Research – The Habitat Foundation

What It Takes to Uncover the Hidden World of Land Snails

Rong — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 09:43:00 +0000

Land snails are not cute or cuddly. They are also slimy. This might make them a hard sell for conservation. Fortunately, they do grow on you. The deeper you delve into the world of snails, slugs and semi-slugs, the more fascinating they become!

Join us as we follow Assoc. Prof. Dr. Liew Thor Seng, recipient of a 2022 THF Research Grant, in his exploration of the forest of Penang Hill to assess the diversity of land snails present. The aim: to contrast the latest assessment with one from scientists more than 153 years ago to learn something about how wildlife assemblages are changing in response to human activity and climate change!

SMART-Effective Food Waste Composter Pilot Project for Penang Hill

Rong — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 09:15:00 +0000

Continuing the sustainability initiative by the Foundation which started last year, the Effective Food Waste Composter (EFWC) developed by Professor Dr. Che Zalina from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) has now been installed at The Habitat Penang Hill, where the machine is monitored by the staff.

Currently, the brown waste such as leaves, twigs and coffee ground and the green waste such as egg shells, fruit and vegetable peels are collected from the Penang Hill park, the staff working at The Habitat and some nearby food vendors. Thus far, two batches of composts, rich in nutrients, were produced with the machine.

The process of composting has gone through a few rounds of trials. Our team has provided some feedback to Prof Dr Zalina on the functionality of the prototype and the quality of the composts produced. Meanwhile, the staff are working diligently on obtaining the ideal proportion of the brown and green waste to yield compost, with the ideal humidity and texture, regularly.

Green Waste collected for composting.

Once the process is streamlined, The Habitat aims to expand our waste collection to the residential community around Penang Hill as well as other stakeholders on the hill.

Diversity of Dragonflies and Damselflies on Penang Island

Rong — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 10:06:00 +0000

The Habitat Foundation is pleased to support a research on the diversity of dragonflies and damselflies through our 2021 Research Grant. Dragonflies and damselflies are categorized under the order of Odonata and they are one of the least known species of Penang Island. This study aims to document the diversity of Odonata within the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve and to produce an Odonata species list for the Biosphere Reserve.

Dragonflies and damselflies are charismatic representatives of insect diversity. They may look similar from afar with their slender bodies, big compound eyes and membranous wings, but each group has its own unique features that can easily tell them apart. Their iridescent wings and body that come in all shades of colour is what attracted Dr Choong Chee Yen in the first place to learn more about them.

Dr Choong Chee Yen, who is the Associate Professor at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and also one of the leading experts on Odonata in Malaysia started studying dragonflies and damselflies since 2005. As a macrophotographer, he was drawn into the details of the Odonata and is mesmerized by their colours. His growing love for dragonflies and damselflies has driven his passion as a scientist to document the species diversity and he has since then dedicated himself to this field.

Dr Choong Chee Yen, whose love for dragonflies and damselflies, has driven him to be a researcher on Odonata.

For this study, Dr Choong has made a few visits to several freshwater habitats within the study area to collect his samples. In determining the field sites, he takes into consideration different water bodies environments such as clean flowing water, brackish water, stagnant water and elevation. Thus far, he has collected about 40 species of dragonflies and damselflies and 7 new Odonata species were identified after cross-referencing with previously published records on Penang Island. These 7 species include:

Scientific Name	Common Name	Location
i) Acrogomphus malayanus	Malayan Hooktail	The Habitat Penang Hill
ii) Leptogomphus risi	Ris’ Clubtail	Titi Kerawang
iii) Orthetrum luzonicum	Marsh Skimmer/ Slender Blue Skimmer	Tiger Hill
iv) Nepogomphus walli		Titi Kerawang
v) Zygonyx iris malayana		Titi Kerawang
vi) Coeliccia erici		Penang Botanic Garden
vii) Echo modesta	White-faced Clearwing	Titi Kerawang, Moniot, Penang Botanic Garden

New records of Odonata species on Penang Island found within the Penang Hil Biosphere Reserve.

