Ruben Sario The Star 8 Sep 11;
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Parks staff have weeded out nearly two tonnes of dandelions from the Kinabalu Park but they have yet to root out the problem.
Despite their efforts to remove this invasive species over the past decade, dandelions have continued to persist, especially at the higher altitudes on Mount Kinabalu.
Sabah Parks director Paul Basintal said that besides Mesilau, the dandelion a common weed from Northern Hemisphere countries was concentrated largely at the Layang Layang and Laban Rata areas, located some 3,350m high on the mountain.
He said the dandelion was a tenacious species because it could either propagate through its roots or seeds dispersed by the wind.
“So, when we remove the dandelion, we have to take out every part of the plant, right down to the roots. It is tedious and time consuming but this is something we have to do,” said Basintal.
He said officials of Unesco which had awarded Kinabalu Park its World Heritage Site status were aware of the dandelion problem and Sabah Parks' efforts in tackling it.
Basintal said Sabah Parks officials, who first noticed the dandelions on the mountain some time in 1998 or 1999, immediately started on their efforts to remove them.
However, he said they were uncertain how the species had ended up in Sabah.
Officials believe some dandelion seeds, which could have been wedged in the shoes or bags of tourists visiting Kinabalu Park more than a decade ago, had since germinated and thrived in the park's cool climate.
On Tuesday, Basintal had said that the dandelion appeared to be displacing local plants and that it was beginning to dominate the Kinabalu Park by killing off native species.
Sabah Environmental Protection Association (Sepa) president Wong Tack said Sabah Parks should consider getting volunteers involved in regularly weeding out the dandelion plants.
“I'm sure there are NGOs, schoolchildren among others, who would like to help out. This will also give them a sense of taking responsibility and caring for the mountain,” he said.
