastest-spreading plants in such habitat and hence, often compete with the planted mangrove saplings (<span style="background-color: white;">5</span>).</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w75Pi5_BY-Q/Tzkm8MbHeFI/AAAAAAAAA_g/AyC738wuLNM/s1600/DSC04396.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w75Pi5_BY-Q/Tzkm8MbHeFI/AAAAAAAAA_g/AyC738wuLNM/s320/DSC04396.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Here is the scene of fierce competition between the fast growing Piai Lasa and the planted <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhizophora</i> saplings.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-apxMkMUdWGo/TzkmfBIXtBI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/p_T8XTQijBA/s1600/DSC04368.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-apxMkMUdWGo/TzkmfBIXtBI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/p_T8XTQijBA/s320/DSC04368.JPG" width="240" /></a><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">A typical scene in the Matang mangroves. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R05U9uc08s8/TzkoB7WAQwI/AAAAAAAAA_o/mai1nMdbZls/s1600/DSC04361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R05U9uc08s8/TzkoB7WAQwI/AAAAAAAAA_o/mai1nMdbZls/s320/DSC04361.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">The entrance signboard to Matang PFR boardwalk.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Contrary to the putrid, mosquito-infested mangrove stereotype, Matang turns out to be exceptionally neat and fresh! A newly build boardwalk brings visitors deep into the mangrove forest heartland. Bird nest ferns and giant bracket fungi hang on the trunks and branches while fallen logs scatter among meadows of mangrove fern Piai Lasa (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Acrostichum areum</i>), Jejuru (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Acanthus spp</i>.) and mangrove saplings. The ground here, having thick layers of fallen leaves across the seemingly dry forest floor with occasional puddles of water, bears uncanny likeness to the rainforest. A chance encounter with a freshly dug puddle of mud no doubt made by wild boars (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sus scrofa</i>) further enhances such an impression. Only a faint whiff of salty air reminds me that I am still in a mangrove, at least for a while. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5dx1NF3AwEM/TzkqOj9RY5I/AAAAAAAABAQ/pwwn0zmu5iI/s1600/DSC04414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5dx1NF3AwEM/TzkqOj9RY5I/AAAAAAAABAQ/pwwn0zmu5iI/s320/DSC04414.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Wild boars (Sus scrofa) often dig pits like these for molluscs and crustaceans (content source: <a href="http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/mammals/wild_pig.htm">6</a>)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QoCmJ9efqys/TzkpjRJ-YDI/AAAAAAAAA_4/TDDJpsHTZwM/s1600/DSC04384.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QoCmJ9efqys/TzkpjRJ-YDI/AAAAAAAAA_4/TDDJpsHTZwM/s320/DSC04384.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">A giant bracket fungi measuring almost half a metre across.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EUMtNLVIIOE/TzkpxqcQrrI/AAAAAAAABAA/QwEA5ucoY2U/s1600/DSC04387.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EUMtNLVIIOE/TzkpxqcQrrI/AAAAAAAABAA/QwEA5ucoY2U/s320/DSC04387.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">The spike-adorned Nibong, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oncosperma tigillarium</i>, is a common palm in freshwater swamps and lowland rainforests but can also be found in drier parts of the mangrove (<span style="background-color: white;">Content source: <a href="http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/cropView?id=8076">7</a></span>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X0my1wKYjcE/TzkqAnj6oAI/AAAAAAAABAI/AX2SvmYsIHQ/s1600/DSC04388.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X0my1wKYjcE/TzkqAnj6oAI/AAAAAAAABAI/AX2SvmYsIHQ/s320/DSC04388.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">The Rotan Bakau (mangrove rattan), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Calamus erinaceus</i> is another peculiar plant related to the Nibong (<a href="http://www.apforgen.org/">8</a>). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F7LvFZF9CzU/TzkpUHGA4NI/AAAAAAAAA_w/OBFvb21YNq4/s1600/DSC04369.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F7LvFZF9CzU/TzkpUHGA4NI/AAAAAAAAA_w/OBFvb21YNq4/s320/DSC04369.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Glancing up to the canopy, I was rewarded with another surprising sight-the <a href="http://siputkuning.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/frim-more-than-just-tree-plantation.html" target="_blank">crown-shyness phenomena</a>, in a mangrove forest! This is the first time I’ve seen this phenomena outside of the dipterocarp rainforest. It turns out that these were the result of abrasion between swaying branches of neighbouring trees brought by strong winds (<a href="http://www.jstor.org/pss/2425452"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(255, 255, 255);">9</span></a>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Upon closer scrutiny, the ground reveals the marine fauna component of this part of the forest. Grazing on the dead leaves are several species of the peculiar Ellobiid snails. These snails are essentially terrestrial (they are pulmonate snails ie. they breathe air through lungs) in adult form but marine in its larval stages. It requires the tides to wash its eggs into the ocean which its larva will develop and eventually settle on suitable lands in adult form. (<a href="http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/pdf2/002934900047355.pdf"><span style="background-color: white;">10</span></a>)</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IS63iEqHlnc/Tzkth5znpmI/AAAAAAAABA4/eP5pyS1iwMc/s1600/DSC04413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IS63iEqHlnc/Tzkth5znpmI/AAAAAAAABA4/eP5pyS1iwMc/s320/DSC04413.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">The Banded Cassidula snail, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cassidula nucleus</i>, is a common resident of mangroves.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oIk2AkyFF2w/TzksnqbNLRI/AAAAAAAABAY/JXAQePmQDmA/s1600/DSC04377.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oIk2AkyFF2w/TzksnqbNLRI/AAAAAAAABAY/JXAQePmQDmA/s320/DSC04377.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">The Judas Ear Snail, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ellobium aurisjudae</i>, is another Ellobiid found in mangroves.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TkPdW17J_lU/Tzks1TLdfzI/AAAAAAAABAg/3NZ7d0IekLU/s1600/DSC04380.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TkPdW17J_lU/Tzks1TLdfzI/AAAAAAAABAg/3NZ7d0IekLU/s320/DSC04380.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">A larger ellobiid, the Midas Ear Snail, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ellobium aurismidae</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--x9LRW8yobw/TzktRT2vXRI/AAAAAAAABAw/wHUxCZPUHX8/s1600/DSC04408.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--x9LRW8yobw/TzktRT2vXRI/AAAAAAAABAw/wHUxCZPUHX8/s320/DSC04408.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">This Spotted Littorinid snail, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Littorina scabra</i> is another well-known mangrove snail commonly found way above the water line on trunks or even leaves! </span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%;">Despite it able to survive above water for a considerable time, it breathes via gills (<span style="background-color: white;">11</span>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gQTyr-UQLQU/TzktDhrD02I/AAAAAAAABAo/H5-B-PjB7IM/s1600/DSC04401.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gQTyr-UQLQU/TzktDhrD02I/AAAAAAAABAo/H5-B-PjB7IM/s320/DSC04401.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">A small stream winds through the thick mangrove forest.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">As I wander further along the boardwalk and towards the river, the undergrowth gradually gets thinner. Eventually, only a few straws of saplings remain amongst the mingling roots of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhizophora</i>. Here, vivid claws of red, blue, orange and yellow male crabs vey for attention among the drab muddy background. But it is not my attention that they are seeking, as I found out when they scurried straight into their pencil-thin burrows in the ground as I approach them. Upon sensing little threat I pose to them, they eventually return to the surface and waver their oversize claws once again. This time, several drab looking female crabs approaches them. I was witnessing a mating display. </span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lyO04vxc1wc/Tzkvo6QCqpI/AAAAAAAABBQ/wlR0foQrk70/s1600/DSC04421.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lyO04vxc1wc/Tzkvo6QCqpI/AAAAAAAABBQ/wlR0foQrk70/s320/DSC04421.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">The unique prop roots of Bakau Kurap, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhizophora murconata.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eaUWlMfY29s/TzkvLuH0iFI/AAAAAAAABBA/jIa5lB3jl8g/s1600/DSC04399.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eaUWlMfY29s/TzkvLuH0iFI/AAAAAAAABBA/jIa5lB3jl8g/s320/DSC04399.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">The undergrowth grew thinner towards the river banks.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mf1xxRT6TVI/TzkvaTZs7FI/AAAAAAAABBI/5m4UxDHoOp8/s1600/DSC04420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mf1xxRT6TVI/TzkvaTZs7FI/AAAAAAAABBI/5m4UxDHoOp8/s320/DSC04420.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">A male Rose Fiddler crab, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Uca rosea</i> with its oversized claw.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">However, there is one thing about the mangrove forest that is more surprising than others. There are several clearings in the forest and distinct plots with different stages of young <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhizophora</i>, reminding visitors that this is in fact a mangrove silviculture site. Matang PFR has a long history of mangrove forest management stretching back to 1908 and was one of the field sites where benchmark research into mangrove management strategies took place a century ago <span style="background-color: white;">(</span><a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7131"><span style="background-color: white;">4</span></a>). There are two primary species planted in this heavily-managed ecosystem- Bakau Minyak, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhizophora apiculata</i> and Bakau Kurap, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">R. mucronata</i>. These species are highly sought-after for charcoal production and various structural uses in local communities.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bm6wzbZJM6I/TzkywlQJ-gI/AAAAAAAABBo/ad6S6x51lg8/s1600/DSC04405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bm6wzbZJM6I/TzkywlQJ-gI/AAAAAAAABBo/ad6S6x51lg8/s320/DSC04405.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">A plot of young <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhizophora</i> trees.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-03Pyh72QuW0/TzkyiP-ApBI/AAAAAAAABBg/sLT0e8uHAeI/s1600/DSC04382.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-03Pyh72QuW0/TzkyiP-ApBI/AAAAAAAABBg/sLT0e8uHAeI/s320/DSC04382.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">A specific area of the boardwalk built for mangrove sapling planting.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nCh9SP6_U9o/TzkyT0w0K-I/AAAAAAAABBY/M0EPok_y8eE/s1600/DSC04378.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nCh9SP6_U9o/TzkyT0w0K-I/AAAAAAAABBY/M0EPok_y8eE/s320/DSC04378.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">A propagule of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brugueira</i>. This is the ‘seedling’ which drops from a parent tree after maturing and often ends up lodge in the mud via its projectile-like end. Tidal waters then triggers roots and shoots to sprout into a sapling. (<a href="http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/plants/mangrove/mangroves.htm">12</a>)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">As I rounded a corner and walked alongside the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhizophora</i>-fringed river, a distant object splashed into the water instantaneously! Adrenalin suddenly surge through me. Thoughts of getting face-to-face with the saltwater crocodile (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Crocodylus porosus</i>) flashed before my eyes as I scanned desperately around to catch a glimpse of this rare and endangered beast. Knowing that this is the region where crocodiles were prime game in the 19<sup>th</sup> Century (13), I am always on the lookout for any of their surviving descendants. A ripple can be seen on the bank, underneath drooping Nipah (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nypa fruticans</i>) fronds. A reptilian head peeked out from the shadows. Sigh, it was no crocodile but a Water Monitor (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Varanus salvator</i>).</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XJlb9mzuOy0/TzkzjPsdtKI/AAAAAAAABB4/jfY7vkVE2tE/s1600/DSC04434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XJlb9mzuOy0/TzkzjPsdtKI/AAAAAAAABB4/jfY7vkVE2tE/s320/DSC04434.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">The water monitor, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Varanus salvator</i> swimming along the river bank. It is an omnipresent resident of many habitats stretching from the coastline right up into the mountains, including certain areas of human settlements.</span></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2_UfSORnry4/TzkzU8tGZXI/AAAAAAAABBw/C9W0gtp3X8Q/s1600/DSC04428.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2_UfSORnry4/TzkzU8tGZXI/AAAAAAAABBw/C9W0gtp3X8Q/s320/DSC04428.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Thick stands of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhizophora</i> crowd the banks of the river.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">Despite continuous disturbance brought on by the silviculture system, it is the biodiversity component that strikes most awe in me. There is no doubt these disturbances altered the natural ecosystem but the resource that contributed to such disturbances-the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhizophora</i> mangroves, is paradoxically giving the ecosystem a reason to be conserved and be managed sustainably. Inadvertently, this has also buffered various other flora and fauna from ever-encroaching land uses such as agriculture and aquaculture, which have already consumed and heavily disturbed many stretches of this unique ecosystem that exists between the land and the sea.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"><u>References</u>:</span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(1) Ong, JE 1993, 'Mangroves-a carbon source and sink', <i>Chemosphere</i>, vol. 27, no. 6, pp. 1097-1107. (Available from: <a href="http://mangroveactionproject.org/files/resources/Ong_Mangroves%20A%20Carbon%20Source%20and%20Sink_1993.pdf">http://mangroveactionproject.org/files/resources/Ong_Mangroves%20A%20Carbon%20Source%20and%20Sink_1993.pdf</a> )</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(2) </span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">pers. comm. Chuah Chow Aun</span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(3) MTC 2009, 'Matang Mangroves: A Century of Sustainable Management', <i>Timber Malaysia</i>, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 6-11. (Available from: <a href="http://www.mtc.com.my/info/images/stories/pdf/tm-vol-15-3.pdf">http://www.mtc.com.my/info/images/stories/pdf/tm-vol-15-3.pdf</a>)</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(4) Giri, C, n.d.,<i> Matang Mangrove Forest, Malaysia</i>. (Available from: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7131">http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7131</a>)</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(5) Watson, JG 1928, <i>Malayan Forest Records: Mangrove Forests of the Malay Peninsula</i>, Forest Department, Federated Malay States.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(6) Baker, N 2012, <i>Eurasian wild pig</i>. (Available from: <a href="http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/mammals/wild_pig.htm">http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/mammals/wild_pig.htm</a>)</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(7) FAO 2007, <i>Ecocrop: Oncosperma tigillarium</i>. (Available from: <a href="http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/cropView?id=8076">http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/cropView?id=8076</a>)</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(8)<i> Rattan Species Diversity</i>, 2006. (Available from: <a href="http://www.apforgen.org/">http://www.apforgen.org</a>)</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(9) Putz, FE, Parker, GG and Archibald, RM 1984, 'Mechanical Abrasion and Intercrown Spacing', <i>American Midland Naturalist</i>, vol. 112, no. 1, pp. 24-28. (Available from: <a href="http://www.jstor.org/pss/2425452">http://www.jstor.org/pss/2425452</a>)</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(10) Apley ML 1970, 'Field Studies on Life History, Gonadal Cycle and Reproductive Periodicity in Melampus bidentatus (Pulmonata: Ellobiidae)', <i>Malacologia</i>, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 381-397. (Available from: <a href="http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/pdf2/002934900047355.pdf">http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/pdf2/002934900047355.pdf</a>)</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(11) Chapman, MG and Underwood, MJ 1999, <i>Seashores: A Beachcomber's Guide</i>, Univeristy of New South Wales Press, Sydney.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(12) <i>Mangrove</i>s, 2009. (Available from: <a href="http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/plants/mangrove/mangroves.htm">http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/plants/mangrove/mangroves.htm</a>)</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-weight: normal;">(13) Maxwell, WG 1907, <i>In Malay Forests</i>, William Blackwood and Sons, London. </span><cite></cite></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-21810440145296296162011-04-24T00:54:00.000-07:002011-04-24T19:57:09.841-07:00Susan Hoi: A Glimpse of Prehistoric Thailand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MVYQWZ1aPXw/TbOn8LMF4yI/AAAAAAAAA9c/LS05BkgIC8M/s1600/IMG_1441d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MVYQWZ1aPXw/TbOn8LMF4yI/AAAAAAAAA9c/LS05BkgIC8M/s320/IMG_1441d.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>This was what prehistoric Krabi looked like- a typical tropical freshwater swamp dominated by Nipah palms</i>, Nypa fruticans. <i>Photographed in Kuala Selangor, Malaysia.</i><br />
<i>.<br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Noon at Krabi, Thailand. The fierce sun beats down on a still swamp. Humid whiffs of air from deep peat wind their way out of sturdy intermingling roots of swamp plants. The plants jostle and crowd for every space available in between to capture the glaring sun light for their photosynthetic leaves. Their verdant swaying fronts in the midday breeze capture the flickering reflections of sunlight from a large pool of water nearby. The rippling surface of the water stretches quite a distance, lapping on the mud banks on the other side of the slow meander. Looking down at the shallows, beneath the drifting of faint silt in tea-coloured water, hundreds, if not thousands of wriggling and crawling snails made their way slowly across the silty bottom. Typical scene in this region of mud, water and mangroves, you might say. Except that the snails are not living in mangrove forests and the water is fresh. And most importantly, the time is some millions of years ago...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dzzw3phngs4/TbOnX5zI7DI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/AhUjm14zXbY/s1600/DSC00232d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dzzw3phngs4/TbOnX5zI7DI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/AhUjm14zXbY/s320/DSC00232d.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The signboard welcoming us at the entrance.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>"THE WORLD MOLLUSC FOSSIL SITE-KRABI-THAILAND" displays the signboard welcoming us. The time is 5pm and the sun is dipping silently into the Andaman Sea to the west. The rays, although still casting its golden shine on Krabi's coast, is no way near its fiery midday equivalent. We held our breath. Cramming in a van for 3 excruciating hours from Phuket to Krabi with a driver that drives more like a jet pilot have us fatigued. We are only too eager to burst out of the van and indulge in something more productive, fulfilling. The van finally pulled over a car park lined with stores selling typical seashell souvenirs. There's no doubt what this place is famous for!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c1g2XS2VnEI/TbOppAY0nTI/AAAAAAAAA94/d-heG4bUQT0/s1600/IMG_3778d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c1g2XS2VnEI/TbOppAY0nTI/AAAAAAAAA94/d-heG4bUQT0/s320/IMG_3778d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The information plaque for Susan Hoi.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5WYKg-LJB1g/TbOrk7V16tI/AAAAAAAAA-g/9hkpuEUecD0/s1600/Susaan+hoi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5WYKg-LJB1g/TbOrk7V16tI/AAAAAAAAA-g/9hkpuEUecD0/s320/Susaan+hoi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Rocks surrounding the two headlands of Ban Laem Pho are the centrepieces of this unusual attraction</i>. <i>(image from Google Earth)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Susan Hoi Jedsibhalanpi or more accurately known as Susan Hoi literally means "seventy-five million years old shell cemetery". You might be wondering how did they found out the age of the shells but I'll come back to that later. Located 7km south of Krabi town at the jutting headlands of Ban Laem Pho coast, Susaan Hoi is a collection of 3 geological formations containing fossilised freshwater shells numbering in the millions. Although inconspicuous and insignificant from afar, the rocky capes are wonders in themselves. It is thought that this geological curiosity is among the only sites around the world, the other being in Japan and the US. This statement is doubtful since there are many fossilised shell beds (shell assemblages) including a recent discovery in Mae Moh coal deposits of northern Thailand, also of freshwater origins. Closer to home, Krabi itself boasts another site in a coal mine with the same layer of fossil freshwater shells believed to be from the same formation as Susan Hoi's.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1SoDdfVb12g/TbOqP8bNGHI/AAAAAAAAA-A/21vO5A2fUzk/s1600/IMG_3781d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1SoDdfVb12g/TbOqP8bNGHI/AAAAAAAAA-A/21vO5A2fUzk/s320/IMG_3781d.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Tens of thousands of fossil shells cover the entire rock layer.</i><br />
<i>. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wqvPJLh3tKc/TbOqo2OQrwI/AAAAAAAAA-I/TdyezVXp5uQ/s1600/IMG_3788d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wqvPJLh3tKc/TbOqo2OQrwI/AAAAAAAAA-I/TdyezVXp5uQ/s320/IMG_3788d.jpg" width="240" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A detached slab showing the thick deposit of fossil shells.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This brings us to the questions: What exactly is the Susan Hoi formation? and how old is it? Let's answer the latter, for a start. Susan Hoi is, admittedly, not seventy-five million years old. The naming error stems from an old assumption that Susan Hoi comes from the Tertiary period, where the 75 million years ago period is located. It is younger, though no geologists have come to terms with its exact date yet. Primarily, there are two camps when it comes to dating these fossils. On one side, scientists who analysed ancient pollen grains deposited along with the fossil shells concluded that Susan Hoi could only be between early and mid-Miocene (that is, between 23.03 and 5.33 million years ago). On the other hand, paleontologists discovered fossilsed fishes and turtles in the deposits dating back to the Eocene period (56 to 34 million years ago). With such conflicting claims, no dating consensus can be made save the error of the 75 million years old phrase. However, what is more definite can be found in the study of the evolution of the environment leading to Susan Hoi's formation.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jUR6wCdU65k/TbOqbD6YQBI/AAAAAAAAA-E/BYkV-YvZEOE/s1600/IMG_3782d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jUR6wCdU65k/TbOqbD6YQBI/AAAAAAAAA-E/BYkV-YvZEOE/s320/IMG_3782d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Slabs of hard fossil rich rocks break and collapse onto the beach as waves washed away softer deposits around it.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1pdmmqj5Thk/TbOrErt_cDI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/RGlqFel6rRA/s1600/IMG_3791d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1pdmmqj5Thk/TbOrErt_cDI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/RGlqFel6rRA/s320/IMG_3791d.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Cracks form across the fossil shell bed as a result of endless weathering from wave action in this dynamic coast.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Waves have been pounding hard on the Susan Hoi's rocks for millenia. In the process, softer deposits and the topsoil layers have gave way and washed down into the sea, leaving the more sturdy layer of fossil shells (a.k.a. shell matrix) jutting out of the formation. Eventually, prolonged weathering cracked the exposed matrix and they collapsed to a pile of giant slabs. In such an event, sections of the entire formation can be seen from a cliff face, especially the more exposed parts of the capes. This gives geologists opportunities to study each layer of rock and interpret them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sExc1GRCobs/TbOqCHHiFII/AAAAAAAAA98/AYCxz7xzLlg/s1600/IMG_3779d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sExc1GRCobs/TbOqCHHiFII/AAAAAAAAA98/AYCxz7xzLlg/s320/IMG_3779d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Lignite (coal) mixed with clays and fragments of </i>Viviparid<i> snail fossils found beneath the rock layer.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Beneath the shell layer, geologists found a dark band of lignite (better known as coal) interspersed with shale and clay and even some <i>Viviparid</i> snails-indicating an ancient freshwater swamp. Some plants living among its watery habitat, often shed its leaves, while other that died collapse into the water. These organic material decompose and sink into the depths of the swamp, eventually compressed by the pressure of water and soil deposits above. This compressed layer then becomes lignite. Clay and shale, meanwhile, had their origins as silt and sand washed down from the interior and settled between the dead plants in significant quantities. To produce such thick deposits of silt, one may imagine huge amount of rain battering down on mountains and river banks. In other words, southern Thailand might have been tropical even before Susan Hoi's formation! (Not that this is strange, it is just that climate and environment of the past in many places differ significantly from today's.) Indeed, fossil pollen analysis indicate tropical plants thrive during that period.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NBWpYGCTdes/TbOnACt51tI/AAAAAAAAA9M/CC-Tb0KhROA/s1600/DSC00193d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NBWpYGCTdes/TbOnACt51tI/AAAAAAAAA9M/CC-Tb0KhROA/s320/DSC00193d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>As sea levels began to rise, saltwater incursion occurs across the Krabi floodplain, aiding the spread of brackish water habitats, followed by the more salty mangrove wetlands. Pictured here is the floodplain as seen from the limestone peak at Wat Tham Suea. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t65dX_FLaRQ/TbOoHxeNCkI/AAAAAAAAA9g/fvrEjENg8KI/s1600/IMG_2341d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t65dX_FLaRQ/TbOoHxeNCkI/AAAAAAAAA9g/fvrEjENg8KI/s320/IMG_2341d.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>One of the mangrove plant species is the </i>Rhizophora sp<i>., seen here in present day Krabi.</i></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i> </i> </div>This freshwater swamp, however, disappear completely after several million years. It is then that the shell bed enters the scene. Apparently, salt water had begun to invade the freshwater swamps, leading to the formation of brackish water habitat instead. Brackish water simply means a mixture of salt and freshwater. This means death to the previous occupants including the freshwater swamp plants, hence the absence of lignite in the shell beds. The disappearance of the freshwater plants allowed the growth of certain algae, which in turn allowed molluscs to thrive. Typical swamp molluscs such as <i>Viviparid </i>snails, <i>Melanoides</i> snails and <i>Mya arenaria</i> clams began to appear in profusion. The algae increase heighten activities of grazing and filtering decomposed materials. Sand and silt continued to deposit along with the mollusc shells. This goes on for several million years. by then, the shell and silt became cemented and formed a 1m thick deposit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6YDFACfw0fI/TbOnt3_ht9I/AAAAAAAAA9Y/nupWJmVh1Xc/s1600/IMG_0293d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6YDFACfw0fI/TbOnt3_ht9I/AAAAAAAAA9Y/nupWJmVh1Xc/s320/IMG_0293d.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Typical brackish water habitat supports a large specialised molluscan community as seen in this example in Pulau Tioman, Malaysia.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W-XSirTMmUc/TbOoTNHt9GI/AAAAAAAAA9k/lLnMDiPK7Xk/s1600/IMG_3769d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W-XSirTMmUc/TbOoTNHt9GI/AAAAAAAAA9k/lLnMDiPK7Xk/s320/IMG_3769d.jpg" width="240" /> </a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The fossilsed</i> Viviparid <i>snails</i> (family Viviparidae), Taia sp.(?), <i>bounded by clay.</i></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qmEvJSBOVP0/TbOodl3qGoI/AAAAAAAAA9o/e4XOrMuJ_TY/s1600/IMG_3771d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qmEvJSBOVP0/TbOodl3qGoI/AAAAAAAAA9o/e4XOrMuJ_TY/s320/IMG_3771d.jpg" width="240" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Another species present is the smaller, tall spired </i>Melanoides sp. <i>snails </i>(family Thiaridae).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Peculiarly, this shell deposit stopped short of continual growth and was obliterated by a thick layer of sand, clay, gravel and red laterite! What happened? What occured to the swamp...and the snails? Some people speculate that this may be a result of a severe storm which carried tonnes of earth from upstream and dumped them onto the riverine community. Others said it could be a sudden geological uplift of the floodplain, draining out all the swamp water. Or is it? Either way, the entire swamp ceased to exist. This was replaced by the dryland rainforest which grew on the firm earth burying the shell deposits.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4tfwxJ8dYcA/TbOpeKNEjgI/AAAAAAAAA90/xv-y2ZUvYvs/s1600/IMG_3776d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4tfwxJ8dYcA/TbOpeKNEjgI/AAAAAAAAA90/xv-y2ZUvYvs/s320/IMG_3776d.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>As weathering continues, exposed fossil shells will erode. Here the severity of erosion is shown by the reduced striation features found on the </i>Viviparids <i>as compared to the previous two pictures.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i> </i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pf_iTIW4vUs/TbOpTCUepAI/AAAAAAAAA9w/_TUEHLzxopc/s1600/IMG_3774d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pf_iTIW4vUs/TbOpTCUepAI/AAAAAAAAA9w/_TUEHLzxopc/s320/IMG_3774d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>As erosion continues, even the shape of the shells began to look indiscernible.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7Mfp9Zef3c/TbOpJ76GV8I/AAAAAAAAA9s/cXr4VGFbOjU/s1600/IMG_3772d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7Mfp9Zef3c/TbOpJ76GV8I/AAAAAAAAA9s/cXr4VGFbOjU/s320/IMG_3772d.jpg" width="240" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Fossil casts of the freshwater </i>Viviparids<i> embedded in red clay exposed as erosion rounded the fossil -rich pebbles.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>As time passes, the coast gradually crept back towards the shell beds. Wave action have been breaking up all the soil and rocks between the sea and shell deposits. finally, the sea is now lapping once again at the doorstep of the ancient swamp fossils.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b4oEr6uDPbE/TbOq89ZciKI/AAAAAAAAA-M/S5h3X1LzPBo/s1600/IMG_3789d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b4oEr6uDPbE/TbOq89ZciKI/AAAAAAAAA-M/S5h3X1LzPBo/s320/IMG_3789d.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Rocks less exposed to wave action produce more pronounced details of the ten of thousands of ancient freshwater shells.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PUzk2N4z-5Y/TbOraOTgyEI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/f4k0uUwqAKM/s1600/IMG_3795d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PUzk2N4z-5Y/TbOraOTgyEI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/f4k0uUwqAKM/s320/IMG_3795d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Paradox in this dynamic coast: </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Where the old (fossils) meets new (the orange nerite snail,</i> Nerita chameleon (Linnaeus 1758) <i>)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p9G3ey7gHYI/TbOrQ3oGTGI/AAAAAAAAA-U/0riyLQjyark/s1600/IMG_3793d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p9G3ey7gHYI/TbOrQ3oGTGI/AAAAAAAAA-U/0riyLQjyark/s320/IMG_3793d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Paradox in this dynamic coast: </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Where the old (fossils) meets the young ('spiral' eggs belonging to an unidentified species of mollusc)</i><i></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ykNqtBV5mQY/TbOrjxswZdI/AAAAAAAAA-c/2nOpk-vuSyo/s1600/IMG_3797d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ykNqtBV5mQY/TbOrjxswZdI/AAAAAAAAA-c/2nOpk-vuSyo/s320/IMG_3797d.jpg" width="240" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Paradox in this dynamic coast: </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Where the primitive (fossil snails) meets the advanced (an Onch Slug, </i>family Onchidiidae<i>)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>As I stand on the cape, gazing out to the Andaman, I contemplated Susan Hoi's eventual fate. The final rays of sunshine touch gently on broken pieces of fossil rocks illuminated by saltwater spray from relentless pounding of waves down at the waterline. It was such a brief exposure, in geological time, that has afforded us an opportunity to reveal the amazing history of this natural wonder. I knew that, very soon, the shell cemetery will be no more. Mere pebbles rolling beneath the waves, ever breaking into smaller pieces, ending back into the sea, just like a few million years ago.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6eAhSPL_FTc/TbOnkCUoDSI/AAAAAAAAA9U/fjZ7R0G6Ufk/s1600/DSC00242d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6eAhSPL_FTc/TbOnkCUoDSI/AAAAAAAAA9U/fjZ7R0G6Ufk/s320/DSC00242d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Sunset over Susan Hoi.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><u>Useful further reading</u>:<br />
1. Udomkan, B, Ratanasthien, B, Takayasu, K, Fyfe, WS, Sato, S, Kandharosa, W, Wongpomchai, P and<br />
Kusakabe, M 2003, 'Fluctutaion of Depositional Environment in the Bang Mark Coal deposit, Krabi Mine, Southern Thailand: Stable Isotope Implication', <i>ScienceAsia</i>,<i> </i>vol. 29, pp. 307-317.<br />
Link: [<a href="http://www.scienceasia.org/2003.29.n4/v29_307_317.pdf">http://www.scienceasia.org/2003.29.n4/v29_307_317.pdf</a>] <http: 2003.29.n4="" v29_307_317.pdf="" www.scienceasia.org=""></http:><br />
<br />
2. Watanasak, M, Songtham, W, Mildenhall, D 1995, 'Age Of The Susan Hoi (Shell Fossil Cemetery) Krabi Basin, Southern Thailand', <i>International Conference on Geology, Geotechnology and Mineral Resources of Indochina (Geo-Indo '95)</i>, pp163-168. Link: [<a href="http://library.dmr.go.th/library/7427.pdf">http://library.dmr.go.th/library/7427.pdf</a>]<http: 7427.pdf="" library.dmr.go.th="" library=""></http:><br />
<br />
3. Boonchai, N, Grote, PJ and Jintasakul, P 2009, 'Paleontological parks and museums and prominent fossil sites in Thailand and their importance in the conservation of fossils' in <i>Paleoparks- The protection and conservation of fossil sites worldwide</i>, ed JH Lipps, BRC Granier, Brest, Book 2009/03, Chapter 7. Link: [<a href="http://paleopolis.rediris.es/cg/CG2009_BOOK_03/CG2009_BOOK_03_Chapter07.html">http://paleopolis.rediris.es/cg/CG2009_BOOK_03/CG2009_BOOK_03_Chapter07.html</a>]<http: cg2009_book_03="" cg2009_book_03_chapter07.html="" cg="" paleopolis.rediris.es=""><http: cg2009_book_03="" cg2009_book_03_chapter07.html="" cg="" paleopolis.rediris.es=""><br />
</http:></http:>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-21168228427593382102011-02-12T02:04:00.000-08:002011-02-12T02:16:44.440-08:00The Patamakanthin's Shell World-Sharing the Love of Shelled MolluscsIt is a sweltering noon on Christmas Day in Phuket's newly opened Jungceylon Shopping Mall, located in the tourist district of Patong Beach. Rows of upper-end coffee shops and retail outlets line both sides of the open air, street style mall. The air is thick with celebratory music blaring from the loudspeakers of a nearby fashion and design show. Coupled with the endless crowd moving across the plaza in all directions, one might wonder why I would be interested in this highly anthropogenic environment. But I am here because of a very special person, a person that has been on my must-see list for years.<br />
<br />
"Welcome to Phuket!" exclaimed Jom Patamakanthin, as he let us (my family and me) into his golden-bronze Isuzu 4WD. Fresh from a busy schedule of meetings and office work, Jom has made extra effort to personally pick us up from our hotel to his museum. Earlier on, he has even arranged the hotel's room prior to our arrival in Phuket! Surely, he must be packed full of enthusiasm to welcome us with such kind hospitality! And as I discover later, what brimful of enthusiasm he has!<br />
<br />
Born to a father who treasures every piece of shelled-mollusc and a mother who relentlessly encourages him to pursue his interests, Jom is literally given the position to hold the baton as one of Thailand's leading shell expert. Jom's father, Somnuek Patamakanthin, has been the household name in not just shell-collecting circles but also in the fields of conchology and malacology within and beyond the shores of Thailand. This is due to his interest in shell collecting since he was a child, 50 years ago. His helpful and friendly nature has enabled him to exchange shells with like-minded hobbyists as well as donating his specimens to scientists for research purposes. It is such rare opportunity that has allowed him to bridge the often divisive gap between marine scientists and shell collectors. In fact, Somnuek's contribution extends beyond science and hobby.<br />
<br />
"You see the logo up on that building?" Jom pointed to a large shopping centre while driving through the central Phuket region, "That's Stellaria solaris, the Sunburst Carrier Shell," he revealed. Jom related that few years ago, his father generously borrowed the designer of the Central Festival Shopping Centre many of his shell books to draw inspiration for the mall's logo. Besides the logo, Somnuek's generosity has also given the designer ideas on the mall's interior decor.<br />
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Of course, there's no doubt that Jom has been heavily influenced by his father. Being a self-taught scholar with a peculiar taste for an unorthodox way of learning, Jom has surprised his peers with his high academic results. "People kept asking me," Jom recalled, " 'Hey Jom, how do you study in such a crowded place?' ", referring to his favourite haunt- the shopping malls. "Focus..... and commitment," Jom quipped with a smile.<br />
<br />
Perhaps that is the philosophy that is fueling his enthusiasm in shells. Jom has been exposed to the world of shells since childhood but it had never occurred to him that it will play a big part of his life soon. The moment came when Jom was introduced to the shell trade and exchange arena in his early teenage years. "It is the moment that I said to myself 'This is my future!' " Jom remembered. He started to extend his social circle into both the shell-enthusiasts and the scientific community, mirroring his father's move. In the years since then, Jom and Somnuek have their names honoured by having many new species and subspecies named after them, such as Conus patamakanthini (Delsaerdt 1997), Alycaeus somnueki (Panha & Patamakanthin 1999), Haliotis ovina f. patamakanthini (Dekker, Regter & Gras, 2001) and Epitonium patamakanthini (Gittenberger & Gittenberger, 2005).<br />
<br />
But arguably the biggest contribution the Patamakanthins have on the molluscan world is the Shell World, a collection of museums that house tens of thousands of species of shelled molluscs, ranging from the downward minuscule to the goliaths of shells. Having spent years exchanging specimens and information between friends, the father and son decided to shift their paradigm to a new level- to bring the world of shelled molluscs to the general public. Utilising their enormous wealth of specimens from their collection, they laboriously studied and prepared thousands of exhibits.<br />
<br />
In November 1997, Somnuek founded the first private shell-museum in Thailand (and probably the only one in this part of the world) with his brothers and sisters. Located in the popular Rawai district of Phuket, the Phuket Seashell Museum made waves across the world's mollusc-loving community. It has earned the praise of many as being among the best private and shell museum in the world. Not long after, Jom endeavoured an ambitious plan to extend his family's enterprise by establishing another shell museum in the popular resort island of Sentosa, Singapore. He spent many days designing and outlining the exhibits for his future museum. Alas, his plan collapsed due to difficulties with land issues. Not intending to back down, he started anew back in his country. Along with his shell-collecting friend, Ms. Oraphin Sirirat, Jom established the Bangkok Seashell Museum. By now, the Patamakanthin's labour of love have been recognised by many who had visited and been awed by their treasured collection.<br />
<br />