Ris’ Clubtail (Leptogomphus risi)

Coeliccia erici

White-faced clearwing (Echo modesta)

Dragonflies and damselflies play an important part in our ecosystem. As some species depend on clean freshwater bodies for their life cycle, their presence has become synonymous with healthy ecosystems. Certain species only occur in clean flowing water while some can tolerate polluted water. Thus based on the species found, the water quality of that habitat can be determined. According to Dr Choong, the common green metalwing (Neurobasis chinensis) and common flashwing (Vestalis amethystina) are two examples of Odonata species for clean water bioindicators found on Penang Island.

Common flashwing (Vestalis amethystina)

By nature, dragonflies and damselflies are also good biocontrol for pests. Long existed since millions of years ago, the Odonata has evolved to be carnivorous. The flying adults eat mosquitoes and other insects while their larvae or nymphs also feed on mosquito larvae, tadpoles and even small fishes.

Through this study, we hope to gain more insights into the health of aquatic ecosystems on Penang Island and to further showcase dragonfly watching as a new area of specialty ecotourism in Malaysia.

THF 2022 Research Grant Recipients

ahmadamir — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:15:00 +0000

The Habitat commences a long-term bioacoustics research programme

webadmin — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 14:49:19 +0000

Rainforest diversity is not just something that can be appreciated with the eyes. It is also expressed by a diversity of sounds – the song of birds, the shrill siren of cicadas, and the calls of frogs and geckos, and the vocalizations of squirrels and primates are part of the forest landscape.

Bioacoustics, a cross-disciplinary science which combines biology with acoustics is proving to be an indispensable tool for studying and interpreting our natural world. In addition to understanding wildlife ecology, it is assisting scientists in monitoring change brought about by anthropogenic pressures and climate change. For these reasons, The Habitat Foundation is embarking on a long-term bioacoustics research programme based at The Habitat Penang Hill.

In line with efforts to boost capacity in bioacoustics among local researchers, a two-day online bioacoustics/sound analysis workshop was held on the 25th and 28th January 2021 organized by the the Malaysian Primatological Society (MPS) in collaboration with the Centre for Conservation Bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This training was organized with the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia.

A total of 37 participants joined the two-day online workshop, with the option of joining the third day for consultation with Cornell. They were mainly researchers and students working in Southeast Asia who are currently using or plan to use bioacoustics for wildlife studies.

A recent workshop with the Centre for Conservation Bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is helping to build on a firm foundation for The Habitat Penang Hill’s Bioacoustics Research Programme.

On the first day, the participants had the opportunity to get an overview of the different ways bioacoustics can be used through the sharing of five presenters. Dr Priscilia Miard of Night Spotting Project shared her experience of using ultrasound recording devices to detect bats and colugos in Penang and Langkawi. Iza, another PhD student from USM, also shared her use of active bioacoustic survey methods to study gibbon groups in Taman Negara, Pahang.

Bioacoustics has been used to identify changes in Bornean ape calls to serve as early-warning indicators of anthropogenic change. African elephants being monitored with bioacoustics have also been found to warn their herd of the presence of poachers.

On the second day, a quick Raven Pro 1.6 tutorial was given where the participants learnt the basic functions of the software before moving on to Raven Pro 2.0, a beta version which has a powerful Template Detector tool that uses a stereotypical sound clip to detect similar sounds in a lengthy recording.

Raven Pro Software

This bioacoustics workshop is a part of the Habitat Foundation’s effort to promote ongoing learning and to build skills in research capacity. As more capacities are built, this training will be extended to more local researchers in locations where projects or project partners are supported by the Foundation.

In December 2020, Dr Priscilia Miard has also conducted a 3 days hands-on training in bioacoustic monitoring works at The Habitat Penang Hill after a similar workshop was held. The training was done during the day and night to capture both diurnal and nocturnal animal calls.

Dr. Priscillia Miard setting up the recorder

ltrasonic device used to detect bats

Sound recorded in wavelength on phone

The recordings made are in the process of being separated into different animal calls and these will then be added to the database for future research. In April 2021, The Habitat Foundation announced a new Master’s Scholarship in Bioacoustics at the School of Biological Sciences, USM. For the two-year Masters by Research, the Foundation will cover registration and tuition fees, and a monthly stipend, field costs and equipment. Suitable candidates are invited to apply by 30 May 2021.

