PRIORITIES FOR RESEARCH IN THE

WETLAND FORESTS OF BRUNEI

THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WETLAND FORESTS

“FORESTS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING”

22-23 MARCH 2012, THE RIZQUN INTERNATIONAL HOTEL

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

Paper presented at:

STRUCTURE OF PRESENTATION

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF EACH WETLAND FOREST TYPE

RESEARCH PRIORITIES

DETAILS ON RESEARCH PRIORITIES

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS ON RESEARCH

ACTIVITIES

FOUR TYPES OF WETLAND FOREST

MANGROVEClassified into 5 types

FRESHWATER SWAMP FORESTUnclassified (only levee and backswamp)

PEAT SWAMP FOREST6 major types distinguished

KERAPAH(Develops within waterlogged kerangas areas)

OVERVIEW OF WETLAND FORESTS IN BRUNEI

Based on Anderson & Marsden (1984)

WETLAND FOREST TYPE

AREA (ha) PERCENTAGE OF AREA OF BRUNEI

MANGROVE 19,217 3.55

MANGROVE/PEAT SWAMP FOREST TRANSITION

3,343 0.58

PEAT SWAMP FOREST

95,410 16.55

FRESHWATER SWAMP FOREST

12,761 2.22

TOTAL 130,731 22.70

SUMMARY OF AREA OF WETLAND FORESTS IN BRUNEI

Based mainly on Anderson & Marsden (1984) data

MANGROVES: MAINLY TEMBURONG DISTRICT:

ALL SUB-TYPES PLUS PSF:MANGROVE TRANSITION

SELIRONG ISLAND 1.1: RHIZOPHORA

OTHER MANGROVE SUBTYPES

NYIREH BUNGA

(Xylocarpus granatum)

NYPA / DUNGUN

Nypa fruticans /

Heritiera globosa(Bornean endemic)

Nypa

Oncosperma

TRANSITIONMixed peat swamp forest

COAST INLAND

MANGROVE : PEAT SWAMP FOREST TRANSITION

SUGGESTED RESEARCH PRIORITIES FOR MANGROVE

� ECONOMIC VALUATION: esp IMPORTANCE AS FISH

AND SHELLFISH BREEDING, FEEDING & NURSERY AREAS (BRUNEI

BAY incl. SABAH & SARAWAK?)

� UPDATED STATUS: INTACT , DISTURBED & CLEARED

� REHABILITATION STRATEGIES:

LOGGED AREAS OF RHIZOPHORA: colonisation by fern Acrosthicum inhibits good regeneration of Rhizophora

RE-VEGETATION ALONG CLEARED TIDAL CREEKS & SURVEY OF ACID SO4 SOIL DISTRIBUTION(PROBLEM WITH ACID SULPHATE SOILS)

Sg DAMUAN (1998): The pH of the soil mean of 2.54

� DISEASES / INFESTATIONS

DEFOLIATION OF RHIZOPHORA

BRUNEI BAY MARCH 2011

DISEASES & INFESTATIONS

DISTURBANCE OF ACID SULPHATE SOILS:

OCHRE DEPOSITS IN CLEARED AREA OF MANGROVE ALONG Sg DAMUAN,

1998 (CANALISATION)

LARGE AREAS OF Rhizophora CLEARED RECENTLY: HOW TO REHABILITATE??

ACID SULPHATE SOIL LOCATIONS UNDERLYING MANGROVE AND PEAT

GREALISH et al. (2008)

DISTURBED ACID SULPHATE SOILS:REHABILITATION / REVEGETATION POSSIBILITIES:

Cerbera odollam

BRUNEI BAY-WIDE STUDY ON MANGROVE SUPPORT TO COASTAL

FISHERIES

RIVERINE VEGETATIONZONATION:

GLUTA VELUTINA/

REHABILITATION

OF CLEARED

AREAS:

SUITABLE SPECIES?

Barringtonia conoidea

Gluta velutina

MIXED FRESHWATER

TIDAL ZONE:

Barringtoniaracemosa

Horsfieldia

iriya

ALL 4 SPP PROMISINGCANDIDATES

RESEARCH IN PROPAGATION OF

SUITABLE SPECIES

FRESHWATER SWAMP FOREST

MANY DIFFERENT SUB-TYPES

Related to depth and frequency of flooding, nutrient status of incoming water & type of soil

FSF dominated by Vatica umbonata,dry period

FSF ALONG MAJOR

RIVERS

FSF dominated

by Pternandra

corulescens & Syzygium

FSF DOMINATED BY RAMIN, Gonystylus bancanus, TASEK MERIMBUN

NUTRIENT-POOR FSF, BUKIT SAWAT

SUGGESTED RESEARCH PRIORITIES FOR FRESHWATER

SWAMP FOREST

� VEGETATION TYPES IN RELATION TO EDAPHIC AND

HYDROLOGICAL FACTORS

(Water quality and depth and frequency of flooding, soil type)