Recently, Jom announced that he will continue to seek new locations fit for more shell museums, which led me to one question everyone's eager to find out: Why build so many shell museums? To that, Jom answered with such down-to-earth honesty and humility, "I'd like to share my knowledge with everyone......and to make and meet new friends along the way."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IKr5pI-JUeI/TVY_kgUsIvI/AAAAAAAAA80/lwWmszcJsr8/s1600/IMG_4248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IKr5pI-JUeI/TVY_kgUsIvI/AAAAAAAAA80/lwWmszcJsr8/s320/IMG_4248.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The entrance to Jom's newest shell museum in the newly opened Jungceylon Shopping Mall, Patong, Phuket. Note the gate's design is inspired by the spider conch,</i> Lambis sp.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vLtPAcEbnqc/TVY9sEY9tmI/AAAAAAAAA8c/-ry_RQGGAHM/s1600/DSC00340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vLtPAcEbnqc/TVY9sEY9tmI/AAAAAAAAA8c/-ry_RQGGAHM/s320/DSC00340.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The sheer number of species and specimens on display easily outnumber an exhaustive list of superlatives fit for describing it!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kc4-6f_KRCA/TVY8UDmqRFI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/XnSj0W6-mZQ/s1600/DSC00315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kc4-6f_KRCA/TVY8UDmqRFI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/XnSj0W6-mZQ/s320/DSC00315.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The museum display starts with the nolluscs of a bygone era, such as this precious assemblage of Morroccan Nautilus, </i>Cenoceras sp.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JfGWhkiIYqo/TVY-K6XQscI/AAAAAAAAA8k/Et6EpcDytXI/s1600/IMG_4113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JfGWhkiIYqo/TVY-K6XQscI/AAAAAAAAA8k/Et6EpcDytXI/s320/IMG_4113.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The multitude of fossil molluscs in display is an accumulation of specimens from years of exchange with friends from all across the world.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u0BMuOrz0ZA/TVY88XoW_SI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/RGq-jeK5_nU/s1600/DSC00338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u0BMuOrz0ZA/TVY88XoW_SI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/RGq-jeK5_nU/s320/DSC00338.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Looks like the shell museum has plenty to satisfy aspiring paleontologists too, with ammonites from various ages</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-URbBK_Pm5WM/TVZEV4F5I9I/AAAAAAAAA9A/2-ssW2J0tTs/s1600/IMG_4107p.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-URbBK_Pm5WM/TVZEV4F5I9I/AAAAAAAAA9A/2-ssW2J0tTs/s320/IMG_4107p.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Jom also has a collection of curious marine-life encrusted objects. "Sometimes, beauty comes in unexpected forms," he said.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B9FPwwxr6MA/TVY8oIUbN8I/AAAAAAAAA8U/zhpCPzF_O5E/s1600/DSC00337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B9FPwwxr6MA/TVY8oIUbN8I/AAAAAAAAA8U/zhpCPzF_O5E/s320/DSC00337.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Even a collection of all known species and subspecies of present day living nautiluses (the "living fossils") are on display, many of them rarities such as </i>Nautilus macromphalus (Sowerby 1849) <i>and </i>Allonautilus scrobiculatus (Lightfoot 1786).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mfFUMj-pqq8/TVY59BugPYI/AAAAAAAAA78/TnV7Bs5l6ao/s1600/DSC00308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mfFUMj-pqq8/TVY59BugPYI/AAAAAAAAA78/TnV7Bs5l6ao/s320/DSC00308.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Even rarer than nautilus, the slit shells</i> (family Pleurotomariidae)<i> is another group of living fossils dating back to more than 500 million years ago. the "wow" factor here is: the sheer number of specimens (and species) on display.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-89f0JFNDV0s/TVY7LPzkFDI/AAAAAAAAA8A/S71zWyClPNI/s1600/DSC00309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-89f0JFNDV0s/TVY7LPzkFDI/AAAAAAAAA8A/S71zWyClPNI/s320/DSC00309.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Sitting on the pinnacle of the slit shell section are these two giants-where old meets new. On the left is the world's largest living species,</i> Entemnotrochus rumphii <i>and on the left, a fossilized pleurotomarid.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Jom recalled that his friend found this extremely well-preserved fossil in a French limestone formation many decades ago. He had been waiting for the right time and technology to appear before extracting the shell from the limestone. With cutting edge 21st Century technology, he employed professional jewellery craftsmen to laboriously chip out the deposit and polish the fossil.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_zMRtp8NvSE/TVZDC-zzu3I/AAAAAAAAA88/wXWAY2xvbOQ/s1600/DSC00268p.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_zMRtp8NvSE/TVZDC-zzu3I/AAAAAAAAA88/wXWAY2xvbOQ/s320/DSC00268p.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Jom also has a keen eye on any variations within a species, bringing seemingly common species such as these</i> Trochus niloticus <i>into new light. he even has a subfossil of the species (on the bottom right corner) unearthed from Phuket itself!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-83rDsS9gGO0/TVY3TfKTisI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/v5MX1HDGN3k/s1600/DSC00276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-83rDsS9gGO0/TVY3TfKTisI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/v5MX1HDGN3k/s320/DSC00276.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Turbans and Stars (shells, that is) of many species on display.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kICCh3ZiEek/TVZHfYVpM1I/AAAAAAAAA9E/vcVBFZ0lCSo/s1600/IMG_4180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kICCh3ZiEek/TVZHfYVpM1I/AAAAAAAAA9E/vcVBFZ0lCSo/s320/IMG_4180.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Arguably, the show-stealer of the day would be this amazing rotor blade-like variant of </i>Angaria sphaerula (Kiener 1839).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0T4Kk6dMrcM/TVY3ACkSZAI/AAAAAAAAA7U/HNGtQ4XyvUE/s1600/DSC00275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0T4Kk6dMrcM/TVY3ACkSZAI/AAAAAAAAA7U/HNGtQ4XyvUE/s320/DSC00275.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The striking colours of so many scallops</i> (family Pectinidae) <i>on display baffles even the most seasoned of shell admirers.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vg-eK3pCXm8/TVY3lELrB3I/AAAAAAAAA7c/4nxsj7K9x94/s1600/DSC00278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vg-eK3pCXm8/TVY3lELrB3I/AAAAAAAAA7c/4nxsj7K9x94/s320/DSC00278.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A closeup of the candy coloured scallops of Lion's Paw, </i>Nodipecten fragosus (Conrad 1849).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HtIoY3bqrms/TVY-j6qs2nI/AAAAAAAAA8o/K6KboeIGSis/s1600/IMG_4170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HtIoY3bqrms/TVY-j6qs2nI/AAAAAAAAA8o/K6KboeIGSis/s320/IMG_4170.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A mountain of spectacular thorny oysters,</i> Spondylus versicolor (Schreibers 1793).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y-XC79lqA0c/TVY_ULrWfnI/AAAAAAAAA8w/iXHrNvnU-2A/s1600/IMG_4234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y-XC79lqA0c/TVY_ULrWfnI/AAAAAAAAA8w/iXHrNvnU-2A/s320/IMG_4234.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Another eye-popping spectacle is this metres high pile of Squamose Giant Clams, </i>Tridacna squamosa.<i> In case if you're wondering where on earth did Jom manage to get this much, this pile is retrieved from a collective number of decades-old shell middens (the place where shells are dumped after meals) along many of the Andaman coastal villages with the permission of Thailand's Fisheries Department.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eMm6V_lIwEg/TVY7ctJnqcI/AAAAAAAAA8E/Ot4FmmZDT9k/s1600/DSC00310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eMm6V_lIwEg/TVY7ctJnqcI/AAAAAAAAA8E/Ot4FmmZDT9k/s320/DSC00310.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A beautiful collection of porcellanous</i> Turbinella fusus<i>, the much rarer cousin of the Indian Chank,</i> Turbinella pyrum.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xOXogUAZC0U/TVY32snruwI/AAAAAAAAA7g/6jp7MwKyCgM/s1600/DSC00284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xOXogUAZC0U/TVY32snruwI/AAAAAAAAA7g/6jp7MwKyCgM/s320/DSC00284.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Frogs</i> (family Bursidae) <i>and Tritons</i> (family Ranellidae) <i>are among the group of giants on display.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span id="goog_1193209810"></span><span id="goog_1193209811"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oAc0x-uNlXo/TVY2G1ckV3I/AAAAAAAAA7I/_a-8HIVovDU/s1600/DSC00267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oAc0x-uNlXo/TVY2G1ckV3I/AAAAAAAAA7I/_a-8HIVovDU/s320/DSC00267.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Comb murexes are one of those iconic shells that often graze beach-themed advertisements.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sYz6ONmjWEY/TVY2s540p5I/AAAAAAAAA7Q/AqiB0PRmAKU/s1600/DSC00271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sYz6ONmjWEY/TVY2s540p5I/AAAAAAAAA7Q/AqiB0PRmAKU/s320/DSC00271.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Jom even has a collection of large abalones</i> (family Haliotidae) <i>including the famous Californian Red Abalone,</i> Haliotis rubra.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DJnaOWtP3_0/TVY5q7tpl1I/AAAAAAAAA74/Gmja1fVgAWo/s1600/DSC00304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DJnaOWtP3_0/TVY5q7tpl1I/AAAAAAAAA74/Gmja1fVgAWo/s320/DSC00304.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Bonnet shells</i> (family Cassidae) <i>displaying the multitude of species within its family</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S1RynmvBjAk/TVY5G2S6DoI/AAAAAAAAA7w/xWrN0nchI4A/s1600/DSC00297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S1RynmvBjAk/TVY5G2S6DoI/AAAAAAAAA7w/xWrN0nchI4A/s320/DSC00297.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The museum isn't just home to any shells. Many of its exhibits are in fact rare and endemics, euch as these "Glory Cone Shells" which includes Glory of the Seas Cone,</i> Conus gloriamaris (Chemnitz 1777); <i>Glory of Bengal Cone,</i> Conus bengalensis (Okutani 1968); <i>and Glory of India Cone, </i>Conus milneedwardsi (Jousseaume 1894),<i> among others.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JZweXERBCFc/TVY5YpEQLnI/AAAAAAAAA70/yersH6s1kl8/s1600/DSC00302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JZweXERBCFc/TVY5YpEQLnI/AAAAAAAAA70/yersH6s1kl8/s320/DSC00302.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Another family of many rare and endemics, the volutes </i>(family Volutidae) <i>are well known among shell enthusiasts.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A8BuZC-CKuE/TVY8ASUP0CI/AAAAAAAAA8M/JuC9w-GYajc/s1600/DSC00312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A8BuZC-CKuE/TVY8ASUP0CI/AAAAAAAAA8M/JuC9w-GYajc/s320/DSC00312.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But perhaps the most popular of all shells is the cowries </i>(family Cypraeidae). <i>Seen here are the rarest specimens of all: the Zoila Cowries, </i>Zoila ketyana (Raybaudi 1978) <i>(centre bottom); Melanistic cowries (the dark tint is a result of living in waters tainted with heavy metals) (left and right) and the "King and Queen of Cowries", as Jom puts it, the rostrate (deformed, curved up) money cowries, </i>Cypraea moneta <i>(centre top).</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W4CyImTVB_8/TVY7t10bigI/AAAAAAAAA8I/N55OjFyz8lo/s1600/DSC00311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W4CyImTVB_8/TVY7t10bigI/AAAAAAAAA8I/N55OjFyz8lo/s320/DSC00311.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Clams such as these are unexpectedly gigantic!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-20aJ8L_RV_s/TVY4tKdf_rI/AAAAAAAAA7s/3Rt-GqeGNRc/s1600/DSC00294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-20aJ8L_RV_s/TVY4tKdf_rI/AAAAAAAAA7s/3Rt-GqeGNRc/s320/DSC00294.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>There's even a section dedicated to non-marine molluscs, an often overlooked part of the world of shells. Seen here are the unbelievably beautiful Polymita landsnails, </i>Polymita picta (Born 1778). <i>(far from those drab looking snails in your garden!) Underlying the aesthetics, this group of snails is among the best candidate for demonstrating variation's role in the evolution of species. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wnXVj-__50o/TVY4JB2sBUI/AAAAAAAAA7k/gY0Ou4jKiPo/s1600/DSC00290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wnXVj-__50o/TVY4JB2sBUI/AAAAAAAAA7k/gY0Ou4jKiPo/s320/DSC00290.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>More candy-looking landsnails- Indonesia's </i>Asperitas and Chloritis <i>(centre right) and Papua's</i> Papuinas <i>(bottom left).</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W_LYW1N7sC4/TVY-8GM_t0I/AAAAAAAAA8s/Il9xxP0eutU/s1600/IMG_4217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W_LYW1N7sC4/TVY-8GM_t0I/AAAAAAAAA8s/Il9xxP0eutU/s320/IMG_4217.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Just like landsnails, freshwater clams like these </i>(<i>mostly of </i>family Unionidae) <i>demonstrate speciation (species formation) with their endless forms of variants.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9CTB8L9K4wk/TVZXQdonm2I/AAAAAAAAA9I/yFlq5OUsHg8/s1600/IMG_4221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9CTB8L9K4wk/TVZXQdonm2I/AAAAAAAAA9I/yFlq5OUsHg8/s320/IMG_4221.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But perhaps the most surprising of freshwater molluscs would be this seemingly thalassoid (marine like) freshwater snail </i>Tiphobia horei <i>from Lake Tanganyika, East Africa.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you're interested in seashells, land and freshwater shells, fossils or any molluscs or even natural history itself, do drop by and visit the Patamakanthin's Shell Museums. You will be amazed! Here are the museum details at the time of publishing:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Phuket Seashell Museum</b> 12/2 Moo 2, Viset Road, Rawai, Muang, Phuket 83130 THAILAND. Phone: 076613666 Fax: 076613777 (link: <a href="http://www.phuketseashell.com/main.php">http://www.phuketseashell.com/main.php</a> )</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Bangkok Seashell Museum</b> Silom Road (next to Soi Silom 23, opposite Lerdsin Hospital), Bangkok, THAILAND. Phone (Ms. Sirinthip): 08 9681 3814</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Shell World Museum</b> Jungceylon Shopping Centre, Patong, Phuket, THAILAND. </div><div style="text-align: left;">(link: <a href="http://www.tourismthailand.org/what-to-see-do/sights-attractions/info-page/destination/phuket/cat/12/attraction/6013/parent/323/lang/0/">http://www.tourismthailand.org/what-to-see-do/sights-attractions/info-page/destination/phuket/cat/12/attraction/6013/parent/323/lang/0/</a> )</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">(NOTE: My special thanks to Jom for his kind help in bringing us to his museum and spend time chatting and introducing us to his beautiful collection. )</div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-24857574867553622752011-01-30T07:12:00.000-08:002011-01-31T19:01:07.275-08:00Jagged Mountains, Hidden Tiger-Krabi's Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Seua)<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTahcUAZ5xI/AAAAAAAAA3w/bjPhgb8UzG8/s1600/DSC00177ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTahcUAZ5xI/AAAAAAAAA3w/bjPhgb8UzG8/s320/DSC00177ed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A view of a tropical limestone karst in Krabi.</i><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">The mention of tropical limestone karsts often invokes images of majestic geological monoliths of towering heights, draped in lush emerald vegetation interspersed with the oft-exposed dolomite cliffs tainted to shades of earth and soot by the accumulated detritus from calcicolous cliff-hanging plants. And if the tropics in conversation refers to Southeast Asia, a handful of locations spring to mind-notably: Vietnam's Halong Bay, Laos' Luang Prabang Karsts, Malaysia's Mulu Caves and Thailand's Andaman Coast, among others.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTajA4E6ljI/AAAAAAAAA4M/clSf8Fl5Jk0/s1600/DSC00223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTajA4E6ljI/AAAAAAAAA4M/clSf8Fl5Jk0/s320/DSC00223.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The town of Krabi as viewed from Wat Tham Suea's peak temple.</i><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">In this collection of breathtaking locations, the quaint town of Krabi smacks right at the heart of the Land of Smiles' heavily-touristed Southern Provinces. This peaceful town is undeniably synonymous with limestone towers; more so after the widely published panorama of Koh Hong and Koh Phi Phi, islands off the shore of mainland Krabi, which characterise in stunning cliff-islands in turquoise waters that defies imagination and borders on fantasy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTah76uJgiI/AAAAAAAAA34/xdcr4i22wBY/s1600/DSC00181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTah76uJgiI/AAAAAAAAA34/xdcr4i22wBY/s320/DSC00181.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Limestone hills adorn the lands beyond Krabi as seen from the Wat Tham Suea.</i><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Up on land, the jaw-dropping factor does not ebb as cultivated lowlands give way to gigantic karsts rising hundreds of meters into the sky. One of these towers is home to the sacred Wat Tham Seua (Tiger Cave Temple). Spotting this temple is not a difficult task as its conspicuous gold Buddha and Stupa can be seen perching atop the mountain's peak from miles away. The fact that this temple is connected to the base of the karst via a very long series of steps opens up the possibility for the public visiting it for religious and aesthetic reasons (that is, its commanding 360 degree view of the plains below and mountains beyond), as well as (in my case) to study the hill's interesting ecology.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTajnbIjvvI/AAAAAAAAA4U/z5bla1KWFYE/s1600/IMG_3637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTajnbIjvvI/AAAAAAAAA4U/z5bla1KWFYE/s320/IMG_3637.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The stairs leading to the hilltop temple is dizzying and considering the terrain and height on which it is built, one wonders how people managed to achieve such a construction feat.</i></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">It is rare that researchers could have a chance to examine a tropical <a href="http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-ZGYR200904006.htm">fengcong-fenglin karst</a> right from the mountain's base up to the very tip of its peak. An opportunity in the form of the 1237 steps to the hilltop temple greatly enhance accessibility for scientists to analyse every layer of ecological niches in reference to altitudinal changes.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">While ascending this unmistakably long flight of stairs, most people will first notice the steep and rather thin steps in sections along the way. Coupled with the dizzying heights and almost vertical cliffs, ascending the mountain may be the last thing on an acrophobe's mind. However, with endemic and rare wildlife and plantlife adorning its marble cliffs, enthusiasm eludes fear of heights!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The following is a list of interesting things found during the survey:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTavk9cekWI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/DOOCdWjEHRo/s1600/IMG_3639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTavk9cekWI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/DOOCdWjEHRo/s320/IMG_3639.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>An unidentified shrub, most probably a calcicolic (limestone-loving) plant.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTawsz5YvmI/AAAAAAAAA4o/W5Lvv0iXecQ/s1600/IMG_3647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTawsz5YvmI/AAAAAAAAA4o/W5Lvv0iXecQ/s320/IMG_3647.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chrita spesie<i>s, this genus belongs to the family </i>Gesneriacea<i>, which includes many ornamental plants including the African violets.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaz7d-Y0jI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/hXpXaL-053Y/s1600/IMG_3690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaz7d-Y0jI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/hXpXaL-053Y/s320/IMG_3690.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Paraboea sp<i>., a perennial plant which leaves will dry during dry seasons and regenerate when rains arrive.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTawL--HVnI/AAAAAAAAA4g/2g_KpK9Ucg8/s1600/IMG_3641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTawL--HVnI/AAAAAAAAA4g/2g_KpK9Ucg8/s320/IMG_3641.JPG" width="238" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>More unidentified plant!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTav6UB4vbI/AAAAAAAAA4c/QUTFBZviBVw/s1600/IMG_3640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTav6UB4vbI/AAAAAAAAA4c/QUTFBZviBVw/s320/IMG_3640.JPG" width="238" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Even more!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTazJPILpjI/AAAAAAAAA5E/ufVJV0Ev3K8/s1600/IMG_3666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTazJPILpjI/AAAAAAAAA5E/ufVJV0Ev3K8/s320/IMG_3666.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>This herb is another limestone-loving plant similar to <a href="http://siputkuning.blogspot.com/2010/02/secrets-of-gua-kandu-revealed.html">that found in Gua Kandu</a> about a year ago.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTawc4GePdI/AAAAAAAAA4k/bvUJwJkqQWc/s1600/IMG_3643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTawc4GePdI/AAAAAAAAA4k/bvUJwJkqQWc/s320/IMG_3643.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15.6px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A long tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) belonging to a resident troop which resides along the lower levels of the stairs. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">These guys know how to get downhill the fast way-by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">sliding</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> down the railings!</span></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaw-fXnf1I/AAAAAAAAA4s/250968wFxJs/s1600/IMG_3648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaw-fXnf1I/AAAAAAAAA4s/250968wFxJs/s320/IMG_3648.JPG" width="238" /></a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Another </i>Paraboea sp<i>. </i>Paraboeas <i>are limestone specialists and can be found across mainland Southeast Asia.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaxQDCA4NI/AAAAAAAAA4w/qzA8_ZGDKd8/s1600/IMG_3652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaxQDCA4NI/AAAAAAAAA4w/qzA8_ZGDKd8/s320/IMG_3652.JPG" width="238" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>More </i>Chrita sp.<i>!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaxi-fN5XI/AAAAAAAAA40/jPD0C6EUJp4/s1600/IMG_3653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaxi-fN5XI/AAAAAAAAA40/jPD0C6EUJp4/s320/IMG_3653.JPG" width="238" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>An unidentified </i>Paraboea(?)<i>. This species was also discovered by the author of this blog: <a href="http://hortlog.blogspot.com/2010/09/unusual-resurrection-plant.html">Hort Log</a>.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaxzBShxnI/AAAAAAAAA44/kciC1JP-Vec/s1600/IMG_3654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaxzBShxnI/AAAAAAAAA44/kciC1JP-Vec/s320/IMG_3654.JPG" width="238" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>This is the unmistakable limestone-loving plant- </i>Monophyllaea sp<i>. It is a limestone-endemic genus and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundaland">Sundaland</a> region is its epicenter.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTayH4AwN6I/AAAAAAAAA48/10WQOlmRzw8/s1600/IMG_3661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTayH4AwN6I/AAAAAAAAA48/10WQOlmRzw8/s320/IMG_3661.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Another </i>Chrita sp.<i> This genus seems to be common in southern Thailand's karsts.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa2w9BQidI/AAAAAAAAA54/3yXbagka6Y0/s1600/IMG_3724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="235" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa2w9BQidI/AAAAAAAAA54/3yXbagka6Y0/s320/IMG_3724.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>An unidentified grasshopper on limestone soils. Some insects on these hills are endemic because of their specialised adaptation to the unusual karst environment.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa3TS71V9I/AAAAAAAAA6A/TVK2TbOBI9I/s1600/IMG_3729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa3TS71V9I/AAAAAAAAA6A/TVK2TbOBI9I/s320/IMG_3729.JPG" width="238" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>More identified species. This one is found on exposed rock face some 100 metres above ground level.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTazaGXKd0I/AAAAAAAAA5I/ZMAnPBq7lec/s1600/IMG_3678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTazaGXKd0I/AAAAAAAAA5I/ZMAnPBq7lec/s320/IMG_3678.JPG" width="238" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The weathered limestone exhibits craggy texture encrusted in dark moss and lichen carpets. These crevices are prime habitats for endemic micro-land snails.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTazsARE8WI/AAAAAAAAA5M/IGZznKtCqgw/s1600/IMG_3684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTazsARE8WI/AAAAAAAAA5M/IGZznKtCqgw/s320/IMG_3684.JPG" width="238" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>More </i>Chrita sp<i>.! This time, of a maroon leaved variety. Is this the same or different species from the previous </i>Chrita<i> plants?</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa2q0JCxiI/AAAAAAAAA50/pocN8_AFV-0/s1600/IMG_3717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa2q0JCxiI/AAAAAAAAA50/pocN8_AFV-0/s320/IMG_3717.JPG" width="238" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A breathtaking view of the oil-palm covered plains below-A perfect way to take a breath after the laborious climb.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa2YznKVGI/AAAAAAAAA5w/Zc0G1TDMZio/s1600/IMG_3715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa2YznKVGI/AAAAAAAAA5w/Zc0G1TDMZio/s320/IMG_3715.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Another unidentified plant!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa0NrOvAII/AAAAAAAAA5U/xMRCKtRU8lQ/s1600/IMG_3693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa0NrOvAII/AAAAAAAAA5U/xMRCKtRU8lQ/s320/IMG_3693.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Another </i>Chrita species<i>, of dark purple flowers?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa3kGb0mSI/AAAAAAAAA6E/b5_HXSmt-nA/s1600/IMG_3733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa3kGb0mSI/AAAAAAAAA6E/b5_HXSmt-nA/s320/IMG_3733.JPG" width="238" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A dark limestone pinnacle.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa3DNZEJXI/AAAAAAAAA58/vafDMaMsMHY/s1600/IMG_3726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa3DNZEJXI/AAAAAAAAA58/vafDMaMsMHY/s320/IMG_3726.JPG" width="238" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A closeup of another limestone pinnacle. Note the sharp edges of the weathered rock.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>This is the primary barrier to exploration on limestone hills.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTayR525ihI/AAAAAAAAA5A/9UQVapBziTA/s1600/IMG_3665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="228" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTayR525ihI/AAAAAAAAA5A/9UQVapBziTA/s320/IMG_3665.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A limestone bamboo species,</i>Dendrocalamus sp.,<i> which lives some 100 metres short of the karst mountain's exposed peak.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa0hcYf_pI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/A7DxfFdwBgg/s1600/IMG_3699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa0hcYf_pI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/A7DxfFdwBgg/s320/IMG_3699.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Another endemic, </i>Pandanus calcis<i>, which is found only on the karsts from Surat Thani (in the north) to Krabi (in the south). This specimen is flanked by the </i>Dendrocalamus<i> bamboo.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa0zhqwgpI/AAAAAAAAA5c/e14t2ueK8sY/s1600/IMG_3710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa0zhqwgpI/AAAAAAAAA5c/e14t2ueK8sY/s320/IMG_3710.JPG" width="238" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Another specimen of the Calcicolic Pandan mentioned above. Note that this is a cousin of the popular herb Frangrant Pandan or Screwpine, </i>Pandanus amaryllifolius,<i> which is used in Southeast Asian cuisine as an aromatic condiment.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa1Ca7b6bI/AAAAAAAAA5g/sLVz1zcuFEA/s1600/IMG_3711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa1Ca7b6bI/AAAAAAAAA5g/sLVz1zcuFEA/s320/IMG_3711.JPG" width="238" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>An unidenified fern flank by </i>Paraboea sp.<i>, on weathered rocks.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa1SthGpLI/AAAAAAAAA5k/fiU8CMVYstg/s1600/IMG_3712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa1SthGpLI/AAAAAAAAA5k/fiU8CMVYstg/s320/IMG_3712.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Another </i>Gesneriacid <i>(meaning a member of family </i>Gesneriacea<i>,), clinging to a rock crevice.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa1mLql3gI/AAAAAAAAA5o/CkRDSU6c8Ac/s1600/IMG_3713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa1mLql3gI/AAAAAAAAA5o/CkRDSU6c8Ac/s320/IMG_3713.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>An unidentified plant living on the edge of the cliff face near the mountain peak.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa1425y4_I/AAAAAAAAA5s/o05H9_RjCQc/s1600/IMG_3714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa1425y4_I/AAAAAAAAA5s/o05H9_RjCQc/s320/IMG_3714.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Anothert plant belonging to the species seen earlier.</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTajU7HcjXI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/_D2DmhQhkfE/s1600/DSC00225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTajU7HcjXI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/_D2DmhQhkfE/s320/DSC00225.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A </i>Capparis sp.(?)<i> found living on limestone at the side of the peak temple.</i></div><i><br />
</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTah_HZmNPI/AAAAAAAAA38/YQSlDrJUpT0/s1600/DSC00198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTah_HZmNPI/AAAAAAAAA38/YQSlDrJUpT0/s320/DSC00198.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>An insect found on the peak temple.</i></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Of course, as any exploration of limestone localities, a dash of molluscan flavour to the tastes of discovery is not far away. With such variety of endemic and rare flora, comes a list of terrestrial snails of equal status.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa4kXzC2BI/AAAAAAAAA6U/MqxRnRDEBGU/s1600/IMG_3762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTa4kXzC2BI/AAAAAAAAA6U/MqxRnRDEBGU/s320/IMG_3762.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A set of macro molluscs found during the survey. Species includes: </i>Cyclophorus zebrinus,Hemiplecta siamensis, Macrochylamys amboinensis, Rhiostoma smithi <i>and</i> Plectopylis achatina. <br />
<i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TThKJnsuYnI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/TTBbyfs8mH4/s1600/IMG_4460ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TThKJnsuYnI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/TTBbyfs8mH4/s320/IMG_4460ed.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cyclophorus zebrinus (Benson 1836)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TThKgJDJECI/AAAAAAAAA6c/g_xOxKpv49Y/s1600/IMG_4466ed+done.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TThKgJDJECI/AAAAAAAAA6c/g_xOxKpv49Y/s320/IMG_4466ed+done.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hemiplecta siamensis (Pfeiffer 1856)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TThK597V8SI/AAAAAAAAA6g/wRGjkljZ0Ik/s1600/IMG_4484ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TThK597V8SI/AAAAAAAAA6g/wRGjkljZ0Ik/s320/IMG_4484ed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rhiostoma smithi (Bartsch 1932)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TThLSCa0yfI/AAAAAAAAA6k/bEDR0U42mzU/s1600/IMG_4486+done.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TThLSCa0yfI/AAAAAAAAA6k/bEDR0U42mzU/s320/IMG_4486+done.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rhiostoma smithi (Bartsch 1932), apertural view.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TThLaa4nZFI/AAAAAAAAA6o/_Ilj0PNZtto/s1600/snailkrabied.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TThLaa4nZFI/AAAAAAAAA6o/_Ilj0PNZtto/s320/snailkrabied.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Plectopylis achatina (Gray 1834)</div><i><br />
</i><br />
Coming back to the aesthetic side of things, the final 1237th step is as great a welcome as the cool drinking water served. Coupled with commanding vistas of the Krabi country sprawling before my exhausted eyes (after straining for 2 whole hours, searching for calcicolic (<i>limestone-loving</i>) critters!), this could easily be one of the best limestone-hill climbs around.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTahrrtHbyI/AAAAAAAAA30/_wC6CkyqCLY/s1600/DSC00178ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTahrrtHbyI/AAAAAAAAA30/_wC6CkyqCLY/s320/DSC00178ed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A view of the hilltop temple; notice the weathered limestone pinnacles on which the temple is built on and around.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaiPwEj0oI/AAAAAAAAA4A/s_Lb1BiSHCM/s1600/DSC00215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaiPwEj0oI/AAAAAAAAA4A/s_Lb1BiSHCM/s320/DSC00215.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking across a forested saddle (a lower area connecting two limestone peaks) from the hilltop temple, one could see the profuse vegetation adorning the cliffs of another peak.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaijcHdNJI/AAAAAAAAA4E/RHAgFlVezy0/s1600/DSC00218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaijcHdNJI/AAAAAAAAA4E/RHAgFlVezy0/s320/DSC00218.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Stunted trees reminiscent of </i>bonsai<i> plants clinging to the shallow soils and crevices of the limestone peak.</i></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaizHdytxI/AAAAAAAAA4I/5LE8Jno4ZQY/s1600/DSC00221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TTaizHdytxI/AAAAAAAAA4I/5LE8Jno4ZQY/s320/DSC00221.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The stark contrast between cultivated plains and forested karsts that are so common in Krabi is evident from this view to the East.</i></div><i><br />
</i><br />
As for how the temple got its name, I'll leave that for you to find out!<br />
<br />
PS: Due to the difficulty in accessing information on Southern Thailand's limestone flora species, I have only resorted to the following sources for information. Please do inform me if you have any useful information on the above plants' identification. Your help is greatly appreciated!<br />
<br />
<u>Useful references:</u><br />
1. St. John, H. , 1963. Revision of the Genus Pandanus Stickman, Part 16. Species Discovered in Thailand and Vietnam. Pac Sci 17(4): 466-492.<br />
(Link: <a href="http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/4952">http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/4952</a> )<br />
<br />
2.The Gesneriad Reference Map. (Link: <a href="http://www.gesneriads.ca/">http://www.gesneriads.ca/</a> )JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-32652592610227966772011-01-13T01:35:00.000-08:002011-01-17T04:46:11.604-08:00Past and Present: A Bird's Eye Revelation of the Effects of Limestone Quarrying<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It is often a treat for historians and history buffs when old postcards depicting scenes from a specific street may be compared to its modern self using a modern day picture with a similar angle of photography. Such a treat, it seems, is no longer exclusively reserved for the History academia.<br />
<br />
Recent updates in the highly accessible Google Earth has intrigued me to revisit one my my <a href="http://siputkuning.blogspot.com/2009/07/panching-karsts-400-million-years-old.html">previous subject</a>-the quarrying of the Panching Karst Formation. True to the words of my previous post, little has changed for the temple-occupied Bukit Charas while its sister mountains, Bukit Panching, Bukit Sagu and Bukit Tenggek became the antithesis.<br />
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The following is a list of comparative images taken over a 7-year gap whereby on the former is a 2003 image while on the later is a 2010 image:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><u>Bukit Charas</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNJyKKWkI/AAAAAAAAA3I/cuQ60BX0OXU/s1600/bukit+charas+2003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="343" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNJyKKWkI/AAAAAAAAA3I/cuQ60BX0OXU/s400/bukit+charas+2003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b> <span style="font-size: large;">2003</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNKrJxfiI/AAAAAAAAA3M/ItxK76wViPo/s1600/Bukit+Charas+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNKrJxfiI/AAAAAAAAA3M/ItxK76wViPo/s400/Bukit+Charas+2010.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>2010</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u>Bukit Panching </u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNageoHlI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/bR0Pf8xAxWs/s1600/Bkt+Panching+08-03-2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNbywGWAI/AAAAAAAAA3U/7nff8Mqkn0U/s1600/Bkt+Panching+17-05-2003.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNbywGWAI/AAAAAAAAA3U/7nff8Mqkn0U/s320/Bkt+Panching+17-05-2003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2003</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNageoHlI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/bR0Pf8xAxWs/s1600/Bkt+Panching+08-03-2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNageoHlI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/bR0Pf8xAxWs/s400/Bkt+Panching+08-03-2010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2010</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>As described previously, this already-disappeared hill is now a deep lake surrounded by a marble wasteland.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><u>Bukit Sagu</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNeLX5wtI/AAAAAAAAA3c/nNnBj-Hk-eM/s1600/Bkt+sagu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNeLX5wtI/AAAAAAAAA3c/nNnBj-Hk-eM/s320/Bkt+sagu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">2003 </span></b></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNdCaBBSI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/B_xOehjg2ek/s1600/Bkt+Sagu+08-05-2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNdCaBBSI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/B_xOehjg2ek/s320/Bkt+Sagu+08-05-2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> 2010</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Unfortunately for this hill, the view of its descruction is shrouded by overhead clouds. However, there is no doubt it has suffered much damage given that cement extraction has not abated at all.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><u>Bukit Tenggek </u></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNoPC5WGI/AAAAAAAAA3k/l2URahkx62c/s1600/Bkt+tenggek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNoPC5WGI/AAAAAAAAA3k/l2URahkx62c/s320/Bkt+tenggek.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;">2003 </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNnARMxnI/AAAAAAAAA3g/leeidYf2PRE/s1600/Bkt+Tenggek+08-05-2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TSPNnARMxnI/AAAAAAAAA3g/leeidYf2PRE/s320/Bkt+Tenggek+08-05-2010.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2010</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Perhaps the most obvious of the changes that quarries have on the Panching Karsts System lies in this limestone massif, which is now broken up into two parts by the blasting of its central section.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Either way, one thing is for sure-given that it takes about 7 years to reduce Bukit Tenggek by half its original size, it may be only a decade before the hill ends up as another "Bukit Panching"; and definitely the same fate will befall upon the larger Bukit Sagu the following decade.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Reference:</u></div><div style="text-align: left;">1.Schilthuizen J.J. and Clements R. (2008) Tracking Land Snail Extinction From Space. TENTACLE 16:8-9 (IUCN/SSC Mollusc specialist group letter)<a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/cowielab/tentacle/tentacle_16.pdf">click here</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-19868925978995986922010-11-22T23:23:00.000-08:002010-11-22T23:30:48.327-08:00New Snail Species from an Old Rainforest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOtmC83yZAI/AAAAAAAAA2w/GaEtSSyglPM/s1600/IMG_0066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOtmC83yZAI/AAAAAAAAA2w/GaEtSSyglPM/s400/IMG_0066.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Rolling hills of verdant rainforests as seen along the East-West Highway which divides the Belum-Temenggor Rainforest into two large, separate portions.</i></div><br />
Time and again, we have been reminded of our surprisingly little understanding of and exploration into the natural world. New species kept spewing out from scientific expeditions and personal discoveries while chainsaws and heavy bulldozers raze kilometres of the world's remaining natural ecosystems.<br />
<br />
This scenario is no stranger to the Belum-Temenggor Rainforest Complex, which ranges from lowland hill forests in the valleys to tropical montane rainforests up on the cloud-draped highlands. This time, the new species comes in the form of a snail, a not-your-average forest snail.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOtm2qwZCsI/AAAAAAAAA20/lyVkbNToBR4/s1600/IMG_0114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOtm2qwZCsI/AAAAAAAAA20/lyVkbNToBR4/s400/IMG_0114.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Morning mists roll up the tree-cloaked hill slopes in Belum-Temenggor's montane forests.</i></div><br />
This precious 300 square kilometres (300000 hectares) block of rainforest houses a multitude of ecosystems that very much represents almost the entire cross section of Peninsular Malaysian biosphere save the coastal region. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the last representatives of the Malaysian megafauna seek refuge in its verdure including the highly endangered national icon, the Malayan Tiger (<i>Phantera tigris jacksoni</i>). The same can be said for almost every group of rainforest flora and fauna in the Peninsular. However, it is a cherry-sized snail that particularly surprised Reuben Clements, a researcher of Malaysia's mammals and molluscs, late last year.<br />
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Having spent most of his time working under humid tropical rainforest conditions while tracking the elusive Asian Elephants (<i>Elephas maximus</i>), encountering a snail was not something he had on his mind. But what an unusual encounter it was! Clements recalled his team were looking out for fresh elephant faeces when they chanced upon lumps of mud brown globes (their target). Breaking the freshly laid, cellulose-laden "cakes", he scooped and inserted a portion of it into clear plastic bags for analysis back in the team's laboratory. In the process, something gleaming on the surface of the pachyderm droppings caught his attention. It was a white object with a distinctive brown spiral embedded in the sticky brown lump. He instantly recognised it as a snail. A snail fragment, probably. After all, how could a tree snail end up deep in elephant dung if not for it having been through the gnawing of tree leaves and passing around the mighty pachyderm's digestive tract?<br />
