Saving an endangered tree species from extinction
The Star Malaysia · The Star ·
From DR NORIDA HANIM AWING and DR LINDA SALIM, Zoo Negara Malaysia.
IN the forested hills near Rawang, Selangor, one of the world’s rarest tropical trees is quietly fighting for survival.
Known locally as merawan giam kanching and scientifically as Hopea subulata, the species is believed to have fewer than 400 mature trees remaining worldwide and its natural population is largely confined to the Kanching forest reserve in Selangor.
For decades, the tree remained obscure outside botanical circles despite belonging to the Dipterocarpaceae, the rainforest hardwood family that forms the ecological backbone of South-East Asia’s tropical forests.
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