Matang Forest Reserve
Location:
4°40'-4°55'N, 100°34'-100°40'E; on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia south from Kuala Gula for 51 km. in the administrative district of Matang, Perak State.
Area:
40,711 ha; along 51 km of coastline and up to 13 km wide.
Altitude:
Sea level.
Biogeographical Province:
4.7.1.
Wetland type:
01, 02, 07 & 11.
Description of site:
A large expanse of mangrove forest situated in a huge bay stretching from Kuala Gula in the north to Pengkalan Baharu in the south. The reserve includes 34,769 ha of productive forest and 5,942 ha of unproductive forest. Some 95% of the mangroves are tidal swamp dominated by Rhizophoraceae, with considerable local variation in quality. Some seven major estuaries divide the mangrove areas, which are further dissected by numerous other rivers and waterways. The water is brackish and at low tide is less than 6m deep. There are some small patches of forested dry ground inside the mangroves. There are five fishing villages within the forest reserve, the rest of the mangroves being more or less uninhabited. Two mangrove islands, Pulau Kelumpang and Pulau Terong, have permanently inundated lakes of great importance for feeding herons, storks and shorebirds.
Climatic conditions:
No information.
Principal vegetation:
Mangrove forest dominated by Rhizophora apiculata, R. mucronata, Bruguiera parviflora, B. gymnorhiza, B. cylindrica, B. eriopetala, Avicennia sp, Sonneratia alba and Ceriops candolleana. The main vegetation types are as follows:
1. "Bakau" type (Rhizophora sp): more than 80% of the 34,769 ha of productive forest has 60% bakau content following extensive reafforestation with R. apiculata.
2. "Api-api-Perepat" type (Avicennia-Sonneralia): this occurs mainly in the accreting zone, although in some areas, Avicennia covers large areas of forest.
3. "Berus" type (Bruguiera cylindrica): this occurs close to the coast, mostly behind the Api-api-Perepat type.
4. "Lenggadai" type (B. parviflora): often on river banks. In the wetter parts, it can form pure stands.
5. "Tumu" type (B. gymnorhiza): the climax mangrove forest type, occurring at the landward margin where it preceeds terrestrial forest types. Tumu is becoming very rare due to reclamation activities
As a result of forest harvesting, the canopy is mostly under 20m high, the mean height being around 10m. Coastal accretion has increased the amount of dry land forest in the Sungei Kerang forest range, while in the Port Weld and Kuala Trong ranges, the area of dry land has decreased. Acrostichum spp and small areas of dry land forest occur in surrounding areas.
Land tenure:
State owned (Perak State Government).
Conservation measures taken:
Nineteen Forest Reserves of varying size divide up the area. These are protected areas, but may be used for commercial timber production on a sustainable yield basis. Some 180 ha are used for research in the form of seed collection and trial plots. This area is protected and undisturbed. The Department of Wildlife and National Parks maintains a ranger post at Kuala Gula.
Conservation measures proposed:
The following measures have been proposed by Silvius et al. (1987):
1. Certain forested areas should be protected in order to re-establish the natural climax vegetation. Such areas should be in unproductive Api-api-Perepat and in productive Bakau and Tumu forest types. These areas would provide gene-pools and seed-banks of commercial tree species, nesting areas for large waterbirds and areas for scientific research.
2. Stork Lake I and Stork Lake II, situated respectively on Pulau Kelumpang and Pulau
Terong, should be fully protected, together with generous surrounding zones. Stork
Lake I should be protected as part of the proposed Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary. Stork
Lake II should be protected as a separate Bird Sanctuary, with a fringe of at least
500m of forest surrounding the lake as a buffer zone.
3. The proposed Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary should be gazetted as soon as possible.
4. Scientific research in the proposed protected areas should not interfere with the aim of protecting the local populations of Mycteria cinerea and Leptoptilos javanicus. Disturbance of large waterbirds should be prohibited.
5. Any further reclamation of mangrove forests at Sungei Rubiah or elsewhere in Matang should be prohibited, since it is questionable whether reclamation for agriculture is more economically viable than utilizing mangroves for sustainable forestry and fisheries.
6. Important feeding and roosting areas for migratory shorebirds should be protected. Protection should include the maintenance of mangrove forests adjacent to the important mudflat areas and prohibition of disturbance of roosting flocks, unless necessary for fishing or cockle-culture activities.
It is of great importance that established field study sites and forestry plots used by a variety of research institutions are protected from disturbance by forestry operations and other activities. Protection could be achieved through designating these areas as Virgin Jungle Reserves, Research Forests or Education Forests.
Land use:
The current management objective of the Forest Reserve is to produce maximum sustained yield of raw materials (principally R. conjugaza and R. mucronata) for fuel, mainly charcoal, and poles. Management consists of a 30-year crop rotation, harvested by clear-felling with retention of standards for natural regeneration. A total annual yield of around 990 ha (890-900 ha for charcoal, around 100 ha for firewood) is planned for 1980-1989. The management objectives for 1980-1989 are as follows:
1. To produce a sustained yield of quality greenwood for charcoal processing to meet local demand as well as for export.
2. To produce quality poles for local consumption and export.
3. To conserve and protect the coastal zones from erosion by the strong waves and wind.
4. To provide and preserve the breeding and nursery grounds for high-protein sea-foods.
5. To produce cheap firewood, fishing stakes and structural materials for the local communities.
6. To preserve sufficient forest for research and training in mangrove forestry.
Local fishing villages exploit the fisheries and take charcoal and firewood for their own use.