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Either way, curiosity overcame speculation and Clements decided to remove the snail from the fecal matter for a closer look. It turned out not to be a shell fragment nor an Amphidromus snail (which is often the case for Malaysian tree snails)! In fact, this snail is so out-of-place as far as current malacology is concerned.<br />
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Featuring a blunt apex with a fairly tall and convex spire, a rather sharp kneel, a slight depression on the final whorl before the lip, a thick, angled and flared lip, as well as a covered umbilicus, this yet-to-be-named snail is hauntingly similar in many ways to its New Guinean Camaenidae snails (a.k.a. Camaenids). It has a porcelain white background and a yellow-brown periostracum. Furthermore, the narrow brown band that spirals at the periphery for the first 3 upper whorls and the thick maroon band that adorns the periphery of the base as well as a narrow pink inner banding further reinforce its similarity to its New Guinean counterparts. Such distinct characteristics could hardly be of mainland Southeast Asian origins!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOtntruMPUI/AAAAAAAAA24/M8qavKnjgdE/s1600/snail+belum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOtntruMPUI/AAAAAAAAA24/M8qavKnjgdE/s400/snail+belum.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>A dorsal view of the new snail's shell. (Photos courtesy of Reuben Clements)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOtnuqDAwxI/AAAAAAAAA28/0IOFcgGhypg/s1600/snail+belum+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOtnuqDAwxI/AAAAAAAAA28/0IOFcgGhypg/s400/snail+belum+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> A basal view of the new snail's shell. (Photos courtesy of Reuben Clements)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOtnvXlqHyI/AAAAAAAAA3A/Xz1JnFYKYaM/s1600/snail+belum+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOtnvXlqHyI/AAAAAAAAA3A/Xz1JnFYKYaM/s400/snail+belum+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A side view of the shell showing the pronounced kneel and thick, flared lip. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(photos courtesy of Reuben Clements)</i></div><br />
The question now is (or rather, are): Where exactly does this snail fit into the general picture of mainland Southeast Asian's (or more accurately, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundaland">Sundaland</a>'s) molluscan fauna? What is its origins? or if it is as speculated, how did it came to Belum from New Guinea? (or is it the other way around?) What about the assumed migration barrier called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Line">Wallace Line</a>? Are there any similar shells elsewhere in the region? etc. etc. An avalanche of questions began.<br />
<br />
Clements suggest that it could be related to the family Acavidae, which stems from Gondwanan ancestors. Gondwana is an ancient supercontinent that split up some 167 million years ago in the mid-Jurassic into fragments that include South America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, India and even parts of Thailand and Pulau Langkawi in north-western Peninsular Malaysia. Since the last two locations mentioned are within hours from Belum-Temenggor, this hypothesis does seem plausible. I believe it belongs to the family Camaenidae and its morphology has some resemblance to the genus Ganesella which resides throughout much of Sundaland's highland forests. or could it be a remnant population of a once widespread genus stretching to New Guinea? Perhaps it was stranded during the abrupt climate and sea level changes of the Holocene Epoch (12000 years ago)?<br />
<br />
Either way, such specimen warrants attention by not just malacologists but nature lovers and conservationists as well. We are not only dealing with a new species but probably an entirely new genus or even an extension of New Guinean wildlife into mainland Southeast Asia! If one of these speculations turns out to be true, this little snail may be the one of the few (if any) molluscan evidence that links Malaysian flora and fauna to the ancient Gondwanan supercontinent; or place Belum as the only remaining forest holding Southeast Asia's ancient fauna; or bridges Sundaland's molluscs with the Sahul Continental Shelf (Australia and New Guinea).<br />
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In the meantime though, Clements is still working on mammals in the Malaysian rainforests. "We need to find a living snail in order to get to the bottom of this mystery," he remarked. Until then, questions will prevail and the snail's future will stumble along with the uncertainty of Belum-Temenggor's rainforests.<br />
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<u>References and Further Reading</u>:<br />
1. Gerlach J., 2007. New Terrestrial Gastropoda (Mollusca) from Seychelles. (<a href="http://www.islandbiodiversity.com/Phelsuma%2011-4.pdf">http://www.islandbiodiversity.com/Phelsuma%2011-4.pdf</a>)<br />
<br />
2.<span lang="EN-AU">Sathiamurthy E. and Voris H. K., 2006.</span><span lang="EN-AU"> Maps of Holocene Sea Level Transgression and Submerged Lakes on the Sunda Shelf. The Natural History Journal of Chulalongkorn University, Supp. 2:1-44, August 2006. (<a href="http://www2.biology.sc.chula.ac.th/web%20of%20NHJCU%20PDF/VorisSupplement.pdf">http://www2.biology.sc.chula.ac.th/web%20of%20NHJCU%20PDF/VorisSupplement.pdf</a>)</span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU"><br />
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU">3. Wade C. M., Mordan P. B., Clarke B., 2001. A Phylogeny of Land Snails (Gastropoda: Pulmonata). Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 2001 268, 413-422. (</span><a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/268/1465/413.full.pdf+html">http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/268/1465/413.full.pdf+html</a>)<br />
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4.Heads M., 2009. Vicariance. Buffalo Musuem of Science.<br />
(<a href="http://www.sciencebuff.org/content/files/science-pdf/Heads/Heads%202009%20Vicariance.pdf">http://www.sciencebuff.org/content/files/science-pdf/Heads/Heads%202009%20Vicariance.pdf</a>)<br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-49162196241120414102010-11-16T04:59:00.000-08:002010-11-22T00:12:00.416-08:00Kuala Lumpur's Urban Rainforests<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOolV8YxtiI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/4YGlysbFSNA/s1600/R0011488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOolV8YxtiI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/4YGlysbFSNA/s400/R0011488.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The tranquility of a rainforest as epitomised here in the Sungai Kanching Waterfall, Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve north of Kuala Lumpur.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Imagine stepping into the shadows of a thick green forest canopy, feeling the cool, damp air as it flows into your lungs and tuning in to the rhythms of the forest: the chirping of birds, the hisses of insects, the fluttering of wind-caressed leaves; And yes, the barely audible humming and honking from the traffic in distant roads. A faint reminder of us still within the urban zone. Welcome to Kuala Lumpur- minus the city!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOokE315YHI/AAAAAAAAA2A/PzdhYVi04i8/s1600/IMG_8908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOokE315YHI/AAAAAAAAA2A/PzdhYVi04i8/s400/IMG_8908.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Soft, warm beams of rays shines upon Bukit Kiara's secondary forests at sunset.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It is hard to imagine that the Malaysian capital, despite facing the onslaught of large scale crop estates, extensive mining operations and of course, the continuing urban sprawl, still has some rainforest tracts in its vicinity. These remaining green lungs of the metropolitan region have been of great aesthetic and scientific values in recent years. The exponentially growing support of many KL urbanites in retaining these valuable assets is a testimony to their importance. What is more surprising is to consider that just decades ago, these same people used to think of the rainforests as nothing more than a bane to the city, an obstacle that must be removed in the pursuit of modernisation. So what made KL's forests such an enviable feature of the city for the people?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOok1lb_G4I/AAAAAAAAA2I/Q7OpuOiOTvA/s1600/IMG_8836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOok1lb_G4I/AAAAAAAAA2I/Q7OpuOiOTvA/s400/IMG_8836.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Some of the wildlife typical of KL's secondary forests include the native long tailed macaques</i> (Macaca fascicularis) <i>and introduced species such as the Eurasian Tree Sparrow</i> ( Passer montanus) <i>and Rock Pigeon</i> (Columba livia) <i>as seen here in Bukit Kiara.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Perhaps, it is because of the fact that they are located in one of the world's biodiversity hotspot and the sad irony of their imminent destruction by nondiscriminatory urban sprawl. Or is it because of the increasing appreciation brought by visiting foreigners? After all, it is no surprise to find that many KL visitors often quoted the uniqueness of this modern capital juxtaposed with evergreen hills of tropical rainforests. Or probably KL urbanites have come to terms with the importance of sustainable development which cares for the present and future generation economically, environmentally and socially?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOolH0bVTII/AAAAAAAAA2M/rqdGKvxFJTs/s1600/IMG_9572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOolH0bVTII/AAAAAAAAA2M/rqdGKvxFJTs/s400/IMG_9572.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A view of the majestic Bukit Tabur Quartz Ridge in Selangor State Park.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOJn_bS6lUI/AAAAAAAAAzY/4XO3zW0fXAs/s1600/IMG_9572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Either way, one thing is for sure: With "infrastructural development" high on the agenda of city planners and the die-hard old-school thinking of "environmental blitz" in the name of progress, these precious tracts of remnant forests are at the mercy of bulldozers and chainsaws. To add salt to the wound, urban sprawl has since spilled beyond the city's boundaries into the surroundings, resulting in a continuous tract of build-up area dotted with remnants of secondary rainforests and abandoned plantations.<br />
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Thus, it would be best for us to reflect on what is at stake in each of Kuala Lumpur's last bastions of tropical biodiversity:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>CENTRAL REGION</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TNwb0itZA_I/AAAAAAAAAxw/Yl3lWvNXQOs/s1600/Bkt+Nanas-KL+Tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TNwb0itZA_I/AAAAAAAAAxw/Yl3lWvNXQOs/s400/Bkt+Nanas-KL+Tower.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Probably the only natural tropical rainforest in the heart of the city (literally!), this tiny 0.11 kilometres square (11 hectare) patch of vegetation holds a surprising number of large trees and some common forest wildlife including macaques and some forest birds. Fortunately, everlasting interest expressed by past city planners as well as today's tourists and locals have made it into an economic asset worthy for protection and thus, gazetted as a Forest Reserve in 1909. This forest might also be of great scientific value as it provides a perfect field for studying the effects of urbanisation around an isolated patch of tropical rainforest.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOKBRjtt4VI/AAAAAAAAAzg/k2Yl6pnqrdE/s1600/Tmn+Tasik+Perdana-aka+Lake+Gardens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOKBRjtt4VI/AAAAAAAAAzg/k2Yl6pnqrdE/s400/Tmn+Tasik+Perdana-aka+Lake+Gardens.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Bukit Tunku-Taman Tasik Perdana-Bukit Persekutuan</b></div>The region bounded by this three hill areas has plenty of old secondary forest that are very photogenic and unique to Kuala Lumpur. It is the only area in the city centre where rainforest vegetation fringe the highways and is aesthetically pleasing to the passerby and local residents too. Hence, the highly sought-after residences within the area and is probably one of the factors that explains why there has not been plans to clear the forests for high density development to date. Although fragmented in nature, these forests have served as the only available habitat for native wildlife for miles in the metropolitan area. The headquarters of the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) is located here and has an educational forest trail for visitors to experience the highly accessible rainforest.<br />
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<b><u>NORTHERN REGION</u></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TN0TSC8cFtI/AAAAAAAAAx0/VPPG7Qfdmoc/s1600/Melawati-Gomabk+remnant+forests+hills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TN0TSC8cFtI/AAAAAAAAAx0/VPPG7Qfdmoc/s400/Melawati-Gomabk+remnant+forests+hills.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Gombak Region Forested Hills</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hills such as these are often left forested as their steep slopes are deemed unfit for urban development. Although some of them are orchards or rubber estates many years ago, continuous succession of the forest structure has made them indistinguishable from old secondary or even primary rainforests. Recent reports have shown that they are important stopover points for migrating bird life and this has attracted many birdwatchers to the hill peaks especially during months of northern hemispheric autumn (mid September to November) and spring (mid February to April). Unfortunately, at the same time, proposals to destroy the forest for high density residential development have emerged, enraging growing circles of local residents in support of the hills' protection. Here is the official webpage of the petition to save one of the hills, Bukit Melawati: <a href="http://www.savetamanmelawatihill.com/home.html">http://www.savetamanmelawatihill.com/home.html</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TN01lxLjE1I/AAAAAAAAAyQ/EcdYgXxpLnw/s1600/batu+caves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TN01lxLjE1I/AAAAAAAAAyQ/EcdYgXxpLnw/s400/batu+caves.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Batu Caves</b><br />
Literally an ecological island in a sea of buildings, this is the only limestone outcrop that is surrounded by the city. It is one of the important assets of KL covering cultural values (it being the location of the famous Batu Caves Sri Mahamariamman Hindu Temple), recreational values (Batu Caves is the prime location for rock climbing, caving and other speleological activities in Kuala Lumpur) and scientific values (with a dozen endemic species of flora and fauna including snails and cave insects as well as the rare Kambing Gurun or the Sumatran Serow,<i> Capricornis sumatraensis. </i>The geological massif is threatened by limestone quarries and pollution effects due to its proximity to build-up areas.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TN1LT4M-BII/AAAAAAAAAyU/tJT4duh4Nf8/s1600/Bkt+Lagong-FRIM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TN1LT4M-BII/AAAAAAAAAyU/tJT4duh4Nf8/s400/Bkt+Lagong-FRIM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve and Kanching Forest Reserve </b><br />
This large tract of semi-continuous low altitude hill forests contains two of the three limestone outcrops of Klang Valley, Bukit Takun and Anak Bukit Takun (the other being Batu Caves), and has potential of harbouring many endemic species as is the case for most karstic formations. Nearby, a multi-tiered waterfall in the Kanching Forest Reserve receives high visiting numbers by locals and foreigners alike while Bukit Lagong is home to the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM)<b>. </b>Some endemic species found so far includes the reintroduced endangered plant Begonia aequilateralis in FRIM, diterocarp tree Hopea subalata in Kanching Forest Reserve and Lipthistius batuensis in Gunung Anak Takun.<b></b><br />
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<b><u>WESTERN REGION</u></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TN6bBhq3VoI/AAAAAAAAAyg/7k8fFC9tbhU/s1600/Sungai+Buloh+FR+closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TN6bBhq3VoI/AAAAAAAAAyg/7k8fFC9tbhU/s400/Sungai+Buloh+FR+closeup.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve (currently RRIM and Kota Damansara Community Forest),</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b> Bukit Lanjan and Bukit Kiara (from left to right)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve, being established in 1898, is the oldest forest reserve in Malaysia. Unfortunately, much of the 16.18 km square (1618 hectares) of rainforests have dwindled to a mere 3.47 km squares (347 hectares). The large block of greenery on the left of this image is a monoculture of para rubber trees operated by the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia (RRIM) and thus, not really of significant biodiversity importance. The sole remnant secondary forest is Kota Damansara Community Forest on the centre-left of this picture. This is piece of forest is the focal point of forest stewardship in the city. For the past decade, residents of this region have formed committees and societies to garner support for the protection of the remaining secondary forest. The gazetting of Kota Damansara's forest as a community-managed forest conservation and education park as well as its endorsement by international agency- Global Environment Facility (GEF), is the hallmark of success in the Malaysian public's awareness of the country's biodiversity importance. Here's Kota Damansara Community Forest' official website: (<a href="http://kd.communityforest.net/">http://kd.communityforest.net/</a>)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TN6cgxjp6mI/AAAAAAAAAyo/gxhhc4vEPxA/s1600/bkt+lanjan+closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TN6cgxjp6mI/AAAAAAAAAyo/gxhhc4vEPxA/s400/bkt+lanjan+closeup.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b>Bukit Lanjan</b><br />
An indigenous reserve, it is among the few remaining wildlife refuge in the northern Petaling district. It has an economic potential to be developed as an educational and research field by the indigenous (mostly Temuan tribe) residents to attract locals and tourists and guarantee a steady flow of income and social benefits to these low-income communities. Sadly, the forest are threatened by hill slope development as lowlands have already been occupied by buildings.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOItumGg1xI/AAAAAAAAAys/3eqnN_XP3PE/s1600/bukit+kiara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOItumGg1xI/AAAAAAAAAys/3eqnN_XP3PE/s400/bukit+kiara.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Bukit Kiara</b><br />
Bukit Kiara, meanwhile, has been enjoying very high visitor numbers by local and expatriate residents on a daily basis for its well-developed forest park concept and facilities provision. It is also a well-known venue for mountain biking too, as reflected by the many regional and national biking competitions held within the park's forest trails. In terms of forest structure, it is a rubber estate-turned-secondary forest. Surprisingly, it still holds many native flora and even a resident troop of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Unfortunately, the entire park is set to be cleared for landscape and development into an artificailly constructed large garden park (<a href="http://www.bu6wawasan.com.my/content/view/592/1/">http://www.bu6wawasan.com.my/content/view/592/1/</a>);<br />
while the southern portion of the hill has been cleared to make way for a golf course.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOJDWHYMOPI/AAAAAAAAAy8/sJIQcOKTPpo/s1600/rimba+ilmu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOJDWHYMOPI/AAAAAAAAAy8/sJIQcOKTPpo/s400/rimba+ilmu.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Rimba Ilmu, Univerity Malaya</b><br />
This is geographically a southern extension of Bukit Kiara. It is within the grounds of University Malaya and is an educational forest set up for public use and university research purposes, thus safely protected from any urban development so far. It also houses the university's herbarium which contains 1600 species of tropical flora. It is popular among locals and tourists who wanted to get a quick glimpse of the rainforest and its floral wealth. Here's the website of Rimba Ilmu: (<a href="http://rimba.um.edu.my/">http://rimba.um.edu.my/</a>)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOI1EGuPFII/AAAAAAAAAyw/oNmxD70ie1M/s1600/Bukit+Gasing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOI1EGuPFII/AAAAAAAAAyw/oNmxD70ie1M/s400/Bukit+Gasing.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Bukit Gasing</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Another green lung that has captured the interest and enthusiasm of the local population, this regenerating secondary forest serves not just as a wildlife refuge but also a recreational area that has experienced increased popularity beyond the surrounding communities and even among foreigners. As in the case of its northern neighbours, Bukit Kiara and Bukit Lanjan, this cherished piece of greenery is disappearing fast due to development of apartments on its eastern portion (which is under Kuala Lumpur's jurisdiction). The only hope left is the western portion of the hill which is declared a protected educational forest for the community by the state government of Selangor. This blog features the environmentalism movement of the Bukit Gasing Community: (<a href="http://savebukitgasing.wordpress.com/">http://savebukitgasing.wordpress.com/</a>)</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOKBe_J-1TI/AAAAAAAAAzk/gSDDqCfFdrk/s1600/Ayer+Hitam+FR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOKBe_J-1TI/AAAAAAAAAzk/gSDDqCfFdrk/s400/Ayer+Hitam+FR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b>Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve</b><br />
Yet another forest that faces the same scenario as those above, Ayer Hitam is unique in its crucial role for forest-based research conducted by the nearby Univerity Putra Malaysia. It is also one of the largest remaining forest completely surrounded by urban functions, thus it houses a great deal of wildlife and plantlife representative of the Klang Valley's extremely rare lowland forests. Furthermore, a study has indicated that there is 33 endemic and 30 new records out of 319 species of trees surveyed in just a 5 hectares plot. Mammals that are reported to inhabit this 12.48 km square (1248 hectares) rainforest includes rats, squirrels, rarely seen moonrats (Echinosorex gymnurus) and the charismatic Slow Loris (Nycticedus coucang). The Orang Asli (Indigeneous people) of the Temuan tribe frequents the forest for its natural products while local residents often conduct hiking trips there as well. The biggest threat facing this forest is the rapid deforestation for residential zone expansion although it is unlikely that the entire forest will be destroyed anytime soon as the forest has been leased to the univeristy for the next 64 years.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOKBqzKOjcI/AAAAAAAAAzo/gq9S_Rtzg_A/s1600/Saujana+Utama-Bkt+Subang%2528N%2529-Bkt+Cahaya+Shah+Alam%2528S%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOKBqzKOjcI/AAAAAAAAAzo/gq9S_Rtzg_A/s400/Saujana+Utama-Bkt+Subang%2528N%2529-Bkt+Cahaya+Shah+Alam%2528S%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Saujana Utama-Bukit Cahaya, Shah Alam</b><br />
These forests are important water-shed areas but seemed to have experienced extensive urban and agricultural developments in recent years that are encroaching towards the reservoirs within the forests. This is particularly pronounced in the southern portion belonging to Bukit Cahaya and the north-eastern portion. Ironically, Bukit Cahaya is home to the Malaysian Agricultural Park and has parts of it featuring the forest itself. However, there is only a small pool of local residents who voiced out their concerns and enthusiasm about the forest, rendering it harder to conserve the region's shrinking forests.<br />
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<b><u>EASTERN REGION</u></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOJQ2u21ZkI/AAAAAAAAAzE/q9_5K5-qe3I/s1600/Cheras.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOJQ2u21ZkI/AAAAAAAAAzE/q9_5K5-qe3I/s400/Cheras.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Cheras Region Forested Hills</b><br />
The Cheras geography is characterised by majestic green hills and a large, unbroken chain of forested<br />
mountains in its backdrop. This area has been, like most other rainforests in KL, the weekend haunts of many local residents. Hills such as Bukit Permai and Bukit Putih (Apek Hill) features several very popular waterfalls and trekking trails and has attracted hoards of people from all across Kuala Lumpur. However, foreign tourists have not frequented the area to date. Although no research has been conducted in its forest so far, it definitely holds some mammalian megafauna such as wild boars and macaques as anecdotal and photographic evidence have provided for years. Again, the disregard of local residents as important stakeholders when developing the hills have resulted in conflict and concerns for the safety of the hill slopes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOJW73QhgdI/AAAAAAAAAzI/on9dPbEx_bM/s1600/ampang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOJW73QhgdI/AAAAAAAAAzI/on9dPbEx_bM/s400/ampang.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Ampang Region Forested Hills</b><br />
Another region of similar geography as Cheras, this area also features some waterfalls and are as popular as those in Cheras. But the most important feature of this part of the city is the frequent occurence of landslides ranging from minor to fatal. Perhaps the two most well known are the Bukit Antarabangsa 1999 landslide and the Taman Bukit Mewah landslide.<br />
(Link to a satellite picture comparison of the landslide of 2008: <a href="http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/coverages/landslide20081206/index.html">http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/coverages/landslide20081206/index.html</a>)<br />
They are grim reminders of the disasters caused by inconsiderate development on geologically unstable hills.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TN0ZiO0_p0I/AAAAAAAAAx8/qobnaDLJHpQ/s1600/Central+Selangor+State+Park-Klang+Gates-Bkt+Tabur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TN0ZiO0_p0I/AAAAAAAAAx8/qobnaDLJHpQ/s400/Central+Selangor+State+Park-Klang+Gates-Bkt+Tabur.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><i>Central section of Selangor State Park. Note the linear Bukit Tabur Quartz Ridge and the Klang Gates Reservoir visible at the bottom left corner of this image.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>Selangor State Park</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">One of the most distinctive feature that dominates the landscape of eastern Kuala Lumpur, The Bukit Tabur Quartz Ridge is located within this new state park. This ridge is made entirely of quartz crystals and is said to be the longest of its kind in the world. Hence, efforts have been made to include it as a UNESCO World Heritage Zone. Along with the intact forests that dominates behind the ridge, forming the catchment area of the Klang Gates Reservoir, this park serves as the source of KL's drinking water and is home to many rare and endemic flora especially along the ridge. Given its proximity from the capital, effort has been taken to attract tourists. It is currently a favourite weekend haunt for locals particularly along the Quartz Ridge and the various waterfalls. Sadly, there is a danger that parts of the ridge may collapse as hill cutting and deforestation on its slopes continues unabated. Moreover, ad hoc plans to destroy parts of the ridge to make way for roads and buildings often surfaces to the anger of the public. Here is the link to their official blog: (<a href="http://selangorstatepark.blogspot.com/">http://selangorstatepark.blogspot.com/</a>)</div><div><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">The above list of forest are but the tip of an iceberg of significant areas worthy of preservation in KL and its surroundings. There are many more smaller but equally interesting tracts of forest remnants scattered across the city. All these forests faces the same issue of encroachment and destruction and ought to be saved in view of its economic, social and even political benefits that could be gained from such a move.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOokn3f3hZI/AAAAAAAAA2E/AEmhNMdJLrQ/s1600/IMG_7014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TOokn3f3hZI/AAAAAAAAA2E/AEmhNMdJLrQ/s400/IMG_7014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The rare and relatively unknown ground dwelling plant, Thismia sp., is usually described as habitat specific and sensitive to disturbance, hence only found in primary rainforests. However, the surprising discovery of it living in the Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve have shown that Kuala Lumpur's rainforests, however small and isolated, are important reserves for tropical species including rare and endemic ones.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Already, modern cities across the world are setting aside and creating tracts of important habitats as wildlife refuges and for recreational and educational purposes. Some examples include Australia's Adelaide's Urban Forest Programme, Brazil's Sao Paulo City Greebelt Biosphere Reserve and Canada's Ottawa Greenbelt. (Check out this link for more information: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_belt">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_belt</a>) It is almost an unstated rule of thumb that cities should integrate with its environment and not the other way around.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Of course, this must also be accompanied by responsibly planned urban development that seeks to control urban sprawl if the forest were to remain untouched by developers. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Malaysia and it's capital's economy are largely build upon by the natural bounty of the land. Kuala Lumpur will not be as modern and developed as in the vision and hopes of the Malaysian people if little or no acknowlegment of the importance of biodiversity is given in the form of the provision of wildlife refugia. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority." </div><div style="text-align: center;">~Elwyn Brooks White, Essays of E.B. White, 1977.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Some Further Reading</u>:</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Mak K.W., 2004. A River Gone to Waste, The Star Metro, 14 September 2004. (<a href="http://www.gecnet.info/newsmaster.cfm?&menuid=6&action=view&retrieveid=74">http://www.gecnet.info/newsmaster.cfm?&menuid=6&action=view&retrieveid=74</a>)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">2.Tsai L.M., Nazim Yaacob T. M., Jeyaraj K., 2000. Importance of Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve in Klang Valley and the Multimedia Super Corridor, Pertanika J. Trap. Agric. Sci. 23(1): 57 - 61 (2000) (<a href="http://psasir.upm.edu.my/3301/1/Importance_of_Ayer_Hitam_Forest_Reserve_in_the_Klang_Valley_and_the.pdf">http://psasir.upm.edu.my/3301/1/Importance_of_Ayer_Hitam_Forest_Reserve_in_the_Klang_Valley_and_the.pdf</a>)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">3. Abd. Ghani A. N., Bawon. P., Hj. Othman M. S., S. Mohamed R. M., Faridah Hanum I., Zakaria Husin M., 1999. Direct Uses of Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve, Puchong, Selangor. Pertanika J. Trap. Agric. Sci. 22(2): 203 - 206 (1999) (<a href="http://psasir.upm.edu.my/3749/1/Direct_Uses_of_Ayer_Hitam_Forest_Reserve,_Puchong,_Selangor.pdf">http://psasir.upm.edu.my/3749/1/Direct_Uses_of_Ayer_Hitam_Forest_Reserve,_Puchong,_Selangor.pdf</a>)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. Jusoff K., 2010. Individual Species Crown Mapping in Taman Rimba Ilmu, University Malaya</div><div style="text-align: left;">Using Airborne Hyperspectral Imaging. American Journal of Applied Sciences 7 (4): 493-499, 2010 (<a href="http://www.scipub.org/fulltext/ajas/ajas74493-499.pdf">http://www.scipub.org/fulltext/ajas/ajas74493-499.pdf</a>)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. Faridah Hanum I., Philip L., Awang Noor A.G., 2008. Sampling Species Diversity In a Malaysian Rainforest: The Case of a Logged-over Forest. Pak. J. Bot., 40(4): 1729-1733, 2008. (<a href="http://www.pakbs.org/pjbot/PDFs/40(4)/PJB40(4)1729.pdf">http://www.pakbs.org/pjbot/PDFs/40(4)/PJB40(4)1729.pdf</a>)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">6. Zakaria M., Silang S., Mudin R., 2001. Species Composition of Small Mammals at the Ayer Hitam</div><div style="text-align: left;">Forest Reserve, Puchong, Selangor. Pertanika J. Trap. Agric. Sci. 24(1): 19 - 22 (2001) (<a href="http://psasir.upm.edu.my/3365/1/Species_Composition_of_Small_Mammals_at_the_Ayer_Hitam.pdf">http://psasir.upm.edu.my/3365/1/Species_Composition_of_Small_Mammals_at_the_Ayer_Hitam.pdf</a>)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">7. Khalid S., 2008. Efforts Being Made to Preserve Bukit Persekutuan. The Star Metro, 28 January 2008. (<a href="http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/28/central/20116510&sec=central">http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/28/central/20116510&sec=central</a>)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">8. Loh D., 2003. Developer Rapes Cheras Forest Reserve. The New Straits Times, 23 June 2003. (<a href="http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-82801150.html">http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-82801150.html</a>)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">9. Adams L.W., 2005. Urban Wildlife Ecology and Conservation: A Brief History of the Discipline. Urban Ecosystems, 8:139-156, 2005. (<a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/f91665g2l22h3rl7/">http://www.springerlink.com/content/f91665g2l22h3rl7/</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">10.Radzi Abas M., Ahmad-Shah A., Nor Awang M., 1992. Fluxes of Ions in Precipitation, Throughfall and Streamflow in an Urban Forest in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Environmental Pollution,Vol. 75, Iss. 2., p209-213, 1992. </div><div style="text-align: left;">(<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VB5-4914PJD-1F&_user=10&_coverDate=12/31/1992&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1542991185&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=db8f97c4d170aca2b7d5b976f59aeed0&searchtype=a">http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VB5-4914PJD-1F&_user=10&_coverDate=12/31/1992&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1542991185&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=db8f97c4d170aca2b7d5b976f59aeed0&searchtype=a</a>)</div></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-48773208788370601452010-10-06T00:04:00.000-07:002010-10-06T00:07:23.999-07:00FRIM: More Than Just A Tree Plantation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMDJAKhasI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/ljETBJgQTjQ/s1600/IMG_5185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMDJAKhasI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/ljETBJgQTjQ/s320/IMG_5185.JPG" width="239" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The mature Meranti trees found on the slopes of Bukit Lagong, in FRIM.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">"These hill slopes used to be the domain of terraced vegetable plots and those ponds down there are relics of the tin mining industry of the colonial era," chirps our guide while he moves his finger across the verdant hill slopes to the landscaped pond gardens at the foothills. 80 years since the establishment of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), much of the denuded hills that was so common in the old days have all but disappeared under the experimental forestry works of FRIM. The green hills, however, are not in any way, boring mono-culture forests (as would be expected from the infamous rubber and oil palm plantations), In fact, my visit to the site revealed a surprisingly diverse range of wildlife and plants, some are even considered rare!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMGXYqaQAI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/c1TqpGASQhE/s1600/IMG_5351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMGXYqaQAI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/c1TqpGASQhE/s320/IMG_5351.JPG" width="239" /></i></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Sun light penetrating the verdant forest canopy along the Rover Track in the heart of FRIM.</i></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">The mention of FRIM as an ecologically haven worth exploring may amuse many Kuala Lumpur urbanites. I also have doubts that these secondary and anthropogenically-altered forests of such close proximity to the bustling urban landscape of Kuala Lumpur would support much wildlife at all. That notion seems to be challenged in FRIM's case, though. Perhaps it is because FRIM is one of the few remnant forested environments in Kuala Lumpur? Or the fact that it has grown to mimic a natural secondary forest structure after all these years has influenced the reclamation of past forest wildlife? Or probably some other yet unidentified reasons?</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMDlXzFCyI/AAAAAAAAAwY/x_dVkq_KXl4/s1600/IMG_5191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMDlXzFCyI/AAAAAAAAAwY/x_dVkq_KXl4/s320/IMG_5191.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Pockets of the disturbed forest seen here as a long abandoned durian orchard are exposed to sunlight and results in the presence of thick undergrowth characterised by easily adaptable species including exotic (introduced) flora.</i></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMDTkB8QNI/AAAAAAAAAwU/osOqMAYBzfQ/s1600/IMG_5189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMDTkB8QNI/AAAAAAAAAwU/osOqMAYBzfQ/s320/IMG_5189.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>One of these exotics is Parrot's Beak Heliconia, Heliconia psittacorum from the Amazon.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Much of the human activities in FRIM are concentrated in the developed portion of landscaped gardens, research centres, settlements and museums in the lowlands. Visitors to FRIM are often here to have outdoor workout sessions, to enjoy panoramic views up on FRIM's signature forest canopy walkway in the hills or to have a bit of splashing around in the Sungai Kroh waterfall. For many, the most part of FRIM that lies within the thickly forested granite range of Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve is dismissed as just another part of the scenery.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMFFYeUzFI/AAAAAAAAAw0/UEXALT_aP9w/s1600/IMG_5352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMFFYeUzFI/AAAAAAAAAw0/UEXALT_aP9w/s320/IMG_5352.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A rare rainforest phenomenon known as "crown shyness" displayed by Kapur, Dryobalanops aromatica, which is found only in a handful of locations, where one of them is in FRIM.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">For nature appreciators, however, it is the rainforest that is the center-stage of FRIM. To gain the best insights into the biodiversity of this forest, it is best to get onto the trails that crosses many parts of the hill area between Sungai Kroh waterfall, the canopy walkway and the Rover Track (an unpaved road). (<a href="http://www.nature-escapes-kuala-lumpur.com/images/FRIM-map2.jpg">Click here</a> for a link to the mud map of the aforementioned areas)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMD_O4v9vI/AAAAAAAAAwg/ptk3ZhtHZoQ/s1600/IMG_5206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMD_O4v9vI/AAAAAAAAAwg/ptk3ZhtHZoQ/s320/IMG_5206.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Clumps of characteristic brick red seed pods of Kelumpang, Steculia sp. high on the canopy of FRIM.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">A good tip is to maximise your search by scanning the forest high and low for any flora or fauna of interest, big or small. Do be aware that many critters are experts in camouflage and looking for them require some skills but it will be a well well worth search if you do finally found them! Another useful suggestion is to visit the trails after rains as many rainforest organisms love the humidity and soaked environment. However, just be prepared to donate some of your blood to water-loving leeches! (They are not in any way harmful but if you have Bedellophobia or fear of leches, a pinch of table salt on them will effectively remove them off your skin)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Personally, I liked the route that begins at the Sungai Kroh waterfall and picnic area and then trek my way uphill to the canopy walkway (crossing the widely-spaced Rover Track in between the journey) on the top of the hill and get a breath of fresh air, soak up the forest's sounds before going downhill again to the Rover Track. Here, it is a leisure walk further downhill and to the main metalled road (near the canteen). Here's a photo essay of my discoveries:</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMG_vvPmNI/AAAAAAAAAxc/DGF036CNWmE/s1600/IMG_5468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMG_vvPmNI/AAAAAAAAAxc/DGF036CNWmE/s320/IMG_5468.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>One of the multi-tiered waterfalls along Sungai Kroh (literally meaning murky river or stream, but actually the water is really clear!).</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMGxEiL9sI/AAAAAAAAAxY/14f3F053LQo/s1600/IMG_5444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMGxEiL9sI/AAAAAAAAAxY/14f3F053LQo/s320/IMG_5444.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>One of the beautiful rapids channeling crystal clear freshwater along Sungai Kroh.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMGlk--P5I/AAAAAAAAAxU/-UFBdozLWoA/s1600/IMG_5436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMGlk--P5I/AAAAAAAAAxU/-UFBdozLWoA/s320/IMG_5436.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The occassional overflowing of Sungai Kroh after heavy downpours washes large quantities of forest leaf litter from the banks, resulting in this maze of tree roots and large, rounded boulders.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMGJJsStDI/AAAAAAAAAxM/ubFNsTbPr7U/s1600/IMG_5332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMGJJsStDI/AAAAAAAAAxM/ubFNsTbPr7U/s320/IMG_5332.JPG" width="239" /></i></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Another timeless scene of the fast flowing water of Sungai Kroh in the upstream area.</i><br />