� IMPORTANCE OF FSF AND TRIBUTARIES FOR SPAWNING,

FEEDING AND NURSERY AREAS FOR FISHES:

e.g. IKAN TAPAH (Wallago leerii)

� IMPORTANCE OF FRESHWATER FISHES FOR LOCAL PEOPLE

� REHABILITATION POSSIBILITIES

WALLAGO LEERII:

SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

THOUGHT TO SPAWN IN TRIBUTARIES

OF MAJOR RIVERS

FISHERIES & FRESHWATER

SWAMP FOREST

CREEK, BELAIT RIVER – LUAGAN LALAK

MIGRATION OF FISHES AND USE OF FSF RESOURCES

IMPORTANCE OF FISHERIES TO LOCAL PEOPLE

REHABILITATION POSSIBILITIESIDENTIFICATION & PROPAGATION OF SUITABLE SPECIES

Calophyllum macrocarpum

Vatica umbonata

Teijsmanniodendron pteropodum

KERAPAH

AREA AND LOCATIONS NOT MAPPED, VEGETATION COMMUNITIES

DISTURBED KERAPAH ON SAND RIDGE, LUMUT PIPELINE ROAD

MOST PEATLANDS FOUND IN LOWER BELAIT DISTRICT: SOME

SHARED BETWEEN SARAWAK AND BRUNEI

PEAT SWAMP FOREST

MOSTLY OCCUR AS PEAT DOMES

LOWER BELAITDISTRICT

Anderson and Marsden (1984)

PEAT DOMES

VERY FEW STUDIES ON PEAT

DOMES IN BRUNEI

DEPTH STUDIES

Profile from

Baram basin

Profile from shared peat

dome between Baram &Belait rivers

Sequence of vegetation with peat depth in northwest Borneo

(Sarawak & Brunei)

Vegetation Communities on Peat

Modified from Anderson (1961),

shown in Whitmore (1984)

PHASIC COMMUNTY 3: THE DIPTEROCARP SHOREA ALBIDA (alan bunga) FOREST FORMING PURE STANDS, BELAIT DISTRICT, BRUNEI

PHASIC COMMUNITY 6

TOP OF HIGHLY DEVELOPED

PEAT DOMES

(ONLY ULU MENDARAM IN

BRUNEI)

FSF & PSF OFTEN OCCUR AS MOSAICS

WITH OTHER FOREST TYPES

SUGGESTED RESEARCH PRIORITIES FOR PEAT SWAMP FOREST IN BRUNEI

� Carbon dynamics of intact and degraded

areas (SMART-MIT)

Hydrological dynamics Peatlands within whole

catchments: effect of upstream activities on

downstream peat areas

� Economic valuation – values taken into

account in land use planning

� Whole dome studies: profiles (depth) &

factors controlling vegetation

� Rehabilitation strategies, including research

on propagation of potential reforestation

species (UBD, BAP) - Shorea albida

� Paleaobotanical studies

� Biodiversity: fish fauna

� Resource use by people

� Effects of projected climate change incl. sea

level rise

� Permanent plots - intact and disturbed

areas: Subsidence, succession…

� Sustainable forestry and agriculture on

rehabilitated peatlands: low impact use:

multi-cropping?

LOWER BELAIT:TWO COMPLETELY UNDISTURBED

WHOLE DOME STUDIES

UPPER BELAIT VALLEY: INTACT PEAT BLOCKS IN A MOSAIC WITH

OTHER UNDISTURBED FOREST TYPES:

LINKAGES BETWEEN ECOSYSTEMS & MOVEMENT OF FAUNA

(Sg INGEI FAUNAL SURVEY PROJECT)

WHAT FACTORS CONTROL TYPE OF VEGETATION ON A DOME?

Sarawak data from Tie (pers comm)

PALAEOBOTANIC STUDIES:WHAT IS THE VEGETATION SEQUENCE FOR PEAT OVER SAND?

ANDERSON & MULLER (1975):

BARAM BASIN STUDY OF PEATOVER MANGROVE CLAY

RESEARCH ON SHOREA ALBIDA (ALAN)

“EXTREME” MAST-FRUITING SPECIES

Last mast fruiting not knownTHREE TYPES OF COMMUNITIES Ided:

ALAN BATU

ALAN BUNGA

PADANG ALAN

WORK BY: Sukmaria & Salim (nd)

� DBH, tree height and crown width

were significantly different between all

Alan populations

� The Alan populations appear to be

genetically similar

� Morphological variations did not seem

to be related to biochemical or genetic

variations

BUT: “LOCALISED GREGARIOUS FRUITING”

POSSIBLE TO

RESTORE

LOGGED OVER

ALAN BUNGA

AREAS?

