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Biodiversity impacts of climatic change, fire and forest
restoration techniques and the watershed roles of conservation areas in
SE Asia
Objectives
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To assess the likely impacts which current and
future climatic change (notably increased frequency droughts, fires,
heavy rainstorms and floods) may have on biodiversity and forest ecosystems
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To assess the biodiversity impacts of forest restoration
techniques in selectively logged forest
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To assess the wider socio-economic benefits which
conservation and sustainable forest management strategies can bring
to regions and countries (in terms of safeguarding water supply and
freshwater and estuarine fisheries and reducing flood risk and atmospheric
pollution.
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To aid further the development of forest restoration
techniques to improve recovery and reduce biodiversity losses associated
with sustainable selective logging.
Research Theme
Activities
4 modules will be undertaken, together with other modules
funded from additional sources.
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Module 1. Downstream consequences
of selective forestry (compared with clear-felling and forest replacement)
for fishing, flooding, amphibian communities and water supply - a
provisional assessment and comparisons with the Progo catchment in
Java, Indonesia
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Module 2. The use of multi-temporal
remote sensing to assess the susceptibility of regenerating and primary
forest to extreme climatic events and climatic change.
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Module 3. The biodiversity, forestry
and environmental impacts of monoculture versus polyculture enrichment
planting of dipterocarp seedlings in sustainable selective forestry
- a long-term scientific experiment.
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Module 4. Interactions between
soil invertebrate activity, climatic factors, logging and forest restoration
methods and the quality and biodiversity of regenerating forest communities.
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Module 5. Biosphere-climate interactions:
pilot studies of water and gas emissions from primary and regenerating
forests following logging and forest fire I Sabah and Brunei
Expected Outcomes
- The project will provide an objective assessment of the long-term
downstream impacts if selective logging and its protective role compared
with alternative non-forest land uses. This will permit a more realistic
assessment of the socio-economic costs of different land-use policies
as regards water supply provision, flood protection and fishing resources.
Indicative Budget
Duration
Project site
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Danum Valley Conservation Area and the Yayasan
Sabah Sustainable Forestry Concession Area within which it lies
in Sabah, Malaysia, but it will involve cross-ASEAN work with Universiti
Brunei Darussalam, Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia) and Thailand.
ARCBC Remarks
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Very strong proposal with excellent track record,
facilities available and strong EU commitment through Royal Society
linkage, involving British scientists from several universities.
Could form a central project on which to network related studies
in other countries for both restoration and evaluation themes
Summary of EU Links
Each module incorporates strong research links with
European scientists (British, German and Swiss) working on the Royal Society
SE Asia Rain Forest Research Programme, which has been involved in the
research programme at Danum since the Danum Valley Conservation Area and
Field Centre were established in 1984. Universities represented include
Imperial College London, the Universities of Manchester, Cambridge, Lancaster,
Aberdeen and Salford, University of Wales Swansea (all UK), University
of Bern (Switzerland) and the University of Wurzburg (Germany). Most of
the scientists involved have well-established collaborative research links
with the lead Malaysian scientists including many joint publications.
Summary of cross-ASEAN links
Two of the projects directly involve cross ASEAN links.
The downstream impact project (Module 2) involves support for a parallel
project led by Professor Sutikno (Department of Geography, Gadjah Mada
University) on the Progo in Central Java, Indonesia, as well its main
emphasis on the Segama in Sabah. It may also involve some work on unlogged
rivers in Brunei Darussalam. The project on interactions with atmospheric
chemistry (Module 5) involves research scientists in Thailand and Brunei
Darussalam as well as in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah. One of the aims
of the funding requested by this module is to cement these links and forge
a regional research team and programme. In addition, Module 6 on herpetology
(frogs) is likely to involve Professor Alcala of Silliman University in
the Philippines and also visits to Raffles Biodiversity Centre in Singapore.
Implementing Agency
| The Danum Valley Research and Training Programme
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Prof. Maryati Mohammed (USM)
Prof. Ho
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| Danum Valley Management Committee |
Dr. Waidi Sinun
Anna Wong
Mr. Glen Reynolds
Mr. Robert Ong
Dr. Chey |
Gadjah Mada University
Department of Geography
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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Prof. Sutikno
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Universiti Brunei Darussalam
Department of Biology |
Dr. Kamariah Hj Abu Salim |
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