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</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMFkfoCT7I/AAAAAAAAAxA/g0jtnuuOy2A/s1600/IMG_5484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMFkfoCT7I/AAAAAAAAAxA/g0jtnuuOy2A/s320/IMG_5484.JPG" width="239" /></i></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>One of the hardy ferns, </i>Antrophyum callifolium<i>, eking out a living by clinging precariously on a moss-covered rock face overlooking the thundering waters of Sungai Kroh.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMFxJ1QWvI/AAAAAAAAAxE/4hVdNIeeu4Q/s1600/IMG_5503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMFxJ1QWvI/AAAAAAAAAxE/4hVdNIeeu4Q/s320/IMG_5503.JPG" width="239" /></i></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>An uncommon find-the horticulturally-popular Begonia, </i>Begonia sp<i>.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMEx8xDhpI/AAAAAAAAAww/zGFcYqNqFhA/s1600/IMG_5335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMEx8xDhpI/AAAAAAAAAww/zGFcYqNqFhA/s320/IMG_5335.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A related species of the commercial pepper-Tiger's Betel, </i>Piper porphyrophyllum<i>, found on the forest floor. It is currently being researched for potential medicinal uses.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMDwYwiV9I/AAAAAAAAAwc/VQ6qF6H9_Cc/s1600/IMG_5205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMDwYwiV9I/AAAAAAAAAwc/VQ6qF6H9_Cc/s320/IMG_5205.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Another forest creeper of an unidentified but common species.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMCrKtY4gI/AAAAAAAAAwI/uiekIZc4Ht0/s1600/IMG_5183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMCrKtY4gI/AAAAAAAAAwI/uiekIZc4Ht0/s320/IMG_5183.JPG" width="239" /></i></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A palm tree, </i>Arenga westerhoutii<i>, fruiting profusely near the highest point of the hill trail (informally known as Bukit FRIM or FRIM Hill).</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMCApzrSVI/AAAAAAAAAv8/RKf2K4MUgGQ/s1600/IMG_5160+Eurycoma+longifolia+tongkat+ali.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMCApzrSVI/AAAAAAAAAv8/RKf2K4MUgGQ/s320/IMG_5160+Eurycoma+longifolia+tongkat+ali.JPG" width="239" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The famous Malaysian anesthetic- Tongkat Ali, </i>Eurycoma longifolia<i>, said to be a cure-all. The medicinal value of it is still under intense research currently and is debatable. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMEjyDjh1I/AAAAAAAAAws/QZ1xBCgWI98/s1600/IMG_5317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMEjyDjh1I/AAAAAAAAAws/QZ1xBCgWI98/s320/IMG_5317.JPG" width="240" /></i></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A grass-like but significantly larger-sized plant called Bemban, </i>Donax grandis,<i> found along the upper parts of the trail.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMC2czsMMI/AAAAAAAAAwM/SAKtDWRQcj0/s1600/IMG_5184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMC2czsMMI/AAAAAAAAAwM/SAKtDWRQcj0/s320/IMG_5184.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A peculiar fig, </i>Ficus fistulosa <i>that bears fruits through protruding branches along its trunk.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMF8Mvf7pI/AAAAAAAAAxI/0dC69DqGHQM/s1600/IMG_5506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMF8Mvf7pI/AAAAAAAAAxI/0dC69DqGHQM/s320/IMG_5506.JPG" width="239" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The eyecatching inflorescence (clumps of flowers arranged along a stalk) possibly of a species of the genus Schefflera.</i></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMFNqb98GI/AAAAAAAAAw4/WQ-MuXO2YRk/s1600/IMG_5439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i></i></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMFNqb98GI/AAAAAAAAAw4/WQ-MuXO2YRk/s1600/IMG_5439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMFNqb98GI/AAAAAAAAAw4/WQ-MuXO2YRk/s320/IMG_5439.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A wild Jasmine, </i>Jasminum sp.<i>, found beside the swift waters of Sungai Kroh.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMBw7zgOPI/AAAAAAAAAv4/ByVUD5_WE2k/s1600/IMG_5150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMBw7zgOPI/AAAAAAAAAv4/ByVUD5_WE2k/s320/IMG_5150.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The common fern-like herb </i>Selanginella willdenowii <i>with its characteristic bluish-green tinged leaves. Note the flower petal and a huntsman spider on its side.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMBmNZKyNI/AAAAAAAAAv0/5wGmAN2bxJg/s1600/IMG_5141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMBmNZKyNI/AAAAAAAAAv0/5wGmAN2bxJg/s320/IMG_5141.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The common yet fascinating flower of Black Lily or Keladi Murai, </i>Tacca integrifolia<i>, which is rather common as a forest understory plant. It is widely used as a herb to treat rashes, rheumatism, aching limbs and various other illnesses.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMFZQEXX6I/AAAAAAAAAw8/w5XHnnNe5Ds/s1600/IMG_5481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMFZQEXX6I/AAAAAAAAAw8/w5XHnnNe5Ds/s320/IMG_5481.JPG" width="239" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the must-see plants when visitor</i><i>s are in FRIM is this gnarled vines of the Liana plant, </i>Bauhinia sp<i>. In certain parts of the peninsular as well as other Southeast Asian regions, this plant is the primary host of the world's largest flower-the Rafflesia.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMEVM57JZI/AAAAAAAAAwo/hAjpP9scALU/s1600/IMG_5220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMEVM57JZI/AAAAAAAAAwo/hAjpP9scALU/s320/IMG_5220.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the largest Yam or Taro plant- Keladi gajah (meaning: Elephant Yam), </i>Alocasia macrorhiza<i>, found at the forest edge in FRIM. Some Orang Asli (Indigeneous people) </i><i>use the leaves of this plant as an umbrella during downpours.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMEJUE9qyI/AAAAAAAAAwk/rfeNGAauGjE/s1600/IMG_5219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMEJUE9qyI/AAAAAAAAAwk/rfeNGAauGjE/s320/IMG_5219.JPG" width="239" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A closeup view of the Elephant Yam's equally large flowers.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i> </i><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMCPRV6JsI/AAAAAAAAAwA/055WJDoMX4I/s1600/IMG_5162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMCPRV6JsI/AAAAAAAAAwA/055WJDoMX4I/s320/IMG_5162.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>These graceful red flowers belongs to Putat, </i>Barringtonia macrostachya<i>. They were found detached from the plant, on the forest floor.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMCbEcte_I/AAAAAAAAAwE/PPutMAkcp3o/s1600/IMG_5166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMCbEcte_I/AAAAAAAAAwE/PPutMAkcp3o/s320/IMG_5166.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The dried latex of a tree known as Jelutong,</i> Dyera costulata<i>, which is a local species that produces a leathery, rubber-like substance. It was once commercially harvested and used in many products before the introduction of the Brasillian Para Rubber Tree, Hevea brasiliensis.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_JE0ZM8I/AAAAAAAAAuk/5qjOF6Warqo/s1600/IMG_5417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_JE0ZM8I/AAAAAAAAAuk/5qjOF6Warqo/s320/IMG_5417.JPG" width="239" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>An unidentified fungi growing on the thin soils of the forest floor.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL-tnYOIsI/AAAAAAAAAuc/m5f0_1kqAyM/s1600/IMG_5147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL-tnYOIsI/AAAAAAAAAuc/m5f0_1kqAyM/s320/IMG_5147.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A fungi of the genus </i>Cymatoderma<i> that grows on forest litter and plays a crucial role in breaking the organic matter down into nutrients for the plants.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_Vp1HOKI/AAAAAAAAAuo/Secx6HW5K4g/s1600/IMG_5515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_Vp1HOKI/AAAAAAAAAuo/Secx6HW5K4g/s320/IMG_5515.JPG" width="239" /></i></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Another species of fungi cluster on the surface of decaying tree logs.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL-6qgvakI/AAAAAAAAAug/bIaMJHv80xQ/s1600/IMG_5403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL-6qgvakI/AAAAAAAAAug/bIaMJHv80xQ/s320/IMG_5403.JPG" width="320" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Another common wood-inhabiting fungi,</i> Stereum sp, <i>with a beautiful "polished-wood" appearance.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMAyS5SHjI/AAAAAAAAAvc/7GBFoWU9b9k/s1600/IMG_5410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMAyS5SHjI/AAAAAAAAAvc/7GBFoWU9b9k/s320/IMG_5410.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>These fungi sometimes houses a large colony of mature beetles and larvae. Shown here are a colony of Spotted Fungi Beetles,</i> Eumorphus marginatus,<i> found feeding on the spores of the underside of a large fungi, </i>Ganoderma tropicum. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_d7EQ49I/AAAAAAAAAu0/bGUHI2USvJU/s1600/IMG_5182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_d7EQ49I/AAAAAAAAAu0/bGUHI2USvJU/s320/IMG_5182.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>An oddity among the insect world-the bio-luminescent firefly</i>, Pteroptyx valida, <i>resting on a leaf of a forest shrub.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_m7mbcKI/AAAAAAAAAu4/otCzj34266o/s1600/IMG_5221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_m7mbcKI/AAAAAAAAAu4/otCzj34266o/s320/IMG_5221.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The molting cast of a cicada found on the stalks of an Elephant Yam Plant. Cicada casks are used in traditional Chinese medicine to cure minor respiratory ailments.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_58GJKZI/AAAAAAAAAvA/f4PX6C-WTfM/s1600/IMG_5296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_58GJKZI/AAAAAAAAAvA/f4PX6C-WTfM/s320/IMG_5296.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Finally, after hearing the omnipresent chattering and ringing in the forest for the last few hours, I've chanced upon one of the makers of this distinct rainforest cacophony-the cricket,</i> Nisitrus vittatus.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_wPbgFWI/AAAAAAAAAu8/e3nNTGdowaQ/s1600/IMG_5293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_wPbgFWI/AAAAAAAAAu8/e3nNTGdowaQ/s320/IMG_5293.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><i>Another cricket,</i> Gryllus sp<i> also on a shrub leaf. (Does forest crickets have a tendency to stay on leaves during the mornings?)</i><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMBXNzDTOI/AAAAAAAAAvw/e_rvNKUbWsM/s1600/IMG_5511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMBXNzDTOI/AAAAAAAAAvw/e_rvNKUbWsM/s320/IMG_5511.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Another insect having the same habits of the crickets-the Shorthorn Grasshopper</i>, Erucius sp.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMBImGJWRI/AAAAAAAAAvk/vxkeWwg2T70/s1600/IMG_5415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMBImGJWRI/AAAAAAAAAvk/vxkeWwg2T70/s320/IMG_5415.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A striking group of spiny caterpillars on the stalk of a forest undergrowth plant.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMAYfrcuRI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/1VRNr_zOw5A/s1600/IMG_5324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMAYfrcuRI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/1VRNr_zOw5A/s320/IMG_5324.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>An unidentified pair of spiders seeking refuge near the Sungai Kroh waterfall by folding a leaf using their strong silk webs.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMAiklGhDI/AAAAAAAAAvU/UAPEK4zWNG0/s1600/IMG_5346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMAiklGhDI/AAAAAAAAAvU/UAPEK4zWNG0/s320/IMG_5346.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Nursery Web Spider, </i>Pisaura sp.,<i> is another critter that favours the surfaces of leaves probably as its hunting grounds.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_bszsoHI/AAAAAAAAAuw/N2mN1hULYLY/s1600/IMG_5157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_bszsoHI/AAAAAAAAAuw/N2mN1hULYLY/s320/IMG_5157.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A Huntsman Spider of the family</i> Sparassidae<i> on a flower petal.</i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_YovWrVI/AAAAAAAAAus/zDJMkJEIiUc/s1600/IMG_5149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL_YovWrVI/AAAAAAAAAus/zDJMkJEIiUc/s320/IMG_5149.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<i>An unidentified Orb weaver Spider with striking iridescent green and red stripes on its abdomen.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMBP-ydtaI/AAAAAAAAAvo/9UPL_p3aUig/s1600/IMG_5488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMBP-ydtaI/AAAAAAAAAvo/9UPL_p3aUig/s320/IMG_5488.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A striking Orb Weaver Spider, </i>Agiope aemula<i>, in its typical "X" shaped pose and bands of zig-zagging silk web structure.</i><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMBT4s_6zI/AAAAAAAAAvs/kRFchjG-qwM/s1600/IMG_5497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMBT4s_6zI/AAAAAAAAAvs/kRFchjG-qwM/s320/IMG_5497.JPG" width="235" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The delicate stabilimentum (the patterned silk structure) of another Orb Weaver Spider, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Argiope sp.</span> makes it an eyecatching find despite being rather small in comparison with other spiders.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMAEtwH11I/AAAAAAAAAvE/N4ImvMbJU4Y/s1600/IMG_5298+%282%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMAEtwH11I/AAAAAAAAAvE/N4ImvMbJU4Y/s320/IMG_5298+%282%29.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Of all the forest spiders, the Golden Orb Weaver,</i> Nephila pilipes, <i>is among the largest and most "fearsome-looking" of them all. This giant female easily measures 15cm from the tip of its leg to another and has just netted an unfortunate moth. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMAGB1t1gI/AAAAAAAAAvI/M9grjKd4EbI/s1600/IMG_5298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMAGB1t1gI/AAAAAAAAAvI/M9grjKd4EbI/s320/IMG_5298.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Upon closer inspection, there was a tiny red male (of the same species) hitching on its back, probably trying to mate with the giant female.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMARv4oo4I/AAAAAAAAAvM/5cJJ14E4kww/s1600/IMG_5299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMARv4oo4I/AAAAAAAAAvM/5cJJ14E4kww/s320/IMG_5299.JPG" width="239" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Another view of the female with its prey. Note the width of the web which can be up to a metre or more, thus enabling the spider to weave in between tree branches even high up in the canopy.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMAnZeviaI/AAAAAAAAAvY/cXiEbhTZ5DM/s1600/IMG_5356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMAnZeviaI/AAAAAAAAAvY/cXiEbhTZ5DM/s320/IMG_5356.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Gigantism is not confined only to spiders, but can also be found among ants as this Giant Forest Ant, </i>Camponotus gigas,<i> exemplifies. This worker ant of the species measures almost 3 cm from its head to its abdomen.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMA-7GhmnI/AAAAAAAAAvg/zGeuZailTvc/s1600/IMG_5413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMA-7GhmnI/AAAAAAAAAvg/zGeuZailTvc/s320/IMG_5413.JPG" width="239" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>On the other end of the size spectrum, tiny forest termites,</i> Hospitalitermes sp. ,<i> can be found on the tree roots and branches scraping microscopic bits of lichen, which is their primary food.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Of course, a forest without animals would not be a forest. So here are some encounters with them:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL-afRjGOI/AAAAAAAAAuU/MxApil3QVO0/s1600/IMG_5407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL-afRjGOI/AAAAAAAAAuU/MxApil3QVO0/s320/IMG_5407.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>An unusual and amazing bird by all accounts,</i> <i>the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo,</i> Dicrurus paradiseus, <i>possesses a pair of racket-like ends that dangles from its tail ends.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL-mSpGr0I/AAAAAAAAAuY/mfmHcnLIalU/s1600/IMG_5422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL-mSpGr0I/AAAAAAAAAuY/mfmHcnLIalU/s320/IMG_5422.JPG" width="239" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Another creature perfectly adapted to forest life is the peculiar Black-bearded Flying Lizard</i>, Draco melanopogon. <i>It has modified ribs that can be expanded to form two wide-curving membranes for gliding from tree to tree when escaping from predators. These ribs can be seen folded on the sides of its body in this picture.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL-RmffnLI/AAAAAAAAAuM/whpa5CkTwEQ/s1600/IMG_5300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL-RmffnLI/AAAAAAAAAuM/whpa5CkTwEQ/s320/IMG_5300.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>This shy Spotted Forest Skink,</i> Sphenomorphus scotophilus<i>, can be found scurrying on moss covered rocks particularly in the shaded areas of the forest.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL-V16Xu7I/AAAAAAAAAuQ/mF6xI0O8fdc/s1600/IMG_5303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL-V16Xu7I/AAAAAAAAAuQ/mF6xI0O8fdc/s320/IMG_5303.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Another relatively common reptile- the Common Green Agamid Lizard,</i> Calotes cristatellus,<i> on a palm leaf.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL-I2IDpcI/AAAAAAAAAuI/N9NRbZaKh1I/s1600/IMG_5202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKL-I2IDpcI/AAAAAAAAAuI/N9NRbZaKh1I/s400/IMG_5202.JPG" width="298" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>While many associate rainforests with megafauna (large mammals species), it is very rare that people will ever encounter them in reality. Their presence in the forest is usually only identified via footprints and droppings. Seen here is a hoof-print left by the Common Wild Boar,</i> Sus scrofa.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The forest is not devoid of snails too, as evident from these pictures:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMHDWEK_XI/AAAAAAAAAxg/I8kheXCBcM8/s1600/IMG_5168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMHDWEK_XI/AAAAAAAAAxg/I8kheXCBcM8/s320/IMG_5168.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A long dead Cyclophorus Snail, </i>Cyclophorus perdix tuba,<i> eroded by the acidic soils of the forest and encrusted with green algae.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMHNA_SGKI/AAAAAAAAAxk/q2fA9ayQ8_8/s1600/IMG_5343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMHNA_SGKI/AAAAAAAAAxk/q2fA9ayQ8_8/s320/IMG_5343.JPG" width="239" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Another rather common snail-</i>Hemiplecta densa <i>aestivating (similar to hibernating) on a leaf</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMHU6g67QI/AAAAAAAAAxo/txsw3-0tbDE/s1600/IMG_5499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TKMHU6g67QI/AAAAAAAAAxo/txsw3-0tbDE/s320/IMG_5499.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The Kinta Dyakiid Snail,</i> Dyakia kintana.<i> Snails of the genus </i>Dyakia <i>are usually sinistral coiling (coiling to the left) as oppose to most snails, which coils to the right (see the Cyclophorus and Hemiplecta snails above). The name of this snail genus came from the generic term for the Indigenous people of Borneo-the Dayaks while its species is named after Kinta Valley in Perak, Peninsular Malaysia.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">FRIM is indeed a surprisingly diverse tree plantation. 80 years of intensive afforestation since the 1920s has finally bear fruit to an almost rainforest-like environment. The continuous existence of commercially useful native trees and the fauna component of it makes it even more sustainable. As one of the ardent FRIM forest hikers told me, "In the time where a soccer field of rainforest is disappearing every minute due to unsustainable agriculture and land clearing, perhaps it is time for those responsible to look towards FRIM's approach in striking a balance between maintaining biodiversity and creating commercial crops?"</div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-54549486939947634872010-06-09T08:13:00.000-07:002010-11-16T23:23:19.323-08:00The Perhentian Muck Diving Experience<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkep3AuluI/AAAAAAAAAss/FwWIeUdAdSU/s1600/P.+Perhentian.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478944126163392226" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkep3AuluI/AAAAAAAAAss/FwWIeUdAdSU/s320/P.+Perhentian.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 278px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Northern most archipelago of the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Pulau Perhentian (meaning: Stopover Islands) consists of the smaller Pulau Susu Dara in the North-west and the two larger islands of Pulau Perhentian Kecil (centre) and Pulau Perhentian Besar (South-east).</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div>Rarely seen nudibranchs, countless seahorses anchoring on every protruding object on the seafloor, strange stares of frogfishes shrouded by soft corals. Such encounters on a single dive are every diver's and macro-photographer's dream especially those that have been touched by the amazing diversity of macro-life of Lembeh Straits in North Sulawesi, Indonesia or the increasingly popular Bali "black sand" dive sites, among many other localities.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>However, discovering such a site in the North-eastern corner of Peninsular Malaysia sounds like an impossible news! After all, one can obviously see the distribution of muck-dive sites fitting well within or in the proximity of the <a href="http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/coraltriangle/">Coral Triangle</a> region: Bali, North Sulawesi, Semporna Islands, The Philippines, Eastern Indonesia, Timor, Papua New Guinea and many others. So, is it plausible that such sites exist far beyond the Coral Triangle?</div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TA8V7Mb9-BI/AAAAAAAAAs8/7KF6jkJtIys/s320/IMG_6062.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The gin-clear waters of Pasir Panjang(Long Beach), Pulau Perhentian Kecil. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div>That was what our group responded to when our dive guide made his 2-year-old discovery known over a scrumptious dinner. It had been a tiring and fruitless dive off the coast of Pulau Perhentian Kecil that afternoon; We found nothing but silt and dead corals with an occasional, meagre covering of polyps on half-smothered whip corals. His account of that dive was a revelation.</div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TA8V8aG5mnI/AAAAAAAAAtM/iuj1PSiR6rw/s320/IMG_6392.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The dead and destroyed coral heads along Pulau Perhentian Kecil's finging reef system: a direct victim of indiscriminate use of boats on shallow reefs.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div>The next day, arming with depth detectors and enthusiasm to the brim, we found ourselves navigating away from a small-headland off the coast of Pulau Perhentian Kecil at a snail's pace. With the boat engine chugging at high decibels, our dive guide told us from the top of his lungs how difficult it is to locate this site. It's little wonder as this mini sea mount, a smallish peak of an underwater dune, is quite a distance from the island and is under 28m of churning water. </div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TA8V6dGhG6I/AAAAAAAAAs0/XTyyutCGH84/s320/IMG_6055.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The beautiful morning in Pasir Teluk Aur, Pulau Perhentian Kecil on the day of our dive.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div>Strong currents sweeping from the mainland 20km away constantly brings high levels of silt and nutrients to the sea mount, which contributed to the diversity of the benthic (bottom-dwelling) organisms. The currents, however, could be a bane to divers as well. If we were lost somewhere between the surface and the bottom in the currents, we could end up surfacing off the shore of Kelantan or Pattani in the North, or worst, in the middle of South China Sea!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Finally, the depth detector beamed a 28m reading and we scattered off gearing up our equipment before plunging together into the cerulean waters. The first few minutes seemed forever, as we fought arduously against the current while trying to maintain contact with others in the group under rapidly declining visibility.</div><div><br />
</div><div>As visibility came close to 3 metres, I have finally hit the sea bed. A quick survey indicate a terrain not unlike typical muck dive sites: a silty carpet of crushed and piled shell-rubble. There are no hard corals as the turbidity of the water discourages growth. Only some turfs of soft corals <i>Sceleronephyta sp.</i> were found.</div><div><br />
</div><div>A more detailed scanning of the area revealed overturned soft corals and highly disturbed sea bed. A glaring trail of destruction left by trawlers, and it's within the Pulau Perhentian Marine Park perimeter! Somewhere at the back of my mind, I was contemplating the possible incursion of seahorse fishermen into restricted territory were fueled by the growing demands of the traditional medicine market. This is the case for the once abundant populations of seahorses elsewhere around the Peninsular, as some studies have shown (see reference). Were the Perhentians already under pressure from such unsustainable fisheries?</div><div><br />
</div><div>Putting such preoccupations aside, I scoured the sediment loaded bottom for interesting critters that we were after. After several strokes of my fins and I am face to face with my first find.</div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkcUAtI4YI/AAAAAAAAArc/EtbyTUI9YOA/s320/IMG_6125.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A beautiful juvenile Sea slug (a.k.a. nudibranch),</i> Armina semperi,<i> devouring morsels of coral polyps of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Sceleronephyta sp.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkcTt_ZP3I/AAAAAAAAArU/XmJygthBbaM/s320/IMG_6120.JPG" /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Just an arm length away, a much larger specimen of the same species was seen foraging for it's well known prey-The Sea Pen.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkbIDPPoGI/AAAAAAAAAq8/r50JRNkRNbE/s320/IMG_5943.JPG" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Indeed, just a metre away, lies a fully outreached Sea Pen, </i>Virgularia sp.<i>, capturing plankton with its feathery filters called </i>rachis<i>.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">As we continued exploring, a fiery pompom like organism crawling on the sand caught my sight. As I was about to maneuver into my photographing position when our dive guide frantically signaled me over to his side! It was the same critter I saw moments ago. This time I could get a closer look at its features. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkde95Rj_I/AAAAAAAAAr8/ebQGKLXMKE0/s320/IMG_6137.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>It's Rory's Flabellina, an unidentified nudibranch (but with a common name) </i><i>first discovered </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>also in Perhentian and recorded in the Great Barrier Reef as well. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkdd5_mQAI/AAAAAAAAArs/r_J8Kj_XUs0/s320/IMG_6129.JPG" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>We counted another two, then three and more all around the vicinity! </i><i>They seemed to be common in this locality!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkcUuax15I/AAAAAAAAArk/EB0FsGXTY-A/s320/IMG_6126.JPG" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The backs of these nudibranchs are covered with "pompom" like structures known as cerata which could be detached from the body like the tail of a gecko, when harassed.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">We were ecstatic by now, scrambling around and fixing our eyes on the shell grit carpet. We saw some bristle worms, Chloeia sp. common to such silty habitat. In addition to that, a scurrying heart urchin caught our attention as well. Most divers are familiar with the usually sessile or passive Diadema Urchins, <i>Diadema sentosum</i>. However, it is a rare privilege for divers to observe the rapidly moving bristles of this particular heart urchin has utilised in its movements. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkdfr1YY9I/AAAAAAAAAsE/DjfBjpGgFb0/s320/IMG_6139.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Heart Urchin,</i> Eurypatagus ovalis<i>, is a rare sight on most diving occasions as it mostly inhabits sandy and muddy substrates away from typical dive conditions.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">As we were busy with our own finds, our diver guide signaled us for the critter we have been crying for.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkdeTvmyYI/AAAAAAAAAr0/1J8bvQmNReQ/s320/IMG_6132.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Clinging tightly to a clump of </i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Sceleronephyta sp. </span>soft coral, is the timid Spiny Seahorse, </i>Hippocampus spinosissimus. <i>We cautiously moved around it so as not to over stress it.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> After some photographing, we proceeded on.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Scanning various other possible microhabitats, we discovered some equally interesting crustaceans and their camouflaging behaviour.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkdgPV2TCI/AAAAAAAAAsM/pQJt6w5ZBrc/s320/IMG_6144.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A well known commensal urchin crab,</i> Zebrida adamsii, <i>seeks shelter within the pink spines of an unidentified urchin. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkcTEWcTfI/AAAAAAAAArM/Wqq9RiPUZSs/s320/IMG_5957.JPG" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Another tiny denizen of soft corals is the Squat Lobster, </i>Galathea sp. . <i>Contary to it's name,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> this critter is more closely related to hermit crabs than lobsters.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkbHhAo8xI/AAAAAAAAAq0/GACMSoLhK9A/s320/IMG_5939.JPG" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Another well camouflaged soft coral-inhabiting Procelain Crab, </i>Lissoporcellana sp. <i>hiding under the branches of </i>Dendronephyta sp. <i>at the centre of this picture.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">As my air gauge closes in towards the 100 bar, I made the last dash to locate as many critters as possible. I have managed to find some more interesting slug species:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkcSYA7jbI/AAAAAAAAArE/8mc9sjMOgkE/s320/IMG_5955.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A cousin of Rory's Flabellina, this is the Red-lined Flabellina or</i> Flabellina rubrolineata <i>displaying its own set of violet-tinged cerata.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkbGy9kdlI/AAAAAAAAAqk/ocabyvRa3cs/s320/IMG_5935.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The exquisitely decorated candy-like Ornate Cadlinella,</i> Cadlinella ornatissima, <i>is a good macro-photography subject.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkbHBzBRtI/AAAAAAAAAqs/cHa6ElC-D8g/s320/IMG_5937.JPG" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The widespread yet photogenic Serpent Pteraeolidia, </i>Pteraeolidia ianthina, <i>always equips itself with stinging cerata to ward off predators. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkbGU7SESI/AAAAAAAAAqc/yWv96vnZOZA/s320/IMG_5931.JPG" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Sometimes, symbiotic single celled organisms called zooxanthellae can be found within the cerata, synthesising food from sunlight to supply its host.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkepABKqNI/AAAAAAAAAsc/BAWaFSs4_Es/s320/IMG_6149.JPG" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>On first sight, this may look like any unassuming patch of sand and grit.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkeol_GlzI/AAAAAAAAAsU/yYHMDNfm9KU/s320/IMG_6146.JPG" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>However, a slight current generated by one of our unsuspecting diver revealed the 20cm long Wonderous Melible, </i>Melibe mirifica<i> ! </i><i>I'm elated having never seen such a giant nudibranch before.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">With 28m of water above us and our limited air reserve, we motioned everyone to start a gradual ascend up the water column. As much as we were unwilling to leave such a productive site, the discovery did not end there! Midway up the ascent, we chanced upon many rarely seen planktonic tunicates! This includes the swirling, snake like Colonial Salps, which is a chain of pelagic tunicates and the other are large (~10cm), solitary individuals simply known as Salps. And perhaps the most interesting part is: These two are of the same species! They are simply in a different stage of life. (Check out this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salp">link</a> for more information)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TAkepSIpDpI/AAAAAAAAAsk/gg5njomLn14/s320/IMG_6150.JPG" /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Photographing the almost transparent solitary Salp,</i> Salpa maxima,<i> is a great challenge and the best shot I could obtain only shows its outline.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">After 50 minutes of exhilarating discoveries, we emerged out of the water and beaming with smiles. There's still something to look forward in Pulau Perhentian after all! The corals and water visibility may not be comparable to those of many other East Coast Islands but Pulau Perhentian offers an alternative that is worth exploring, at a comparably lower cost than established muck dive sites elsewhere. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">However, it was a rather bittersweet moment for us too: The absence of frogfishes and the scare number of seahorses we saw was a world way from what our dive guide first set his eyes on years ago. This confirmed my initial suspicion. Clearly, some fishermen have been breaching deep into Pulau Perhentian Marine Park. They have been plundering the last populations of seahorses to satisfy the unsustainable traditional medicine market.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">As our boat chugged back to the dive centre, a flotilla of trawlers emerge over the horizon, heading towards the islands. Are we willing to lose this invaluable asset again?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/TA8V717kAkI/AAAAAAAAAtE/KVlQrBXZ240/s320/IMG_6432.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the many shallow sea trawlers operating from Kuala Berang across Pulau Perhentian, on the mainland.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Reference and Further Reading</u>:</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. <b>C.K. Choo and H.C. Liew, 2005. </b>Exploitation and Trade in Seahorses in Peninsular Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal 2005, 57(1), 57-66.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. <b>U. Sachidhanandam, R.C. Willan, L.M. Chou, 2000. </b>Checklist of the Nudibranchs (Opisthobranchia: Nudibranchia) of the South China Sea. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 2000 Supplement No 8: 513-537. National University of Singapore.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">3. <b>N. Coleman, 2008.</b> Nudibranchs Encyclopaedia: Catalogue of Asia/Indo-Pacific Sea Slugs. Neville Coleman's Underwater Geographic Pty. Ltd., 2008.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">4. <b>S. Harding, J. Comley, M. Helgeveld, N. Coltman, P. Raines, 2003.</b> Malaysia Reefs and Islands Conservation Project 2003: Report of the Marine Pilot Phase. Coral Cay Conservation Ltd.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. Reef Check Malaysia: Annual Survey Report 2007. Reef Check Malaysia, 2007.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">6.<b>Dr. G. R. Allen, R. Steene, 1994. </b>Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Field Guide. Tropical Reef Research, 1994.</div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-32938959503162675422010-04-23T22:24:00.000-07:002010-09-21T07:56:15.136-07:00123 New Species Discovered in Heart Of Borneo<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S9K6FDyKawI/AAAAAAAAApk/P2_D8azs6eI/s1600/Img_0049.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463633894031649538" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S9K6FDyKawI/AAAAAAAAApk/P2_D8azs6eI/s320/Img_0049.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 221px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The pristine rainforests of Central Borneo.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div>For centuries, Borneo has captured the fascination of explorers and naturalists from all over the world. Alfred Russel Wallace, one of the prominent Naturalist of his time, described "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">my pleasure was increased as I daily got numbers of species, and many genera which I had not met with before" </span>during his stay in Sarawak in 1855.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S9K6GNRx0dI/AAAAAAAAAp0/tU4pxXID9Wk/s320/Img_0067.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The increasingly well-known, species rich Maliau Basin in Central Sabah, Northern Borneo.</i></div><div><br />
</div><div>Centuries on, as a continuing testimonial to the biodiversity of Borneo, an astounding 123 new species has been found in the deep forests of Borneo stretching 220,000km square across three countries namely Brunei, Indonesia (Kalimantan) and Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak states) in the short time span of 3 years. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S9K6Gjf6k3I/AAAAAAAAAp8/LWO4o2NrSXI/s320/IMG_0314.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the many rivers that made up Borneo's important wetlands, leading people to term Borneo as "The Amazon of Southeast Asia"</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div>The discoveries range from the giant half-metre long Chan's Stick Insect (Phobaeticus chanii) to Kopstein's Bronzeback Snake (Dendrelaphis kopsteini) , from rare wild orchid (Thrixspermum erythrolomum) to colour changing flying frogs (Rhacophorus penanorum) , Lungless frog (Barbourula kalimantanensis) to Freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium kelianense) and many other amazing creatures. (click this<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8637951.stm"> link</a> for more info)</div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S9K6HIafjkI/AAAAAAAAAqE/9nATKWYVIgU/s320/IMG_5175.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Tall dipterocarp forests spread over much of the remaining lowland primary forests of Borneo. Shown here is the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary's forest canopy.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div>Among the discoveries is the mollusc-<a href="http://science.naturalis.nl/media/147402/ibycus%20rachelae%20(photo%20koomen).jpg">Ibycus rachelae</a>, a long tailed slug found in the mist covered, montane forests of Mount Kinabalu and described by Menno Schilthuizen and Liew Thor-Seng. It has a peculiar calcium-carbonate-made-love dart which penetrates its mate partner during courtship and injects hormones to "seduce" its mate and increase reproduction chances. Easy to romanticise and entitle this slug to be named "the real cupid"!</div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S9K6FuRxp7I/AAAAAAAAAps/2RZ2HPQAXj8/s320/Img_0066.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Logging roads criss-crossing the terrain in Northern Borneo. This activity, along with expanding oil palm plantations, are among the many threats this biodiversity hotspot faces.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div>Borneo is indeed crawling with new wildlife and plants waiting to be discovered. Who knows, every daily stroll in the Borneo forest will produce several new to science creatures and plants? This is really a place worth exploring!</div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S9K7CVLihwI/AAAAAAAAAqM/N2NSRf7Uphc/s320/IMG_5253.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A sparkling, intricately shaped spider's web under the tropical sun rays filtered by the canopy foliage. One of the many natural wonders found in Borneo.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S9K7C5_DyRI/AAAAAAAAAqU/c86_6KXZB6E/s320/IMG_5261.JPG" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>There is definitely something to explore and discover in the depths of this surprising Bornean Rainforest!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div>For articles about the new discoveries, check these links out:</div><div>1. Borneo's New World: New Species Discovered in the Heart of Borneo. WWF Report, 2010. (<a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/wherewework/borneo/WWFBinaryitem16012.pdf">click here</a>)</div><div><br />
</div><div>2. Heart of Borneo emerges as home of world's longest insect, lungless frog and "ninja" slug, WWF News, 2010. (<a href="http://www.panda.org/wwf_news/news/?uNewsID=192950">click here</a>)</div><div><br />
</div><div>Learn more about the Heart of Borneo Project, see:</div><div>1. WWF's Heart of Borneo Forests webpage.(<a href="http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/borneo_forests/">click here</a>)</div><div><br />
</div><div>2. WWF-Malaysia's Heart of Borneo-Three Countries, One Conservation Vision webpage.</div><div>(<a href="http://www.wwf.org.my/about_wwf/what_we_do/forests_main/heart_of_borneo/">click here</a>)</div><div><br />
</div><div>3. The heart of Borneo Resources-Student support site.(<a href="http://brunei.cfbt.org/bn/heartofborneo/index.asp">click here</a>)</div><div><br />
</div><div>4. Fast disappearing "Heart of Borneo" is likely Home to Thousands of Species still Undiscovered. WWF Press Release, 2005.(<a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2005/WWFPresitem790.html">click here</a>)</div><div><br />
</div><div>Reference for the Ibycus rachelae slug:</div><div>1.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Schiltuizen & Liew, 2008. The slugs and semislugs of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo (Gastropoda, Pulmonata: Veronicellidae, Rathouisiidae, Ariophantidae, Limacinidae, Philomycidae). BASTERIA, 72: 287-306</span></div></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-66511435382444758882010-02-19T03:56:00.000-08:002010-09-21T08:00:18.421-07:00The Secrets of Gua Kandu: Revealed<div style="text-align: center;">"<span style="font-style: italic;">Kinta is a curious valley, walled with abrupt limestone cliffs and pinnacles, and ranges of weird hills full of caves, which gave the landscape the same wild character as those of Moulmein.</span>"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
-C.M. Enriquez, Malaya: An Account of its People, Flora and Fauna, 1927.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S7Stt__KscI/AAAAAAAAAoc/3t0uTZhKryo/s1600/IMG_6658.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455176054434607554" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S7Stt__KscI/AAAAAAAAAoc/3t0uTZhKryo/s320/IMG_6658.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The lush rainforests of Gunung Kandu.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Towering white cliffs draped in lush vegetation overlooking the vast valley below, Gunung Kandu (Kandu Mountain) has remained as it is millions of years ago. It has seen Paleolithic men chasing wild beasts across the bushlands, early Sumatran settlers clearing forests for fruit orchards and colonial era western adventurers wandering into its forests. Now, in its old age, it is inviting a new breed of visitors- tourists. And here I am with them, beating through the belukar (regenerating bushlands) on its foothills.<br />
