Malaysia: Why the Central Forest Spine is important

New Straits Times 8 Oct 12;

THE Central Forest Spine (CFS) is a master plan to enable animal and plant species in the country to continue to thrive for future generations.

Under the plan, four major but isolated forest complexes will be connected to form one large 5.3 million hectare forest complex.

It would allow animals to roam freely from the north to the south of the peninsula, ensuring that they would be able to breed.

According to Dr G. Balamurugan, an environmental consultant with Ere Consulting Group which was involved in the initial studies, the CFS is a long-term plan for the survival of our animal species.

Due to the low population of many endangered species, a limited gene pool may hinder their survival.

Connecting the forests will also allow other smaller animals to be spread out in all the forested areas. Plants, too, as seeds are carried by these animals, would be deposited wherever they roam.

The four main areas are the Titiwangsa-Bintang-Nakawan Range, National Park to Eastern Range, the Southeast Pahang Swamp Forest, Tasik Chini and Tasik Bera and the Endau Rompin National Park-Kluang Wildlife Reserve.

The forest complexes will be connected through a network of 37 linkages. Of these, 20, which are known as primary linkages, will directly link the previously disconnected forests, while another 17, known as secondary linkages, will involve creating stepping stones of greenery to connect between forested areas.

Among the animals that would benefit from the implementation of the CFS include big endangered mammals like the Sumatran rhinoceros.

Ecologist and biodiversity conservationist Dr Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz said it was one of the best conservation plans he had seen and that it was a useful tool for his team to draft a National Elephant Conservation Action Plan, which would be fashioned after the National Tiger Conservation Action Plan -- the first holistic animal conservation plan of its type that looks at the preservation of the Malayan tiger.

"Now, we are doing more research to understand how effective things are like the viaduct, and how to best complement the corridors in these areas."

Forest plan workable, says MB
New Straits Times 8 Oct 12;

KUANTAN: The Pahang government is fully behind the Federal Government's Central Forest Spine master plan and will bring up the issue of its implementation during this week's executive committee meeting.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said it was a workable plan to link four major forest areas in the peninsula to form a super forest area stretching from the north to the south of the peninsula.

"It is a great plan that will help ensure the survival of endangered wildlife species like tigers, elephants and rhinoceros.

"We need to protect them because we do not want our future generations to know these animals only through pictures," he said at the sidelines of a get together with the Chinese community at SMK Tanah Putih, here, yesterday.

However, he cautioned that a plan of such scope would involve overlapping territorial claims and ownership.

"We support the plan, but we have to make a careful and thorough study to iron out certain issues. For example, when one views the plan on a map, one might see plain forest. But on the ground, it is a Felda scheme. We'll study the situation on the ground first before taking it from there."