FWD: Pollution affects supply of durians and petai

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This article is from The Star Online

URL:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/8/28/nation/8774229 & sec=nation

 

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Saturday August 28, 2004

Pollution affects supply of durians and petai

BY TEOH TEIK HOONG

 

PETALING JAYA: Durians and petai will become a scarcity in the Klang Valley

because of the pollution of Sungai Selangor, which is already causing the death

of berembang trees and the fading of the firefly colony in Kuala Selangor.

 

The trees are not only the mating grounds of the fireflies but are also the

feeding grounds of special nectar bats, which are also responsible for the

pollination of durian trees in Bentong.

 

Research has shown that the bats, Eonycterus spelaea, feeding in the two

areas, come from the same place & #8211; Batu Caves & #8211; and the destruction

of the ecological cycle is already happening.

 

Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) tree flora of Sabah & Sarawak

project coordinator Dr E. Soepadmo said the berembang trees are the staple diet

for the bats when durian and petai trees are not flowering.

 

 

 

“Our research has found that nectar feeding bats feed on the flowers of 20

different types of trees such as durian, petai, white cotton, wild bananas and

berembang.

 

Soepadmo said FRIM's research showed that bats visit mangroves to feed on the

berembang tree.

 

“The berembang tree plays a role in feeding the bats, the same ones which

pollinate our durian and petai.

 

“Thus, the production and survival of our durian and petai trees may be

affected if the berembang tree dies,” he said.

 

The ecologist said bats flew a radius of 40km to 50km every night.

 

Bats tagged by researchers in Batu Caves have been found in Kuala Selangor and

Bentong.

 

“Guano collected in Batu Caves have been analysed and we have found pollen from

the berembang flower on the floor of the caves.

 

“At dawn when the bats roost, they groom themselves of the pollen,” he added.

 

According to a FRIM report, durian flowers are pollinated almost entirely by

this single species of bat that roosts primarily in large limestone caves like

Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur.

 

This inter-dependence among bat, mangrove, and durian is a demonstration of the

complexity of the processes that underly conservation measures. The destruction

of both caves and mangroves can adversely affect the production of durian.

 

Soepadmo said it was important to monitor and also increase the population of

berembang trees in the country, not only for the fireflies but the bats and

durians as well.

 

The Star had reported on the dwindling firefly population caused by the

pollution from factories upstream and discharge from nearby oil palm mill into

Sungai Selangor.

 

Recognising the problem, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo ordered

all the Selangor state executive councillors and department heads to spend three

days in Kampung Kuantan tomorrow to help find a solution to save the firefly

colony there.

 

As an immediate measure, Dr Khir said, the state government would be planting

more berembang trees along the 10km stretch of the river banks.

 

This announcement comes in the wake of the criticism by the Sultan of Selangor

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who ordered the state to save the firefly colony.

 

The Sultan said he was very unhappy with government officials who passed on the

responsibility to others.

 

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