Possible Changes in Land use:
No information.
Disturbances and threats:
The following threats have been identified:
1. Over-exploitation of the mangrove resources. The major threat to the area is the likelihood that the management aimed at sustainable utilization will fail. Production records indicate a slow drop in yield, resulting in applications for new areas to exploit. Natural regeneration is declining and more replanting is necessary after several clear-felling cycles.
2. Decrease in the availability of nesting sites for large waterbirds. As a result of forestry practices, very few pristine mangrove areas remain which are suitable as nesting sites for storks and large herons. This may be the main reason for decreasing populations of large waterbirds in Matang, especially M. cinerea which normally breeds in large colonies and therefore needs a substantial area of suitable nesting habitat.
3. Disturbance of the Stork Lakes by crab-catchers.
4. Reclamation of mangrove forest. A large area at Sungei Rubiah is currently being reclaimed for agriculture.
5. Depletion of pristine mangrove habitats. Virtually no areas are left where the development of undisturbed vegetation can be studied.
6. Oil pollution is a potential threat.
7. Disturbance of breeding M. cinerea, including the taking of eggs and young, has occurred in the past.
8. The use of motorboats in place of sampans.
9. Disturbance from the infrastructure associated with timber extraction.
Economic and social values:
The area is of great economic importance, providing an annual revenue of US$6-9 million from forestry products and at least US$30 million from fisheries (Silvius et al. 1987). The area is a major supplier of sea-foods to the local and international markets. It provides employment in forestry, fishery and linked industries for a workforce of about 12,500 people. It is of great scientific value as one of the best examples in the world of large-scale mangrove forest utilization on a sustainable yield basis.
Fauna:
Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve and its adjacent coastline are of major importance as a staging area for migratory shorebirds, and are the major remaining area of suitable habitat in Malaysia for the Milky Stork Mycteria cinerea and Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus. In 1985/86, the highest Count of shorebirds approached 14,300 individuals. With a possible turnover rate of between three and six times this figure, it is likely that between 43,000 and 85,000 shorebirds utilize this area during migration. The most important feeding and roosting areas for shorebirds are Pantai Panchor (16.3% of peak Count), the southern mudflats of Pulau Pasir Hitam (4.1%), Sungei Larut estuarine mudflats (12.9%), Pulau Terong and Stork Lake II (18.9%), Pulau Kelumpang mudflats (14.1%), Pulau Kelumpang and Stork Lake I (12.1%), and Sungei Rubiah lagoon and mudflats (12.7%). The most abundant species are Tringa totanus (22.3%), Limosa limosa (19.7%) and Calidris ferruginea (16.9%). Other common species include Charadrius mongolus, Numenius phaeopus, Tringa stagnatilis and Xerus cinereus. Limnodromus semipalmatus has been recorded at Pantai Panchor (24 in March 1986) and at Stork Lake I on Pulau Kelumpang (14 in March 1986).
Matang is the last remaining area in Peninsular Malaysia capable of supporting a viable breeding population of the Milky Stork M. cinerea. The Malaysian population is seriously endangered, having decreased to about 100 birds. There have been no signs of breeding or immature birds in recent years, and the population is now almost totally confined to this area. The lakes on Pulau Kelumpang and Pulau Terong are particularly important as feeding and roosting areas for the storks. The Lesser Adjutant L. javanicus is also endangered, but has a wider distribution in Peninsular Malaysia. Matang is believed to support about 50% of the total population of 150-200 birds and is therefore the most important area for the conservation of this species in the Peninsula. Breeding was recorded in Matang in 1986.
Almost 1,400 herons and egrets (Ardeidae) of 12 species were recorded in 1985/86, the principal species being Egretta garzetta, E. intermedia and E. alba. Butorides striatus is also very common, and the total population has been estimated at 600-1,000 birds. Sungei Rubiah and Pulau Kelumpang are important as wintering and staging areas for the endangered Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes, and the rare Masked Finfoot Heliopais personata has been observed on a number of occasions in recent years. Matang formerly supported the large breeding colony Nycticorax nycticorax presently situated at Sungei Burung. It is possible that the colony could move back to of Matang in the future.
Special floral values:
The largest intact tract of mangrove forest in Peninsular Malaysia, and one of the last mangrove areas with all major habitats and forest types.
Research and facilities:
The Coordination Committee on Mangrove Forest Research and the University Pertanian Malaysia (Faculty of Forestry) have been involved in mangrove research. Suggestions for future research are mainly concerned with silviculture, but also include studies on the effects of monoculture on the mangrove ecosystem, the interrelationship between forestry and fishery requirements regarding mangrove conservation, and rehabilitation techniques in degraded or poor forest (Haron Haji Abu Hassan, 1981; Nor & Chan, 1987). Universiti Sains Malaysia has conducted extensive ecological research on the mangrove ecosystem in Matang Forest Reserve for many years. Interwader carried out shorebird studies and habitat surveys in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986. Perhilitan has conducted bird and mammal surveys and a study of otters in the Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary.
References:
(1976); Dixon (1959); Haron Haji Abu Hassan (1981); Jeyerajasingram (1983); Karpowicz (1985); Mohd. Darns (1969); Noakes (1952); Nor & Chan (1987); Ong & Gong (undated); Parish & Wells (1984 & 1985); Sabrina M. Shariff (1984); Silvius et al. (1987 & in prep); Siti Hawa Yatim (1984); Watson (1928).
Criteria for Inclusion:
123.
Source:
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Peninsular Malaysia), Forest Research Institute of Malaysia and Asian Wetland Bureau.