Ecosystem Services Provided by Bats in Ricefields

Rong — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 02:02:00 +0000

The study to be undertaken Dr Nurul ‘Ain of the School of Biological Sciences, USM focusses on the insectivorous bats of the Gunung Keriang area of Kedah.

It aims to ascertain whether the insectivorous bats which roost in the nearby limestones caves are consuming species that are known to be pests in rice fields.

The research methodology involves documenting seasonal insect abundance and pest availability at different phases of paddy growth. Faecal samples of bats will be analysed to understand resource partitioning among the bats of Gunung Keriang.

Equipment for measuring the seasonal insect abundance in the paddy fields.

The view of Gunung Keriang changes with the different stages of paddy growth.

The research is expected to provide conclusive scientific evidence that bats do provide essential ecosystem services in Malaysian rice agriculture. Consequently, maintaining bat roosts would demonstrate an ecologically-friendly method for controlling pests that helps increase crop production by lowering the impact of pests. The findings would also be economically important. Reducing the use of chemical pesticides in ricefields can slow down pesticide resistance among pests and helps MADA and other relevant authorities from spending money for pest control. This would also reduce the harmful impacts of pesticides on the environment.

In addition, the study also has a social component. It will document the awareness level of the local farming community on bats. The findings of this study will provide information to indicate the need for future educational programmes in this area.

Dr Nurul ‘Ain plans to undertake this research with her students over a period of 1.5 years.

This study fits the Habitat’s theme of understanding the ecosystem services provided by wildlife wherein the presence of the bats will help to reduce the amount of pest in the rice field without using any chemical pesticides. This study could also lead to the reduction of harmful chemical pesticides in the environment.

Different species of insectivorous bats that are known to roost in Gunung Keriang

Microplastic Loads in Fish and Invertebrates in Malaysian Rivers

Rong — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 07:40:00 +0000

This research grant will support researchers from University of Nottingham, Malaysia to evaluate the presence and impact of microplastics in our river ecosystems.

The lead researcher is Dr Christopher Gibbins, a Professor of Hydro-ecology and sustainable river management at the School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia. His work focusses on understanding the links between physical habitat conditions and biota in freshwater ecosystems. The study will be implemented with colleagues from Nottingham as well as undergraduate students and one PhD student.

The School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences at Nottingham University has been conducting ongoing sampling of water quality and sediment-levels of the Langat River.

This study examines the impact of microplastics on living creatures, ecosystems and human health. Despite concerns about the impact of microplastics, to date there are hardly any studies on this topic from Malaysia and Southeast Asia. The findings of this study would increase our understanding of the dangers posed by microplastics in our rivers.

The research will involve the collection of mussels, invertebrates and fish from sites along Sungai Langat that are known to have a range of contamination levels. Students will conduct gut flushing and acid digestion of sample organisms to isolate microplastic particles. They will then assess microplastic loads in organisms. These findings will be contrasted with those in published literature to assess risk to ecosystems, species, and public health.

Advancing research in the proposed Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve

Rong — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 09:37:00 +0000

The forests of Penang Hill offer exceptional opportunities for ecosystem and sustainability studies. Here you will find an unbroken swathe of pristine yet accessible ecosystems from the hill and lower montane forests, to coastal mangroves and lowland forests, contained within Penang National Park. In 2019/2020 the Foundation provided Research Grants towards studies to describe the diversity of cyanobacteria, wild edible and medicinal fungi, and the endemic Penang Hill Vampire Crab.

In 2021, we are continuing to provide Research Grants that would firmly establish the proposed Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve as an international centre for rainforest research & teaching.

The Habitat Commences a Long-term Bioacoustics Research Programme

Rong — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 05:55:00 +0000

Rainforest diversity is not just something that can be appreciated with the eyes. It is also expressed by a diversity of sounds – the song of birds, the shrill siren of cicadas, the calls of frogs and geckos, and the vocalizations of squirrels and primates are part of the forest landscape.