<br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S5NqpMiZcJI/AAAAAAAAAoU/bWpkvhjsgCc/s1600-h/IMG_6666+Kandu+done.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445813630393741458" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S5NqpMiZcJI/AAAAAAAAAoU/bWpkvhjsgCc/s320/IMG_6666+Kandu+done.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The forests near the entrance of Gua Kandu.</span><br />
<br />
</div>Minutes later, we emerged from the thick foliage and into a treeless chasm. A large, dark and forbidding gap in the hill signals the entrance to the ancient geological formation of Gua Kandu (Kandu Cave). Spanning 1100m in length with multiple entrance and passageways, it is the 7th longest cave in the Malay Peninsular. Having been shortlisted as one of the ten most important karst conservation sites in Kinta by the Malaysian Nature Society, its hill owns the typical karst title as one of the significantly high endemic wildlife diversity locations in Perak state, Malaysia.<br />
<div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S35-QoVwmlI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/J0Db-NTzvzM/s320/IMG_6668+done.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Thus, it takes no time to spot one. I found these ferns, most probably endemics, growing on calcified red guano.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S774FABPB4I/AAAAAAAAAok/D-3CrXjIHVA/s320/IMG_6669done.jpg" /></span> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>However pristine the cave may be, Gua Kandu has its fair share of vandalism by irresponsible visitor.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our guide, David of <a href="http://siputkuning.blogspot.com/2009/10/discovering-kinta-valleys-nature-side.html">Gopeng Rainforest Resort</a>, made a quick briefing to our motley gruop of thrill-seeking tourists and wildlife enthusiasts. Soon, we were heading into the darkness through a low passage. It seems that Gua Kandu used to be a water cave with a stream running throughit, much like that of <a href="http://siputkuning.blogspot.com/2009/12/discovering-kinta-valleys-natural.html">Gua Anak Tempurung</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S776NRCi-6I/AAAAAAAAAos/Cx-BHcm4mRc/s320/IMG_6683done.jpg" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The water stains along the wall of the cave possibly shows water levels of an ancient subterranean stream.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36AfEhbuAI/AAAAAAAAAl4/qzJ3Fwl6d5s/s320/IMG_6717+done.jpg" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Dried crystals along the cave ceiling may well be growing wet crystals thousands of years ago.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">As in many caves in Kinta Valley, Gua Kandu is a communist guerrilla hideout during the Malayan Emergency days. The insurgents made use of the impenetrable darkness of the cave as barrier for their enemies. Therefore, it is no surprise that we found remains of their presence in the form of graffiti (as seen below).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S779FxWmd1I/AAAAAAAAAo0/Mv5rbWj-_KE/s320/IMG_6690.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Remnants of a dark past on the walls of one of the cave's chambers.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S35-TZVINCI/AAAAAAAAAlo/nPn1zIOH97Q/s320/IMG_6705+done.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Walking deeper into the cave, we came across an area with active, wet speleoterms (stalactites and stalagmites).</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S35-STvsDMI/AAAAAAAAAlg/5QHs4wgH1K4/s320/IMG_6701+done.jpg" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Various colours of stalactites indicate a rich composition of minerals and dissolved metal oxides.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S35-RbubcKI/AAAAAAAAAlY/VpYiy9-kIYw/s320/IMG_6697+done.jpg" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Beaitiful "pillar" speleoterms displaying rust colours due to high iron contents in the dissolved limestone.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36BnuyKZFI/AAAAAAAAAmg/EO1tAuGeHWs/s320/IMG_6773+done.jpg" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A smaller version of the "cascading" speleoterm can be seen along the cave walls. these are quite rare.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36AerBr7DI/AAAAAAAAAlw/dxHyjivGB2s/s320/IMG_6708+done.jpg" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Surprisingly, there are a small number of fungus growing on bits and pieces of plant debris deep in the cave.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">45 minutes into the cave, we had to clamber between a narrow sandwich of rock and guano floor before emerging into a larger chamber. The scene here is surreal with large sinkholes across the cave floor and a low ceiling over them.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36AfiqVVCI/AAAAAAAAAmA/-upWiQ1V3WU/s320/IMG_6724+done.jpg" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the sinkholes in the low cave chamber.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Coming out of the tunnel, we passed a deep pool of water with steep guano deposits on its side. Roosting bats chattered high above us as our flashlights broke the darkness of the chamber. Larger flow stones can be seen on both sides. Magical "curtain" stalactites soar up into the chasm above.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S78Ea558gEI/AAAAAAAAAo8/UMBQdoocIwU/s320/IMG_6761.jpg" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>An otherworldly scene in the cave.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36AgNz1ybI/AAAAAAAAAmI/3wkVOftxcTM/s320/IMG_6753+done.jpg" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Large curtain stalactite reminiscent of a frozen waterfall.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36Bm1mL_QI/AAAAAAAAAmY/FuWnyGS7saQ/s320/IMG_6763+done.jpg" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Another speleoterm resembling a pipe organ bathed in natural light from a cave opening nearby.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36Agw6_mHI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/1s02Zh7qrwo/s320/IMG_6756+done.jpg" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The two cave openings that allow some light into the dark recesses of Gua Kandu.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Passing several circular cave openings, we walked across a guano filled platform flanked by walls reaching up to 20m to the end of the passage way. Here, a small cliff gave way to a lower cave floor. We descended down the cliff with assistance of a rope and squeezed through a natural undercut at the cul-de-sac of the lower platform.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S78Hza1gqGI/AAAAAAAAApE/2-hrUm8hZOw/s320/IMG_6784.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A strange composition of a rock vein resembling Statute of Liberty.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">The chamber behind this structure was even more impressive with its ceiling almost 30m above us and speleoterms perching up the rocky slopes on both left and right, like guardians of an ancient temple.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S78KCYDhczI/AAAAAAAAApM/ZkYo_JnLcrA/s320/IMG_6795done.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The immense size of the chamber with its majestic formations.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36BoYDMxyI/AAAAAAAAAmo/TNAJfhpsAw4/s320/IMG_6799+done.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A stalagmite with the uncanny appearance of a perching monkey.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Scaling to the top of the slope on the right, we spotted a peculiar shaped rock with the features of a lion head. Bright sunlight floods the area with two large openings facing the North-South Highway. From here, its a long way down a deep algae covered rock valley before climbing back up to the cave opening and out into the forests. However, we chose not to pick that path and descended back into the dark valley we had came out from instead. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36BpAjsrkI/AAAAAAAAAmw/KF1O3ilCXUQ/s320/IMG_6807+done.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Lion's head is arguably one of Gua Kandu's most famous icon.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36Bpi1iTYI/AAAAAAAAAm4/suoK5_MQzOk/s320/IMG_6825++done.jpg" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The cave opening facing the North-South Highway.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S78NWK25ulI/AAAAAAAAApU/8fI7-aILfwU/s320/IMG_6822.JPG" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The deep valley between the slope and the cave opening is rugged and tricky to navigate.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">A long beam of sunlight can be seen travelling down from the upper part of the cave and illuminating a section of some beautiful "cascade" formations below. It is a truly amazing sight yet surprisingly natural. We followed the path through the lighted area and ascended to the small exit on the other side of the cave. Turning over a sharp bend, we crossed a dried section of some large "cascade" speleoterms before reaching out through an opening and into the bright forest outside. I have found some <a href="http://siputkuning.blogspot.com/2009/05/two-worlds-same-species.html">Brotia costula varicosa (Torschel 1837)</a> freshwater snail shells with their apex removed lying around loose soil at the cave opening. This is definitely a prehistoric food leftover as there are no sign of any water bodies in the immediate vicinity and this location is some 30m above ground level from the valley below.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36DPf7KWmI/AAAAAAAAAnA/3g5K3eIZyFU/s320/IMG_6841+done.jpg" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A large "cascade" formation near the cave opening. It is a highly sought after find for speleologists and cave enthusiasts. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally, we were out under the forest canopy. Now, it's a slow descend down slippery moss covered limestone and avoiding pitfalls disguised by fallen leaves all the way to the foothills.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36DP5sKA2I/AAAAAAAAAnI/9nXnrxh2LU8/s320/IMG_6845+done.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A typical scene of a karsts' forests on the upper elevations- thick beddings of relatively wet leaves interspersed with algae and moss covered rocks, shrubs and gnarled trees.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36DQYLxcpI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/2L4An3aGSMg/s320/IMG_6846+done.jpg" /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The strange thorny leaves of a probably limestone-endemic shrub. Most plants living on limestone soil contains high concentrations of calcium in their tissue which serves as a shell-building source for snails.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36JwtwhDjI/AAAAAAAAAnY/ZKArfm-TuC4/s1600-h/IMG_6853.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439936869919952434" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S36JwtwhDjI/AAAAAAAAAnY/ZKArfm-TuC4/s320/IMG_6853.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 242px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A perfect way to end the trip- I've found an interesting snail! This is </i>Platyrhaphe lowi (de Morgan 1885)<i>. It fuses mud with its calcium rich mucous and glue them onto its shell, blending it into the soil habitat.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">(Note: My special thanks to <a href="http://www.gopengrainforest.com/">Gopeng Rainforest Resort</a> for their assistance in making this trip successful.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Reference:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Liz Price, 2001</span> Caves and Karsts of Peninsular Malaysia. Gua Publications, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">2.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Khoo Salma Nasution & Abdur-Razzaq Lubis</span> Kinta Valley: Pioneering Malaysia's Modern Development. Perak Academy, 2005</span></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-23162047105745790332010-02-17T05:13:00.000-08:002010-09-21T07:55:18.273-07:00Pulau Sipadan: The Story So Far<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vs9l2RFmI/AAAAAAAAAh4/dLLmEClGkZQ/s320/Img_0143.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Pulau Sipadan- Jewel of the Celebes Sea</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">It has amazed thousands of visitors around the world with its serene coral reefs and profusion of marine biodiversity beyond imagination ever since renowned aquatic explorer,</div><div>Jacques Cousteau first penetrated into its depths in awe and wonder that is reflected in his well-versed quote- "I have seen no other places like Sipadan, 45 years ago, but now no more. Now we have found an untouched piece of art" during his expedition across the Sulu-Celebes Sea. Superlative descriptions have been a common "trademark" for Pulau Sipadan. Everyone who have visited this 12 hectares island carry their own accounts of adventures, each as amazing as the other. However, underlying all these colourful stories is one that many have not ventured into yet, a story that is as grand as its coral reefs - The Story of the Evolution of Pulau Sipadan into the island we know today.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vsR5uxRVI/AAAAAAAAAhg/u1mj4RrAd2U/s1600-h/Img_0087.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439200767278925138" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vsR5uxRVI/AAAAAAAAAhg/u1mj4RrAd2U/s320/Img_0087.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Semporna town near Pulau Sipadan. The flatland across the shallow strait is Pulau Bum Bum and the tall imposing peaks behind it is Pulau Gaya and Pulau Boheydulang.</span><br />
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</div>Beyond the acknowledgement of Pulau Sipadan as a oceanic, volcanic sea mount in tourists brochures, little else about its origin is mentioned. So, to fill this information gap that some visitors (including me) may wonder about, I've done a small online research to analyse and share this particular island's history with everyone. The following may not be a complete description of the island's formation but nevertheless, it sheds some light to this legendary island's origins.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>To fully understand the geological history of Pulau Sipadan, we have to look at the bigger picture that is Sabah, the continental tip of Northern Borneo. Turning the clock back to more than 65 million years ago, much of North Borneo was submerged under deep waters. As the Tertiary period (65 million - 2.588 million years ago) begins, the first lands can be seen breaking the cerulean waters in the form of a chain of islands that resembles much more of a growing underwater mountain range of what is now the tallest in Borneo- the Crocker Range. As time progresses, clouds bringing storms and rains washed the slopes of these majestic mountain-islands, thus distributing alluvial deposits along the coast until these islands became linked.<br />
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</div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vvnlBVqSI/AAAAAAAAAkI/gKbRbZNGnMo/s1600-h/IMG_5316.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439204438211668258" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vvnlBVqSI/AAAAAAAAAkI/gKbRbZNGnMo/s320/IMG_5316.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><div style="text-align: center;">Mount Kinabalu, at 4095m, is the tallest peak in Crocker Range at present day.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vsRXTRdaI/AAAAAAAAAhY/B2RvBzieEYE/s1600-h/Img_0068.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439200758036788642" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vsRXTRdaI/AAAAAAAAAhY/B2RvBzieEYE/s320/Img_0068.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 158px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Kinabatangan Delta of present day Borneo gives us a glimpse of what Central Borneo used to be like.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vwZUh7e4I/AAAAAAAAAkw/ShaTtRfTZ08/s1600-h/sundaland.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439205292778421122" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vwZUh7e4I/AAAAAAAAAkw/ShaTtRfTZ08/s320/sundaland.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 219px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The Eurasian Plate is where the Sundaland (the shallow, light blue area) is. The Philippine plate can be seen as a dark (deep) area off Northeastern Borneo.</span><br />
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</div>The movement of Philippine plate against the Eurasian plate north of Sabah further pushes the mountain range higher and higher while creating a wide floodplain to the east with soil runoff from the highlands during the Miocene period (23.03 - 5.33 million years ago). Meanwhile, the same Philippine plate in the southeastern end of North Borneo starts to drift apart from the Eurasian "mainland", causing a rift and sets off the red hot lava bursting out of the cracked Earth crust from the deep magma below. Soon, the deep seas off the developing floodplains east of Crocker Range (now Central Sabah) were boiling hot with lava and pumice bursting out of the surface all the time. This will soon form most of Eastern Sabah, in which the Semporna Peninsula will emerge from the thick clouds of volcanic ashes.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vwZpK9DvI/AAAAAAAAAk4/XB9flCv3ee4/s1600-h/tawau+volcano.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439205298319199986" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vwZpK9DvI/AAAAAAAAAk4/XB9flCv3ee4/s320/tawau+volcano.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 219px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Remains of ancient volcanoes in Tawau, west of Semporna.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vuwYEQt9I/AAAAAAAAAjo/msv-9p2uZb4/s1600-h/Img_0973.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439203489841461202" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vuwYEQt9I/AAAAAAAAAjo/msv-9p2uZb4/s320/Img_0973.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Volcanic rocks of Tawau indicates the region was once highly active in volcanic activity.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vtwHazXWI/AAAAAAAAAig/qFGLQpfgDy0/s1600-h/Img_0231.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439202385860975970" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vtwHazXWI/AAAAAAAAAig/qFGLQpfgDy0/s320/Img_0231.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 236px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><div style="text-align: center;">Low tides exposes ancient volcanic pumice and rock deposits (dark brown areas) along mainland Semporna and Pulau Bum Bum.</div><div><br />
</div></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div>Across the 100m tall developing volcanic cones along Semporna Peninsula, ashes spews and radiate out into the ocean and the ancient floodplains of Central Sabah, joining nearby islands and expanding its landmass. However, further out in the deep ocean off the edge of Eurasian Plate, an undersea volcano far removed from the bustling volcanic activity miles from it, silently build in height. Forwarding the frame in a year per second, one would see steam rising out from the deep Celebes Sea and then, a dark mass of rock and pumice pops out of the surface and extends in width and height. Pulau Sipadan is born. Since it is separated from mainland Semporna by deep waters, the lowland sediments of Semporna never made it to Sipadan.<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vuuhvkHJI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/_U-lK2Ncy7Y/s1600-h/Img_0495.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439203458079267986" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vuuhvkHJI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/_U-lK2Ncy7Y/s320/Img_0495.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 265px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Volcanic rocks exposed on Pulau Menampilik off Semporna.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vsSZV_NkI/AAAAAAAAAho/6msN9xV3ZZc/s1600-h/Img_0130.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439200775764915778" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vsSZV_NkI/AAAAAAAAAho/6msN9xV3ZZc/s320/Img_0130.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The chain of islands off Southeastern Semporna with prominent exposed volcanic rocks.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vwY6PEIbI/AAAAAAAAAkg/DF4k3TTUUOQ/s1600-h/sulu+shelf+sipadan.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439205285719974322" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vwY6PEIbI/AAAAAAAAAkg/DF4k3TTUUOQ/s320/sulu+shelf+sipadan.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 219px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div>Sometime later, the lava flows and plumes disappeared and volcanoes silenced. Clumps of greenery previously existed only in areas of least volcanic activity flourished and spreaded across the landscape. Gradually, the dark rocks of past ages got smothered in rainforests and mangroves, only occasionally protruding as hardened lava cones at higher peaks. Ashes not covered by vegetation end up being washed away by rains and wave action of the sea. As time progresses, the ice age of the Holocene (approximately 12000 years ago) arrives. As if a plug in a basin of seawater is being pulled, sea levels bordering the peninsula dramatically retreated 120m below sea level. Thus, "raising" the badly worn volcanic peaks of Semporna some 100m above that era's shoreline. Across the narrow band of water, Sipadan stood as a lonely, weathered and extinct volcano draped in lush forests on its slopes and coastal grasslands along it's coasts. During this time, some ancient fauna and flora might have migrated to the island through the deep but short passage of sea. There may be corals fringing the ancient coast as well.<br />
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</div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vuuBYfpcI/AAAAAAAAAjI/JxWfunljATw/s1600-h/Img_0493.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439203449392571842" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vuuBYfpcI/AAAAAAAAAjI/JxWfunljATw/s320/Img_0493.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><div style="text-align: center;">Fertile soils encourage rapid growth of rainforests across the volcanic slopes of the mountains on mainland Semporna.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vuvMa370I/AAAAAAAAAjY/cs2EFo-TA3E/s1600-h/IMG_0618.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439203469535211330" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vuvMa370I/AAAAAAAAAjY/cs2EFo-TA3E/s320/IMG_0618.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Manado Tua of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Pulau Sipadan was once similar in appearance to this island when it was a volcanic mountain island many millenia ago.</span><br />
</span></div></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vvmsrnSvI/AAAAAAAAAjw/crmSfWthGBE/s1600-h/IMG_4484.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439204423088163570" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vvmsrnSvI/AAAAAAAAAjw/crmSfWthGBE/s320/IMG_4484.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Bukit Tengkorak with a volcanic outcrop, near Semporna town. The sign of an ancient volcanic land.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vvnBN3zsI/AAAAAAAAAj4/3v-Sb6Y6HEo/s1600-h/IMG_4485.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439204428600561346" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vvnBN3zsI/AAAAAAAAAj4/3v-Sb6Y6HEo/s320/IMG_4485.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 179px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Fertile lands on the southeastern tip of Semporna Peninsula is the testimony of the volcanoes around the area.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vtxJ4SJxI/AAAAAAAAAiw/pudrd8tnXC8/s1600-h/Img_0411.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439202403701368594" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vtxJ4SJxI/AAAAAAAAAiw/pudrd8tnXC8/s320/Img_0411.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Corals are the building blocks of Sipadan's limestone.</span><br />
<br />
</div>Approaching 6000 years before present day, the ending of ice age marked another dramatic event- the increase in sea level or mass-flooding. Once again, lowlands shrinked and forests of the past disappeared below the waves. The seawater soon reached present day levels at 6070 years before present, only to exceed another tenths of metres of height for the following millenia. Thus, the cone became completely submerged. Corals started to form at the top most part of the seamount, growing outwards slightly below sea level. Before long, the sea levels retreated again, exposing the limestone reefs to the atmosphere and creating habitat for forest recolonisation. During this period of emergence, parts of the limestone eroded to form a complex cave system complete with stalactites and stalagmites which will be known as the Turtles' Tomb or Cave due to the high numbers of unfortunate turtles trapped and died in the labyrinths of this cave. What happens next will define Sipadan's present day characteristics.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vsQxUh_AI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/i8chuC1Ilgw/s1600-h/Img_0055.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439200747841518594" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vsQxUh_AI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/i8chuC1Ilgw/s320/Img_0055.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 258px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Coral-fringe islands is now part of Semporna's modern feature after the sea level rise.</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vsSnp_ZVI/AAAAAAAAAhw/6PN54AbeJTw/s1600-h/Img_0136.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439200779606910290" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vsSnp_ZVI/AAAAAAAAAhw/6PN54AbeJTw/s320/Img_0136.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The island chain in the foreground used to be high and dry with grasslands dominating valleys between them and the sea as well as mainland Semporna (background).</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vvoDdO8AI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/bc4nq1s3qoE/s1600-h/P1010020.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439204446381731842" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vvoDdO8AI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/bc4nq1s3qoE/s320/P1010020.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">During the exposure of limestone, this may be what Sipadan looked like. Picture taken in Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia, an island made of raised coral limestone.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vs-qp9bkI/AAAAAAAAAiI/QLrMxr-ek_8/s1600-h/Img_0197.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439201536326331970" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vs-qp9bkI/AAAAAAAAAiI/QLrMxr-ek_8/s320/Img_0197.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The submerged cave entrance to Turtle's Tomb.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vtyghmEzI/AAAAAAAAAjA/8Fd1gD1AmJc/s1600-h/Img_0443.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439202426960089906" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vtyghmEzI/AAAAAAAAAjA/8Fd1gD1AmJc/s320/Img_0443.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Crevices like these may be the access routes to caves lying deep inside Sipadan limestone.</span><br />
<br />
</div>Being on a mobile, active edge of the Philippine plate, it so happened that Sipadan slides along the growing tectonic plate and the limestone forest began to submerged again, probably eliminating the terrestrial ecosystem all together. Then, polyps of modern corals settled on the ready-made reefs of craggy limestone to expand as a reef and form the strange shape of a "mushroom" along the top perimeter of the seamount. Up above water, the reefs slowly give way to a sand bank which accumulates and grows as time passes. Birds and storms bring driftwood, sea beans, plants and animals to colonise the sandy island. Finally, the ecosystem of coastal forests and coral reefs reached their climax that is Pulau Sipadan today.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vvneRmVpI/AAAAAAAAAkA/zgkWgAWOM94/s1600-h/IMG_4486.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439204436400821906" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vvneRmVpI/AAAAAAAAAkA/zgkWgAWOM94/s320/IMG_4486.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The sand bar formed near Semporna show what modern Sipadan was like in the initial stages of development.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vuv5qoLQI/AAAAAAAAAjg/gfuUadk3kto/s1600-h/Img_0946.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439203481680882946" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vuv5qoLQI/AAAAAAAAAjg/gfuUadk3kto/s320/Img_0946.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">As sand accumulates, the land mass increases and vegetation flourishes as shown here in Pulau Mabul, near Sipadan.<br />
<br />
</span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vs-Yfzy1I/AAAAAAAAAiA/hABPjkthUJs/s1600-h/Img_0151.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439201531451919186" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vs-Yfzy1I/AAAAAAAAAiA/hABPjkthUJs/s320/Img_0151.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Driftwood washed up by storms brings in many flora and fauna from nearby terrestrial ecosystems.<br />
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</span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vs_QUyL9I/AAAAAAAAAiQ/npgjBOepZkQ/s1600-h/Img_0229.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439201546438062034" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vs_QUyL9I/AAAAAAAAAiQ/npgjBOepZkQ/s320/Img_0229.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The product of millenia of colonisation by terrestrial flora and fauna- the dense coastal forest of Pulau Sipadan.<br />
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</span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vtwpg8sHI/AAAAAAAAAio/7pnxThK15as/s1600-h/Img_0322.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439202395013558386" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vtwpg8sHI/AAAAAAAAAio/7pnxThK15as/s320/Img_0322.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The famous vertical drop off of Sipadan. Could this be the upper part of the "mushroom" structure?<br />
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</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vtyPHlbiI/AAAAAAAAAi4/U7Sn8PwnTw0/s1600-h/Img_0413.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439202422287592994" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vtyPHlbiI/AAAAAAAAAi4/U7Sn8PwnTw0/s320/Img_0413.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Diving along the ancient limestone cliff.<br />
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</span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vwYvBgU5I/AAAAAAAAAkY/WmJ0ORQcxAg/s1600-h/sipadan.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439205282710311826" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vwYvBgU5I/AAAAAAAAAkY/WmJ0ORQcxAg/s320/sipadan.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 219px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Sipadan today as seen from above (Google Earth).<br />
</span></div>Indeed, Pulau Sipadan has gone a long way since becoming a little lava-spewing bump at the edge of the Philippine Shelf and Eurasian Plate to the grandeur of today. Not surprisingly, the story of this tiny island in the Celebes Sea does not end here. Maybe Sipadan is going to expand its landmass? Or rather swept below the waves by climate change induced sea level rise? Or, as some joked, topple over into the abyss of the Celebes due to excessive pressure on the seamount by the "mushroom" coral limestone? (Note: The last theory is mend to be, well, a joke!)<br />
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</div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vs_zZZodI/AAAAAAAAAiY/pN5jqbcTsQU/s1600-h/Img_0230.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439201555852665298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S3vs_zZZodI/AAAAAAAAAiY/pN5jqbcTsQU/s320/Img_0230.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 190px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Reference:<br />
1<span style="font-weight: bold;">.Charles S. Hutchison, 2006</span> The Unique<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><em></em> Geology of Sabah (North Borneo). University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. <a href="http://www.geos.ntnu.edu.tw/colloquium/abs/20060516.doc">(click here)</a><br />
<br />
2.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> JED Fox. </span>General Geology of Sabah (excerpt). Sabah Forestry Department.<a href="http://www.sabah.gov.my/htan_caims/Level%201%20frame%20pgs/geology_fr.htm"> (click here)</a><br />
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3.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Intercoastal Zone Management Project, 1998. </span>Sabah Coastal Zone Profile. Town & Regional Planning Department Sabah.<a href="http://www.townplanning.sabah.gov.my/iczm/reports/Coastal%20Profile%20Sabah/Index.html"> (click here)</a><br />
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4.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Allagu Ballaguru and Gary Nichols, 2003.</span> Tertiary stratigraphy and basin evolution, southern Sabah (Malaysian Borneo). Journal of Asian Earth Sciences V. 23, Iss. 4: 537-554<br />
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5.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Mohd Harun Abdullah, Mazlin B. Mokhtar, Sanudin Hj. Tahir and Almah Bt.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Awaluddin, 1997.</span> Do Tides Affect Water Quality in the Upper Phreatic Zone of a Small Oceanic Island – Sipadan Island, Malaysia? Environmental Geology 29(1/2):112-117<br />
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6.<em style="font-weight: bold;"></em><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ahmad Zaharin Aris, Mohd Harun Abdullah, Kim Kyoung Woong, 2006.</span> Hydrochemical Analysis on seawater intrusion of small carbonate islands: Manukan and Sipadan, Sabah. Proceedings of the 2nd Southeast Asian Natural resources and Environmental Management Conference, kota Kinabalu, Nov. 21-23, 2006, pp.40-44<br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-41966350645937511442010-01-20T02:41:00.000-08:002011-01-31T19:32:20.717-08:00Gua Naga Mas: The Golden Dragon of Kinta ValleyNestled atop a typical creeper-draped hill on the side of the busy North-South Highway is a hidden cave with a secret that would entice anyone who stumbles upon it......<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kjBh6L6lI/AAAAAAAAAe4/M9tA0wfpuF4/s1600-h/IMG_9210.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429409334961105490" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kjBh6L6lI/AAAAAAAAAe4/M9tA0wfpuF4/s200/IMG_9210.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Gunung Pua's densely vegetated peak.</span><br />
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</div>As our group (a motley crew of nature lovers and adventure seekers) turned around a strangely silent and empty road with cow manure scattered across it in an industrial park, a small limestone outcrop emerges from behind the metal roof of a warehouse - Gunung Pua (Pua Mountain<span style="font-style: italic;">, which actually is more like a hill</span>) is just a hundred metres away. We pulled into a sandy, uneven road flanked by grass and shrubs typical of Kinta Valley's post-tin mining terrain. A few bumps and splashes of water and we have reached the foot of this forest clad hill. Creepers droop down from the cliffs, blanketing their rugged features from view. Peculiarly low trees and shrubs with patches of bamboo colonies occupy the upper reaches of the outcrop. Perhaps they are signs of human disturbances or forest fires sometime ago?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kjC822JmI/AAAAAAAAAfI/UFNWQrhMTFg/s1600-h/IMG_9217.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429409359374722658" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kjC822JmI/AAAAAAAAAfI/UFNWQrhMTFg/s200/IMG_9217.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Trekking up the steps towards the cave.</span><br />
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</div>Our guide made a headway by slashing the undergrowth that covered much of the path leading up to the cave. Rocks have been placed in a manner that resembles a staircase along the steep cliffs. It must have not been used for ages. But who built it? What's the purpose of it? Taking my mind off that matter for a moment, I scanned the boulders and strange rocky features for rare and endemic plants and wildlife.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kjCYtB8pI/AAAAAAAAAfA/TxmGeIxckxY/s1600-h/IMG_9214+new.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429409349669876370" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kjCYtB8pI/AAAAAAAAAfA/TxmGeIxckxY/s200/IMG_9214+new.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This herb with blue fowers must be a limestone-endemic.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1ks0vWEa-I/AAAAAAAAAgo/jzAMErDyM4g/s1600-h/IMG_9264.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429420110345694178" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1ks0vWEa-I/AAAAAAAAAgo/jzAMErDyM4g/s200/IMG_9264.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The peculiar leaf of another plant.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
<br />
</span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1ks1kGEAzI/AAAAAAAAAgw/yap13m0IcRs/s1600-h/IMG_9265.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429420124505637682" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1ks1kGEAzI/AAAAAAAAAgw/yap13m0IcRs/s200/IMG_9265.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 196px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This </span><span style="font-style: italic;">palm is probably rare and endemic to limestone forests of Kinta Valley.</span><br />
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</div>A cluster of plants with elongated leaves and bluish flowers attracted our attention. Further up the cliff, a large palm and another peculiar plant with paw shaped leaves adorns the understory section of this forest. They must be rare limestone-loving plants, found only on this hill and probably the nearby ones.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1klAwNcCyI/AAAAAAAAAgY/z8VqeX9KXOY/s1600-h/IMG_9260.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429411520643336994" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1klAwNcCyI/AAAAAAAAAgY/z8VqeX9KXOY/s200/IMG_9260.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 150px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">A strange yet beautiful rock formation.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1klBRdI5tI/AAAAAAAAAgg/yDKGGR2n2Ms/s1600-h/IMG_9462.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429411529567561426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1klBRdI5tI/AAAAAAAAAgg/yDKGGR2n2Ms/s200/IMG_9462.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 156px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Results from a small packet of soil sample shows plenty of small snails including </span>Rhiostoma jousseaumei , Alycaeus perakensis, Discartemon leptoglyphus, Georissa monterosatiana, Philalanka sp., Diplommatina nevilli, Allopeas clavulinum, Opisthostoma megalomphalum etc.<br />
<br />
</div>Mosses covered most of the exposed limestone with one little outcrop having flaky, vein-like protrusions across the surfacing reminiscent of Salvador Dali's surrealistic sculptures. There were visibly no large snails around, so I proceeded with collecting a bagfull of dirt at the base of the rockface for microsnail examination back at my "home-lab". We continue up a forest clearing with regenerating shrubs. Before long, the path's bushes gave way to rock and dirt. Looking up, large stalactites encrusted with green algae hangs from a wet, carved rock ceilling above. We've reached Gua Naga Mas which literally translates as Golden Dragon Cave in Malay. Guano spread across the floor into the dark end of the cave chamber where a flight of algae-green, slippery stairs leads to a long abandoned Chinese temple. According to the book "Kinta Valley: Pioneering Malaysia's Modern Development" by <span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Khoo Salma Nasution & Abdur-Razzaq Lubis, this temple and the stairs seen earlier was built in the 1800(?) when the valley below (known as Tekkah) was a hotbed for tin mining activity by the Chinese. A tin economy slump soon brought the industry to its knees and thus, workers abandoned the area including this cave temple. This makes it almost 2 centuries old! The stillness of the air added an eerie feeling to this abandoned religious site.<br />
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</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kkJI6UQiI/AAAAAAAAAf4/bpSe_n9AxuM/s1600-h/IMG_9247.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429410565201347106" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kkJI6UQiI/AAAAAAAAAf4/bpSe_n9AxuM/s200/IMG_9247.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Beautiful speleoterms at the entrance of the cave. Note the large stalagmite in the centre resembles a sea lion.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kkIZEyUOI/AAAAAAAAAfw/Pl1rstGaZBk/s1600-h/IMG_9243.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429410552360358114" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kkIZEyUOI/AAAAAAAAAfw/Pl1rstGaZBk/s200/IMG_9243.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The abandoned Chinese Temple.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kkJtW2oKI/AAAAAAAAAgA/XpyIBp3sdzY/s1600-h/IMG_9250.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429410574984716450" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kkJtW2oKI/AAAAAAAAAgA/XpyIBp3sdzY/s200/IMG_9250.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 150px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Loose guano (bat droppings) on the ground across the cave indicates it has been relatively untouched by man for a long period of time.</span><br />
<br />
</div><span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">However, it is not this temple that is the most interesting here. We'll leave this to the athropologist to explore instead. Following our guide up another flight of steps to a smaller chamber off the main cave, we gazed across the rock wall, anxious to catch a glimpse of the well-known attraction. Up here, the limestone abruptly gave way to irregularly shaped brownish ancient mud deposits stretching up to the chamber's roof with occasional exposure of the underlying limestone at eroded and fall-off chunks areas. We used torches to assist our search. An area close to the roof sparkles and shines under the beams of light emitting from our torches. This is the main highlight and the namesake of the cave - an almost complete set of mammalian fossil embedded in the drab rock. It was first discovered by the Malaysian Nature Society when they were on an expedition to survey karsts of Kinta Valley. Since then, there were many views to its possible species including mountain goat, leopard and wild cat. However, no positive identification can be obtained yet as the skull and many other parts are half embedded and eroded. Besides, there's little interests in researching the bones to date.<br />
