My life goal is the conservation of biodiversity. Vast areas of the worlds’ most diverse lowland dipterocarp forests of Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia have been logged while the last remaining small areas and Borneo are under threat. Over the last 7 years I have spent at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, I have collected in the field in various parts of the region and grown plants on the verge of extinction. I have seen firsthand the destruction of forests I have once walked in and realized that in order to save the forest a different broader landscape approach is needed. In my free time, I taught myself remote sensing methods and tracked the deforestation of peat swamps and limestone hills in the region communicating and providing data to conservationists on the ground and policy makers. The fight to save what is left is on, and I intend to play my role in it to the best of my ability.
The species Memecylon cerasiforme Kurz was previously known only from the type which was collecte... more The species Memecylon cerasiforme Kurz was previously known only from the type which was collected in Chittagong, Bangladesh. A recent collection of the species from the Jaldapara National Park, West Bengal, India is not only the first since the species was described in 1877 but also the first record of its occurrence in India and the first flowering collection. Its flowers can now be described and illustrated for the first time. An emended description, figure, phenological and habitat information, notes on related species, and a conservation assessment are also provided. The only original material available at Kew is designated here as a lectotype.
Haze pollution over the past four decades in Southeast Asia is mainly a result of forest and
peat... more Haze pollution over the past four decades in Southeast Asia is mainly a result of forest and peatland fires in Indonesia. The economic impacts of haze include adverse health effects and disruption to transport and tourism. Previous studies have used a variety of approaches to assess the economic impacts of haze and the forest fires more generally. But no study has used contingent valuation to assess non-market impacts of haze on individuals. Here we apply contingent valuation to estimate impacts of haze on Singapore, one of most severely affected countries. We used a double-bounded dichotomous-choice survey design and the Kaplan-Meier-Turnbull method to infer the distribution of Singaporeans’ willingness to pay (WTP) for haze mitigation. Our estimate of mean individual WTP was 0.97% of annual income (n=390). To calculate total national WTP, we stratified by income, the demographic variable most strongly related to individual WTP. The total WTP estimate was $643.5 million per year (95% CI [$527.7 million, $765.0 million]). This estimate is comparable in magnitude to previously estimated impacts of Indonesia’s fires and also to the estimated costs of peatland protection and restoration. We recommend that our results be incorporated into future cost–benefit analyses of the fires and mitigation strategies.
a new species of Hanguana (hanguanaceae), H. thailandica, is described and illustrated from Trang... more a new species of Hanguana (hanguanaceae), H. thailandica, is described and illustrated from Trang province, Peninsular Thailand. This is the second Hanguana species recorded in Thailand, along with the widespread helophytic H. malayana. The species is morphologically similar to Hanguana exultans and H. nitens found in swamp forests habitats in southern Pe-ninsular Malaysia and Singapore. The conservation status of this species is accessed as endangered according to the IuCN red List Category and Criteria.
Baiting is considered to be a relatively environmentally benign termite control method; however, ... more Baiting is considered to be a relatively environmentally benign termite control method; however, all commercial baiting systems are designed for species in the Rhinotermitidae and are used primarily in temperate countries. Fungus-growing termites in the Macrotermitidae can be important pests in tropical countries; they can be difficult to control using all available methods, and there are no baiting systems designed for them. We tested bait station size, an important component of bait station design, against two Macrotermes species in Singapore. Macrotermes gilvus recruited to small stations (0.35 L) very poorly and medium stations (3.6 L) poorly (both similar in size to various commercial stations), but they recruited to large stations (11.5 L) well. Macrotermes carbonarius followed a similar pattern but recruited to fewer stations overall. In the occupied stations, M. gilvus ate the bait wood, sometimes creating a fungus garden inside the stations, and brought little soil into the stations. In comparison, M. carbonarius ate no wood at all, but filled stations with soil. There was significantly less leaf litter around M. car-bonarius mounds compared with M. gilvus mounds, although there were no obvious differences in habitat, which suggested that M. carbonarius eats leaf litter only and is not a pest species. Our study shows that stations much larger than current commercial options may provide a useful means for controlling pest wood-eating, fungus-growing termites in tropical countries. • Baiting is a major control method for termites in buildings in temperate countries, yet is not used against fungus-growing pest termites in tropical countries. • We tested bait station size and found large stations were 10 times more successful at attracting and retaining termites than small stations, which were of similar size to commercial stations used in temperate countries. • Large stations could be used to develop baiting systems against fungus-growing termites in the tropics, potentially including forestry and agriculture.
