Southeast Pahang Swamp Forests
Location:
2°32'-3°48'N, 103°05'-103°38'E; stretching south from Kuantan to the Pahang/Johor border, and extending some 40 km inland from the coast, southeastern Pahang State.
Area:
325,000 ha, of which at least 90,000 ha is peat swamp forest.
Altitude:
Generally low-lying, less than 76m, with occasional hills.
Biogeographical Province:
4.7.1.
Wetland type:
02, 07, 11 & 21.
Description of site:
A huge expanse of swamp forest lying on organic soils extending south from Kuantan down the coastal plain of Pahang. A limited extent of freshwater alluvial swamp forest dominated by Campnosperma macrophylla and Durio carinatus occurs between Pekan and Nenasi. The area consists of six blocks: Pahang Swamp Forest, Pekan Swamp Forest, Nenasi Swamp Forest, Rosak Swamp Forest, Rompin Swamp Forest and Endau Swamp Forest. The swamp forests can also be divided into three zones according to geomorphological features:
1. a western zone with peat in the valleys and protruding hills;
2. a central zone with deep peats, dissected into several units by rivers traversing the swamp;
3. an eastern zone with beach barriers of varying extent, penetrated by rivers at intervals.
The margins of much of the area are under threat from encroachment of logging and clearance, especially near the coast from just north of Nenasi to around Rompin, and along the major rivers and roads. Between Sungei Endau and Sungei Rompin more than half of the forest has been cleared. The lower reaches of rivers are brackish; the swamp forest contains freshwater, presumably acidic. There is extensive seasonal flooding under the influence of the northeast monsoon from October to January. From 3°38'N southwards, most of the area is in class 4 of the soil suitability classification (more than one serious limitation to crop growth and suitable for a very restricted range of agricultural and forest crops). Inland areas are in class 2 (moderate limitations to crop growth and suitable for a not too wide range of agricultural and forest crops) and 5 (at least one very serious limitation to crop growth and best retained for forestry use). (From 3°38'N northwards to Kuantan, no information is available on soil suitability).
Climatic conditions:
The northeast monsoon in October-January brings heavy rainfall to the east coast, often with extensive local flooding. The annual rainfall is 2,000-3,500 mm. At Mersing, the monthly rainfall reaches a maximum of over 500 mm in December, and a minimum of about 100 mm in April.
Principal vegetation:
Predominantly lowland peat swamp forest, with freshwater swamp forest along the river levees of the lower reaches of Sungai Endau and Sungai Rompin, and lowland rain forest on raised beach barriers. Little botanical information is available. Corner (1978) has described the flora of nearby swamp forest areas.
Land tenure:
Mainly state owned (Pahang State Government); about 3,000 ha are private land earmarked for development.
Conservation measures taken:
Approximately 80,000 ha of swamp forest are included in Forest Reserves. South of Sungei Bebar, an area of about 200 ha is gazetted as a Forest Reserve. South of Sungei Pahang and west of Sungei Miang, an area of about 400 ha is gazetted as a Forest Reserve. On the southern side of Sungei Merchang, around the western border of the area, a Forest Reserve stretches inland. Between Sungei Miang and Sungei Pahang, an area of about 300 ha is gazetted as a Grazing Reserve. The Pekan-Nenasi Road State Land Forest Reserve (11 ha) comprises subseral freshwater alluvial swamp forest, disturbed by Orang Ash (aborigines).
Conservation measures proposed:
Measures should be taken to establish a substantial area of totally protected forest, surrounded by a buffer zone of logged forest. Survey work is required in order to identify the areas of undisturbed, good quality habitat suitable for protection. It has been suggested that specific areas of the peat forest to the west of the road be included as part of a special protection area pending the outcome of investigations into the harvesting of swamp forests. Large portions of these forests, however, will not be utilized for either forestry or agriculture and protective measures are designed to reduce the possibility of needless damage to wildlife habitats (Government of Malaysia, State of Pahang 1972).
