Fragmented forest in tropical landscape——the case of the State of Selangor, Malaysia

This paper presents the pattern and changes of fragmented forest in relation with changes of total forest cover in the state of Selangor in three decades. In this study, inventoried forest cover maps of Selangor in 1971/1972, 1981/1982 and 1991/1992 produced by the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia were digitized to examine the changes in area and number of fragmented forest. Results showed that in 1971/1972, 16 fragmented forests were identified in Selangor. All fragmented forests were identified as dipterocarp forest. A decade later the number of fragmented forests increased by approximately 44% (23). Of the 23 fragmented forests, two were peat swamp forests whereas the remaining were dipterocarp forests. In 1991/1992 the number of fragmented forests (12) was reduced by 47.8%. Two of the fragmented forests were identified as peat swamp forest, seven dipterocarp forest and the other three was mixed of dipterocarp forests and plantation forests. Fragmentation of both dipterocarp and peat swamp forests occurred profoundly during the period between 1971/1972 and 1981/1982, which consequently increased the number of fragmented forests compared with before the period of 1971/1972 where fragmentation happened only at dipterocarp forests. However, many fragmented forests vanished between the 1981/1982 and 1991/1992 periods.

Developing Ecosystem Maps Using Eco-Geological Information for the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources

Ecosystem maps are vital to represent ecological patterns and processes in a region. It enables the use of ecosystem goods and services as a robust unit for a variety of applications, including conservation planning, climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, resource management, and the economic estimation of ecosystem benefits. As different elements of eco-geological components, such as the geological, soil, and biotic assemblages organize an ecosystem;here, we developed an ecosystem map of the State of Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia, using geology, soil, elevation, and land-use data. Landsat ETM+ images, ASTER Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data, and digitized soil and geological data were integrated to develop a map of the types of ecosystem for 2005. We found 19 different natural ecosystems in the studied region that represented approximately 35% of the total land area. Among the natural ecosystems, peat-swamp forest represents highest (at ~10%), while montane ericaceous forest representing the lowest (at ~0.008%) and the hill dipterocarp quartz forest, lowland dipterocarp sandstone forest, upper dipterocarp quartz forest, and mangrove forest are representing approximately 6.4%, 4.6%, 3% and 2.6% of the total land area respectively. These data can be used to prioritize the areas deserving attention due to their value for biodiversity conservation and for the production of goods and supply of ecosystem services. In addition to a variety of ecological and environmental aspects, such an ecosystem map has potential use for the sustainable management of natural resources at the national, regional, continental, and global scales.

The changing landscape of mangroves in Bangladesh compared to four other countries in tropical regions

Loss of mangroves and consequent habitat fragmentation is a major concern throughout the world’s tropical countries. Conversion of mangrove habitat due to aquaculture, agriculture, urbanization and industrialization, ecotourism, overlapping bureaucracy and conflicting policies is occurring at a striking rate. This paper reviews the trends of mangrove area changes in Bangladesh and compares them with four other countries in tropical regions that have significant mangrove areas. The rate of mangrove loss from the 1980 to 2005 was calculated using the compound interest rate formula for its explicit biological implication. In Bangladesh, the area of mangroves was found to have increased due to its higher accretion rate. In India the rate of mangrove loss had fallen. The rate of mangrove loss in Malaysia in the 1990s （-0.008 ha＆#183;a-1） was higher than the 1980s （-0.004 ha＆#183;a-1）. In Indonesia, the rate decreased, from the 1980s （-0.018 ha＆#183;a-1） to the 1990s （-0.010 ha＆#183;a-1）. Finally in Myanmar the rate of mangrove loss gradually accelerated. Aquaculture was found to be the common cause of mangrove conversion in the regions. Loss of mangroves is now a prominent global issue, associated with the loss of biodiversity, deterioration of habitat integrity, climatic changes, the amount of carbon sequestration, and resulting sea-level rise. Therefore, a systematic evaluation of these environmental impacts is prerequisite to realize sustainable mangrove management.

Climatic change and the socioeconomic sustainability of the paddy farmers in Malaysia

The changing nature of climatic factors has different impacts on agriculture based areas, periods and crops. Farmers are the most vulnerable group who are affected both directly and indirectly through climatic changes. In the study area in Malaysia, climatic changes have adverse impacts on farmers. Due to climatic change, productivity and profitability of paddy cultivation have declined in the Integrated Agricultural Development Area, North-West Selangor. Farmers perceive that paddy cultivation is no longer profitable due to low productivity as a result of climatic changes. They now prefer full-time to part-time engagement in paddy cultivation. Heavy government subsidy and encouragement are not enough;it requires increase in productivity and profitability of paddy cultivation for making it a viable and sustainable sector. All efforts of mitigation and adaptation must be pursued to counter the adverse impacts of climatic changes and increase the productivity of paddy cultivation in the area. It is observed that there is a high degree of income inequality among the paddy farmers in the study area.