Konecny et al.(Konecny et al., 2015) presented results on the relationship between recurrent peat... more Konecny et al.(Konecny et al., 2015) presented results on the relationship between recurrent peatland fires and estimated carbon emissions. The study is based on Lidar elevation data measured after numerous burn events, limited soil measurements and the framework in the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2013 supplement on estimating Greenhouse Gas emissions from wetlands (Drösler et al., 2013). The study found that burn depth decreased with recurrence of fires. This finding was used to draw the conclusion that emissions due to peatland fires decreased with recurrent fire events and were 58-7% of current IPCC default values. While this is undoubtedly an important finding, the limited soil measurements carried out in this study may have underestimated emissions.
Conservation science needs to engage the general public to ensure successful conservation interve... more Conservation science needs to engage the general public to ensure successful conservation interventions. Although online technologies such as Twitter and Facebook offer new opportunities to accelerate communication between conservation scientists and the online public, factors influencing the spread of conservation news in online media are not well understood. We explored transmission of conservation research through online news articles with generalized linear mixed-effects models and an information theoretic approach. In particular, we assessed differences in the frequency conservation research is featured on online news sites and the impact of online conservation news content and delivery on Facebook likes and shares and Twitter tweets. Five percent of articles in conservation journals are reported in online news, and the probability of reporting depended on the journal. There was weak evidence that articles on climate change and mammals were more likely to be featured. Online news articles about charismatic mammals with illustrations were more likely to be shared or liked on Facebook and Twitter, but the effect of news sites was much larger. These results suggest journals have the greatest impact on which conservation research is featured and that news site has the greatest impact on how popular an online article will be on Facebook and Twitter.
An unidentified species of wood-feeding fungus was observed in an old gelam tree (Fig. 1a) which... more An unidentified species of wood-feeding fungus was observed in an old gelam tree (Fig. 1a) which fell during a storm
Three species of termites were found in a 90 year old Melaleuca cajuputi which fell over during a... more Three species of termites were found in a 90 year old Melaleuca cajuputi which fell over during a storm
We describe and illustrate a new species, Hanguana neglecta (Commelinales, Hanguanaceae), from th... more We describe and illustrate a new species, Hanguana neglecta (Commelinales, Hanguanaceae), from the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve in Singapore, one of the most heavily collected and frequently visited forests in the world. The species, growing prominently near the path at the nature reserve, was not described despite being identified as new fifteen years ago, owing to long-standing taxonomic misconceptions in Hanguana. The key to Hanguana in Peninsular Malaysia is here updated.
Tropical peat swamp forest is a unique ecosystem that is most extensive in Southeast Asia, where ... more Tropical peat swamp forest is a unique ecosystem that is most extensive in Southeast Asia, where it is under enormous threat from logging, fire, and land conversion. Recent research has shown this ecosystem's significance as a global carbon store, but its value for biodiversity remains poorly understood. We review the current status and biological knowledge of tropical peat swamp forests, as well as the impacts of human disturbances. We demonstrate that these forests have distinct floral compositions, provide habitat for a considerable proportion of the region's fauna, and are important for the conservation of threatened taxa, particularly specialized freshwater fishes. However, we estimate that only 36% of the historical peat swamp forest area remains, with only 9% currently in designated protected areas. Given that peat swamp forests are more vulnerable to synergies between human disturbances than other forest ecosystems, their protection and restoration are conservation priorities that require urgent action.
The species Memecylon cerasiforme Kurz was previously known only from the type which was collecte... more The species Memecylon cerasiforme Kurz was previously known only from the type which was collected in Chittagong, Bangladesh. A recent collection of the species from the Jaldapara National Park, West Bengal, India is not only the first since the species was described in 1877 but also the first record of its occurrence in India and the first flowering collection. Its flowers can now be described and illustrated for the first time. An emended description, figure, phenological and habitat information, notes on related species, and a conservation assessment are also provided. The only original material available at Kew is designated here as a lectotype.
Haze pollution over the past four decades in Southeast Asia is mainly a result of forest and
peat... more Haze pollution over the past four decades in Southeast Asia is mainly a result of forest and peatland fires in Indonesia. The economic impacts of haze include adverse health effects and disruption to transport and tourism. Previous studies have used a variety of approaches to assess the economic impacts of haze and the forest fires more generally. But no study has used contingent valuation to assess non-market impacts of haze on individuals. Here we apply contingent valuation to estimate impacts of haze on Singapore, one of most severely affected countries. We used a double-bounded dichotomous-choice survey design and the Kaplan-Meier-Turnbull method to infer the distribution of Singaporeans’ willingness to pay (WTP) for haze mitigation. Our estimate of mean individual WTP was 0.97% of annual income (n=390). To calculate total national WTP, we stratified by income, the demographic variable most strongly related to individual WTP. The total WTP estimate was $643.5 million per year (95% CI [$527.7 million, $765.0 million]). This estimate is comparable in magnitude to previously estimated impacts of Indonesia’s fires and also to the estimated costs of peatland protection and restoration. We recommend that our results be incorporated into future cost–benefit analyses of the fires and mitigation strategies.
