SE: Malaysia Biosphere Reserve

Question 1

What is a biosphere reserve?

Answer 1

• A biosphere reserve is an internationally recognised protected area that aims to combine conservation and sustainable use

Question 2

What does a biosphere consist of?

Answer 2

• Consists of three areas: core area, buffer area, and transition area

Question 3

What does the core area consist of?

Answer 3

• Central area, where research takes place

Question 4

How is the core area being managed?

Answer 4

• This area is covered by natural vegetation and is strictly for long-term research projects, environmental education, and tourism
• Estimated that the population in this zone is only around 200 people - might be engaged in small scale agriculture such as farming of coconuts and fruits

Question 5

What does the buffer area consist of?

Answer 5

• The next zone after core
• Consists of human settlement, research, education/training & tourism and recreation

Question 6

How is the buffer area being managed?

Answer 6

• Approx. 400 communities as well as palm oil & rubber plantations are being observed carefully
• Buffer zone itself contains 52 villages
• Hunting activities are still a part of cultural traditions including hunting of wild pigs, squirrels and birds

Question 7

What does the transition area consist of?

Answer 7

• Outer layer
• Consists of human settlement, research & tourism/recreation

Question 8

How is the transition area being managed?

Answer 8

• Similar to buffer area, it contains palm oil & rubber plantations
• There are six permanent plots measuring 50 by 10 miles that are for ecological monitoring - contain more than 300 plant species, 101 mammals, 259 bird species & 47 reptiles

Question 9

Where is the Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve?

Answer 9

• In Malaysia, it is the largest protected area of Sabah on the island of Borneo and was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
• The reserve stretches 120km north and south and 40km east and west

Question 10

What is the climate like in the Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve?

Answer 10

• Highest temp is 32C, lowest is 20C
• Annual rainfall is 3000mm

Question 11

How “valuable” is the Crocker Range?

Answer 11

• Home to endangered species such as the orangutan and the clouded leopard
• Clouded leopard is endemic to the islands of Borneo, there are though to be fewer than 10,000 left in the wild
• This makes them very vulnerable to environmental changes & human activity

Question 12

Define endemic

Answer 12

• Endemic means that the plant or animal can only be found in a small region or country in the world