The Transition of Belt and Road Initiative from 1.0 to 2.0:Challenges and Implications of Green Development

China claims that the Belt and Road Initiative is a cross-regional comprehensive initiative covering the economy,social and environmental pillars.When it was first proposed,it identified five main areas which call for cooperation priorities,i.e.policy coordination,interconnection of facilities,unimpeded trade,financial integration and people-to-people bond.Scholars globally are focusing on the development of the Belt and Road Initiative as it has gone through several development stages.The Belt and Road Initiative initially focused on economic development,equal dialogue and cultural interchange between the Belt and Road Initiative partners and China,and now it has added the concept of green development.This paper reviews the Belt and Road Initiative documents since 2013 and analyses the changes of environmental policies in the Belt and Road Initiative,aiming to identify the challenges and implications of green development.The outcome of this paper provides insight into how the Belt and Road Initiative can contribute towards sustainable development with its partner countries.

Recent snow cover variation in the Upper Indus Basin of Gilgit Baltistan, Hindukush Karakoram Himalaya

Mountainous basins like the Upper Indus Basin(UIB) of Gilgit Baltistan(GB) are dependent on seasonal snowmelt and glacier melt. Monitoring of the snow-covered area(SCA) is not only vital for the overall hydrology of the Indus basin but also important to the sustainable agriculture and hydropower system. The snow-covered area in the UIB of GB was investigated for changes over the last 18 years using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) snow product. The study area was divided into five elevation zones ranging from 877-8564 meters above sea level(m ASL). In contrast to the global cryosphere related studies, SCA in the UIB is slightly increasing. Elevation based SCA analysis also indicated that SCA is slightly increasing in each elevation zone. However, a significant amount of snow is concentrated in areas above 5000 m ASL. Due to the strong correlation between SCA and precipitation, the precipitation data also follow a similar trend. Analysis of the climatic data suggests a statistically significant increase in total monthly precipitation and relative humidity, a slight decrease in mean monthly temperature and a significant upward tendency in monthly solar irradiance data. All these trends in combination with the increasing trend in global precipitation, winter westerly disturbances and orographic precipitation are the important factors behind the slightly increasing SCA in the study area. Our results though constrained by short observation period mainly contribute to the understanding of advancing snow cover and glaciers in Hindukush Karakoram.

Geopark Concept as a Tool to Promote Geoheritage Conservation:Case Study from Langkawi Global Geopark,Malaysia

Malaysia embarks on geoheritage conservation in the late 1970’s with initial listing of important geological sites for conservation.In the late 1980’s the idea of having a more systematic approach was discussed that leading towards the introduction of a better described geosites.However,very little of these endeavours and efforts came to reality in protecting and conserving geoheritage in the country.The introduction of geopark concept to the country in 2000 has brought positive responses from

Coastline Security Engineering Using Geo-Spatial Approach: Case of Chabahar Port, Iran

Regarding the special potential of ports located on international coastlines such as Makoran Sea (Iran) for goods and human smuggling, national level of coastline security is very important. They can play a significant role in the development of power and security. Based on military reviews and analyses, police location and monitoring field view in the coastlines are strategic issues in modern security development. This research proposes a tool for development of coastal roads and coastal walking routes in the deployment of police. The main focuses are monitoring field view and accessibility to the strategic coastline. GIS tool plays an essential role in producing important security maps. Chabahar Port in Iran, as the most important port of Makoran Sea, has been selected as the study area, regarding its strategic role in the national economy and security. Research method focused on these major axes: successful establishment of police stations in shoreline for increasing monitoring and coastal security and suitable patrol of patrol police car in the coastal roads. This study adopts a scientific approach to the analysis of the present and future development in urban and security planning in coastal towns in the national and regional levels.

Composition and source apportionment of dust fall around a natural lake

The aim of this study was to determine the source apportionment of dust fall around Lake Chini, Malaysia. Samples were collected monthly between December 2012 and March2013 at seven sampling stations located around Lake Chini. The samples were filtered to separate the dissolved and undissolved solids. The ionic compositions（NO-3, SO2-4, Cl-and NH＋4） were determined using ion chromatography（IC） while major elements（K, Na, Ca and Mg） and trace metals（Zn, Fe, Al, Ni, Mn, Cr, Pb and Cd） were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry（ICP-MS）. The results showed that the average concentration of total solids around Lake Chini was 93.49 ± 16.16 mg/（m2·day）. SO2-4, Na and Zn dominated the dissolved portion of the dust fall. The enrichment factors（EF） revealed that the source of the trace metals and major elements in the rain water was anthropogenic, except for Fe. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis（HACA） classified the seven monitoring stations and 16 variables into five groups and three groups respectively. A coupled receptor model, principal component analysis multiple linear regression（PCA-MLR）, revealed that the sources of dust fall in Lake Chini were dominated by agricultural and biomass burning（42%）,followed by the earth＇s crust（28%）, sea spray（16%） and a mixture of soil dust and vehicle emissions（14%）.