<br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kjD9zAPOI/AAAAAAAAAfY/I8wHdk9kIsk/s1600-h/IMG_9230.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429409376806911202" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kjD9zAPOI/AAAAAAAAAfY/I8wHdk9kIsk/s200/IMG_9230.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 128px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The mudstone encrusted chamber where the fossil was found.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kkH9nk9WI/AAAAAAAAAfo/YRBcu21tJEU/s1600-h/IMG_9232.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429410544990090594" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kkH9nk9WI/AAAAAAAAAfo/YRBcu21tJEU/s200/IMG_9232.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 149px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">A general view of the mammalian fossil.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Note: the eroded skull below the piled up front limb bones at the bottom-left section of the picture.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">After spending some time speculating about its species, I decided to scour the ground instead for other interesting critters. Sure enough, I discovered a "stone-anvil" commonly used by predatory birds to crack snails' shells for their meat. There are also some bat bones nearby, which probably means this cave is home to bat colonies although none have been spotted during our presence there. Another pleasant discovery, a first for me, is a rock containing brochiopod or bivalve like fossils stacked under a pile of limestone.<br />
<br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kjDe_UOGI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/oK3wegIK60w/s1600-h/IMG_9226.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429409368537053282" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kjDe_UOGI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/oK3wegIK60w/s200/IMG_9226.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 176px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">A predatory bird's victim </span>Cyclophorus malayanus (Benson 1852)<span style="font-style: italic;">, smashed into pieces on a rock.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kkHao5rZI/AAAAAAAAAfg/-RUsortTk2I/s1600-h/IMG_9231.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429410535600401810" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kkHao5rZI/AAAAAAAAAfg/-RUsortTk2I/s200/IMG_9231.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 192px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Bone fragments of a bat lying on the dry cave floor.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kk_wXEuAI/AAAAAAAAAgI/m5XF7qixTbE/s1600-h/IMG_9252.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429411503503882242" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1kk_wXEuAI/AAAAAAAAAgI/m5XF7qixTbE/s200/IMG_9252.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 130px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">A fossil embedded rock, probably a group of bivalves or brachiopods.</span><br />
<br />
</div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1klASLewjI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/iH-4razzFD0/s1600-h/IMG_9253.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429411512582062642" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S1klASLewjI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/iH-4razzFD0/s200/IMG_9253.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 150px;" /></a><span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">The sun soared over the hill and it was time for us to bid farewell to this fascinating cave. As we decended, the midday sun shines upon the taller karsts at the distance, exposing vividly every hue of the blasted limestone cliff and reminding us how fragile these beautiful hills are. Hopefully, this rare natural heritage that could be of huge significance in </span></span><span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">national and regional </span></span><span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">paleontology will be protected and preserved indefinitely.<br />
<br />
Some articles and reports of similar interests:<br />
<a href="http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/10/7/north/4824600&sec=North">1.Star Metro (</a></span></span><a href="http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/10/7/north/4824600&sec=North">Wednesday October 7 2009)</a><span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"><a href="http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/10/7/north/4824600&sec=North">- Good Lord! It's a leopard!</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.lestariheritage.net/perak/support/phs_hn5_6.pdf">2.Heritage news (November-December 2008)- Rock of Ages: Treasures of Malaysia</a><br />
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<a href="http://cavingliz.multiply.com/journal/item/52/Gua_Tambun_Naga_Mas">3. Liz's site: Gua Tambun & Naga Mas</a><br />
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4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Adi Taha </span>Harnessing Science and technology for preservation and conservation of cultural heritage of Malaysia, Department of Museum and Antiquities.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://quartz.ess.sci.osaka-u.ac.jp/~esrdd/proceedings/proceeding/pdf/muhammad.pdf">5.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> R.F. Muhammad, D. Yoshida, A. Tani & P.L. Smart</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">(2002)</span> Implications of Electron Spin Resonance and Uranium-series Dating Techniques on Speleothems in the Kinta and Lenggong Valleys, West Malaysia Advances in ESR Applications, vol.18 pp.19-26, (2002) </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.sbe.com.br/ptpc/ptpc_v1_n2_183-187.pdf">6.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Liz Price 2008</span> A Speleotourism In Peninsular Malaysia Pesquisas em Turismo e Paisagens Cársticas, 1(2), 2008 </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.cavesofmalaysia.com/newspage7.htm">7. Caves of Malaysia: The Sun (20 October 2008)- No protection for Gua Naga Mas' Fossil</a><br />
</span></span><br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-6986067121742404572010-01-02T06:19:00.000-08:002010-11-16T23:22:27.702-08:00Freshwater whelks, anyone?Sea whelks from the family Buccinidae has been a common food for many cultures especially those from polar and temperate regions. But have you ever heard of whelks from rivers and lakes? For the aquarium enthusiasts, this may have struck a chord in them. Freshwater whelks (a.k.a. assassin snails) are well-known for their ability to "massacre" almost the entire population of aquarium snails in just a matter of hours! Yes, they are carnivorous and vicarious snail-eaters - the ultimate weapon-of mass-destruction for those who wanted to make their snail-infested aquariums a thing of the past.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0AKIl-d5UI/AAAAAAAAAeA/o96crfhVbMg/s1600-h/IMG_9717+done.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422345094103426370" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0AKIl-d5UI/AAAAAAAAAeA/o96crfhVbMg/s320/IMG_9717+done.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>Clea helena (Meder in Philippi 1847) <span style="font-style: italic;">from Sungai Jernih, Perlis, northern Peninsula Malaysia. Note its difference from Thai varieties offered in the aquarium trade.</span><br />
<br />
</div>On the scientific front though, little is known about this enigmatic group of snails. However, it is generally accepted that there are two genus of this family that somehow abandoned the sea in favour of creeks and ponds. The African species is categorised into the (sub)genus Afrocanidia while Asia's is grouped into the Clea genus. Now, this may shed some light to its origins. Perhaps, they first appeared from a common ancestor when Africa and South Asia was in one piece (called Pangea) 225 million years ago? or did they adapted to freshwater separately (convergent evolution) since it is more likely to be a recent adaptation?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0AOq-TeFTI/AAAAAAAAAeo/AA1btfjqPoU/s1600-h/IMG_3637+done.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422350082796033330" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0AOq-TeFTI/AAAAAAAAAeo/AA1btfjqPoU/s320/IMG_3637+done.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 229px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Steung Saen, Kampong Thom, Cambodia. This is the preferred habitat for Clea species as it has a wide, muddy river bottom. Such habitats are widespread across delta plains of Southeast Asian countries.</span><br />
<br />
</div>Information on the African species is particularly void while Asia's ones received more attention (from the aquarium trade, not researchers!). Clea genus is widespread across Southeast Asia and have not been recorded elsewhere. It's abundance is notable especially in alluvial plains and around large water bodies like the Irrawaddy delta (Myanmar), Mekong River (Indochina countries) , Chao Phraya River (Thailand) and other major waterways and lakes of Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan). The question is - how did they managed to reach other rivers and lakes divided by tall mountain ranges and vast seas?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0AKHJxNlEI/AAAAAAAAAdg/HnWACfXRV04/s1600-h/IMG_2636+done.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422345069351769154" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0AKHJxNlEI/AAAAAAAAAdg/HnWACfXRV04/s320/IMG_2636+done.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Sungai Jernih, Perlis, northern Peninsular Malaysia. Another typical habitat for many Clea species as they have abundant prey to feed on and nutrient-rich waters flowing from nearby caves.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">The possible answer can be found when we turn the clock back to around 20 000 years ago. The waters of South China Sea, Gulf of Siam, Straits of Malacca and Java Sea recede and is replaced by alternating grasslands and swamps. Now, one would notice that major rivers were being drained out of this large peninsula, dubbed Sundaland, by "mega rivers" (much like the present day Amazonian Basin). So, it's possible that the Clea genus or its ancestor have had its early millenias conquering much of Sundaland's freshwater systems before rising sea levels cut off many populations and from there each evolved into seperate species or subspecies.<br />
<br />
Alright, the next big question is probably: How does it feed? I have heard many who discovered them congregating around rotting carcasses of frogs, dead swiflets and bats near caves. Personally, I have encountered a group of Clea helena feeding on picnic leftovers of fried fish at water's edge in Sungai Jernih, Perlis, Malaysia. So, these buccinids are no different from their marine cousins- scavengers and predators at the same time. I've brought some back home for further observations of their feeding behaviour. Here's a photo-essay of it:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0AKHraG2nI/AAAAAAAAAdo/AEmXxZNcIEo/s1600-h/IMG_9438+done.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422345078381664882" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0AKHraG2nI/AAAAAAAAAdo/AEmXxZNcIEo/s320/IMG_9438+done.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 228px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>Clea helena <span style="font-style: italic;">is a very resilient snail. It can lay dormant for more than a month without food. In this stage, it usually buries or half-buries itself in the loose, sandy or muddy substrate.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0AKH0qXrLI/AAAAAAAAAdw/7FcC5uOvUZs/s1600-h/IMG_9702+done.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422345080865795250" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0AKH0qXrLI/AAAAAAAAAdw/7FcC5uOvUZs/s320/IMG_9702+done.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 228px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">When food (meat or snail) is detected, it prolongs it's proboscis (siphon) and crawls out to search for its quarry. Occasionally, it will also react similarly when there is movement in the water (especially if it lives in still waters most of the time.)</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0AKICIrQmI/AAAAAAAAAd4/oqb7oRhkdY0/s1600-h/IMG_9708+done.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422345084482568802" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0AKICIrQmI/AAAAAAAAAd4/oqb7oRhkdY0/s320/IMG_9708+done.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">It will then wander around to locate the prey. However, it takes a straight path towards the prey if there are no others in the vicinity.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0ALSbPKSBI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/tyt3T5aeVYU/s1600-h/IMG_9736+done.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422346362530973714" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0ALSbPKSBI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/tyt3T5aeVYU/s320/IMG_9736+done.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Usually, Clea snails can be found in abundance when present in a water body. Thus, when a prey is detected, a large number of snails will search and assemble around it.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0ALR5NV1oI/AAAAAAAAAeI/UnowqBQxqVg/s1600-h/IMG_9733+done.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422346353396536962" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0ALR5NV1oI/AAAAAAAAAeI/UnowqBQxqVg/s320/IMG_9733+done.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 228px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The first to reach the prey will grab it with its foot and inserts a thin, fleshy tube (siphon) into the snail and suck the animal within the shell.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(Proably excreting digestive enzymes and dissolve the prey alive before consuming it.)</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0ALS4VofJI/AAAAAAAAAeY/Sx-LrzjCYSc/s1600-h/IMG_9738+done.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422346370342747282" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0ALS4VofJI/AAAAAAAAAeY/Sx-LrzjCYSc/s320/IMG_9738+done.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Meanwhile, other Clea snails will try to loosen the grip of the feeding predator on its prey by using their foot to "pull" the prey out, much like a tug-of-war game.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0ALTNDJgxI/AAAAAAAAAeg/9Quagnv0Zto/s1600-h/IMG_9744+done.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422346375902364434" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0ALTNDJgxI/AAAAAAAAAeg/9Quagnv0Zto/s320/IMG_9744+done.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 228px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">It takes about half an hour for </span>Clea helena <span style="font-style: italic;">to finish its meal but that may be because of the miniature size of the prey. For larger size meals like frog carcasses, it might take a day or more to finish the entire body. Most of the time, they will abandon their meal when they are full and return back when they're ready for the next meal.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0AtWo1dkJI/AAAAAAAAAew/BnDurFyp8po/s1600-h/IMG_9732+done.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422383818296103058" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/S0AtWo1dkJI/AAAAAAAAAew/BnDurFyp8po/s320/IMG_9732+done.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 227px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">After some time devouring its prey, other snails will lose interest and gradually retreats back to their hideouts, leaving the lucky snail and its meal alone. At last, when the meal is finished, the predator will crawl back to its own resting spot, leaving empty shells of the prey behind.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Overally, Clea species feed like their marine cousins. Although Clea helena is the most well-known in the genus, there are plenty of other species. Here's a list from <a href="http://clade.ansp.org/obis/search.php/82458">Ocean Biographic Information System (OBIS)-Indo-Pacific mollusc database </a>:<br />
<a href="http://www.conchology.be/?t=68&u=362187&g=8fe9b1ce3415da78885a06182d56fc88&q=8143c89c048a9c7f0b6bc7127398673a">Clea bangueyensis (E.A. Smith 1895)</a><br />
Clea bocki (Brot)<br />
Clea bocourti (Brot 1876)<br />
<a href="http://www.femorale.com.br/shellphotos/detail.asp?species=Clea+helena+%28Philippi%2C+1847%29">Clea helena (Meder in Philippi 1847) </a><span style="font-style: italic;">synonym</span> C. theminckiana (Petit 1853)<br />
Clea hidalgoi (Crosse 1886)<br />
<a href="http://www.femorale.com.br/shellphotos/detail.asp?species=Clea+jullieni+%28Dashayes%2C+1846%29">Clea jullieni (Deshayes)</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">synonym</span> C. bizonata (Deshayes)<br />
<a href="http://www.seashellhub.com/Buccinidae/Cleanigericans.JPG">Clea nigricans (A.Adams 1855)</a> (Click <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan_cressler/4239066729/">here</a> for a photo showing a group of them feeding in-situ)<br />
while Clea gemma (Conolly 1929) is the type for the Afrocanidia (sub)genus from Africa.<br />
<br />
Not surprisingly, Buccinids aren't the only one which has migrated to freshwater environments in Southeast Asia. There are also genus<a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gastropods.com/Shell_Images/N-O/Nassodonta_dorri_2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.gastropods.com/5/Shell_29215.shtml&usg=__5v3Kc11h1r-BaufDNajQsjsa9J0=&h=299&w=399&sz=15&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=G0acbNpqlkfKBM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnassodonta%2Bdorri%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1"> </a><a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gastropods.com/Shell_Images/N-O/Nassodonta_dorri_2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.gastropods.com/5/Shell_29215.shtml&usg=__5v3Kc11h1r-BaufDNajQsjsa9J0=&h=299&w=399&sz=15&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=G0acbNpqlkfKBM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnassodonta%2Bdorri%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1">Nassodonta </a><a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gastropods.com/Shell_Images/N-O/Nassodonta_dorri_2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.gastropods.com/5/Shell_29215.shtml&usg=__5v3Kc11h1r-BaufDNajQsjsa9J0=&h=299&w=399&sz=15&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=G0acbNpqlkfKBM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnassodonta%2Bdorri%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1"> </a>(East Asia),<em style="font-style: italic;"></em> Pygmaenassa (India) and Arcularia (Lake Chilka, Burma)<em></em> from Nassariidae, <a href="http://mkohl1.net/Othergastropods.html">Rivomarginella</a> (Southeast Asia) of Marginellidae, various genus from <a href="http://mkohl1.net/Neritidae.html">Neritidae</a> and <a href="http://mkohl1.net/Othergastropods.html">Morrisoneitta</a> (Thailand) of Pyramidellidae. So, who knows what more lurks in the muddy depths of these tropical rivers and lakes?<br />
<br />
(<a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.stopactionphoto.net/Fishpics/egg1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php%3Ft%3D29339&usg=__iLZ49uObm1FWGmV0iPjXrc4wZcY=&h=487&w=600&sz=356&hl=en&start=17&um=1&tbnid=SOP04HZQBALPUM:&tbnh=110&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dclea%2Bhelena%2Beggs%26hl%3Den%26um%3D1">Click here</a> for a link about Clea helena's reproductive cycle.)<br />
<br />
<u>Reference and Further Reading</u>:<br />
1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trew, A., 1987.</span> The Melvill-Tomlin Collection. Parts.50,51,52,53,54. Buccinacea (Pyrenidae, Buccinidae, Galeodidae, Nassariidae and Fasciolariidae).<br />
<br />
2.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Edlic Sathiamurthy and Harold K. Voris, 2006</span> Maps of Holocene Sea Level Transgression and Submerged Lakes on the Sunda Shelf. The Natural History Journal of Chulalongkorn University, Supplement 2:1-44, August 2006. <a href="http://www2.biology.sc.chula.ac.th/web%20of%20NHJCU%20PDF/VorisSupplement.pdf">(click here)</a><br />
<br />
3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ellen E. Strong, Oliver Gargominy, Winston F. Ponde, Phillippe Bouchet,2008 </span>Global diversity of gastropods (Gastropoda;Mollusca) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia (2008) 595: 149–166 <a href="http://www.springerlink.com/index/r1288074j68q4257.pdf">(click here)<br />
</a><br />
4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Seiji Hayashi,2005. </span>The molecular phylogeny of the Buccinidae (Caenogastropoda: Neogastropoda) as inferred from the complete mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequences of<br />
selected representatives. Molluscan Research 25(2): 85–98 <a href="http://www.mapress.com/mr/content/v25/2005f/n2p098.pdf">(click here)</a></div></div></div></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-61266198412827623362009-12-17T07:17:00.000-08:002010-11-16T23:21:52.897-08:00The Search For Port Dickson's Coral ReefsAsk any Malaysian diver or beach goer whether Port Dickson's worth a trip and they'll surely laugh at you. Some said the waters there are like "teh tarik" (milk tea), others claimed that they saw more plastic bags than fishes and some even liken the seawater there to those of a sewerage tank.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
Yet, if you ask locals of the older generation, you will be surprised at the different picture they paint about Port Dickson (a.k.a. PD). Several decades ago, it was common to see fishes darting amongst coral reefs in clear turquoise waters. Even my trip to the beaches in the 1990s revealed plenty of reef life. I could still recall those days I could easily find colourful flatworms, reef shells, porites corals, brain corals (Lobophylla sp.), carnation corals (Pectmia sp.), Acropora sp. corals and mushroom corals. And the water's visiblility is slightly above 2m. (That's considered rather good in the Straits of Malacca!)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Syufhcw0tHI/AAAAAAAAAdY/67SvKt5DyC8/s1600-h/IMG_8606.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416598373848626290" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Syufhcw0tHI/AAAAAAAAAdY/67SvKt5DyC8/s320/IMG_8606.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Old shells and corals found during a beach survey in PD. These are proof of Port Dickson's reefs were once a lively ecosystem. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Port Dickson is indeed a unique ecosystem in the Straits of Malacca as it is one of the few places in the straits where corals are able to establish themselves close to the mainland. In fact, this is arguably the only place in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia with fringing corals. This is due to the fact that there are but two major river confluences with silty water flowing into PD's waters: The Sungai Linggi River in the South end and Kuala Lukut in the North. Conversely, the majority of the straits' coasts are sandy or muddy with mangroves for hundreds of miles. This is why PD is <span style="font-style: italic;">the</span> place to go for Kuala Lumpur urbanites for a relaxing short trip for decades.</div><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMhV2V_sI/AAAAAAAAAcw/lPugLuh1neI/s1600-h/Port+dickson+photo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416225637550915266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMhV2V_sI/AAAAAAAAAcw/lPugLuh1neI/s320/Port+dickson+photo.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 225px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">A typical scene in PD - fields of coral rubble stretching for miles along some beaches.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">However, it's common sense to many that years of rapid and uncontrolled development and land reclamation works along the coast have all but reduced the corals to rubble. Silty waters covered most of the reefs and prevented life-giving sunlight from reaching the algae in the coral polyps, which they depend on to produce food to survive. With the daily onslaught of waves and rubbish scrapping on the reefs at high tide, there is little room for development of new coral colonies.<br />
<br />
But after a diving trip at Lembeh Straits of North Sulawesi, Indonesia and exploring the reefs of Johore and Singapore Straits, I became aware that even environmentally degraded sites hold a surprisingly diverse ecosystem. With that in mind, I turned my attention to Port Dickson's corals. These few areas share plenty of similarities. They are busy ports, experiences rapid development and industrialisation and all have plenty of coral reefs in the vicinity. The only thing that sets them apart is that all of them are fed constantly by strong, nutrient rich currents while PD is pounded by silty, chemical laden concoction of seawater.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMUU0cizI/AAAAAAAAAcg/wdWdr6_xPyg/s1600-h/PD+image+general.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416225413936220978" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMUU0cizI/AAAAAAAAAcg/wdWdr6_xPyg/s320/PD+image+general.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 290px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">A general view of PD.</span> </div><br />
Nevertheless, an aerial survey of the coast reveals some surprising findings. PD's corals aren't all that lifeless after all:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMUzu2TSI/AAAAAAAAAco/f3-f36-yz_k/s1600-h/PD+town+coral.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416225422234242338" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMUzu2TSI/AAAAAAAAAco/f3-f36-yz_k/s320/PD+town+coral.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 177px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">There are little corals left in the vicinity of the city centre at northern PD.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMUHoRyUI/AAAAAAAAAcY/6kAeMFyjoNA/s1600-h/Kg+si+rusa.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416225410395523394" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMUHoRyUI/AAAAAAAAAcY/6kAeMFyjoNA/s320/Kg+si+rusa.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 177px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Some corals can still be seen</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">on the islands and headlands off Kampung Si Rusa although they are either dead or almost destroyed by shoreline development activities.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMhjff3HI/AAAAAAAAAc4/rnDry8VkRCc/s1600-h/Telok+Kemang.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416225641213189234" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMhjff3HI/AAAAAAAAAc4/rnDry8VkRCc/s320/Telok+Kemang.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 177px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The corals of Teluk Kemang are one of the more well-researched areas in Port Dickson.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMiHNhUYI/AAAAAAAAAdI/wWPmZIFOyVU/s1600-h/Tj+tanah+Merah.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416225650801463682" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMiHNhUYI/AAAAAAAAAdI/wWPmZIFOyVU/s320/Tj+tanah+Merah.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 177px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Another well-developed fringing reef at Tanjung Tanah Merah.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMTVvg-iI/AAAAAAAAAcI/0Hl4gV0ybpg/s1600-h/Guoman.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416225397004106274" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMTVvg-iI/AAAAAAAAAcI/0Hl4gV0ybpg/s320/Guoman.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Further south, fringing reefs can be seen stretching for several kilometres off Kampung Siginting and Guoman Hotel.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMim-HKfI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/kULtiHby2ds/s1600-h/Tj+Tuan.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416225659326769650" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMim-HKfI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/kULtiHby2ds/s320/Tj+Tuan.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 177px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Tanjung Tuan or Cape Rachado is the most well preserved of all of PD's corals because it is gazeeted as a Permeanant Forest Reserve and therefore limits destruction of the marine denizens. However, lack of adequate patrols made it possible for some to encroach and exploit the fishes and corals for aquarium trade.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMh5N7S1I/AAAAAAAAAdA/4eVONw9VFhU/s1600-h/Tj+Pelandok.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416225647045069650" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SypMh5N7S1I/AAAAAAAAAdA/4eVONw9VFhU/s320/Tj+Pelandok.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 177px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The patch reefs off Eagle Ranch Resort could be an interesting study area as they are located rather near to the silty mangrove shoreline on the mainland.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">A few years ago, a friend of mine stumbled across a vast field of staghorn corals (Acropora sp.) several miles of Port Dickson on an exploratory dive trip; much like in Pulau Pangkor, Perak. So, there are corals that still survive in PD, divable or otherwise. But once again, the construction works on land will soon pull the plug for these poor creatures if nothing is done. More research and explorations has to be done immediately to better understand and manage the reefs.<br />
<br />
Hopefully, some sort of protection will be given to these corals soon to avert the already growing danger of the collapse of the marine-related tourism industry and fisheries of the coast. Steps such as diverting sewerage waters from the sea to proper treatment plants and installing proper garbage disposal system should be considered. It is not too late to regain back what Port Dickson was once famous for - The Coral Reefs.<br />
<br />
Some related links of interests:<br />
<a href="http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/20050102/050206-1.htm">1. New Strait Times-There's Still Hope For Port Dickson</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wildsingapore.com/places/cityreefs7.htm">2. Wild Singapore-Uniquely Singapore: City Reefs!</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wildsingapore.com/places/cityreefs2a.htm">3. Wild Singapore- Sentosa: a shore doomed to reclaimation</a><br />
<a href="http://gis.doe.gov.my/eia2/Upload_folder/Ex_Sum/TerasKhidmatNiagaSdnBhdES-Jan2008.pdf">4. Executive Summary EIA of a rest house in Pasir Panjang</a><br />
<a href="http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/17/nation/19500419&sec=nation">5. The Star- Illegally Harvested Corals Seized</a><br />
<br />
<u>Reference and Further Readings</u>:<br />
1.<span class="person_name" style="font-weight: bold;">Lau, C.M.,</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> and </span><span class="person_name" style="font-weight: bold;">Affendi Y. A.,</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> and </span><span class="person_name" style="font-weight: bold;">Chong, V.C. ,</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> (2009)</span> Effect of Jetty Pillar Orientation on Scleractinian Corals. Malaysian Journal of Science, 28 (2). pp. 161-170. ISSN 13943065 <a href="http://myais.fsktm.um.edu.my/8317/1/Series_A_paper_5.pdf">(click here)</a><br />
<br />
2.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sorokin, Y. I. (1993).</span> Coral Reef Ecology. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.<br />
<br />
3.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Titlyanov, E. A. (1981).</span> Adaptation of reefbuilding corals to low light intensity. Proceedings of the Fourth International Coral Reef Symposium, 2, pp. 39-43. Manila.<br />
<br />
4.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bhagooli, R., & Hidaka, M. (2004).</span> Photoinhibition, bleaching susceptibility and mortality in two scleractinian corals, Platygyra ryukyuensis and Stylophora pistillata, in response to thermal and light stresses. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A, 137, pp. 547-555.<br />
<br />
5.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Obura, D. O. (1995).</span> Environmental stress and life history strategies, a case study of corals and river sediment from Malindi, Kenya. PhD thesis, University of Miami,Miami.<br />
<br />
6.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Glynn, P. W. (1997).</span> Bioerosion and Coral-Reef Growth: A Dynamic Balance. In C. Birkeland (Ed.), Life and Death of Coral Reefs (pp. 68-95). New York: Chapman and Hall. <a href="http://paracite.eprints.org/cgi-bin/openurl.cgi?sid=paracite&spage=68&date=1997&aufirst=P&aulast=Glynn&title=Life%20and%20Death%20of%20Coral%20Reefs&pages=68-95&atitle=Bioerosion%20and%20Coral-Reef%20Growth:%20A%20Dynamic%20Balance&epage=95&year=1997&ref=15.%20Glynn,%20P.%20W.%20%281997%29.%20Bioerosion%20and%20Coral-Reef%20Growth:%20A%20Dynamic%20Balance.%20In%20C.%20Birkeland%20%28Ed.%29,%20Life%20and%20Death%20of%20Coral%20Reefs%20%28pp.%2068-95%29.%20New%20York:%20Chapman%20and%20Hall.&marked=%3Cauthors%3EGlynn,%20P.%20W.%3C/authors%3E%20%28%3Cyear%3E1997%3C/year%3E%29.%20%3Ctitle%3EBioerosion%20and%20Coral-Reef%20Growth:%20A%20Dynamic%20Balance%3C/title%3E.%20In%20%3Cany%3EC.%20Birkeland%20%28Ed.%29%3C/any%3E,%20%3Cpublication%3ELife%20and%20Death%20of%20Coral%20Reefs%3C/publication%3E%20%28pp.%20%3Cpages%3E68-95%3C/pages%3E%29.%20%3Cpublisher%3ENew%20York:%20Chapman%20and%20Hall.%3C/publisher%3E">(click here)</a><br />
<br />
7.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anthony, K. R., & Hoegh-Gulberg, O. (2003).</span> Variation in coral photosynthesis, respiration and growth characteristics in contrasting light micro habitats:an analogue to plants in forest gaps and understoreys? Functional Ecology ,17, 246-159.<br />
<br />
8.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Lee, D. M. (2007).</span> A comparative ecological study of the scleractinian corals (Porites rus) in Pulau Tioman and Port Dickson. Undergraduate Thesis, University of Malaya,Institute of Biological Sciences, Kuala Lumpur.<br />
<br />
9.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Brown, B. E. (1997).</span> Disturbances to Reefs in Recent Times. In C. Birkeland (Ed.), Life and Death of Coral Reefs (pp. 354-379). New York: Chapman and Hall.<br />
<br />
10.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Yong, A. L. (2002). </span>An ecological study of scleractinian coral in Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson with regards to different light regimes. Undergraduate Thesis, University of Malaya, Institute of Biological Sciences, Kuala Lumpur.<br />
<br />
11.. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hoegh-Guldberg, O. and Smith, G. J. (1989).</span> The effect of sudden changes in temperature, light and salinity on the population density and export of zooxanthellae from the reef corals Stylophora pistillata (Esper) and Seriatopora hystrix (Dana). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology (J.Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol.) 129: 279-303.<br />
<br />
12.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Westmacott S.K., K. Teleki, S. Wells, J. West. (2000). </span>Management of bleached and<br />
severely damaged coral reefs. IUCN, Gland Switzerland 37 pp.<br />
<br />
13.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Charles L Angell</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">(2004)</span> Review of critical habitats-mangroves and coral reefs. Final Report. BOBLME. <a href="http://www.iwlearn.net/iw-projects/Fsp_112799469247/reports/Theme_coralreefs%20-%20%20C%20Angell.pdf">(click here)<br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-2339374140427120852009-12-12T06:27:00.000-08:002010-09-21T07:48:29.579-07:00Discovering Kinta Valley's Natural Treasures: Gua Anak Tempurung<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"The water in the river is very cold but clear as crystal. Gunong Gaja (sic. Gunung Gajah) comes close down to the river and overhangs. It comes down about 100 feet sheer. It is very striking with caves and stalactites. It must be photographed."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">-J.W. Birch, First British Resident of Perak.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhNU31SaFI/AAAAAAAAAcA/5GhRLbsKgXg/s1600-h/IMG_8510.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415663572893198418" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhNU31SaFI/AAAAAAAAAcA/5GhRLbsKgXg/s320/IMG_8510.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Gunung Tempurung as seen from the North-South Highway.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">For centuries, Gunung Gajah-Gunung Tempurung complex has fascinated travellers and locals alike. Early Sumatran settlers believed caves in these huge mountains are adobes of genies while western explorers noted and surveyed the karsts' geology, archaeology and biodiversity in awe and wonder. Today, tourists flock to the most well-known of the caves, Gua Tempurung, to get a glimpse of the wonderful stalactites and stalagmites it has to offer. However, little is known about the other dozens of caves that lie off the beaten path. I am about to step into one of them.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SydjjKmXIVI/AAAAAAAAAWY/RxsUACkGVU0/s1600-h/IMG_0606.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415406532728136018" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SydjjKmXIVI/AAAAAAAAAWY/RxsUACkGVU0/s320/IMG_0606.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><span style="font-style: italic;">The rolling green hills of Gunung Gajah.</span><br />
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</div>Being 6km long, the G. Gajah-Tempurung massif is the largest and southernmost karst in Kinta Valley. Gunung Gajah's summit is 372m high while G.Tempurung's southern and northern peaks are 612m and 497m respectively. This makes G.Tempurung one of the tallest karst in Peninsular Malaysia. To the west, the flat alluvial plains stretch over the valley while the 1234m high granitic Gunung Bujang Melaka dominates the southern landscape. The dome shaped granite mountains facing the eastern flank is Gunung Chantik.<br />
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Entering the serene valley of Sungai Siput (South) village, one could imagine how much of Kinta Valley was like centuries ago. There was the characteristic twin-humped Gunung Gajah towering over the western horizon and then there's the sheer dolomite cliff of Gunung Tempurung soaring hundreds of metres above the thick emerald forests which overshadows the valley below. In between these giants stood minuscule wooden shops and houses with reflective pools of water surrounding them, the remains of tin mining in the alluvial flat lands in the heydays. It is here that I met up with the Malaysian Karst Society (MKS) members to gear up before heading into the hills.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sydjjjsr0pI/AAAAAAAAAWg/PXn8_j-8RC0/s1600-h/IMG_0615.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415406539465544338" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sydjjjsr0pI/AAAAAAAAAWg/PXn8_j-8RC0/s320/IMG_0615.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Pinnacles on the southern peak of Gunung Tempurung.</span><br />
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</div>We followed the dirt road winding between G. Tempurung and G. Chantik. The vegetation here are mostly of anandara belukar (regenerating bushland). I found some common pitcher plants <span style="font-style: italic;">(Nepenthes gracilis)</span> climbing on trees.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhNUcI56fI/AAAAAAAAAb4/rY617PaYTtM/s1600-h/IMG_0733.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415663565459286514" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhNUcI56fI/AAAAAAAAAb4/rY617PaYTtM/s320/IMG_0733.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 171px; width: 224px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A common pitcher plant </span>Nephentes gracilis <span style="font-style: italic;">growing in regenerating bushland.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhNT5FqKnI/AAAAAAAAAbw/9zE604iJ2EI/s1600-h/IMG_0732.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415663556050430578" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhNT5FqKnI/AAAAAAAAAbw/9zE604iJ2EI/s320/IMG_0732.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 299px; width: 225px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A fruit bearing fig tree</span> Ficus fistulosa.<br />
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</div>After crossing several kilometres of muddy road with landslides in between, we finally arrived at the entrance of Gua Anak Tempurung, literally translates as the Tempurung Child Cave. There were man made rock barriers on the banks of the stream flowing into the cave, signs of human disturbance. I tried locating landsnails around the thickly vegetated banks. Strangely enough, little was found in this location apart from some broken Dyakia lahatensis (De Morgan 1885) and Cyclophorus malayanus (Benson 1852) shells. After a quick briefing, we entered the cave through the upper dry entrance (there's another wet entrance nearby).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SydjkZE-3aI/AAAAAAAAAWw/qitErx_2HAI/s1600-h/IMG_0629.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415406553794534818" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SydjkZE-3aI/AAAAAAAAAWw/qitErx_2HAI/s320/IMG_0629.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 170px; width: 225px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The chamber at the entrance of the cave.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sydjj4Cxq9I/AAAAAAAAAWo/9GVrZS8znU0/s1600-h/IMG_0627.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415406544926911442" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sydjj4Cxq9I/AAAAAAAAAWo/9GVrZS8znU0/s320/IMG_0627.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 170px; width: 224px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A</span> Cyclophorus malayanus (Benson1852) <span style="font-style: italic;">shell midden. Predatory birds probably used the rocks here to break the shells to extract the animal inside.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SydllMWYYrI/AAAAAAAAAXA/lV2xRF_VdXE/s1600-h/IMG_0640.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415408766580974258" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SydllMWYYrI/AAAAAAAAAXA/lV2xRF_VdXE/s320/IMG_0640.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 298px; width: 224px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The entire cave passage is wet as a stream runs its course across the length of the cave.</span><br />
