Using Google Earth to improve management of threatened limestone karst ecosystems in Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

15Biodiversity conservation is now about prioritisation, especially in a world with limited 16 resources and so many habitats and species in need of protection. However, we cannot 17 prioritise effectively if historical and current information on a particular habitat or species 18 remains scattered. Several good platforms have been created to help users to find, use and 19 create biodiversity information. However, good platforms for sharing habitat information 20 for threatened ecosystems are still lacking. Limestone hills are an example of threatened 21 ecosystems that harbour unique biodiversity, but are facing intensifying anthropogenic 22 35 this database is a foundational platform for users to collect, store, update and manipulate 36 spatial and biological data from limestone hills to better inform decisions regarding their 37 management. 38 39 45 different ecosystems, such as forests, rivers and lakes, can now be detected and be mapped 46 effectively. Ecosystems that have yet to be adequately mapped include limestone hills in 47

A review of the land snail genus Alycaeus (Gastropoda, Alycaeidae) in Peninsular Malaysia

“…For limestone karst localities, we followed the standard format of code and name (e.g. PRK 18 Gunung Lanno) used in the limestone hill register by Liew et al (2016) . Place names in this paper contain Malay words, namely: Batu = rock; Bukit/Buket = hill; Gua = cave; Gunung/Gunong = mountain; Kota = large tower karsts or fortress; Kuala/Kwala = estuary or river confluence; Pulau = island; Sungai/Sungei = river; Tasik = lake; Wang = large doline or valley surrounded on all sides by tower karsts.…”

“… Alycaeus altispirus is not included in the maps because no specific locality was given for the materials examined (see Discussion section under the species). Note the red areas are limestone karsts (derived from Liew et al 2016 ).…”

Diversity and biogeography of land snails (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in the limestone hills of Perak, Peninsular Malaysia

“…The State of Perak has the third largest number of limestone hills, but it has the largest number of operating quarries (Liew et al 2016). The majority of these hills can be found within the Kinta Valley, with some other hills scattered around the northern part of the Kinta Valley and Bintang Range (Figure 1).…”

Vatica najibiana (Dipterocarpaceae), a new species from limestone in Peninsular Malaysia

“…This species is known from the summit of two isolated karst limestone hills in Relai Forest Reserve, Gua Musang District, Kelantan and Gua Tanggang, Merapoh, Pahang, about 40 km apart (Liew et al 2016). Together they have an area of occupancy of less than 10 km 2 (Figure 3).…”

“…Kiew et al 2017 demonstrated that no single hill has more than a fraction of limestone flora and that 192 species are endangered being known from less than five localities limestone hills, for example Monophyllaea musangensis A. Weber (Weber 1998), Gymnostachyum kanthanense Kiew, Meiogyne kanthanensis Ummul-Nazrah & J.P.C.Tan and Vatica kanthanensis Saw (Tan et al 2014), Impatiens glaricola Kiew and Impatiens vinosa Kiew (Kiew 2016). Therefore, limestone hills are one of the most threatened vegetation types in Peninsular Malaysia and are recognised nationally as Environmentally Sensitive Areas because of their high biodiversity and vulnerability (73 of the 445 hills are the sites of active or former quarries, Liew et al 2016). In addition, many karsts are still incompletely known botanically meaning that new species await discovery.…”