a new species of Hanguana (hanguanaceae), H. thailandica, is described and illustrated from Trang... more a new species of Hanguana (hanguanaceae), H. thailandica, is described and illustrated from Trang province, Peninsular Thailand. This is the second Hanguana species recorded in Thailand, along with the widespread helophytic H. malayana. The species is morphologically similar to Hanguana exultans and H. nitens found in swamp forests habitats in southern Pe-ninsular Malaysia and Singapore. The conservation status of this species is accessed as endangered according to the IuCN red List Category and Criteria.
Baiting is considered to be a relatively environmentally benign termite control method; however, ... more Baiting is considered to be a relatively environmentally benign termite control method; however, all commercial baiting systems are designed for species in the Rhinotermitidae and are used primarily in temperate countries. Fungus-growing termites in the Macrotermitidae can be important pests in tropical countries; they can be difficult to control using all available methods, and there are no baiting systems designed for them. We tested bait station size, an important component of bait station design, against two Macrotermes species in Singapore. Macrotermes gilvus recruited to small stations (0.35 L) very poorly and medium stations (3.6 L) poorly (both similar in size to various commercial stations), but they recruited to large stations (11.5 L) well. Macrotermes carbonarius followed a similar pattern but recruited to fewer stations overall. In the occupied stations, M. gilvus ate the bait wood, sometimes creating a fungus garden inside the stations, and brought little soil into the stations. In comparison, M. carbonarius ate no wood at all, but filled stations with soil. There was significantly less leaf litter around M. car-bonarius mounds compared with M. gilvus mounds, although there were no obvious differences in habitat, which suggested that M. carbonarius eats leaf litter only and is not a pest species. Our study shows that stations much larger than current commercial options may provide a useful means for controlling pest wood-eating, fungus-growing termites in tropical countries. • Baiting is a major control method for termites in buildings in temperate countries, yet is not used against fungus-growing pest termites in tropical countries. • We tested bait station size and found large stations were 10 times more successful at attracting and retaining termites than small stations, which were of similar size to commercial stations used in temperate countries. • Large stations could be used to develop baiting systems against fungus-growing termites in the tropics, potentially including forestry and agriculture.
Konecny et al.(Konecny et al., 2015) presented results on the relationship between recurrent peat... more Konecny et al.(Konecny et al., 2015) presented results on the relationship between recurrent peatland fires and estimated carbon emissions. The study is based on Lidar elevation data measured after numerous burn events, limited soil measurements and the framework in the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2013 supplement on estimating Greenhouse Gas emissions from wetlands (Drösler et al., 2013). The study found that burn depth decreased with recurrence of fires. This finding was used to draw the conclusion that emissions due to peatland fires decreased with recurrent fire events and were 58-7% of current IPCC default values. While this is undoubtedly an important finding, the limited soil measurements carried out in this study may have underestimated emissions.
Conservation science needs to engage the general public to ensure successful conservation interve... more Conservation science needs to engage the general public to ensure successful conservation interventions. Although online technologies such as Twitter and Facebook offer new opportunities to accelerate communication between conservation scientists and the online public, factors influencing the spread of conservation news in online media are not well understood. We explored transmission of conservation research through online news articles with generalized linear mixed-effects models and an information theoretic approach. In particular, we assessed differences in the frequency conservation research is featured on online news sites and the impact of online conservation news content and delivery on Facebook likes and shares and Twitter tweets. Five percent of articles in conservation journals are reported in online news, and the probability of reporting depended on the journal. There was weak evidence that articles on climate change and mammals were more likely to be featured. Online news articles about charismatic mammals with illustrations were more likely to be shared or liked on Facebook and Twitter, but the effect of news sites was much larger. These results suggest journals have the greatest impact on which conservation research is featured and that news site has the greatest impact on how popular an online article will be on Facebook and Twitter.
An unidentified species of wood-feeding fungus was observed in an old gelam tree (Fig. 1a) which... more An unidentified species of wood-feeding fungus was observed in an old gelam tree (Fig. 1a) which fell during a storm
Three species of termites were found in a 90 year old Melaleuca cajuputi which fell over during a... more Three species of termites were found in a 90 year old Melaleuca cajuputi which fell over during a storm
We describe and illustrate a new species, Hanguana neglecta (Commelinales, Hanguanaceae), from th... more We describe and illustrate a new species, Hanguana neglecta (Commelinales, Hanguanaceae), from the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve in Singapore, one of the most heavily collected and frequently visited forests in the world. The species, growing prominently near the path at the nature reserve, was not described despite being identified as new fifteen years ago, owing to long-standing taxonomic misconceptions in Hanguana. The key to Hanguana in Peninsular Malaysia is here updated.
