Faculty of Civil & Environmental Engineering

NATURE CONSERVATION
BFC10102

CHAPTER 4
Conservation: Principles and
Practices
Learn about natural environment : Living environment
 Topics

I : Conservation : Concept and

principles

II : Conservation practices : in situ and

ex-situ

III : Examples of ecosystem

conservation
• a. Forest ecosystem management (lowland/highland)
• b. Marine ecosystem management
• c. Freshwater/wetlands ecosystem management
• d. Other ecosystem management
I : CONSERVATION : CONCEPT &
PRINCIPLES
Concept of CONSERVATION
How does conservation comes about
Why conservation important to the world
Why conservation important to Malaysia
Who is responsible for conservation
Sustainable development
Practical examples of successful conservation
effort
Principles guiding conservation
 Concept of Conservation
1. Rehabilitation eg degraded
environment

2. Protection eg through legislation

3. Sustainable use eg cut & replant

forest
• Conservation of natural Environment, natural
resources (biodiversity)
• Conservation/preservation of built environment eg
old building, graveyards
 Bako National
Park
Wildlife- Sarawak
 How does The need to maintain a
conservation good environment for
people to live safely and
comes about? happily/healthy

• America : land use by black American worries

the white American government
• Europe : private land for sport / hunting
affected
• Malaysia : following the global trends and
awareness about pollution, conversion of land
uses
 Sharing of one
planet EARTH

Pollution and
other
environmental
Peace on Earth
problem do not
know pollitical
boundary

Why
conservation
is important
to the world?

Rapid and
Use of resources efffectivary
among communication on
biodiversity rich make the world
countries - wise smaller - spread
of disease

Distribution of
wealth among
global community
- hungry
Why is conservation important
to Malaysia?

Biodiversity
Sustainable
Sharing with (including
development ecosystem)
global
Socio- conservation is
community of
economic critical as last
Malaysian bargaining
development
nature power for
of people Malaysia
Sustainable The use of natural resources in a
development manner that will not affect the
opportunity for the future
generation to develop using the
same natural resources
Concept :
Continuity in development

Intergenerational aspects
Who is responsible for conservation??

EVERYONE

• Government – decision-makers
• NGOs
• Private sectors
• Scientists
• People

CHALLENGES

• Culture and belief

• Age
• Level of knowledge
• Human behavior
 Practical examples of successful
conservation in Malaysia

• Endau Rompin (for tiger conservation

• Ramsar Sites – Tg : Piai, Kukup,
JOHOR

• Maliau Basin
• Danum Valley
• Ramsar Sites – Segama/Kinabatangan
SABAH • Gn. Kinabalu
 Endau-Rompin Malayan Tiger
Conservation

WCS-Malaysia staff setting up a camera trap in Endau-Rompin. Ad hoc

camera-trap images of tigers in Endau-Rompin taken in 2007. These photos
and others from 2007 inspired senior Malaysian government officials to
fully endorse the tiger conservation efforts and to allocate increased
Government funding and other resources to tiger protection .
 Maliau Basin Conservation, Sabah

Maliau Basin’s well-known waterfalls is the magnificent 7-tier

Maliau Falls.
 Maliau Basin Conservation, Sabah

• Global hot spot for the conservation of bird biodiversity.

• Home for Sabah’s rarest mammals such as the Sumatran rhinoceros, clouded
leopard, Malayan sunbear and proboscis monkey.

• The surrounding forest is also refuge to the endangered Banteng and Borneo
pygmy elephants.
 Danum Valley Conservation, Sabah
Danum Valley Canopy walk Primates (Orang Utan)

Bornean pygmy
Waterfall Jacuzzi Pool
elephant

Malayan sun bear

Principles guiding conservation

P1 : P3 : The
P2 : Ecology
Changes are presence of
is dynamic
evolutionary mankind
Do not expect to
see negative Naturally
effect of human changes
activities to happen very
environment slowly
immediately

Although it
may look as if
there is no
effect – IT IS
HAPPENING
VERY
SLOWLY

P1 : Changes are
evolutionary
Every things depend on others –
interdependency

Affecting one component will P2 :

eventually affect another along Ecology
the line
is
dynamic
Eg: using pesticides to kill pest (that may
also kill other beneficial organisms eg
spiders) – will results in explosion of
population of other pests – principle of
interdependency
 P3 : The • Human activities that degrade
presence
of
environment will eventually
mankind affect human welfare

• When we do conservation we
are thinking of people
II. CONSERVATION PRACTICES
When one wants to practice
conservation one asks oneself three
questions:

1. What do we want to conserve?

2. Why do we need to conserve them?

3. How do we conserve them?

What do we want to conserve?
Biotic (living) or abiotic (non-
living) factors?

Biotic – which level : genetic

or species or ecosystem?