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</div>Being a river cave, Gua Anak Tempurung is wet throughout its passage although some dry areas can be found in larger chambers. Spanning 1100m, this cave houses myriad of interesting subterranean organisms such as cave crickets, long-legged cave centipedes, the endemic primitive trapdoor spider (Liphistius tempurung), blind cat fishes, bats and possibly freshwater crabs too. Most of these organisms concentrates on the dry guano-sand banks of the cave stream.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhHQj7k1zI/AAAAAAAAAaY/Q0vm9r7WALs/s1600-h/IMG_0674.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415656901761619762" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhHQj7k1zI/AAAAAAAAAaY/Q0vm9r7WALs/s320/IMG_0674.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 168px; width: 228px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A cave huntsman spider</span> Sparassidae species <span style="font-style: italic;">probably feeds on cave insects.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhJUStmzyI/AAAAAAAAAa4/8ab5X5dIob4/s1600-h/IMG_0682.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415659164882358050" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhJUStmzyI/AAAAAAAAAa4/8ab5X5dIob4/s320/IMG_0682.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 171px; width: 229px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A tailless whip scorpion</span> Sarax brachydactylus (Simon 1892) <span style="font-style: italic;">scurrying for cover. This creature is often associated with wet caves and are fairly widespread across the world.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhHOQIaJCI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/yEz9zrX9gFA/s1600-h/IMG_0662.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415656862086997026" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhHOQIaJCI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/yEz9zrX9gFA/s320/IMG_0662.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 171px; width: 228px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Silk strands betrays the presence of rare glowing cave worms</span> Arachnocampa species(?) .<span style="font-style: italic;"> It is famous in Australia and New Zealand due to them glowing in the dark by their thousands, much like a starry sky.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhJTC8AVpI/AAAAAAAAAao/tbIDzFCkkCY/s1600-h/IMG_0678.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415659143467914898" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhJTC8AVpI/AAAAAAAAAao/tbIDzFCkkCY/s320/IMG_0678.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 171px; width: 230px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Another species of tailess whip scorpion? or perhaps a molting form of the same species?</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhJTihZdnI/AAAAAAAAAaw/XuNcdOJXu58/s1600-h/IMG_0680.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415659151946249842" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhJTihZdnI/AAAAAAAAAaw/XuNcdOJXu58/s320/IMG_0680.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 172px; width: 229px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Fungi growing on a rock covered with tiny particles of organic matter.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhJSq1vH-I/AAAAAAAAAag/iI0xbGMA4Ig/s1600-h/IMG_0676.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415659136999170018" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhJSq1vH-I/AAAAAAAAAag/iI0xbGMA4Ig/s320/IMG_0676.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 170px; width: 231px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A common cave cricket</span> Diestrammena sp. .<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhLBMkE3qI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/OxcaqI_BXy0/s1600-h/IMG_0706.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415661035837513378" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhLBMkE3qI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/OxcaqI_BXy0/s320/IMG_0706.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 174px; width: 232px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Surprisingly, there are even cave catfish </span>Clarias sp. <span style="font-style: italic;">here. This fish has evolved its eye to blind or semi-blind conditions due to the absence of light in the cave.</span><br />
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</div>Besides that, the cave's historical significance can also be viewed along its walls and dry stream banks.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SydlmgX4MiI/AAAAAAAAAXY/-9ISDIpWRMo/s1600-h/IMG_0650.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415408789135831586" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SydlmgX4MiI/AAAAAAAAAXY/-9ISDIpWRMo/s320/IMG_0650.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 173px; width: 232px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A tin bearing vein in limestone fissures. These used to be mined extensively by the Chinese in the early 20th century until it was banned by the British administrators who found them too dangerous to be worked on. The veins here are fondly called Jehoshaphat veins by geologists.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhHQASijaI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/y68XaPNwnZI/s1600-h/IMG_0671.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415656892194262434" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhHQASijaI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/y68XaPNwnZI/s320/IMG_0671.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 173px; width: 232px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Rocks are piled up to form a bunker as a barrier for the communist insurgents against the government forces back in the days of Malayan Emergency in the mid-20th century.</span><br />
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</div>The highlights of the cave is of course the impressive limestone formations including stalactites, stalagmites, cave straws (thin, young stalactites), cave "teeth" and many more.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sydjky2v55I/AAAAAAAAAW4/-KJnCYJToL0/s1600-h/IMG_0630.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415406560714155922" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sydjky2v55I/AAAAAAAAAW4/-KJnCYJToL0/s320/IMG_0630.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 312px; width: 234px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A large stalactite in one of the chambers.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhLAjxti-I/AAAAAAAAAbI/KnQdWuDTQuQ/s1600-h/IMG_0702.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415661024888851426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhLAjxti-I/AAAAAAAAAbI/KnQdWuDTQuQ/s320/IMG_0702.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 310px; width: 233px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The tall but narrow chamber along the cave passage.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SydlnNpyBmI/AAAAAAAAAXg/hGd8pVdyKXM/s1600-h/IMG_0657.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415408801290520162" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SydlnNpyBmI/AAAAAAAAAXg/hGd8pVdyKXM/s320/IMG_0657.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 311px; width: 233px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Brown stains on the speleoterms are the products of iron oxide mixing with calcium rich water.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SydlmAmZO0I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/Oa6H3ZnHAIo/s1600-h/IMG_0645.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415408780606782274" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SydlmAmZO0I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/Oa6H3ZnHAIo/s320/IMG_0645.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 311px; width: 233px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This chamber is easily 30m high.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SydllqcVgAI/AAAAAAAAAXI/XiklrJ-HbYo/s1600-h/IMG_0642.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415408774659014658" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SydllqcVgAI/AAAAAAAAAXI/XiklrJ-HbYo/s320/IMG_0642.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 174px; width: 232px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A miniature "cascading" flow stone. This is a rare sight.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhHPeMfFmI/AAAAAAAAAaI/oOUR1qoBNeg/s1600-h/IMG_0666.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415656883042063970" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhHPeMfFmI/AAAAAAAAAaI/oOUR1qoBNeg/s320/IMG_0666.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 172px; width: 231px;" /></a></div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;">The scenery inside the largest chamber in Gua Anak Tempurung.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhHO0ttHWI/AAAAAAAAAaA/5iOmMwhhahE/s1600-h/IMG_0665.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415656871907106146" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhHO0ttHWI/AAAAAAAAAaA/5iOmMwhhahE/s320/IMG_0665.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 172px; width: 230px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Black and white wave lines of marble polished by millions of years of flowing stream water.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhJU3TpfrI/AAAAAAAAAbA/w42fhnedRwI/s1600-h/IMG_0700.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415659174705594034" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhJU3TpfrI/AAAAAAAAAbA/w42fhnedRwI/s320/IMG_0700.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 306px; width: 229px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">An exceptionally tall stalactite stretching all the way to the ceiling of the chamber.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhLBgjPIrI/AAAAAAAAAbY/OfjhQUmXlh4/s1600-h/IMG_0721.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415661041202700978" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhLBgjPIrI/AAAAAAAAAbY/OfjhQUmXlh4/s320/IMG_0721.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 172px; width: 228px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">These serrated teeth-like stalactites are rather rare in Malaysia. According to our guide, the only other location with several structures like these is in Kedah, northern Peninsular Malaysia.</span><br />
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</div>After two hours in the pitch black with only torchlights guiding our way through the cave, dim sunlight finally breaks from a cave opening. We have reached the end of the cave.<br />
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We stumbled out into the sunlit forest beside the white cliffs. There is a swamp near the cave entrance with broken shells of Pollicaria elephas (De Morgan 1885) and Cyclophorus malayanus (Benson 1852) fallen from above. Scanning the algae covered bluish-green limestone wall in the shades of the forest canopy, I could spot some endemic Monophyllaea elongata plants growing in clusters. While far above them, another iconic Kinta limestone endemic flora Paraboea verticillata displays its silver rosettes under the sun.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhLCgxz24I/AAAAAAAAAbo/GAmjT21va5M/s1600-h/IMG_0728.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415661058443697026" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhLCgxz24I/AAAAAAAAAbo/GAmjT21va5M/s320/IMG_0728.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 173px; width: 232px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The scene outside the cave exit is filled with vegetation-typical of the Kinta Karst area.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhLCBv7Q6I/AAAAAAAAAbg/BVAmikvak58/s1600-h/IMG_0727.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415661050114294690" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SyhLCBv7Q6I/AAAAAAAAAbg/BVAmikvak58/s320/IMG_0727.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 175px; width: 234px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The endemic</span> Monophyllaea elongata <span style="font-style: italic;">growing on wet limestone.</span><br />
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</div>Finally, we emerged from the bushes and into the logging road and made our way back to civilisation.<br />
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The Tempurung-Gajah complex indeed holds lots of fascinating secrets awaiting discovery. The ecological, geological, historical and tourism value of these massifs far outweights the value of cement, marble and other limestone materials extracted from them. Hopefully, they will remain as they are- rugged and majestic, yet serene and beautiful for generations to come.<br />
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Reference:<br />
1.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Liz Price, 2001</span> Caves and Karsts of Peninsular Malaysia. Gua Publications, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.<br />
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2.<span style="font-weight: bold;">K. Dittmar, M.L. Porter, L. Price, G. Svenson, M.F. Whiting, 2003.</span> A Brief Survey of Invertebrates in Caves of Peninsular Malaysia. Malaysian Nature Journal, September, 57(2)221-233. <a href="http://whitinglab.byu.edu/PDF/Invertebrates_of_caves_of11.pdf">(click here)<br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-7041301789484352332009-10-15T23:11:00.001-07:002010-11-16T23:20:55.691-08:00Discovering Kinta Valley's Natural Treasures: Gopeng Rainforest ResortNestled in the mighty Kampar River watershed, surrounded by fruit orchards, rubber estates, oil palm plantations and undulating, thickly forested hills with the 2032m high Gunung Brinchang as the backdrop, Kampung Ulu Geruntum is the perfect place to begin my exploration into Kinta Valley's natural wonders.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgQmzRK7MI/AAAAAAAAAQA/9tRyER1cvk0/s1600-h/IMG_3962.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393078812559469762" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgQmzRK7MI/AAAAAAAAAQA/9tRyER1cvk0/s400/IMG_3962.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 175px; width: 313px;" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">The kampung (village) is home to a small Semai Orang Asli (aborigines) community. For generations, they have been practicing a conservation-centered lifestyle towards their forest resources and always pay high respects to the rainforest's denizens. As Sumatrans started setting a sultanate in Kinta, these villagers became involved with the settlers by exchanging forest products with rice from the alluvial plains. Fast forward to present day, ecotourism became the newest activity in the village. So far, only three resorts exists in the valley. Therefore, the serenity of the valley is still maintained. I've picked Gopeng Rainforest Resort as my base to jump start my adventure.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgQne049mI/AAAAAAAAAQI/5zFSYif2INQ/s1600-h/IMG_5425.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393078824252012130" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgQne049mI/AAAAAAAAAQI/5zFSYif2INQ/s400/IMG_5425.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 258px; width: 344px;" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">This resort is a collection of several types of kampung houses with architectural influences from the Malay stilt houses, the Minangkabau's distinctive "bull horn" roofed houses, Orang Asli Bamboo Huts and Borneo's longhouses. All these houses are scattered across a large, neatly kept durian orchard with two meandering streams. So, I was a bit surprised with what I could find in this highly-disturbed location.<br />
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I've followed the larger of the two streams along its banks. Being a moisture-loving creature, landsnails are sure to live around this water body. My search brings me to a leaf-littered area where I came face to face with my first find.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgQoPZdx6I/AAAAAAAAAQQ/Gw1IOmwvtw0/s1600-h/IMG_4106.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393078837290321826" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgQoPZdx6I/AAAAAAAAAQQ/Gw1IOmwvtw0/s400/IMG_4106.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">A large operculate, </span>Cyclophorus malayanus (Benson 1852)<span style="font-style: italic;"> is named after Malaya, the former name of Peninsula Malaysia.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Excitement abound, I prodded around trying to locate more of these elusive creatures. However, a whiff of tangy, ethanol-infused smell floating in the air attracted my attention. It was a bunch of ripened wild bananas hanging on the tree above me. I picked one and peeled to reveal the cream-coloured flesh with large black seeds.</div><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgQorNu8SI/AAAAAAAAAQY/tVm_CuziAVs/s1600-h/IMG_5270.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393078844757307682" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgQorNu8SI/AAAAAAAAAQY/tVm_CuziAVs/s400/IMG_5270.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 151px; width: 202px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Wild bananas, </span>Musa sp<span style="font-style: italic;">. does smell and look good but it's likely not going to taste good with those large seeds and little flesh</span>.</div></div></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">I've also came across some interesting local herbs.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgQpOINmJI/AAAAAAAAAQg/g-EW2HD1JMk/s1600-h/IMG_2293.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393078854129391762" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgQpOINmJI/AAAAAAAAAQg/g-EW2HD1JMk/s400/IMG_2293.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 152px; width: 203px;" /></a><br />
Costus speciosus (J.G. Koenig)<span style="font-style: italic;">, known locally as Setawar Hutan is closely related to ginger.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgSZHXcHEI/AAAAAAAAAQo/y-DjMdaNF-Y/s1600-h/IMG_5393.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393080776459557954" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgSZHXcHEI/AAAAAAAAAQo/y-DjMdaNF-Y/s400/IMG_5393.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 153px; width: 204px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">An unusual wild ginger, </span>Kaempferia pulchra <span style="font-style: italic;">sheds its leaves during dry spells. Its roots are used as a traditional medicine.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgSZl4ZTpI/AAAAAAAAAQw/gjxKkiGAALk/s1600-h/IMG_5382.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393080784650849938" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgSZl4ZTpI/AAAAAAAAAQw/gjxKkiGAALk/s400/IMG_5382.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 173px; width: 210px;" /></a><br />
Molineria latifolia (Dryand.) <span style="font-style: italic;">or Lumbah Rimba is a natural sweetener</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">used by the Orang Asli. It is common in lowland and hill forests. It's white fruits when eaten, will produce a mild-sour tinge before mellowing into an extremely sweet aftertaste.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgSaDPwH6I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/yynw2de22oQ/s1600-h/IMG_0527.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393080792533442466" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgSaDPwH6I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/yynw2de22oQ/s400/IMG_0527.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 165px; width: 201px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The brilliantly red flower of</span> Etlingera megalocheilos (Griff.) A. D. Poulsen<span style="font-style: italic;">, found in the bushes upstream.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgSa1sV3QI/AAAAAAAAARA/vfYlC-H1ttE/s1600-h/IMG_0133.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393080806075129090" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgSa1sV3QI/AAAAAAAAARA/vfYlC-H1ttE/s400/IMG_0133.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 151px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The Blue fruits of</span> Pandanus sp(?) <span style="font-style: italic;">commonly found in disturbed areas near forests.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgXcVq4pGI/AAAAAAAAASo/Sy09QPJG_0M/s1600-h/IMG_0498.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393086329396962402" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgXcVq4pGI/AAAAAAAAASo/Sy09QPJG_0M/s320/IMG_0498.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 152px; width: 201px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">The strange flower of</span><small><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">White Spider lily</span> Tacca integrifolia (Ker Gawl.) <span style="font-style: italic;">found in forests behind the resort.<br />
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</span></span></small><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><small><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></small>There are plenty of fungi and mushrooms on the rotting leaves and logs too.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgUbP3eHtI/AAAAAAAAARQ/m2Rx1hnKcns/s1600-h/IMG_5375.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393083012124384978" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgUbP3eHtI/AAAAAAAAARQ/m2Rx1hnKcns/s400/IMG_5375.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 155px; width: 207px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">A common orange mushroom on leaf litter.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgUb-oVvaI/AAAAAAAAARY/nQ6o-As-URY/s1600-h/IMG_0015.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393083024677387682" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgUb-oVvaI/AAAAAAAAARY/nQ6o-As-URY/s400/IMG_0015.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 156px; width: 208px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Fungus on a log.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgUcQHaB4I/AAAAAAAAARg/90VsChR0c-U/s1600-h/IMG_0020.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393083029371094914" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgUcQHaB4I/AAAAAAAAARg/90VsChR0c-U/s400/IMG_0020.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 171px; width: 207px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The unopened </span>Cyathus striatus <span style="font-style: italic;">Bird's Nest Fungi. When fully matured, it will produce a cup with brown egg-like peridioles in it, resembling a bird's nest, hence its name</span>.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgUdDp_C9I/AAAAAAAAARo/_d9YxYiCPjo/s1600-h/IMG_0601.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393083043206335442" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgUdDp_C9I/AAAAAAAAARo/_d9YxYiCPjo/s400/IMG_0601.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 156px; width: 208px;" /></a><br />
Calocera viscosa <span style="font-style: italic;">sprout out from wood surfaces.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgUdvClSMI/AAAAAAAAARw/2Huton83UDs/s1600-h/IMG_5412.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393083054852229314" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgUdvClSMI/AAAAAAAAARw/2Huton83UDs/s400/IMG_5412.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 270px; width: 201px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The</span> Dictyophora duplicata <span style="font-style: italic;">Maiden's veil Fungus, an uncommon bizarre fungus.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgWD2GMfcI/AAAAAAAAAR4/nnEyoWDQLSc/s1600-h/IMG_0503.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393084809093086658" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgWD2GMfcI/AAAAAAAAAR4/nnEyoWDQLSc/s400/IMG_0503.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 148px; width: 198px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The common</span> Lepiola sp. <span style="font-style: italic;">found in the forests behind the resort.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgWE-_SuUI/AAAAAAAAASI/EJ8zfERyGOE/s1600-h/IMG_3950.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393084828659923266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgWE-_SuUI/AAAAAAAAASI/EJ8zfERyGOE/s400/IMG_3950.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 160px; width: 214px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Cup fungus</span> Cookeina tricholoma <span style="font-style: italic;">are sought after both by photographers and naturalists.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">As I reached the narrow strip of vegetation between the stream and an asphalt road (which is the only road winding across the valley), I was in for a surprise. I flipped some decomposing twigs and leaves and there they are. Among the grits of sand and saprophyte roots are microsnails of all kinds.</div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgWFUSsC5I/AAAAAAAAASQ/OyjZiDIBxqs/s1600-h/IMG_4088.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393084834378419090" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgWFUSsC5I/AAAAAAAAASQ/OyjZiDIBxqs/s400/IMG_4088.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 147px; width: 205px;" /></a><br />
Geotrochus sp. <span style="font-style: italic;">is a rather common microsnail that can also occasionally be found in home gardens.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgWF5RvcLI/AAAAAAAAASY/B01EjcGosEk/s1600-h/IMG_0026.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393084844306559154" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgWF5RvcLI/AAAAAAAAASY/B01EjcGosEk/s400/IMG_0026.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 157px; width: 206px;" /></a><br />
<span center="" style="color: black;">Macrochlamys sp.<i> grazing on algae on limestone rock. This is a semi-slug (half snail, half slug).<br />
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</i></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgXb8w2MvI/AAAAAAAAASg/CKyPyCBvxwU/s1600-h/IMG_0024.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393086322711081714" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgXb8w2MvI/AAAAAAAAASg/CKyPyCBvxwU/s320/IMG_0024.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 161px; width: 207px;" /></a><br />
Cyclotus rostellatus (Pfeiffer 1851)<span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> lives around the bases of trees, amongst roots and leaf litter.<br />
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</span></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgXc8ToWDI/AAAAAAAAASw/BA3Vu25a2WA/s1600-h/IMG_4095.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393086339768408114" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgXc8ToWDI/AAAAAAAAASw/BA3Vu25a2WA/s320/IMG_4095.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 206px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The Star of the Day-</span> Diplommatina ventriculus (Mollendorff 1891)<span style="font-style: italic;">, an uncommon and beautiful find.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">Along with these are some molluscan behavoiur that are equally interesting.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgXdbPh4jI/AAAAAAAAAS4/MQMDmfvqsZ4/s1600-h/IMG_4114.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393086348072706610" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgXdbPh4jI/AAAAAAAAAS4/MQMDmfvqsZ4/s320/IMG_4114.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 154px; width: 203px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Microsnails on a dead twig, its typical habitat.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgZzthJjyI/AAAAAAAAATI/TGvCRAljDvY/s1600-h/IMG_7247.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393088929958825762" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgZzthJjyI/AAAAAAAAATI/TGvCRAljDvY/s320/IMG_7247.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 276px; width: 207px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The pesky</span> Achantina fulica (Bowdich 1822) <span style="font-style: italic;">involved in a fight for the best mate.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgZ0whqfjI/AAAAAAAAATY/9UrJkF4sWSA/s1600-h/IMG_4084.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393088947946159666" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgZ0whqfjI/AAAAAAAAATY/9UrJkF4sWSA/s320/IMG_4084.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 157px; width: 210px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Yellow eggs capsules of the species above deposited in loose soil.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgZ0GRWJKI/AAAAAAAAATQ/tC_Ov5aEA2Q/s1600-h/IMG_4110.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393088936603428002" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgZ0GRWJKI/AAAAAAAAATQ/tC_Ov5aEA2Q/s320/IMG_4110.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 297px; width: 223px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Juvenile snails eating up a dead snail's shell for calcium needed for building its shell. This process is known as "Shell Recycling".</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgZ1rFPc9I/AAAAAAAAATg/g7RE9Tj4EpQ/s1600-h/IMG_7254.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393088963664638930" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgZ1rFPc9I/AAAAAAAAATg/g7RE9Tj4EpQ/s320/IMG_7254.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 295px; width: 222px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The world's only bio-luminescence snail,</span> Quantula striata (Gray 1834)<span style="font-style: italic;">, displaying an elaborate defense technique of blowing slime bubbles to keep the predatory tractor millipede at bay.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">This location is indeed loaded with a surprising variety of molluscan species. But, what about other wildlife?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgZ2NPRyqI/AAAAAAAAATo/GUljpHBR3DY/s1600-h/IMG_0518.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393088972833540770" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgZ2NPRyqI/AAAAAAAAATo/GUljpHBR3DY/s320/IMG_0518.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 174px; width: 232px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Wild Boar</span> Sus scrofa <span style="font-style: italic;">mud puddles can be seen in the forests. This could be their foraging grounds for food.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgb3hIbxtI/AAAAAAAAATw/ZvjfY9enz4Y/s1600-h/IMG_5277.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393091194376668882" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgb3hIbxtI/AAAAAAAAATw/ZvjfY9enz4Y/s320/IMG_5277.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 186px; width: 247px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">I'm fortunate to get a glimpse of the rare Forest Monitor Lizard</span> Varanus rudicollis<span style="font-style: italic;">. This is a juvenile.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgb4HKEABI/AAAAAAAAAT4/By_3_w25RtU/s1600-h/R0011541.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393091204584046610" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgb4HKEABI/AAAAAAAAAT4/By_3_w25RtU/s320/R0011541.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 216px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">A flying lizard </span>Draco sp. <span style="font-style: italic;">ready to spread its "wings" , which are actually highly modified ribs, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">when confronted by predators</span><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgb4r4g6qI/AAAAAAAAAUA/5Bp6Pa7Ggc4/s1600-h/IMG_4429.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393091214442556066" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgb4r4g6qI/AAAAAAAAAUA/5Bp6Pa7Ggc4/s320/IMG_4429.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 200px; width: 253px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">A Tree-hole Frog</span> Metaphrynella sp. <span style="font-style: italic;">found hiding in a hole near the stream.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgb5rQzgZI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/iRvsROyFrPs/s1600-h/IMG_5423.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393091231455871378" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgb5rQzgZI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/iRvsROyFrPs/s320/IMG_5423.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 183px; width: 246px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">A juvenile</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Oriental Garden Lizard</span> Calotes versicolor <span style="font-style: italic;">sunbathing.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">According to the owner of the resort, nocturnal mammals such as Samba deer, Gaur or Kambing Gurun and even Slow Loris do emerge from the forests to look for food in the vicinity after sundown. Luck wasn't on my side though, but I did found plenty of interesting insects.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgnFvTYchI/AAAAAAAAAWI/IfGoPZj0PdM/s1600-h/IMG_7240.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393103533326758418" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgnFvTYchI/AAAAAAAAAWI/IfGoPZj0PdM/s320/IMG_7240.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 238px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Mating pair of Tiger Moth</span> Amata huebneri <span style="font-style: italic;">under a leaf.</span> This is a wasp-mimicking, day-flying moth.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgg3mKJ9bI/AAAAAAAAAUY/nUaZkarhjp8/s1600-h/IMG_0031.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393096693284206002" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgg3mKJ9bI/AAAAAAAAAUY/nUaZkarhjp8/s320/IMG_0031.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 177px; width: 236px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">An unidentified beetle with metallic blue and white banded elytra (outer shell).</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgg4A3FltI/AAAAAAAAAUg/WJKKM3pq55o/s1600-h/IMG_0036.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393096700451985106" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgg4A3FltI/AAAAAAAAAUg/WJKKM3pq55o/s320/IMG_0036.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 177px; width: 231px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">A hairy caterpillar</span>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgg4lLa2rI/AAAAAAAAAUo/lElYMcjysJM/s1600-h/IMG_0508.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393096710200941234" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgg4lLa2rI/AAAAAAAAAUo/lElYMcjysJM/s320/IMG_0508.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 173px; width: 227px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The amazing plumose (feathery) antennae of a moth.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgg5TMH08I/AAAAAAAAAUw/JP_ijDR1hZ4/s1600-h/IMG_0517.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393096722551919554" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgg5TMH08I/AAAAAAAAAUw/JP_ijDR1hZ4/s320/IMG_0517.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 191px; width: 223px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">A katydid with red spots.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgg50M9OKI/AAAAAAAAAU4/ovn4_qq_T88/s1600-h/IMG_0552.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393096731413788834" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Stgg50M9OKI/AAAAAAAAAU4/ovn4_qq_T88/s320/IMG_0552.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 230px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">A praying mantis waiting for it's quarry prey near an insect attracting light source.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgjEREWMEI/AAAAAAAAAVA/zKhp_uKA7JI/s1600-h/IMG_2766.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393099109984251970" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgjEREWMEI/AAAAAAAAAVA/zKhp_uKA7JI/s320/IMG_2766.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 204px; width: 272px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The famous Rajah Brooke Birdwing</span> Trogonoptera brookiana <span style="font-style: italic;">feeding on mineral salts.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgjE8aBR0I/AAAAAAAAAVI/QTKhtdjMEeA/s1600-h/IMG_2773.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-style: italic;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393099121617880898" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgjE8aBR0I/AAAAAAAAAVI/QTKhtdjMEeA/s320/IMG_2773.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 192px; width: 256px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">A swallowtail </span>Papilio demolion<span style="font-style: italic;"> joined the feast too.<br />
<br />
</span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgjFdiRBxI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/b548eqhOL_8/s1600-h/IMG_2806.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393099130510837522" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgjFdiRBxI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/b548eqhOL_8/s320/IMG_2806.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 186px; width: 252px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The majestic Atlas moth</span> Attacus atlas<span style="font-style: italic;">, one of the largest moth in the world.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm truly fortunate to find one!</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgjF5oy5oI/AAAAAAAAAVY/CLzDKP_Qxek/s1600-h/IMG_3909.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393099138054416002" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgjF5oy5oI/AAAAAAAAAVY/CLzDKP_Qxek/s320/IMG_3909.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 264px; width: 185px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">An egg laying moth.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgjGcfm22I/AAAAAAAAAVg/hNOKnioYrEM/s1600-h/IMG_3916.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-style: italic;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393099147411118946" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgjGcfm22I/AAAAAAAAAVg/hNOKnioYrEM/s320/IMG_3916.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 160px; width: 213px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">A green cicada are the producers of omnipresent forest "music".</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgnDi3Qp2I/AAAAAAAAAVo/W_OFAzgeM04/s1600-h/IMG_3979.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393103495627843426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgnDi3Qp2I/AAAAAAAAAVo/W_OFAzgeM04/s320/IMG_3979.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 190px; width: 260px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">An unusual moth with spiky tail that will surely give a painful punch to any unfortunate person laying their hand on it.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgnEKseTAI/AAAAAAAAAVw/SrbJgAd0JEM/s1600-h/IMG_4430.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393103506320018434" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgnEKseTAI/AAAAAAAAAVw/SrbJgAd0JEM/s320/IMG_4430.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 187px; width: 247px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">An unidentified insect covered in lichen to conceal it's identity to potential predators. It's habitat is on tree trunks with lichen.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgnFPFchnI/AAAAAAAAAWA/zVcyR1G6ONQ/s1600-h/IMG_5396.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393103524678370930" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgnFPFchnI/AAAAAAAAAWA/zVcyR1G6ONQ/s320/IMG_5396.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 189px; width: 251px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">A weevil beetle on the leaves of an forest understorey plant.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgsyN-A0JI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/Ryvjn9UEs-Y/s1600-h/IMG_3977.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393109795031011474" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/StgsyN-A0JI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/Ryvjn9UEs-Y/s400/IMG_3977.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 400px; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
So, that's all for now. The next post will take you to the heart of Kinta Valley's famed limestone hills. Adventures and discoveries aplenty and of course, snails to look for. Stay tuned!<br />
<br />
For more information on Gopeng Rainforest Resort, visit their official website:<br />
<a href="http://www.gopengrainforest.com/">www.gopengrainforest.com</a><br />
<br />
Referrence:<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Khoo Salma Nasution & Abdur-Razzaq Lubis</span> Kinta Valley: Pioneering Malaysia's Modern Development. Perak Academy, 2005</div><br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-48685157318370549132009-08-15T06:39:00.000-07:002010-11-16T23:20:34.945-08:00Limestone in Johor?A couple of weeks ago, I was browsing through a copy of "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Johor</span> Bigfoot: The Beginning of A True Story<span style="font-style: italic;"> (in Chinese)</span>" There was the mentioning of search results in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Johor</span>, about the speculation of the ape's biology and many more so-called physical evidence of footprints and hair samples typical to Bigfoot-themed books. And then, there came the mentioning of its habitat. The accompanying photographs proved so unbelievable that I was convinced the author faked the entire story out just to attract people's attention to some Malaysian folklore. The picture shows a cliff face surrounded by dense <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">rainforest</span> while the other, an ink-dark void with tree roots and rocks around it - a cave. A cave in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Johor</span>? A limestone cave? The description is even more intriguing. Apparently, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">bigfoot</span> researchers guided by the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Orang</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Asli</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> (natives)</span> had came to a rock face and walked around it to a hidden cave in the thick <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">rainforests</span> of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Gunung</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Sumalayang's</span> peak. They have had even collected rock samples for the Geological Department of Malaysia to identify the rock type. And voila, it's limestone! Previously, it's a well <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">established</span> fact that the southern most limestone hill is Batu Caves in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Selangor</span>, some 370km northwest of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Gunung</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Sumalayang</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">(Now you understand why I'm shocked?)</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SobGMk9UJZI/AAAAAAAAALQ/9sqT499CrqY/s1600-h/johor.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370197525067474322" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SobGMk9UJZI/AAAAAAAAALQ/9sqT499CrqY/s400/johor.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 334px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>I googled it up and found the scientific evidence I needed - "The Malaysian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Stratigraphy</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Bahasa</span> Malaysia) </span>". According to the papers, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">there're</span> minor intrusions of limestone in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Gunung</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Sumalayang</span>. Photographs showing small <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">stalactites</span> and stalagmites on the cliff face backed up the findings.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Soa9JkPZi8I/AAAAAAAAALI/vHYUuVqzdPk/s1600-h/gunung+sumalayang.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370187577730632642" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Soa9JkPZi8I/AAAAAAAAALI/vHYUuVqzdPk/s400/gunung+sumalayang.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 344px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SobIx5VfN3I/AAAAAAAAALY/0_x4cjmS1l0/s1600-h/sumalayang+limestone.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370200365215987570" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SobIx5VfN3I/AAAAAAAAALY/0_x4cjmS1l0/s400/sumalayang+limestone.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 344px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Now, the big question is - are there any endemic snails living there? Since it's just a minor limestone intrusion and not the huge <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">karsts</span> like those in Central and Northern Peninsula Malaysia, it could have only supported a small population of endemic <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">molluscs</span>, if any at all. But, given the amazing diversity of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">microsnails</span> discovered in just some tenths of metres of limestone in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Sabah</span>, it's worth exploring this potential site, right?<br />