WHAT FACTORS

CONTROL

FLOWERING?

WHY LOCALISED

FLOWERING?

MARCH 2010

POTENTIAL REFORESTATION SPECIES

SHOREA ALBIDA

SHOREA PACHYPHYLLA

VATICA UMBONATA

DRYOBALANOPS RAPPA

DYERA POLYPHYLLA

OTHERS:

COMBRETOCARPUS ROTANDATUS

JACKIA ORNATA

AGLAIA RUBIGINOSA

LITSEA spp

SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY & AGRICULTURE ON REHABILITATED

PEATLANDS

Jelutong plantations?

(Central Kalimantan)

Forestry: Shorea spp., Dryobalanops rappa

Crops? Sago? Multi-cropping?:

Closed canopy desirable?

Jauliainen et al. (2012): CO2 emissions

Inevitable in any agricultural development

on peat

BIODIVERSITY

SURVEYS:

BLACKWATER FISH

DIVERSITY SURVEYS

Paedocypris

World’s smallest vertebrate

(Kottelat et al. 2005)

Fishes from blackwater sites,Peninsula Malaysia

HEART OF BORNEO INITIATIVE

95% OF WETLAND FORESTS WITHIN HoB AREA

TWO OF HoB BRUNEI OBJECTIVES:

Survey of endangered cats in Brunei

Survey of amphibians in Brunei

Survey of insect biodiversity in Brunei

Large mammal survey in the Inter-riverine Zone

Survey of fish and aquatic invertebrates in Brunei

• To re-establish forest connectivity and the greening of

degraded areas, through forest rehabilitation, afforestation,

reforestation other rehabilitative means.

INTERVENTIONS: BIODIVERSITY SURVEYS

• To conserve representative forest and freshwater habitats, as

well as the full range of biological diversity therein; for the

enjoyment and benefit of future generations of Bruneians.

IMPORTANT ROLE OF MONITORING:

PHNS DATA TO BIRDLIFE: IMPORTANT

BIRD AREAS (IBAs)

�FOR PHENOLOGY OF POTENTIAL REFORESTATION SPP.

(COLLECTION OF SEEDS & FRUITS): USE OF PERMANENT PLOTS?

�MONITORING HEALTH OF ECOSYSTEMS

�RECORDING OCCURRENCE OF SPECIES

e.g. PENAGA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY

BRUNEI NATURE SOCIETY

MONITORING HEALTH OF ECOSYSTEMS IDENTIFIES ISSUES WHICHMAY NEED RESEARCH INPUT

MONITORING: PERMANENT PLOTS

PHENOLOGY OF POTENTIAL

REFORESTATION SPECIES: WHEN

TO COLLECT SEEDS & FRUITS

SET UP IN DIFFERENT VEGETATION COMMUNITIES

IN WETLAND FORESTS; e.g. the 6 phasic

communties on peat domes

PEAT: DISTURBED AREAS:

SUBSIDENCE MEASURING POLES,

SUCCESSION

SUMMARY

MAIN TRENDS IN SUGGESTED PRIORITIES:

BASE LINE DATA ON FUNCTIONING OF UNDISTURBED ECOSYSTEMS:

(INTACT NATURE & ACCESSIBILITY)

CARBON DYNAMICS

Including mangroves and FSF as well as PSF

BIODIVERSITY VALUES

INTER-LINKAGES OF ECOSYSTEMS AT LOCAL & CATCHMENT LEVEL

ECONOMIC VALUATION & RESOURCE USE BY LOCAL PEOPLE

RESTORATION & REHABILITATION OF WETLAND FORESTS

VEGETATIONAL HISTORY

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

� DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY

� DEVELOPMENT OF A RESEARCH PLAN FOR WETLAND FORESTS

(In collaboration with regional and international institutions: e.g. FRIM,

universities)

� REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION IN RESEARCH:

HEART OF BORNEO INITIATIVE; ASEAN (APFP); University to University

Partnerships, British High Commission….

� REGULAR CONSULTATION WITH RELEVANT GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTING

AND PLANNING AGENCIES DURING LIFE OF PROJECTS

� INFORMATION PRESENTED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO EASILY FEED INTO

GOVERNMENT PLANNING PROCESSES AND TO FULFIL INTERNATIONAL

OBLIGATIONS

CBD: NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGYUNFCC: CARBON ACCOUNTING: EMISSION REDUCTION TARGETS etcLAND USE MASTER PLANS & NATIONAL PROTECTED AREAS SYSTEM

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

TERIMA KASIH