Size, morphology

Characteristics and behavior

(preferences)
Interactions : biotic (+man)
and abiotic factors in the
shared environment or
external environment
 Why do we need
to conserve it?
Cultural,
belief or
How are religious
they
important?
• Utilitarian,
Are they services,
important ecological
to man? processes
How do we Very much depend on what to
conserve and why do need to conserve
conserve
it? Biotic component : ex-situ & in-situ

Need conservation plan 

Management plan
Monitoring

Cultural, political and economic

influences
The roles of public awareness and
education
Depend much on literacy level of people
 Basically
In-situ conservation Ex-situ conservation conservation
is done
Volvox
 In-situ conservation

• Conserving in its site of origin

Definition
 Normally ecosystem/habitat conservation
Conserv
ation in Conservation carried at/in its original/ natural location

practice
– in situ
Examples : lowland forest (Danum Valley, Endau Rompin), wetlands (mangrove,
peatswamp), highlands (Kinabalu, Mulu), caves (Gua Madai, Gua Gomantong)

Bigger size, bigger and more problems

Example In-situ conservation :
Mt. Danum
Kinabalu Valley

Lowland
forest of
Danum Valley
 Ex-situ conservation

• Conservation carried out outside its site of origin

Definition
 Normally species or genetic conservation
Conserv
ation in Conservation carried outside its natural/original location

practice Examples : plants-arboretum (Pasoh), fernarium UKM; animals - zoos and wildlife

– ex-situ
sanctuaries (eg Sepilok orang utan sanct.); gene/seed banks (MARDI, FRIM, PORIM)

Has its own set of problems eg : power generation, human resources and
expertise
 6 Gymnospermae (naked seeds)
items to consider when
formulating a management
plan for any ecosystem

2. 3. 4. 5.
1. Associ
6. Bioti
Heter Size Previo abiotic
Types ation factors
ogene us
of
ity and and with
natura
ecolog
other al
ecosy dyna shap l interac
ecosys
stems mics e tems history ons
 • Grassland
• Forest
• Lowland
CI(1) : Types of ecosystems • Highland
• Terrestrial
• Marine
• Freshwater

Different types of
ecosystems have
different living and non- • Temperature
living components, and • Humidity
physical environment
eg
 CI(2) : Heterogeneity & dynamics

Different ecosystem have different living and non-living components and

thus different interactions

Homogeneous eg grassland – mainly grasses – few

interactions

Heterogeneous eg tropical lowland forest – many diff types

of trees and animals
 Larut Matang Mangrove, Taiping, Perak

Mangrove less heterogenous than tropical rainforest

CI(3) : Size & shape
Small easier to Round easier to
manage than thin and
manage than long – perimeter length
large and core area size
 Are there other kinds of ecosystem adjacent to the
CI(4) : ecosystem to be managed?

Associati
ons with Are there other ecosystems within the
ecosystem to manage?

other
ecosyste How is their associations?
ms
 Was the ecosystem to manage
CI(5) : originally there?

Previous
natural Was other type of ecosystem
history before?
 What kind of living and nonliving components
CI(6) : are present in the ecosystems

Biotic,
abiotic
factors & How are the interactions between
ecological these components

interactions
 Examples of Ecosystem
Conservation
Mangrove

• Larut Matang Mangrove Perak

Lowland forest

• Endau Rompin Johor & Pahang

Heath forest

• Maliau Basin - Sabah

Wetlands

• RAMSAR Site in Johor, Sabah, Sarawak

 4 basic principles in good
conservation management
1. 2.
C E 3
rit xt .
ic e
al r E
e n v
c al o 4.
ol th M
o r l a
gi e u n
c at ti a
al s g
p m o e
r u n m
o st a e
c b nt
e e r pl
s m y a
s in p n
e i s
s m r h
& iz o o
bi e ul
o d
c d
di a e b
v n s e
e d a
rs e
s d
it xt e a
y e s pt
c r iv
o n
m e
m al u a
p a s n
o d d
si v
t n
ti a b o
o nt e n
n a -
m g
c in
u e o tr
st s n u
b b si
e e s v
m m e e
ai a r
nt xi
ai m v
n iz e
e e d
d d
P(1) : Critical ecological processes &
biodiversity composition must be
maintained

Ec
Th olo
An Bio
e gic
y div
stat al
us
dist ersi
pro
of urb ty
ces
eco an co
ses
logi ce mp
eg
cal to osit
s:
bal bio ion
poll
anc div :
ina
e in ersi the
a tio
ty pro
site n,
co por
dep de
mp tio
end co
osit ns
s mp
ion of
on osit
or occ
co ion
ec urr
mp ,
osit
olo en
ma
ion gic ce
tin
of al of
g,
livi pro gro
int
ng ces up
era
thin ses s
ctio
gs will of
ns
and tilt ani
inte (pa
the mal
rac rasi
ec s,
tion tis
olo pla
s m,
gic nts
bet mu
al or
we tua
bal mic
en lis
an rob
the m
m
ce es
etc
)
 P(2) : External threats must be minimized
& external advantages be maximised

