SYNTHESIS
Malaysia, with its varied geological history, topography and stable environment, is richly endowed with plant life forms and habitats, making it one of most biodiverse countries in the world. Its lowland and hill dipterocarp and montane forests, for example, are home to a wide range of plant life forms such as trees, shrubs, herbs, climbers, stranglers, epiphytes, myrmecophytes, parasites and saprophytes. Also abundant are ferns, lichens, bryophytes and fungi. There are at least 15 different recognized forest types, each with its own characteristic structural complexity and species composition. The natural vegetation of Malaysia is also extremely rich in plant species. An amazing 12,500 or more species of flowering plants are found in the different forest types. Of these, 1,000 are orchids, representing about 12 per cent of all known orchid species in the world.
This great biodiversity is under constant threat because of habitat destruction by human activities, such as burning and clearing forests for other land use. This loss of habitats and the plant species that dwell in them will result not only in the elimination of plant genetic material, but also in the depletion of some of the country's natural resources, such as timber. Already an estimated 170 species of flowering plants have become extinct in Malaysia since 1948 as a direct consequence of habitat destruction. Others have become rare and endangered, partly because of the loss of habitats, but also in the case of commercially valuable plant species, because of over collecting.
To curb habitat destruction, prevent species extinction or endangerment and preserve Malaysia's biodiversity, the government has designated conservation areas whose status and management revolve around two strategies: in situ and ex situ. The best strategy is in situ conservation, whereby plants are protected in their natural habitat. In situ conservation is carried out in the form of Totally Protected Areas (TPAs), comprising national and state parks, wildlife sanctuaries and marine parks, and Permanent Forest Estates (PFEs), which include forest reserves. In a TPA, neither agricultural and other developmental activities nor the collecting or harvesting of plants or plant parts are allowed. Scientific research projects and certain ecofriendly tourist activites are, however, encouraged. PFEs, on the other hand, are set aside for the purpose of harvesting and managing timber resources on a sustainable basis. Ex situ conservation is undertaken by universities, government agencies, research institutions and botanical gardens, whose arboreta and greenhouses accommodate many groups of plants. Although these steps are being taken to protect Malaysia's biodiversity, they are being outpaced by development. In order to safeguard the future of Malaysia's biodiversity, more areas, especially vulnerable habitats, need to be set aside for conservation. Tighter legislation regarding the protection of plant species and their habitats is also needed, as well as enhanced public awareness of the importance of biodiversity conservation. To this end, a National Policy on Biological Diversity has been endorsed by the government.