Composition of carbohydrates, surfactants, major elements and anions in PM2.5 during the 2013 Southeast Asia high pollution episode in Malaysia

Haze episodes have become a major concern in Malaysia over the past few decades and have an increasingly important impact on the country each and every year. During haze episodes from biomass burning in Southeast Asia, particularly from Sumatra, Indonesia, particulate matter PM2.5 is found to be one of the dangerous sources of airborne pollution and is known to seriously affect human health. This study determines the composition of carbohydrates （as levoglucosan）, surfactants, major elements, and anions in PM2.5 during a 2013 haze episode. PM2.5 samples were collected from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, using a high volume sampler during a seven-day monitoring campaign during the peak of that year＇s haze episode. PM2.5 concentrations ranged between 14.52 and 160.93 μg/m3, exceeding the 2005 WHO air quality guidelines for PM2.5 （25 μg/m3 for 24-h mean）. The patterns for levoglucosan, surfactants, major elements, and anionic compositions were proportional to the PM2.5 concentrations. Changes in PM2.5 observed on days 3 and 4 were influenced by a combination of meteorological factors, which substantiate the theory that such factors play a pivotal role in haze episodes.

Water productivity for living aquatic resources in floodplains of Northwestern Bangladesh

Objective:To measure the productivity of water on the floodplain land in terms of fisheries and living aquatic resources based on two floodplain beels in Bangladesh.Methods:Among two beels,beel Mail is practicing community based fish culture management,and beel Chandpur is open access and improperly managed.The production and market price data of fish,snail,and aquatic plants were collected by direct observation based on 30 samples fishers in the year 2006-2007.This study also collected production related water quality data,such as water temperature,pH and dissolved oxygen.Results:The water quality data are found within the normal range.Net aggregated water productivity values based on production costs were TK 8016.23 ha^(-1)and TK 3912.9 ha^(-1)and based on all cost TK 7160.97 ha^(-1)and TK 3741.13 ha^(-1)at beel Mail and beel Chandpur,respectively.The contribution of fish,snails and aquatic resources were 96.50%,3.10%,and 0.40%of the gross aggregated water produced in beel Mail and 87.85%,8.38%,and 3.77%in the beel Chandpur.The water productivity values in beel Mail are higher than in beel Chandpur due to the intervention of community based fish culture.Conclusions:The proper management and techniques of harvesting fish through appropriate number of fish fingerlings stocked,good quality of fish fingerlings,size of beel,good fencing and well defined embankment,etc.can help to improve the productivity of water in the beel areas.

Influence of urban air pollution on the population in the Klang Valley,Malaysia:a spatial approach

Background:Urban air pollution resulting from economic growth as well as urbanization impacts the health of inhabitants.This study aims to examine the spatial distribution of particulate matter(PM_(10))and the risk of exposure for the population in the Klang Valley,an urban conglomeration centred in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia.Methods:The inverse distance weighted(IDW)interpolation technique in the ArcGIS platform was used to map the air quality from five air monitoring stations.Spatial statistics of the Global Moran’s I Spatial Autocorrelation and Optimized Hot Spot Analysis were used to estimate the spatial clustering of PM_(10).The population-weighted exposure level(PWEL)technique was used to calculate the population density susceptible to PM_(10)and the AirQ+model was applied to estimate the proportion of the adult population at risk of chronic bronchitis due to long-term exposure to PM_(10)concentrations in the Klang Valley.Results:The highest annual mean PM_(10)concentrations at the Klang station ranged between 80 and 100μg/m^(3)from 2000 to 2009 and exceeded the New Malaysia Ambient Air Quality Standard(NMAAQS)and the World Health Organi-zation Air Quality Guidelines(WHOAQG)levels of 40 and 20μg/m^(3),respectively.The Moran’s I results indicated that the statistically significant clusters of high PM_(10)in Klang present a health risk to the local community.The PWEL results showed that levels of PM_(10)in Petaling Jaya exceeded the WHOAQG limits,potentially posing a health risk to the high-density population.The AirQ+model found Klang to be a significantly high-risk area for chronic bronchitis among the adult population with 804,240 people(with a relative risk of 1.85)in 2009.Conclusion:These high-risk values are due to rapid urbanization and high motor vehicle usage in the Klang Valley and therefore the impact of PM_(10)on the population needs to be reduced.This situation should be taken seriously by the Department of Environment and Kuala Lumpur City Hall in addressing air pollution issues through stricter rules on emissions and implementing low-carbon policies to improve the well-being of residents.