External threats – threats outside the External advantages – good factors

ecosystem to be managed eg. Polluted river outside ecosystem to be managed eg.
water flowing from outside into forest (source Patches of forested areas that may
of water for people or animals) contain some biodiversity
P(3) : Evolutionary processes must be conserved
•Mating,
•pollination,
•flowering,
•fruiting,
•pregnancy,
•giving birth,
•laying eggs

Evolutionary processes

●
Evolutionary processes ensure
continuity of
flora/fauna/microbe to occur in
ecosystem to be managed
 P(4) : Management plan should be
adaptive & non-intrusive

Several factors related to ecosystem to be

managed could change, thus
management planned prepared must take
into consideration of the possible changes

Eg. Boundary (legislative changes), uses of

ecosystem (education, economic/ tourism etc),
III : EXAMPLES OF ECOSYSTEM CONSERVATION

a. Forest ecosystem management (lowland/highland)

b. Marine ecosystem management

c. Freshwater/wetlands ecosystem management

d. Other ecosystems management

 Characteristic
s of tropical
Overcomi rainforests
ng threats

Where
are they
Forest
Threats
Why are
they special
 Characteristics of Malaysian tropical
rainforest

• Evergreen
• Huge hardwood trees with valuable timber
• Lianas/climbers and epiphytes
• Large buttresses
Where are they??
• Main Range,
• Taman Negara,
Malaysia lowland • Endau Rompin,
• Sabah, Sarawak, Heart of Borneo

• Main Range,
• Gn Stong (Kelantan),
Malaysia highlands • Gn. Kinabalu (Sabah),
• Gn Mulu (Sarawak),
• Gn Ledang (Johor)
 Green lung
NTFPs––replenish
Gene banks /
Water
Climate
sheds
including
oxygen
gene
Carbonpools
sink/
tourism,
(supply
modifiers
water)
Why are tropical rainforest

biodiversity
special

medicines
 NTFP

Food, handicrafts

Tourism attraction

Traditional medication

Wild life
Healthcare
 Generating income

Bird watching Biodiversity at canopy

Uses of forest
and
marine
products
NTFP – tourism icon
TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
TRADITIONAL MEDICATION
 Loss of
human
livelihood
Biodiversity Loss of
loss/erosion genetic
/extinction pool

Threats to
Degradati
biodiversit
on y

Forest fire

Deforestation
&
fragmentation
Deforestation
Forest fire
Tropical wind/storm
Water Pollution
 Overcoming Threats

• Education – environmental education

• Laws and enforcement
 b.
Mountains
 Highland conservation

• 0-500m asl : lowland

• 500 – 750m asl : hills
• 750-1000m asl : lower mountain
• >1000 m asl : mountain
Mount Kinabalu ~ 4100 m asl
The Crocker Range Sabah –
highest point 1100m asl
 Importance of Highlands

Highlands are climate modifiers – wind breaker , facilitate

precipitation and distribution of rainfalls

Watersheds

Specific environment for eg highland vegetable/flowers/tea

eg Cameron Highland

Tourism industry
 Characteristics
Depend on rocks, soil that determine types of
vegetation

Granitic eg Main Range

Limestone eg Gn. Mulu

 Crocker Sarawak –
Range, Lanjak Entimau,
Meligan range Similajau,

Sabah – Gn
Kinabalu, Gn. Where?
Trus Madi

P. Malaysia –
main range
 Gunung Kinabalu

Ranau district, Sabah

Ov

7 St
er
40
Ove
r 90
lowl
Thr
eat
s–
at 00 and

3 e
pa
sp
p
of
ma
mm
als
cle
ari
ng
incl

, rk
m
vas
cul
ar
udin
g
sun
of
lan
d

3
bea
an pal r
aro
nst un
ag ,
and
pan d
ed
7 12 goli par
n,
by 00 bird k
kn for
S s

0
ow ove roa
ab n r
d
300
ah orc spp, an

h
hid d
P s
290
0 cul
ar 60 spp
tiv
butt
0
a ks
fer
ns
erfli
es
ati
on
Gunung Mulu - limestone

Miri division, Sarawak; 52,866ha

Fau
N Lo na
ove
wl Flo
ati ra
r 67
an ma
o d
ove mm
r
n mi 350
als,
262
al xe 0 bird
d vas s
p cul all
dip
ar ter
ar
pla spp
8

k oc nt hor
ar spp nbil
m , ls,
p,
a lo
hig 23
spp
hle
n wl vel
liza
rds,
g an of
25s
d end
e emi
pp
for sna
d est
sm, kes
425 , 74
by on pte frog
N lim rido
phy
s,
320
est
ati te, fish
on 109 ,
o e, pal 200
n he ms, 00
800 inv
al ath erte
0
, brat
P ca
spp
es,
fun
ar ve gi
800
0
k s bee
tles
Threats to Mt Mulu

