A SCIENTIFIC biodiversity expedition at Pasir Panjang Forest Reserve near Port Dickson has documented four dragonfly species and eight fruit fly species for the first time in Negri Sembilan.
Expedition leader and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) senior lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Amiruddin Ahmad said the dragonfly species recorded were Pornothemis serrata, Onychargia atrocyana, Pseudagrion williamsoni and Teinobasis ruficollis.
The five-day expedition, organised by Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department (JPSM) in collaboration with Negri Sembilan Forestry Department, also discovered eight fruit fly species, including three of economic importance in Peninsular Malaysia.
“The research team also recorded six endemic plant species, including Santaloides rugosa and Syzygium subdecussatum, as well as three bird species – green iora (Aegithina viridissima), grey-bellied bulbul (Rubigula cyaniventris) and lesser adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus).
“It also found small mammals such as the black giant squirrel (Ratufa bicolor) which is listed as Near Threatened, the Sunda slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) and long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), as well as the spiny hill turtle (Heosemys spinosa), which is classified as Endangered,” Amiruddin said at the closing of the Biodiversity Scientific Expedition at Port Dickson Forest Sungai Menyala, reported Bernama.
He said the expedition involved 37 scientists and researchers from government agencies, research institutes, higher education institutions and non-governmental organisations.
The findings, he said, would strengthen scientific data and support sustainable management, conservation and development of biodiversity resources at Pasir Panjang Forest Reserve.
Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, who was present at the event, said the 53rd JPSM scientific expedition and fifth held in Negri Sembilan aimed to explore, document and assess biodiversity and natural resources through studies on flora, fauna, geology, ecotourism and socioeconomics.
“The 155.6ha Pasir Panjang Forest Reserve, gazetted in 1911, is a lowland and coastal forest ecosystem rich in biodiversity.
“The Federal Government also provides the Ecological Fiscal Transfer for Biodiversity Conservation (EFT) to assist state governments in implementing forest and biodiversity conservation efforts.
“Negri Sembilan had received RM54.96mil through EFT from 2019 until this year to carry out various conservation efforts on the ground,” he added.
Also present were JPSM director-general Datuk Mohd Radhi Chu Abdullah and deputy director-general (Policy and Planning) Datuk Roslan Rani, and Negri Sembilan Forestry director Mohd Yussainy Md Yusop.