In line with efforts to boost capacity in bioacoustics among local researchers, a two-day online bioacoustics/sound analysis workshop was held on the 25th and 28th January 2021 organized by the Malaysian Primatological Society (MPS) in collaboration with the Centre for Conservation Bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This training was organized with the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia.

A recent workshop with the Centre for Conservation Bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is helping to build a firm foundation for The Habitat Penang Hill’s Bioacoustics Research Programme.

Raven Pro Software

Dr. Priscillia Miard setting up the recorder

Ultrasonic device used to detect bats

Sound recorded in wavelength on phone

The recordings made are in the process of being separated into different animal calls and these will then be added to the database for future research. In April 2021, The Habitat Foundation announced a new Master’s Scholarship in Bioacoustics at the School of Biological Sciences, USM. For the two-year Masters by Research, the Foundation will cover registration and tuition fees, a monthly stipend, field costs and equipment. Suitable candidates are invited to apply by 30 May 2021.

A Guide to the Orchids of Penang Hill

Rong — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 07:00:00 +0000

by Rexy Prakash Chacko

Comprising 10 per cent of all the world’s flowering plants, Orchidaceae (Orchid family) is one of the world’s largest plant families, rivalled in number only by the Daisy family.

Orchids are identifiable by their bilaterally symmetrical flowers, with the lip, being the most prominent characteristic in distinguishing their flowers from those of other plants. Almost every region (except the Antarctic) is home to a unique collection of orchids, adapted to the specific environments they grow in. Orchid diversity is especially high in the tropics and Peninsular Malaysia is no exception, with about 1000 species. In a 2017 tally, at least 144 species were recorded as occurring on Penang Hill.

The inspiration to write a pictorial guidebook on the orchids of Penang Hill began during a gentle stroll along The Habitat Penang Hill’s nature trail. Behind the ornamental plants that lined the sides of the trail my co-author, Santhi Velayutham and I found many orchids thriving in the cool environment and the shade of the undergrowth. There were so many and no one seemed to notice! It dawned on us that a pictorial book with succinct information on orchids of the Hill could help to nurture a better understanding and appreciation of these plants and a greater concern for the conservation of their natural habitat.

This book is the ideal companion for anyone interested in learning about the orchids spotted on the Hill. We feature a selection of 50 orchids ranging from the diminutive and leafless Taeniophyllum hasseltii to the heaviest species in the world, the gargantuan Grammatophyllum speciosum or commonly known as the Tiger Orchid!

While researching and photographing orchids for this book, I had a chance to witness one of the most spectacular events of my ‘Orchiding’ life, the sight of a massive Tiger Orchid blooming with almost 5,000 flowers!

The Tiger Orchid flowers annually from July to early September but some years may display more spectacular blooms than others!

The flowers of the celebrated Tiger orchid of Penang Hill

Another species worth mention is the Ania penangiana, a common sight along The Habitat’s Nature Trail and one of the wild orchids which carry the ‘Penang’ brand in its name.

My favourite among the 50 is the captivating Tainia speciosa, a camouflaged terrestrial growing in leaf litter, which has greenish-yellow flowers with sepals and petals stretching out widely as slender tails. Try spotting them if you can!

The delicate and elegant Tainia speciosa

The book also leaves the reader with a sobering reminder of the challenges facing wild orchids today. Habitat destruction and illegal collection are pushing many species to the brink of extinction. We can do our part by refusing to buy wild-collected orchids. We should also never remove them from their natural habitat. All of us have a role to play in ensuring our wild orchids, which are an integral part of the natural heritage of Penang Hill, are conserved for generations to come.

Orchids of Penang Hill was produced with the support of The Habitat Penang Hill and is part of The Habitat Series of nature publications. You can purchase your copy at The Habitat Penang Hill. It retails for RM49.90.

Watch this video where Rexy shares the basic of orchid diversity and the threats they are facing.

Here’s another video where Rexy’s study on orchids is covered by TV2 Galeri Mandarin in 2022 (starting from 03:54).