Borneo Rainforest By: Amendeep Kaur
When researching many Ecosystem that are endangered I was very interested in the Borneo Rainforest because of this article I read called "In Borneo's Ruined Forests, Nomads Have Nowhere to Go ." In this article I read how the people living in this island that consider themselves hunters and gatherers who are unfortunately loosing there homes due to demands for timber and palm oil companies. Many plants and animals are now being driven toward extinction, or being extinguished before being discovered. The reason being because consumer demands around the world are increasing. Timber companies export their wood to other Asian nations. While the palm oil industry are attempting to clear the land for big plantations. About ninety percent of forest is currently now nearly gone. Massive deforestation is currently occurring in the Borneo.
History
The Borneo rainforests is the third largest island in the world. It is almost about 140 million years old.This island is divided into three countries which is Malaysia, Brunei in the north side, and Indonesia on the south side. The area of this location is 287,000 square miles with the highest elevation being at 13,435 feet. The fire of 1997 to 1998 shrieked the rainforest is small. The Borneo is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. It is the home to thousands of plant species, many types of insect, a large amount of birds, and endangered mammals. This rainforest also capture and store carbon, then protect watersheds, does decomposition, and stabilize the soil.
Evolution
Since 1950 the Borneo rainforest due to deforestation has created a evolution and have been currently getting worse as the years go by.
Here is a image of the rainforest which was joined during previous ice ages but now is submerged due to the higher sea levels after the ice melted.
Plants
On this beautiful rainforest each month there are at least three new species that are discovered. Since 1995 there have been 600 new species discovered. Like the pitchers which is a plant that has a liquid filled space that attracts insects. Some plants found in the rainforest help with medical research like the Sarawak shrub which contains a type of substance that can help kill human cancer cells. The langsat tree can help cure a wide range of HIV strains which can be located in the bark of the tree. There are wild ginger plants that blossom in the heart of the rainforest. This plant helps you when you have a upset stomach and when you are feeling seasick. The national flower of Malaysia is the red hibiscus.
Plants
In this rainforest there are small ferns that grow on the slopes. They surround the hillsides with there bright green texture. When walking on a trail through the rainforest, there lies many rattan vines along with small yellow orchid. Along the trees going upwards are small epiphytes. Many animals including orangutans depend upon these figs for food. There are over 12,000 species of orchids all around the rainforest.
Animals
There are beautiful animal species like mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds, and invertebrates in the Borneo with new species discovered along the way. The rainforest use to be filled with Orangutan but about 1/3 of the population was lost during the 1997 forest fire. There are Sumatran rhinoceros who are critically endangered rhino species. Around 30 individuals remain. A new species called Kalophrynus eok the was discovered in the north central part of the island. This species a new frog that is called a "sticky frog" because they create sticky, poisonous mucus when being attacked. There have been 105 species of lizards that have been discovered like the green crest. 75% of this lizards tail makes up his body and it can change colors when being threatened. In the Sibau river lives a hydrophis sibauensis which is a very dangerous venomous water snake.
Animals
A fish called Waandersiis hard-lipped barb lives in freshwater with a preferable fast flowing river. Another new discovery was a Asian banjos which is a fish that does not move a lot and cause instant death to other fish in there surrounding. A new bird species called Spectacled Flowerpecker was found in the Danum Valley Conservation Area. A cultural bird in the Borneo is the Hornbill because of its beak can be located on many Dayak motifs. Ants in the rainforest can be consider predators and prey, detritivores(recycled organic matter), and as mutualists
Biodiversity
The biodiversity in the Borneo Rainforest is gigantic. It is a 220,000 kilometer region in the center of the island. There are 10 primate species, 350 bird species, and 150 reptile species. About 15,000 plants species, with only 6,000 plants are found no where in the world, only in the swamps, mangroves, lowland, and in the montane forests of the island. The rainforest is a home to thousands of lichens and fungi. Since the rainforest has a tropical atmosphere with great climate condition it creates a home for a big variety of species to develop there. One Dipterocarp trees can hold a diversity of 1,000 insect species. These all form the base of a food chain that grows a wide range of species.
Generalist
A tiger is one example of a generalist specie because there are good at adapteing to wide ranges of environmental circumstances and looking for food sources.
Specialists
A Giant Panda is a example of a specialist species. They tend to live there lifestyle in a ceartin way along with the one specific thing they like to eat.
Interspecific Competition
Interspecific competition is where different species compete for the same resource in an ecosystem. Like a gibbon feasting on other vertabrates.
Predation
Predations is the preying of one animal on other animal. The Bengal tiger can consume up to about 66 pounds of meat at a time. They normally prey on monkey or gaur.
Parasitism
Parasitism is a relationship between two things in which one of them (the parasite) benefits from or lives off of the other. Like the Lianas which are vines that begin life on the ground. There are small self-supporting shrubs that rely on other plants to reach the environment of the upper canopy.
Mutualism
Mutualism is a term where two organisms from diffrent species benefit each other. The epiphytic ferns and the ant inhabitants are a example of mutualism. In this situation the ants have a house in root-masses while ferns gain protection from herbivores.