Land use:
Logging and some tin-mining in places; also agricultural small-holdings. Southwest of Kuala Rompin, 230 ha have been cleared and made into rice fields. South of Kuala Rompin, an area of approximately 1,000 ha is privately owned integrated farming land (tiger-prawns and crops). Major rice-growing schemes with associated settlements have been developed near Kuala Endau and Kuala Rompin in freshwater swamp forest areas. There has been extensive clearance of peat swamp forest for agricultural purposes south of Pekari. Two dams, respectively in Sungei Anak Endau and Sungei Pontian, were originally meant to supply water for a large irrigation scheme, but will now probably serve to provide drinking water and electricity to Rompin. In surrounding areas, there is coastal development and cultivation of rice, other crops, rubber and coconuts. The Department of Drainage and Irrigation has sixteen water collection projects, five pumping projects and one gravity-pumping project in the area, encompassing areas of 1,412 ha, 1,617 ha and 244 ha respectively. An area extending up to 6 km to the north and south of Sungei Pahang is gazetted as Malay Reserve, unalienated land to be used by Malay people. An area of about 1,500 ha around and north of Nenasi is also gazetted as Malay Reserve. Around Pekan, an area of about 1,200 ha is alienated for agricultural use. An area of about 1,600 ha (centred on 3°0l'N, 103°! l'E) is also alienated for agricultural use; the greater part of this area is in soil suitability classification 4 (more than one serious limitation to crop growth and suitable for a very restricted range of agricultural and forest crops), and the centre is in classification 5 (at least one very serious limitation to crop growth and best retained under forestry use) (EPU, 1980).
Possible Changes in Land use:
An area of 21,000 ha, north of Kuala Rompin, was originally meant to be converted into rice fields (a World Bank Development Programme). Two dams have been built for irrigation purposes and all the infrastructure is there, but under the new national rice policy, the original plan has been abandoned. Only 230 ha are now actually rice-fields; the rest of the area will probably be planted with cash crops (coconut, oil palm and maize) by Felda and Felcra. Preliminary studies are being carried out with regard to draining a piece of land between Pekan and Kuantan. Around Pekan, bunding has taken place for flood mitigation. The coastal area between Pekan and Pontian is proposed for the development of tourism, with the main development to take place at Lanjut. It has been suggested that nine small parks be established along the coast, distributed at approximately 16 km intervals.
Disturbances and threats:
The principal threats are reclamation for agriculture or development and non-sustainable logging. The coastal edge of the swamp forest is generally degraded, with much on-going encroachment from logging and clearance, especially from north of Nenasi to around Rompin. The southern half of Pekan Forest Reserve has been licensed out to a logging company. In the Peat Swamp Forest of Bebar (110,750 ha), a pilot logging project of 4,000 ha is proceeding. An area of about 1,200 ha (at 2°57'N, 102°22'E) is currently used for mining or has mining potential. The northern part of this, an area of about ~ 600 ha, is covered by mining leases or mining certificates. Two small patches totalling about 200 ha (at 3°00'N, 103°14'E) are currently used for mining or have mining potential. At a point 16 km south of Pekan, Large Flying Foxes Pteropus vampyrus migrate daily from the forest seawards and vice versa. This attracts many sport hunters, the animals forming easy prey because of their narrow flight paths.
Economic and social values:
Fisheries, public recreation and flood control.
Fauna:
The peat swamp forest covers a large area and is situated in the environs of major townships such as Kuantan and Pekan. As such, it may well be of value in flood mitigation to these towns. It may also act as a water reservoir for irrigation schemes during dry periods. Swamp forest is a commercially valuable timber source, and is a gene pool for potential commercial plant species.
Special floral values:
The largest contiguous area of peat swamp forest remaining in Peninsular Malaysia, much of it still in relatively undisturbed condition. Some virgin areas of riverine freshwater swamp forest also exist in the Endau-Rompin coastal area. The area is probably of great botanical interest, but little information is available.
Research and facilities:
An aerial survey was carried out by the Malaysian Wetland Working Group in October 1986.
References:
Corner (1978); DID Pahang (undated); EPU (1980); Government of Malaysia, Pahang Tenggara Development Authority (DARA) (undated); Pons et a!. (in prep-a); Putz (1978); State of Pahang (1972); Wong (1974).
Criteria for Inclusion:
1b, 2b.
Source:
Dato' Abdul Latif bin Nordin, Tay Soon Puh, Ahmad Fuad Embi, Chop Ai Kuang and Asian Wetland Bureau.