Tropical peat swamp forest is a unique ecosystem that is most extensive in Southeast Asia, where ... more Tropical peat swamp forest is a unique ecosystem that is most extensive in Southeast Asia, where it is under enormous threat from logging, fire, and land conversion. Recent research has shown this ecosystem's significance as a global carbon store, but its value for biodiversity remains poorly understood. We review the current status and biological knowledge of tropical peat swamp forests, as well as the impacts of human disturbances. We demonstrate that these forests have distinct floral compositions, provide habitat for a considerable proportion of the region's fauna, and are important for the conservation of threatened taxa, particularly specialized freshwater fishes. However, we estimate that only 36% of the historical peat swamp forest area remains, with only 9% currently in designated protected areas. Given that peat swamp forests are more vulnerable to synergies between human disturbances than other forest ecosystems, their protection and restoration are conservation priorities that require urgent action.
The 96-page book is the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ first book on Heritage Trees. It is a handy gu... more The 96-page book is the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ first book on Heritage Trees. It is a handy guide to the Gardens’ Heritage Trees for both the intrepid visitor and the armchair arborist. Containing 29 short stories on these majestic trees alongside botanical notes, the book is enriched with botanical illustrations and photographs by both historical and contemporary sources. Many of the pictures in the book were contributed by the community, some of whom participated in the City in a Garden photography competition held in 2011.
Tall Tales was launched by President Tony Tan Keng Yam on 27 May 2014, who also wrote the book’s foreword.
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peatland fires in Indonesia. The economic impacts of haze include adverse health effects
and disruption to transport and tourism. Previous studies have used a variety of approaches
to assess the economic impacts of haze and the forest fires more generally. But no study has
used contingent valuation to assess non-market impacts of haze on individuals. Here we
apply contingent valuation to estimate impacts of haze on Singapore, one of most severely
affected countries. We used a double-bounded dichotomous-choice survey design and the
Kaplan-Meier-Turnbull method to infer the distribution of Singaporeans’ willingness to pay
(WTP) for haze mitigation. Our estimate of mean individual WTP was 0.97% of annual
income (n=390). To calculate total national WTP, we stratified by income, the demographic
variable most strongly related to individual WTP. The total WTP estimate was $643.5 million
per year (95% CI [$527.7 million, $765.0 million]). This estimate is comparable in magnitude
to previously estimated impacts of Indonesia’s fires and also to the estimated costs of
peatland protection and restoration. We recommend that our results be incorporated into
future cost–benefit analyses of the fires and mitigation strategies.
Reserve in Singapore, one of the most heavily collected and frequently visited forests in the world. The species, growing
prominently near the path at the nature reserve, was not described despite being identified as new fifteen years ago, owing to long-standing taxonomic misconceptions in Hanguana. The key to Hanguana in Peninsular Malaysia is here updated.
peatland fires in Indonesia. The economic impacts of haze include adverse health effects
and disruption to transport and tourism. Previous studies have used a variety of approaches
to assess the economic impacts of haze and the forest fires more generally. But no study has
used contingent valuation to assess non-market impacts of haze on individuals. Here we
apply contingent valuation to estimate impacts of haze on Singapore, one of most severely
affected countries. We used a double-bounded dichotomous-choice survey design and the
Kaplan-Meier-Turnbull method to infer the distribution of Singaporeans’ willingness to pay
(WTP) for haze mitigation. Our estimate of mean individual WTP was 0.97% of annual
income (n=390). To calculate total national WTP, we stratified by income, the demographic
variable most strongly related to individual WTP. The total WTP estimate was $643.5 million
per year (95% CI [$527.7 million, $765.0 million]). This estimate is comparable in magnitude
to previously estimated impacts of Indonesia’s fires and also to the estimated costs of
peatland protection and restoration. We recommend that our results be incorporated into
future cost–benefit analyses of the fires and mitigation strategies.
Reserve in Singapore, one of the most heavily collected and frequently visited forests in the world. The species, growing
prominently near the path at the nature reserve, was not described despite being identified as new fifteen years ago, owing to long-standing taxonomic misconceptions in Hanguana. The key to Hanguana in Peninsular Malaysia is here updated.
Containing 29 short stories on these majestic trees alongside botanical notes, the book is enriched with botanical illustrations and photographs by both historical and contemporary
sources. Many of the pictures in the book were contributed by the community, some of whom participated in the City in a Garden photography competition held in 2011.
Tall Tales was launched by President Tony Tan Keng Yam on 27 May 2014, who also wrote the book’s foreword.