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Activities Report 1999 Nov Newsletter

Of Forest Segmentation, The Third East-West Link, And Conservation


     As a development tool, the third East-West Link from Simpang Pulai, Perak to Kuala Berang, Terengganu, may be beneficial in terms of stimulating progress and raising the socio-economic status of the less developed interior areas, providing better and faster distribution of goods, decreased travelling time, and better security for the country.
    However, apart from the obvious benefits, there are costs of development that are no less tangible, but difficult, to quantify, and which in the long term have adverse effects on the nation's rich biological diversity.  The East-West Link is no exception.  For example, in the construction of highways, large forested blocks in their path are dissected into smaller segments that are separated from each other, and this will have profound effects on the forest and their inhabitants.
    Generally, there will be three effects. Firstly, as the forests become segmented into smaller pieces, the carrying capacity of each becomes reduced, and larger wildlife that has wider ranging areas tends to be flushed out into the surrounding villages and plantations, disturbing farms and endangering human lives. (This process is happening rapidly: in recent years, we have increased incidences of contact between man and tigers, panthers, elephants, and pythons.)
    The second effect is less obvious, but nevertheless, no less important. The highway acts as an effective physical and psychological barrier against migration or mixing of populations that remain in forests along both sides. Dispersal and migration is impaired, and intermixing is prevented, resulting in a reduced gene pool which will later lead to inbreeding, a decline in viability, and possible species extirpation.
    The third effect is more insidious. Smaller forest fragments are susceptible to what is called the 'edge effect'.  Forest edges are usually warmer than the deep forest, and the plant composition reflects this: edge communities compose of more light demanding (shade-intolerant) pioneer and secondary forest species, while the cooler, deeper forest core comprises shade tolerant, primary forest species.  The size of the forest determines the microclimate (humidity and temperature), and hence the proportion of periphery and core species.  As such, due to insolation and warm wind
effects, a small forest (even at the core) will be warmer, and this will be reflected in the different wildlife communities compared to the original, natural forests.  In this respect, forests permanently segmented into smaller patches are expected to have less biological diversity, and in the long-term, will not recover.
    Malaysia is fast developing; and our land-use patterns are changing rapidly.  Where there used to be mighty dipterocarp forests, there are now endless rows of rubber, oil palm, and housing estates, and our once great rainforests are now mostly reduced to isolated patches surrounded by plantations and other land use.
    The Malaysian Nature Society recognizes the need for developing the country.  However, it needs to be better planned, and lessons drawn from mistakes and experiences of the more developed nations.  For example, to minimize the costs of development to the environment and our biological diversity, in planning, there should be considerations for the routes of migratory animals, buffer zones of EXISTING national parks, and sensitive areas like steep hills and high-risk erosion areas.
    There should be provisions for forested animal corridors. For road or highway construction that demarcates a forested area, perhaps passages under the road can be constructed to allow for animal migrations.  In developed nations, this is a standard feature.  Also, roads provide greater accessibility, and as such, the increased threat of illegal logging, poaching, and encroachment of protected areas should be taken into account.  It may be difficult, but the relevant departments
should be vigilant and act speedily against such infringements. 


LETTER TO THE EDITOR, Kuala Lumpur, 13 September, 1999. 

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Created on 11th Nov 1999