●
Logging around perimeter,
●
Hunting pressure,
●
Construction for roads
●
Tourism facilities

The Pinnacles of Mulu Mountain

Gn. Lanno, Perak
Quarrying
Tabin limestone, Sabah
Gua Gomantong, Sabah

Swallows that provide birds nests

Threats to limestone caves and hills

Limestone quarrying

Unsustainable marble industry (excavation)

Guano, birds nest harvesting

Tourism

Acid rain

Forest fire

Not protected
 Marine ecosystem

• Local and eco-region approach

• Sulu sea conservation
• Single species conservation
• Marine parks
• Sustainable harvesting
 Table 1: Fast facts of coastal and marine ecosystems in Malaysia
Category Malaysia World

Length of coastline 9,323 km 1,634,701km

Percent of population 98% within 100 km of the 39% within 100 km of the
coast coast

Area of continental 335,914 Shelf km 24,285,959 Shelf km

Percent of Mangrove 7% 13%

forest protected

Number of Mangrove 36 70
Species

Number of Seagrass 9 58
Species
Number of Scleractinia 72 na
Coral Genera
Table 1: Fast facts of coastal and marine ecosystems in Malaysia cont…
Category Malaysia World

Internat. Legal Net trade 130 Na

in Live Coral

Number of Marine or 111 3636

Littoral Protected Areas*

Wetlands of International 384 730,116 km2

Importance*

Average annual capture 1,300,000mt 84,000000mt

of marine fish

Average annual capture 188,000mt 12,100000mt

of mollusks and
crustaceans
Aquaculture production 12,813mt 2,623,888mt
of marine and
diadromous fish
Table 1: Fast facts of coastal and marine ecosystems in Malaysia cont…

Category Malaysia World

Aquaculture production 70,224mt 10mill mt

of mollusks and
crustaceans
Territorial sea Territorial 152,367km2 18,816,919km2
sea
Claimed Exclusive 98,173km2 102,108,403 km2
Economic Zone
 Local and ecoregion approach

Conservation at local level eg.

• Coastal area of Pontian,

• Senggarang,
• Tg Piai,
• Tg Labuh (Johor)

Ecoregion

• Sulu-Sulawesi conservation project

South China Sea
 Sulu sea conservation

Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines agreed to conserve the

waters of Sulu Sea

Legislation and R&D activities

Conservation of special marine mammals eg dugong, blue

dolphin

Corals and other marine invertebrates

Threats to marine ecosystems
Pollution – SLR : Sea Level
chemicals (eg oil Rise (due to melting
spill), irradiation, of ice – global
solid waste warming

Heat of sea water – Bleaching of

killing small
organisms (food coral due to
chain affected) chemicals
 Single species conservation
• Eg. Dugong conservation
 Single species conservation
• Eg. Turtle conservation
by Seatru UMT
 Marine Parks

Tg Abdul Rahman Parks (Sabah)

Pulau Tioman (Johor)

Pulau Langkawi Geo-Park

 C. Fresh water and wetland

• Tasek Bera (the first)

• Johor – 3 : Tg Piai, Puli and Kukup Is.
• Sabah – Segama/Kinabatangan
• (one is in the making – KK Bird Santuary)
• Sarawak – Kuching National wetland

RAMSAR sites in Malaysia

Fresh water organism from Sayong Pinang River
Kinabatangan – second longest
Pollution of water
EUTROPHICATION
 Mangr
oves
Examples –
Aceh, Sri Lanka
during tsunami of
2006 (27,000
people died)

Where are
What?
they

Why are
they Where?
important
 Why are mangrove important

Wave breaker

Nutrient rich

Root system provide security for young animals – Nursery

Source of water for drinking, domestic uses, industrial uses

Climate modifier

Hydrological system

Freshwater organisms – its own ecology

Water for vegetation

Filtration system

Flood mitigation
Biodiversity in mangrove ecosystem

Shells Mudskipper

Migraits Medical Plants

 Eg. Of usefulness – tsunami in Aceh

• Asian tsunami – Aceh 270,000 died

• No wave breaker – mangrove was destroyed
 We have learned
concept and principles of
conservation
In practice 2 types of
conservation in situ and ex
situ – concept, problems,
What have we examples
learned in C5 we learned examples of
successful conservation
effort : marine, wetlands,
lowland forest, highland

Six issues in ecosystem

conservation

Four basic principals in

ecosystem management