wetlands
a publication of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Vol 10 No 1
Dec 2002

snakes: myth & reality

fell & fly: about poems

finding & growing native plants
merope angulata

glochidion littorale

the kingfisher experience

wetland rainforest
the sungei buloh mangroves

how sungei
buloh 'got' me

world environment
day: 5 jun 02

back home again
  
wetland rainforest
of sungei buloh mangroves
by james gan
senior conservation officer

The mangroves are a rare habitat in Singapore. In the 1950s mangroves covered over 7,000 ha (12% of the 577 sq km area then). Today, approximately 750 ha (1.1% of the 680 sq km now) still exist. Currently, the largest block of mangroves in Singapore totalling more than 100 hectares, is found in Sungei Buloh. This area is under legal protection as the biological significance of the mangrove ecosystem has been recognised by the government.

Dehised fruit pods of
Dolichandrone spathacea
Sungei Buloh is conserved for its mangrove ecosystem, a key indigenous ecosystem that the government has committed to safeguard. Historical records state that the Sungei Buloh area consisted entirely of mangrove. Old photographs of the area support the records. In particular, the mangrove habitat found today on Pulau Buloh off the coast of Sungei Buloh appears to be undisturbed for at least the past 50 years. This was the case for most of Sungei Buloh until 1969. In the early 1970s, clear felling of mangrove trees was carried out. Earth bunds were constructed amongst the mangroves to form a network of ponds for the culture of prawns.
When pig farming was phased out in the late 70s, the farmers were resettled in Sungei Buloh. The farmers involved in the prawn pond culture system ceased their operations when the Sungei Buloh site was approved as a park development project in 1989.

With a colourful history of plantation agriculture, agricultural mixed farming practices, prawn and fishpond culture, what mangrove flora remains in Sungei Buloh today?

It seems that quite a lot of mangrove flora have survived. The list of mangrove plant species recorded for Sungei Buloh according to the categories of major, minor and associate following the criteria of Tomlinson (1986) are provided in Table 1. Of the 62 species extant in Singapore, 47 species (75%) can still be found in Sungei Buloh. Of the 47, four species were brought in as part of an on-going conservation programme of enrichment planting. We expect that the next few years would see the re-establishment of all 62 extant species of mangrove thriving in dynamic equilibrium in Sungei Buloh.

Mangroves are generally very hardy and can thrive in areas that have been heavily disturbed. A good example is the Singapore River which has seen reclamation since 1822. Relic mangrove flora can still be found along its tributaries. Besides Zouk discotheque's carpart at Jiak Kim Street, several mature trees of the endangered Dolichandrone spathacea can still be seen together with Avicennia officinalis, Acrostichum speciosum and a few other mangrove species. In Sungei Buloh, botanical surveys over the years have revealed surprises too. The presence of mangrove species once thought to be extinct to the area include the Oncosperma tigillarium, Bronlowia tersa and Merope angulata.

Given another decade or two, the current mangrove ecosystem at Sungei Buloh could more closely resemble the original ecosystem. The challenge is to manage the existing mangrove in terms of species composition, stand maturity and to enhance the back mangrove while providing recreational and educational opportunities for visitors. We will play a key role in achieving this. When stenotopic species such as the Mangrove Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis rufigastra), Mangrove Pitta (Pitta megarhyncha) and Ruddy Kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda) take up residence in Sungei Buloh, we would know that our efforts have be realised. Let's work together to make this happen!
No. Species Family
Major
Minor
Associate
Singapore
status
1 Acanthus ebracteatus Acanthaceae
No
No
Yes
R
2 Acanthus ilicifolius Acanthaceae
No
No
Yes
R
3 Acanthus volubilis Acanthaceae
No
No
Yes
R
4 Acrostichum aureum Pteridaceae
No
Yes
No
C
5 Acrostichum speciosum Pteridaceae
No
Yes
No
V
6 Allophyllus cobbe Sapindaceae
No
No
Yes
R
7 Ardisia elliptica Mysrinaceae
No
No
Yes
R
8 Avicennia alba Avicenniaceae
Yes
No
No
C
9 Avicennia officinalis Avicenniaceae
Yes
No
No
R
10 Avicennia rumphiana Avicenniaceae
Yes
No
No
R
11 Barringtonia asiatica Lecythidaceae
No
No
Yes
R
12 Barringtonia racemosa Lecythidaceae
No
No
Yes
N
13 Brownlowia tersa Tiliaceae
No
No
Yes
V
14 Bruguiera cylindrica Rhizophoraceae
Yes
No
No
R
15 Bruguiera gymnorhiza Rhizophoraceae
Yes
No
No
R
16 Caesalpina crista Leguminosae
No
No
Yes
R
17 Calamus erinaceus Palmae
No
No
Yes
V
18 Calophyllum inophyllum Guttiferae
No
No
Yes
R
19 Cassine viburnifolia Celastraceae
No
No
Yes
N
20 Ceriops tagal Rhizophoraceae
Yes
No
No
R
21 Cynometra ramiflora Leguminosae
No
No
Yes
N
22 Derris trifoliata Leguminosae
No
No
Yes
C
23 Dolichandrone spathacea Bignomiaceae
No
No
Yes
N
24 Excoecaria agallocha Euphorbiaceae
No
Yes
No
R
25 Finlaysonia obovata Aslepiadaceae
No
No
Yes
V
26 Glochidion littorale Euphobiaceae
No
No
Yes
R
27 Heritiera littoralis Sterculiaceae
No
Yes
No
R
28 Hibiscus tiliaceaus Malvaceae
No
No
Yes
C
29 Intsia bijuga Leguminosae
No
No
Yes
R
30 Lumnitzera littorea Combretaceae
Yes
No
No
R
31 Lumnitzera racemosa Combretaceae
Yes
No
No
R
32 Merope angulata Rutaceae
No
No
Yes
N
33 Nypa fruticans Palmae
Yes
No
No
R
34 Oncosperma tigillarium Palmae
Yes
No
No
R
35 Pandanus odoratissimus Pandanaceae
No
No
Yes
C
36 Podocarpus polystachyus Podocarpaceae
No
No
Yes
N
37 Pongamia pinnata Leguminosae
No
No
Yes
N
38 Pouteria obovata Sapotaceae
No
No
Yes
R
39 Rhizophora apiculata Rhizophoraceae
Yes
No
No
R
40 Rhizophora mucronata Rhizophoraceae
Yes
No
No
R
41 Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea Rubiaceae
No
Yes
No
R
42 Sonneratia alba Sonneratiaceae
Yes
No
No
C
43 Sonneratia caseolaris Sonneratiaceae
Yes
No
No
N
44 Sonneratia obovata Sonneratiaceae
Yes
No
No
N
45 Terminalia catappa Combretaceae
No
No
Yes
C
46 Thespesia populnea Malvaceae
No
No
Yes
R
47 Xylocarpus granatum Meliaceae
No
Yes
No
R
C=common, R=rare, V=Vulnerable, N=Endangered

References
Tomlinson, P. B., 1986. The Botany of Mangroves. Cambridge University Press. 412pp.
Tan, H. T. W. et al 1998. A Botanical Survey of Sungei Buloh Nature Park. Gardens' Bulletin, Singapore. 49:15-35
   
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