Borneo’s Vanishing Heath Forests Need Urgent Protection as Only 3.7% Are Safeguarded
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📰 The quick summary: New research reveals that Borneo’s rare heath forests are rapidly declining with only 3.7% under strict protection, highlighting the urgent need to safeguard these unique ecosystems rich in specialized biodiversity.
📈 One key stat: Heath forests in Kalimantan have shrunk by approximately 33% since 1996, from 24,750 square kilometers to just 16,586 square kilometers today, signaling an alarming loss of these unique habitats.
💬 One key quote: “Research into kerangas forest coverage in Kalimantan was inspired by our discovery of the Rungan forest landscape’s fascinating forest and exceptional conservation value,” Namrata Biligeri Anirudh, a Ph.D. ecologist from the University of Indonesia who is the paper’s lead author, told Mongabay.
1️⃣ The big picture: Researchers from Indonesia, the UK, and the US have mapped the rare lowland heath forests (kerangas) of Indonesian Borneo, revealing significant changes in their distribution and limited formal protection. The study identified these forests spanning 16,586 square kilometers across Kalimantan, suggesting a 33% loss since 1996. Despite their ecological importance, only 3.7% of these forests fall within strictly protected areas, leaving them vulnerable to threats from mining, logging, and plantation development. The researchers focused on Central Kalimantan’s Rungan-Kahayan landscape, documenting unique habitats rich in specialized biodiversity including Bornean conifers, pitcher plants, and orchids.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: The comprehensive mapping provides an essential baseline for conservation efforts of these previously overlooked ecosystems. Social forestry schemes since 2016 have enabled some villages to manage heath forest patches, offering short-term protection through sustainable use of non-timber forest products. The research highlights the importance of these forests not just for biodiversity but also for their contribution to Indonesia’s climate change mitigation goals through carbon storage. The study’s recognition of the ecological and cultural value of kerangas forests challenges misconceptions about their worth, potentially shifting attitudes toward these unique landscapes that support highly specialized plant species found nowhere else.
3️⃣ What’s next: Researchers call for stronger policy recognition and legal protection frameworks specifically addressing lowland heath forests. More studies need to focus on these ecosystems to guide targeted conservation efforts. Alternative income sources must be developed for local communities to reduce destructive practices like artisanal gold mining that threaten these fragile habitats.
Read the full story here: Mongabay – Study maps rare Borneo forests with unique habitats & urgent need for protection
