ENDEMIC, RARE & THREATENED PLANT SPECIES AND THEIR CONSERVATION PLANNING

This article presents the state of knowledge for endemic and threatened plants in Malaysia after 1991 when the State of Nature Conservation was first published. Malaysia has a prodigious diversity of Dipterocarpaceae, where 72% of the world’s species reside, and 12.2% of the country’s dipterocarps (360 species) is endemic. At least 15 new genera and 580 taxa have been described for Sabah and Sarawak while for Peninsular Malaysia, one genera and at least 122 species have been discovered. Borneo has 47 endemic genera while Peninsular Malaysia has 12 genera. Non-tree families with high endemism are Begoniaceae and Orchidaceae. About 38% of plant species in Malaysia has been assessed for extinction risk, of which 27.3% are threatened. The assessment rate for tree families is much higher compared to other families. In Malaysia, plant population extinctions are driven by forest loss and enhanced forest degradation arising from continued harmful anthropogenic activities in particular mining. Additionally, the inadequate mainstreaming across extractive-based sectors and timely access to sustained funding compound the predicament. To supplement the protected areas network, existing frameworks and action plans such as the Central Forest Spine Peninsular Malaysia, Heart of Borneo, Green List and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECM) should be explored strategically, together with stricter enforcement of Environmental Impact Assessment regulations. The risk assessment for families with high levels of endemism should be prioritised. Conservation initiatives for selected species are shared for in-depth awareness.
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DR. LILLIAN CHUA SWEE LIAN

Dr. Lillian Chua obtained her PhD in Conservation Biology from the University of Bath, UK in 1997. She was active in plant conservation initiatives and had published over 100 related articles. As a member of the IUCN Global Tree Specialist Group, she spearheaded the assessment of native species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and in situ conservation for threatened species. She regularly assisted local actors on conservation matters including those that impact Malaysia’s commitments to multi-lateral environmental agreements. She retired in late 2023 but continues to advocate for evidence-based decision-making.