Commensalism
Commensalism is where there are two organisms and one benefits while the other neither benefit nor harm. If a monkey was in a ihau tree and knocked down some fruit the monkey would not get effected by it, but the tree would receive nutritions.
Resource Partitioning
Resource partitioning is when species divide a niche to avoid competition for resources for themselves.
R and K selected species
An example of a R selected species would be a flying frog.
An example of a K selected sprecies is a elephant.
Population
In the 130 million years the Borneo and Sumatra there has been about 60 million people livving on these two islands. The people living on island are a mix of immigrants, other Indonesia island like Java, and other Asian countries. There is a very heavy diversity of 200 ethnicities. The Borneo rainforest population is up to 18 million and 50 million live in Sumatra.
Overshot Carrying Capacity
Below are two links of the overshot carrying capacity of orangutans.
Primary and Secondary Succession
Primary Succession is the biological and ecological succession of plant life. This occurres in an environment in which new place of vegetation and other organisms usually lacking soil. Secondary Succession is when the area changes due to being a damaged habitat. Like when it has been cleared of existing vegetation or fires.
Biome
The Borneo has a tropical wet climate which has no dry or even cold season and it is moist all year round with rainfall. The Temperature is 27 degrees Celsius (80.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
Freshwater System
One rivers is the Kalimantan which flows south and the Mahakam (775km). More river that flow through the Borneo is Mahakam, Barito, Kapuas and Baram rivers form oxbow and seasonal lakes. Most of these are economic importance for fisheries.
Saltwater System
Sukau river is 560 km long and is located in Sabah, Malaysia.
Geological Structure
There is a Borneo Montane Rain Forests which can be connected to montane islands in a sea of lowland.The Montane forests is cooler and moister than the other lowland forests in the rainforest. Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Borneo rainforest. Its peak is located at 4,095 meters above the sea level. There are also Peat swamp forests. Peat swamps are mainly decayed trees and plants that are from water logged areas with low drainages.
Issues
Forestry: About one quarter of the Borneo is logging and having plantation construction. But these tragedies provide employment and revenue opportunities for the society and government.
Fires: Large fires have had huge impacts on human health to everyone and the natural habitats. Fires begin with the the clearing of the forest and left to dry out.
Oil palm plantations: Palm oil is one of the cheapest vegetable oil. Therefore the Borneo supplies 85% of palm oil to the world. Since the food demand is rising rapidly the Indonesian government increased the oil production to 20 million in 2009 and will rise to 40 million tones in 2020. This could possibly lead to a widespread of the forest.
People/ Organization Addressing Issues
One organization that is very known for helping the Borneo Rainforest is World Wildlife(WWF). WWF collaborates with local communities and government to address issues concerning the deforestation along with saving the species. WWF instruct the local people to find alternative ways to make income opportunities for there households rather than conflicting with the wildlife. They as well work with producers and traders to correctly forestry instead of doing it illegally. Lastly WWF and Eyes on the Forest(EoF) monitor the remaining forest remains and tell this information to everyone to protect the habitat.
Actions Citizens Can Take To Help
An amazing part of our society is that many people are trying to save all the rainforest that are currently being destroyed. Five ways for us to help is to teach others is first informing how the environment is a major key to us. Second help restore damaged ecosystem by planting trees where they have been cut down. Third try to explain to people they should try to live a life that is eco friendly. Fourth established areas to help protect the wildlife. Lastly support companies that are trying there hardest to operate without hurting the environment.
Bibliography
Shoumatoff, Alex. "In Borneo's Ruined Forests, Nomads Have Nowhere to Go." Smithsonian.com. N.p., 17 Feb. 2016. Web. 24 Feb. 2016. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/borneos-ruined-forests-nomads-have-nowhere-to-go-180958107/>.
"Borneo Plants." Borneo Plants. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016. <http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/borneo_forests/about_borneo_forests/borneo_animals/borneo_plants/>.
"Plants and Flowers of the Borneo Rainforest." Whitphil. N.p., 01 Nov. 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2016. <https://whitandphil.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/plants-and-flowers-of-the-borneo-rainforest/>.
Fayle, Tom M. "An Ant–plant By-product Mutualism Is Robust to Selective Logging of Ra." In Forest and Conversion to Oil Palm Plantation. N.p., 10 Jan. 2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2016. <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00442-014-3208-z>.
"Wild Adventure - Central Borneo Island." : 25 Rare Fruit Of Borneo. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2016. <http://wildadventure-centralborneoisland.blogspot.com/2013/02/25-rare-fruit-of-borneo.html>.
"Borneo Rainforest And How It Is Being Destroyed In The Name of Humanity's Endless Consumption." Borneo Rainforest • Tropical Rainforests. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. <http://www.tropical-rainforest-animals.com/borneo-rainforest.html>.
"Sandakan, Borneo Climate & Temperature." Sandakan, Borneo Climate Sandakan, Borneo Temperatures Sandakan, Borneo Weather Averages. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2016. <http://www.borneo.climatemps.com/>.