<br />
<u>Further Reading</u>:<br />
1.<b><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Norazhar</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Ngatimin</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Teh</span> G.H., 1993.</b> Geology of the G. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Sumalayang</span> area, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Johor</span>. [abstract]. <i>In:</i> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">GSM</span> Annual Geological Conference 93, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Langkawi</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Kedah</span>, 12-13 June 1993, <i><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Warta</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Geologi</span></i> 19(3):139.<br />
<br />
2. STAG20022 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Stratigrafi</span> Malaysia: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Stratigrafi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">Semenanjung</span> Malaysia - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Geologi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Johor</span> Timur, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">UKM</span>.<a href="http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/~kamal/geologi-malaysia/kuliah%2014%20-%20johor%20timur.pdf">(link)</a><br />
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3.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">Menno</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">Schilthuizen</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">Hsieh</span>-Nee <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">Chai</span> and Tracey Elaine <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">Kimsin</span>,2003. </span>Abundance and diversity of Land-snails (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">Mollusca</span>: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">Goastropoda</span>) on Limestone Hills of Borneo. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 2003 51(1):35-42. National University of Singapore. <a href="http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/51/51rbz035-042.pdf">(link)</a>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-15335065084489655942009-07-25T07:08:00.000-07:002010-11-16T23:19:58.038-08:00Panching Karsts-400 million years old geological monuments under threat<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SmsesCnKBFI/AAAAAAAAAJE/B4vrBlMnhzE/s1600-h/panching+formation.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362413523278890066" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SmsesCnKBFI/AAAAAAAAAJE/B4vrBlMnhzE/s400/panching+formation.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 344px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Aerial view of Panching Limestone Formation: (from top to bottom) Bukit Tenggek, Bukit Sagu, Bukit Charas, Bukit Panching. The formation is possibly the easternmost limestone karsts in Peninsula Malaysia.</span><br />
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</div>Spanning about a kilometre wide is a vast wasteland of limestone boulders, pebbles and ridges partially overgrown with bushes and grass. A large, 26 metre deep lake smack right a the middle of the rocky terrain is all that is left of Bukit Panching, a 134m tall limestone outcrop overlooking it's larger sister mountain, Bukit Charas. Located 25km from Kuantan, on the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia, these 400-million-years old karsts are part of the Panching Limestone Formation. Bukit Panching is the very first limestone outcrop in the peninsula to be wiped out of existence. Managed by the now defunct Pancing<span style="font-style: italic;">(sic)</span> Quarry Sdn Bhd, the last outcrop was flattened in the 1990s which then led to a continued quarrying of subterreanean limestone until a 26 metre depression was made.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Smsdq0CxtgI/AAAAAAAAAI8/thDlwyIWQPo/s1600-h/bukit+panching.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362412402676708866" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Smsdq0CxtgI/AAAAAAAAAI8/thDlwyIWQPo/s400/bukit+panching.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 344px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Bukit Panching (Google Earth year 2003 image)Seen here are pools of water collected on the southwestern area which has now became a large lake covering the 26m depression.<br />
</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Smsi66WChYI/AAAAAAAAAJM/o3YX7q_XDys/s1600-h/IMG_5692.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362418176804160898" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Smsi66WChYI/AAAAAAAAAJM/o3YX7q_XDys/s400/IMG_5692.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The destroyed Bukit Panching (foreground,lake) with Bukit Charas as its backdrop.<br />
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</span> </div>With that, countless endemic flora and fauna also disappeared. That includes molluscan casualty <span style="font-style: italic;">Opisthostoma (Plectostoma) sciaphilum (Benthem Jutting 1952)</span>, a microsnail that only inhabits Bukit Panching's rocky crevices. Endemic flora like <span style="font-style: italic;">Monophylla hendersonii</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Emarhendia bettiania</span> (both now restricted to Bukit Charas) also disappeared from the hill. And due to lack of research done on the hill's ecology, there might in fact be more casualties.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SmsjuFQuWjI/AAAAAAAAAJc/Dm05gX2gofc/s1600-h/bukit+charas.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362419055907985970" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SmsjuFQuWjI/AAAAAAAAAJc/Dm05gX2gofc/s400/bukit+charas.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 344px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Bukit Charas: a 355m tall limestone massif with a forested valley in the centre, it is located several kilometres north of Bukit Panching.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">To the north is Bukit Charas, an almost intact limestone hill with plenty of rare and endemic flora ie: <span style="font-style: italic;">Ardisia suffruticosa, Epithoma saxatile, Begonia ignorata, Monophylla hendersonii, Emaehendia bettiania, Tectaria cherasica,</span> and many more. The molluscan fauna is also quite interesting, with plenty of microsnails belonging to <span style="font-style: italic;">Opisthostoma (Plectostoma) sp</span>. , the newly described <span style="font-style: italic;">Notharinia linnei (Vermeulen, Phung and Troung 2007)</span>and other diplommatinids. There're also unidentified <span style="font-style: italic;">Phaedusa sp</span>. and <span style="font-style: italic;">Macrochylamys sp. </span>. Fortunately, the presence of a Thai-Buddhist Cave Temple in its northern cliff has prevented it from being a target of limestone quarry prospectors.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sms7wAe1qyI/AAAAAAAAAKE/LyVMl4tihkw/s1600-h/IMG_7223.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362445477263813410" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sms7wAe1qyI/AAAAAAAAAKE/LyVMl4tihkw/s320/IMG_7223.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 179px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The snails found in self-collected soil samples of Bukit Charas: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">(from left to right) Macrochylamys sp., </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Alycaeus cf. perakensis(?), Phaedusa sp. fragments and various microsnails.</span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Smso2EbrO_I/AAAAAAAAAJk/TRQ9hRg5pkk/s1600-h/IMG_6565.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362424690682575858" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Smso2EbrO_I/AAAAAAAAAJk/TRQ9hRg5pkk/s400/IMG_6565.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 218px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 290px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The endemic Monophyllaea hendersonii living on limestone surface near the stairway to the Thai-Buddhist Cave Temple.</span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SmsraqblecI/AAAAAAAAAJs/hEj4PgyCEoY/s1600-h/IMG_6566.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362427518381291970" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SmsraqblecI/AAAAAAAAAJs/hEj4PgyCEoY/s320/IMG_6566.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 196px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Another endemic, Emarhendia bettiania, which lives on cliff faces in the same area.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Smsw2nTJ4SI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/BHEu9uOPlkM/s1600-h/IMG_6577.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362433496135098658" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Smsw2nTJ4SI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/BHEu9uOPlkM/s320/IMG_6577.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 223px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 299px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The easily identified Ardisia suffruticosa with its characteristic radiating leaves. This species is only known to occur in two localities, Sungai Tebrau,Johor and Bukit Charas, Pahang.</span><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SmszXcdw2pI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/ABAPNg3uiNk/s1600-h/IMG_6587.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362436259185744530" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SmszXcdw2pI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/ABAPNg3uiNk/s320/IMG_6587.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 251px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Tectaria cherasica, an endemic fern named after Bukit Charas (Bukit Cheras </span>(sic.)<span style="font-style: italic;">)</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Not so fortunate though, for the remote Bukit Sagu and Bukit Tenggek in the North. These two hills have been quarried extensively, 50% on Bukit Sagu and 30% on Bukit Tenggek. Bukit Sagu is expected to disappear within the next 10 years with Bukit Tenggek following suit. Little molluscan research was carried out on these hills, so the known snails are limited to a few like the Bukit Sagu endemic <span style="font-style: italic;">Opisthostoma (Plectostoma) senex (Benthem Jutting 1952)</span><a href="http://www.ne.jp/asahi/dexter/sinister/gallery/species/OpiPleSen.html">see pics. here</a> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Alycaeus carinata (Maasen 2006)</span><a href="http://www.femorale.com.br/shellphotos/detail.asp?species=Alycaeus+carinata+Maassen%2C+2006&url=%2Fshellphotos%2Fthumbpage.asp%3Fprov%3D%26family%3DDIPLOMMATINIDAE%26cod%3D5008">see pics. here</a>. In fact, Bukit Tenggek, the northernmost hill, has so far escaped attention of scientists. In terms of flora, the only known endemic is Bukit Sagu's <span style="font-style: italic;">Paraboea bakeri</span>.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SmwL_oyqMoI/AAAAAAAAAK4/m_259L09O0U/s1600-h/bukit+sagu.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362674444200981122" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SmwL_oyqMoI/AAAAAAAAAK4/m_259L09O0U/s400/bukit+sagu.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 339px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 394px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Bukit Sagu with the flattened northern flank and cement processing factory.<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SmwM48wpU5I/AAAAAAAAALA/NQM_JXCfj3Y/s1600-h/bukit+tenggek.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362675428813788050" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SmwM48wpU5I/AAAAAAAAALA/NQM_JXCfj3Y/s400/bukit+tenggek.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 344px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The northernmost limestone hill of the Panching Limestone Formation, Bukit Tenggek.</span><br />
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</div>The Panching Karsts harbour many new-to-science flora and fauna and should be given more attention from the researchers and conservationists. Although quarrying of limestone is unavoidable as this is the only closest limestone source for the city of Kuantan and the region's infrastructure developement, sustainable use of the precious resource will ensure that the wildlife and plantlife of these special hills remain intact for years to come.</div><br />
<u>Further Reading:</u><br />
1.Schilthuizen J.J. and Clements R. (2008) Tracking Land Snail Extinction From Space. TENTACLE 16:8-9 (IUCN/SSC Mollusc specialist group letter)<a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/cowielab/tentacle/tentacle_16.pdf">click here</a><br />
2.Soh Wuu Kuang (2006) The Flora of Bukit Charas,Conservation Malaysia Issue 2/200<span style="text-decoration: underline;">6,FRIM</span><a href="http://www.tfbc.frim.gov.my/2_2006.pdf"> click here</a><br />
3.Maasen W.J.M. (2008) A new species of the genus Notharinia Vermeulen, Phung & Truong, 2007 from Peninsular Malaysia (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda, Pupinidae),Naturalis Repository. <a href="http://dpc.uba.uva.nl/cgi/t/text/get-pdf?c=zoomed;idno=8201a14">click here </a><br />
4.Amer Mohammad Ibrahim (1999) Geochemistry of Selected Upper Paleozoic Kuantan Group and Triassic Carbonaceous sediments of Pahang and South Terengganu, West Malaysia<br />
University Malaya.</div></div></div></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-78240645345460689012009-06-27T06:18:00.000-07:002012-01-14T06:31:38.986-08:00Bizarre Twists<b> by Tan Cheng Li</b><br />
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<b>The oddly coiled shell of a tiny snail has left scientists puzzled.</b><br />
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IT measured no bigger than a pinhead, yet when a scientific description of the microsnail <i>Opisthostoma vermiculum</i> was published in the scientific journal <i>Biology Letters</i> in January last year, it created a stir in the scientific world. Various websites discussed the find, and it even got its discoverer Reuben Clements into the <i>New York Time</i>s and the scientific journal <i>Nature</i>. <br />
Last month, <i>O. vermiculum</i> was in the news again: it was voted into the list of top 10 species discovered last year, alongside Sabah’s <i>Phobaeticus chani, </i>the longest stick insect ever found.<br />
Ironically, on either occasion, <i>O. vermiculum</i> did not make it into local newspapers despite it being new to science and found only on one limestone karst in the Kinta valley of Perak.<br />
But that’s hardly surprising seeing that snails, and one that measures a mere 1mm at that, are unlikely to match the appeal quotient of mega-fauna such as the orang utan, tiger or elephant.<br />
But within the field of malacology (the study of molluscs), <i>O. vermiculum </i>has created quite a buzz – and all because its shell coils on four axes, a first in the world of snails. Most of us would be familiar with shells that coil tightly around a single axis, making for a simple spiral. But some shells have two axes, starting out coiling one way during the early stages of growth, and then curving by 90° or 180°.<br />
Many species of <i>Opisthostoma</i> snails have three axes of coiling, with a final twist at the end of their growth. The <i>O. vermiculum</i>, however, has defied the established rules of shell growth and form by creating a home that twists in four independent directions. That is one more than any other known snail........<br />
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(This post is an extract from an article in the Malaysian daily, The Star. It is reproduced here for educational purposes. For the whole article please visit:<br />
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Tan, CL 2009, 'Bizarre Twists', <i>The Star</i>, 23 June. Available from: <<a href="http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?sec=lifefocus&file=/2009/6/23/lifefocus/4093480">http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?sec=lifefocus&file=/2009/6/23/lifefocus/4093480</a>>. [27 June 2009]JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-65246614239717457362009-05-29T03:05:00.000-07:002012-01-13T22:02:47.815-08:00Two Worlds, Same SpeciesIt's well known that giant ground sloths many times larger than it's present day cousins,the three -toed sloths, existed in the Americas millions of years ago. And then, there're the woolly mammoths that roamed the tundra and large, flightless Moa birds from New Zealand that hides in the shadows of the pine forests. These ancient giants a.k.a. <span style="font-style: italic;">mega fauna</span> became extinct either because of over hunting by early humans or drastic changes that altered their habitats. Today, we can see reminiscence of those creatures in their surviving relatives like the elephants and emus, albeit smaller in size. however little is known about the molluscs of those days in comparison with present day equilvalents. This is especially the case of tropical ones.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sh-1J1O08hI/AAAAAAAAAIE/ajMf0RTBBo4/s1600-h/gunung+panjang.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341186863597416978" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sh-1J1O08hI/AAAAAAAAAIE/ajMf0RTBBo4/s320/gunung+panjang.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 220px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Gunung Panjang</span>- The cave paintings of Tambun decorates it's western cliff faces.<br />
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Days ago, I went to an interesting rock painting site known as the Tambun cave Paintings, east of Ipoh,Perak. It is one of the handful of rock paining sites in Malaysia. Dating back to some 2000 years ago, these paintings were made by primitive people of the Neolithic period. On the walls are scenes of hunting of animals like dugong, tapir and other mystical wildlife. What's peculiar is the presence of dugong because this particular location is approximately 50-60km from the nearest coast. Furthermore, with such natural heavy siltation from large rivers even a few thousand years back, this part of the malay peninsula didn't looked like a suitable habitat for the marine mammals. So, how did these ancient people came to know the dugong?<br />
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Now, this is even more interesting! Last year, a local daily reported that arecheaologists discovered large quantities of <span style="font-weight: bold;">seashells</span> eaten by the Neolithic people (see: <a href="http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/12/4/nation/16216494&sec=nation">http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/12/4/nation/16216494&sec=nation</a>). I was baffled. After I visited the cave and located some specimen, I found the answer. The shells aren't marine after all! They are the freshwater snail <span style="font-style: italic;">Brotia costula varicosa</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(Troschel 1837)</span>. This species still survives today! But what draws the line between the present day specimens with the past ones is their size.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sh_C-haajuI/AAAAAAAAAIM/YkGONuTrNTY/s1600-h/IMG_4263.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341202062461538018" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sh_C-haajuI/AAAAAAAAAIM/YkGONuTrNTY/s320/IMG_4263.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 315px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 236px;" /></a>The ancient fossils (without the black periostracum) are much bigger than the present day ones (with periostracum).<br />
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On another occasion, I found a dozen of similar sized <span style="font-style: italic;">Brotia costula varicosa</span> under a cave opening facing a natural freshwater pond of Kek Lok Tong in Gunung Rapat,Ipoh,which is quite a distance away from Gunung Panjang. Thus, it is possible that the ancient giant <span style="font-style: italic;">Brotia</span>s used to be widespread across the Ipoh region thousands of years ago.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sh_Nm9U5ZfI/AAAAAAAAAIc/jA9m7OhEZYI/s1600-h/G+panjang+%26+G.+rapat.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341213752265631218" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sh_Nm9U5ZfI/AAAAAAAAAIc/jA9m7OhEZYI/s320/G+panjang+%26+G.+rapat.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 227px;" /></a>The distance between the two mountains is rather far.<br />
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Similar findings of <span style="font-style: italic;">Brotia c. varicosa</span> was reported in many archealogical sites like Lenggong, Kelantan and Terengganu although size wasn't mentioned.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sh_KCPfxbyI/AAAAAAAAAIU/UzBxH4-Y79A/s1600-h/IMG_4271.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341209822953041698" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sh_KCPfxbyI/AAAAAAAAAIU/UzBxH4-Y79A/s320/IMG_4271.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 288px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 427px;" /></a>Comparison of size of specimens from different localities.<br />
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So, does this have any relationship with the mega fauna extinction. Perhaps it's an extinct bigger form of the <span style="font-style: italic;">brotia costula variocosa</span>?<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-40035538292804927412009-05-01T03:24:00.000-07:002010-09-21T07:59:54.330-07:00Snailing Sipadan and Mabul<span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Well known as a world class diving destination, Sipadan Island and it's neighbour, Mabul Island also hold some interesting topside flora and fauna, including a hoard of new-to-science snails.</span> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SfrOKs5WC5I/AAAAAAAAAHE/-XGdRjCRPMA/s1600-h/mabul.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: times new roman;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330799792192097170" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SfrOKs5WC5I/AAAAAAAAAHE/-XGdRjCRPMA/s320/mabul.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 162px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 188px;" /></a><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-style: italic;"><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Mabul Island</span></span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">- A heavily developed island north of Sipadan. Most of the greenery on the island are coconut palms planted by native Bajau and Suluk people. The only remaining original forest,less than 2 acres, lies in the East side of the island. This narrow strip of forest has a wide path cutting through it the centre and is surrounded by worker's </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">quarters and storage rooms of a nearby resort. Apparently, it lies it the property of the resort itself. I found 3 unidentified molluscs here:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SfrQxKtbg1I/AAAAAAAAAHM/v8AO4OiDZMk/s1600-h/IMG_5252.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330802652053472082" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SfrQxKtbg1I/AAAAAAAAAHM/v8AO4OiDZMk/s320/IMG_5252.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 114px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 214px;" /></a><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Obba cf. marginata- Found dead in a cleared area near the forest. I tried to find live ones in the forest but couldn't. It resembles Obba marginata from Mindanao,Southern Philippines.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SfrXJnyNKFI/AAAAAAAAAHc/O6779lgr_Ek/s1600-h/IMG_5261.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330809669244758098" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SfrXJnyNKFI/AAAAAAAAAHc/O6779lgr_Ek/s320/IMG_5261.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 99px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 99px;" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SfrWTeSqxTI/AAAAAAAAAHU/sTJJUpLaNy4/s1600-h/IMG_5258.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330808738983626034" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SfrWTeSqxTI/AAAAAAAAAHU/sTJJUpLaNy4/s320/IMG_5258.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 96px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 96px;" /></a><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Videna sp.- Because there is no proper study to sort out the various species of this genus, the shell's identification couldn't be ascertained. But recent studies shows that this genus does exists in the Semporna archipelago.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SfrYa6LH57I/AAAAAAAAAHk/c98FxuZm748/s1600-h/IMG_5264.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: times new roman;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330811065750513586" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SfrYa6LH57I/AAAAAAAAAHk/c98FxuZm748/s320/IMG_5264.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 154px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 208px;" /></a><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Amphidromus sp.- An abundance of dead specimens were discovered around the coconut plantations and resorts. The broken shell on the left shows the original colouration. No live snails found.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sfre2GGL6BI/AAAAAAAAAHs/Q-BhViaI8ug/s1600-h/sipadan.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: times new roman;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330818129877264402" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/Sfre2GGL6BI/AAAAAAAAAHs/Q-BhViaI8ug/s320/sipadan.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 159px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 186px;" /></a><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Sipadan Island</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">- Relatively untouched by resort development due to strict management rules and it's status as a marine sanctuary. Other than several abandoned chalets in the North, this island is densely covered with coastal forest vegetation. There are lots of hermit crabs, skinks and clouded monitor lizards</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> (</span></span>Varanus bengalensis nebulosus</span></span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">). Lucky visitors might be able to see the endangered nicobar pigeon </span><i style="font-family: times new roman;">(Caloenas nicobarica)</i><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">as well as the rare ground dwelling megapode bird</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 85%;"><i>(Megapodius cummingii</i>)</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">.The biodiversity here is intact. It also supports a healthy population of molluscs:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SfrhhDf35uI/AAAAAAAAAH0/qb03xEAT6nk/s1600-h/IMG_5254.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: times new roman;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330821066937329378" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SfrhhDf35uI/AAAAAAAAAH0/qb03xEAT6nk/s320/IMG_5254.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 140px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 187px;" /></a><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Pythia scarabaeus- Abundant amongst trees trunks, stems, fallen leaves etc. A widespread species throughout Southeast Asia's coasts.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SfrjgFzi37I/AAAAAAAAAH8/i31Z2so1G9U/s1600-h/IMG_5267.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: times new roman;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330823249400094642" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SfrjgFzi37I/AAAAAAAAAH8/i31Z2so1G9U/s320/IMG_5267.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 138px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 185px;" /></a><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Amphidromus sp.- Found living on pandanus sp. trees' aerial roots. It has a zigzag patterned periotracum. Different from Mabul Island's amphidromus as it has less whorls than Mabul's. Possible endemic species.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'times new roman';"> Both islands illustrates the diversity of the region as well as it's problems vividly. Mabul has lost most of it's diversity due to over development whereas Sipadan shows the success of the sanctuary's strict laws of conservation. They also revealed the undiscovered molluscan fauna of the Semporna archipelago. The new discoveries beckons......</span>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-21470435578856741572009-03-20T01:04:00.001-07:002010-09-21T07:36:42.292-07:00Fossils, Bones and ThrombollitesAustralia contains loads of impressive fossils from ancient dinosaurs to Ice-Age marsupials. My trip to South-western Australia revealed some interesting finds.<br />
Check these out:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SdYuYfRt8FI/AAAAAAAAAEc/hi5nmFIZP64/s1600-h/IMG_1038.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320491008032370770" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SdYuYfRt8FI/AAAAAAAAAEc/hi5nmFIZP64/s320/IMG_1038.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 125px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 167px;" /></a><br />
1. The omnipresent limestone ridges and hills from Nambung to Perth and from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Augusta as well as in walpole and Albany are remains of marine sediments eroded over millions of years.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SdYxXZgVajI/AAAAAAAAAEs/VuFW5TiwZWI/s1600-h/IMG_1184.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320494287838079538" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SdYxXZgVajI/AAAAAAAAAEs/VuFW5TiwZWI/s320/IMG_1184.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 125px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 167px;" /></a><br />
2.Ancient tree roots from the pinnacles, nambung national Park. These are remains of bushland flora that once grew over the limestone slabs before the rocks erode into present day monoliths.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SdYyNnzQZvI/AAAAAAAAAE0/dPLtXwJRN5A/s1600-h/IMG_1442.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320495219388475122" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SdYyNnzQZvI/AAAAAAAAAE0/dPLtXwJRN5A/s320/IMG_1442.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 126px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 169px;" /></a>3.Fossils of extinct marsupials exhibited in Mammoth Cave, south of Margaret River. The Mammoth Cave system is part of the 80km long limetone ridge stretching from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Augusta.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SdYzUDvok8I/AAAAAAAAAE8/z1wpdYpfwmc/s1600-h/IMG_1260.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320496429480317890" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SdYzUDvok8I/AAAAAAAAAE8/z1wpdYpfwmc/s320/IMG_1260.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 172px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 129px;" /></a> 4.Known only from a handful of locations in the world, Thrombolite reefs (similar to Stromatolites) can be found on the Eastern Shore of Lake Cliffton south-west of Mandurah. These structures are covered with a slimy layer of microorganisms which deposit calcium carbonate particles and form the rounded structures. Soon, they will joint together to form a flat limestone platform. Thrombolites is one of the earliest organisms to appear on the surface of Earth. Some even said it contributes oxygen gas to the atmosphere and pave way from other organisms to develop.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SdY0XpCrntI/AAAAAAAAAFE/cSHVrfQaLWU/s1600-h/IMG_1147.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320497590543556306" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SdY0XpCrntI/AAAAAAAAAFE/cSHVrfQaLWU/s320/IMG_1147.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 176px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 132px;" /></a>5.Fossils of Bothriembryon sp. snails from rocks of the pinnacles in Nambung Dessert.JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564560724758474334.post-18715541774346756232009-01-31T18:51:00.000-08:002012-01-13T21:56:46.456-08:00Living Fossils Down UnderA trip down South-Western Australia's coast reveals some amazing flora, fauna that belonged to a bygone era.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUPMczm1BI/AAAAAAAAABc/66xQwnZrQR0/s1600-h/IMG_1136.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297657243236750354" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUPMczm1BI/AAAAAAAAABc/66xQwnZrQR0/s320/IMG_1136.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 115px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 149px;" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUQBvt9SyI/AAAAAAAAABk/la6P2EF5zj8/s1600-h/IMG_1653.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297658158846397218" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUQBvt9SyI/AAAAAAAAABk/la6P2EF5zj8/s320/IMG_1653.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 112px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 151px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
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This corner of Australia has a hugely varied landscape ranging from the cool and wet Albany coast in the South (left) to the dry, sun-baked bushlands of Nambung in the North (far left).</span><br />
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Separated from the rest of the world some 60 million years ago, the Australian native wildlife have links to fossils dating back to ancient times.<br />
Look around for these interesting flora:<br />
<banksias a="" australian="" banksia="" bush="" easily="" is="" petiolaris="" recognisable="" tree="" typical="" western="" with=""><br />
</banksias><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYURxOAFs9I/AAAAAAAAABs/lUEHspMs-lk/s1600-h/IMG_0860.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297660073940988882" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYURxOAFs9I/AAAAAAAAABs/lUEHspMs-lk/s320/IMG_0860.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 141px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 186px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Banksias </span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Banksia petiolaris</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> is a typical Western Australian bush tree with easily recognisable flower cones.<br />
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</span><banksias a="" australian="" banksia="" bush="" easily="" is="" petiolaris="" recognisable="" tree="" typical="" western="" with=""><br />
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</banksias><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUTS3YXcdI/AAAAAAAAAB0/z175BinPYkY/s1600-h/IMG_0913.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297661751495979474" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUTS3YXcdI/AAAAAAAAAB0/z175BinPYkY/s320/IMG_0913.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 138px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 185px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Red kangaroo paws </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Anigozanthos rufus</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> is one of the many varieties of kangaroo paw plants found only in Western Australia.</span><br />
<banksias a="" australian="" banksia="" bush="" easily="" is="" petiolaris="" recognisable="" tree="" typical="" western="" with=""><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
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</span></banksias><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUUnW0xaII/AAAAAAAAAB8/RUGme6S9tyc/s1600-h/IMG_1857.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297663203045632130" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUUnW0xaII/AAAAAAAAAB8/RUGme6S9tyc/s320/IMG_1857.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 134px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 179px;" /></a><banksias a="" australian="" banksia="" bush="" easily="" is="" petiolaris="" recognisable="" tree="" typical="" western="" with=""><span style="font-style: italic;">Rock Sheoaks </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Allocasuarina huegeliana</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></banksias><banksias a="" australian="" banksia="" bush="" easily="" is="" petiolaris="" recognisable="" tree="" typical="" western="" with=""><span style="font-style: italic;">are tough plants that lives in semi-arid habitat around Wave Rock, Hyden.<br />
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</span></banksias><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUWCw7aaCI/AAAAAAAAACE/rXGWTwWWxso/s1600-h/IMG_0917.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297664773420902434" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUWCw7aaCI/AAAAAAAAACE/rXGWTwWWxso/s320/IMG_0917.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 211px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 158px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Boab trees </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Adansonia gregori</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> is a kind of tree from the dry Kimberly region of North-Western Australia. Another similar species can be found in the same habitat in Madagascar, evidence of an ancient link between both lands across the Indian Ocean.<br />
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<banksias a="" australian="" banksia="" bush="" easily="" is="" petiolaris="" recognisable="" tree="" typical="" western="" with=""><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
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</span></banksias><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUXjdHrRxI/AAAAAAAAACM/fXoIicoWRtc/s1600-h/IMG_1744.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297666434550941458" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUXjdHrRxI/AAAAAAAAACM/fXoIicoWRtc/s320/IMG_1744.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 151px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 202px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Another iconic tree, the Red Tingle </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eucalyptus jacksoni</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> from Walpole is the second tallest tree in the world after the Californian Redwoods.</span><br />
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The fauna here is equally special:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUY7-2b8NI/AAAAAAAAACU/EOh0bBQuDdo/s1600-h/IMG_2125.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297667955433926866" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUY7-2b8NI/AAAAAAAAACU/EOh0bBQuDdo/s320/IMG_2125.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 142px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 189px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Red Kangaroo<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">Macropus rufus</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> is a well-recognised mascot of Australia.</span><br />
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</span></banksias><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUaZBDi-VI/AAAAAAAAACc/Esrr89wq9vg/s1600-h/IMG_2098.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297669553753618770" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUaZBDi-VI/AAAAAAAAACc/Esrr89wq9vg/s320/IMG_2098.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 139px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 186px;" /></a><banksias a="" australian="" banksia="" bush="" easily="" is="" petiolaris="" recognisable="" tree="" typical="" western="" with=""><span style="font-style: italic;">Smaller than their kangaroo relatives, Bennet's Wallaby </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Macropus rufogriseus</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> are equally charismatic mammals.<br />
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</span></banksias><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUbhZehrDI/AAAAAAAAACk/7h389rXZs_k/s1600-h/IMG_2170.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297670797259811890" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUbhZehrDI/AAAAAAAAACk/7h389rXZs_k/s320/IMG_2170.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 141px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 188px;" /></a><banksias a="" australian="" banksia="" bush="" easily="" is="" petiolaris="" recognisable="" tree="" typical="" western="" with=""><span style="font-style: italic;">Smaller still, Quokkas </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Setonix brachyurus</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">,which once covers a wide range across South-Western Australia before the introduction of foriegn predators , is now restricted to Rottness Island off Perth.<br />
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</span></banksias><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUdIaFsOnI/AAAAAAAAACs/1wrf2XE3TEg/s1600-h/IMG_2011.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297672566950607474" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7WkXDhKBS-Q/SYUdIaFsOnI/AAAAAAAAACs/1wrf2XE3TEg/s320/IMG_2011.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 139px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 187px;" /></a><banksias a="" australian="" banksia="" bush="" easily="" is="" petiolaris="" recognisable="" tree="" typical="" western="" with=""><span style="font-style: italic;">A wild encounter with an echidna </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tachyglossus aculeatus</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">, a lesser known egg-laying mammal which is also the platypus' relative.<br />
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</span>(Next post: Fossils, Bones and Thrombolites!)<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande'; font-style: italic;"></span></banksias>JKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13915767910311597056noreply@blogger.com2