http://phylodiversity.net/cwebb/cw/news_rss.xml Natural history news and observations from Indonesia, by <A HREF="http://phylodiversity.net/cwebb">Cam Webb</A> cwebb@oeb.harvard.edu I joined the delegates and press at CIFOR-sponsored Forest Day on Saturday. As expected, there were a lot of acronyms, vague talk, and always-looking-over-your-shoulder networking. But I learned a lot and it was exciting to feel near the center of this most global of issues. REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) was pretty much the topic of the day, and I was disappointed at the almost complete absence of discussion of funds for afforestation and restoration, due, I gather, to its failure under CDM, and to extensive bad press in Europe. It seems that there are funds available under small, direct seller-to-buyer voluntary arrangements, but there seems to be no organized marketplace for selling small forest-based carbon projects. http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/Events/COP-ForestDay/Introduction.htm 5 Nov 2007 There is a short window of reasonably clear sea water here in Sukadana, beginning in mid-October; almost magically, you can see your feet! Out on the far point of Pulau Datuk there is a patch of coral reef, invisible for most of the year. It is dominated by a few species of boulder coral and encrusting sponges, with beds of whip corals and sea fans further down on the shallow sea floor. Colorful fish species are few, but include spotted scat, beaked coralfish and sargeant majors. While depauperate, the reef feels special, because of its `temporary' nature. 5 Nov 2007 The best hands-on guide to the ecology and restoration of rain forest I've seen. Now available as a PDF! http://www.wettropics.gov.au/media/med_landholders.html 9 Jun 2007 I had read about Dungus Iwul Nature Reserve in Whitten et al's `Ecology of Java and Bali,' and have long wanted to visit. Drove out there today! This 9-ha patch of lowland Javan forest is one of the very last. We went expecting the worst, but I was joyously pleased: the forest canopy is fairly intact and there was little evidence of current wood-cutting. The canopy is dominated by the `Iwul' palm (<I>Orania sylvicola</I>; perhaps 50% of all stems?) and this dominance may be the result of past logging. However, we saw a number of 100+ cm DBH trees (including <I>Dialium indum</I> and a huge Sapotaceae), and a very diverse understory. Someone must do a 100% inventory of this amazing scrap of forest: surely there will be found the last individuals of many nearly extinct species from the lowland Javan flora! http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-6.522645,106.416814&spn=0.01034,0.013733&t=k 5 Jun 2007 We have just released phylocom version 3.41. Lots of bug fixes and improved documentation. Many thanks to Steve Kembel. http://phylodiversity.net/phylocom 30 May 2007 Two great sites offer nearly complete sets of photos of vouchers from Borneo trees: Eizi Suzuki (<A HREF="http://biodiversity.sci.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/suzuki/Brunei/Herbarium/all.htm">Merimbun, Brunei</A>), and Ferry Slik (<A HREF="http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/Sungaiwain/">Sungai Wain, East Kalimantan</A>; families A-P). http://biodiversity.sci.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/suzuki/Brunei/Herbarium/all.htm 16 May 2007 Just found out about this great project, ``designed to examine how the diversity of replanted tropical forest affects timber production, carbon storage and other ecosystem processes.'' Restoration and experimental ecology... way to go! http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/cpb/research/biodiversityandecosystemfunction/sabahbiodiversity 15 May 2007 An amazing resource for Indonesian botany (tried it a few months ago and it wasn't working, but now it's running well). With photos of all the types. http://145.18.162.53:81/c8 15 May 2007 I had to shut down phylomatic a few weeks ago after a warning from the hosting service that I was using 80% of the CPU time (oops!). I thought at the time that it was due to high usage, but I now suspect that it was a result of untrapped run-away processes from non-standard input. Anyway, I've been meaning to upgrade the internals for years, and I finally got around to it; the original phylomatic was AWK-driven. Online phylomatic now uses the fast C-coded binary from the <A HREF="http://phylodiversity.net/phylocom">phylocom</A> package. Seems to be running OK. Let me know if you find a bug. http://phylodiversity.net/phylomatic 14 May 2007 Flying out of Pontianak this morning to the southwest, I flew over Gunung Ambawang, which I have often spied from afar, but never been close to. I had just assumed that the hill would be burned and bare of trees by now, but was very pleased to see that the forest is still closed and of diverse texture, implying that not too much logging has gone on. Look forward to visiting it on foot some day. Further on, we fly right over Karimata island, from N to S, and again I was pleased to see that total deforestation has not proceeded much further than when we stayed there in 1998. The town at the SW of the island appears not to have grown at all. The water is clear and the reefs are abundant. Shame about the malaria: <I>everyone</I> who we know who has visited has contracted malaria (apparently falciparum). http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-0.3659,109.2779&spn=0.5,0.5&t=k 1 May 2007 ``The Durian grows on a large and lofty forest tree, somewhat resembling an elm in its general character, but with a more smooth and scaly bark. The fruit is round or slightly oval, about the size of a large cocoanut, of a green colour, and covered all over with short stout spines the bases of which touch each other, and are consequently somewhat hexagonal, while the points are very strong and sharp. It is so completely armed, that if the stalk is broken off it is a difficult matter to lift one from the ground. The outer rind is so thick and tough, that from whatever height it may fall it is never broken. From the base to the apex five very faint lines may be traced, over which the spines arch a little; these are the sutures of the carpels, and show where the fruit may be divided with a heavy knife and a strong hand. The five cells are satiny white within, and are each filled with an oval mass of cream-coloured pulp, imbedded in which are two or three seeds about the size of chestnuts. This pulp is the eatable part, and its consistency and flavour are indescribable. A rich butter-like custard highly flavoured with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but intermingled with it come wafts of flavour that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, brown sherry, and other incongruities. Then there is a rich glutinous smoothness in the pulp which nothing else possesses, but which adds to its delicacy. It is neither acid, nor sweet, nor juicy; yet one feels the want of more of these qualities, for it is perfect as it is. It produces no nausea or other bad effect, and the more you eat of it the less you feel inclined to stop. In fact to eat Durians is a new sensation, worth a voyage to the East to experience.'' 28 Apr 2007 Down at the beach this evening at Pulau Datok, I surprised a troupe of proboscis monkeys at the edge of the small mangrove patch there. That makes five species of monkey in this scrappy patch of forest, no more than a few hundred hectares in size: proboscis, red and silver langur, macaque, and gibbon. Thank goodness for the lack of hunting here (Malays are mainly muslim). 27 Apr 2007 While out on the point across from Pulau Datok today, about noon, I saw two otters diving for fish or urchins, moving leisurely from south to north. On surfacing alone, one would call out with its plaintive cry until the other surfaced. They eventually disappeared around the point heading in the direction of Sukadana. I was surprised to see them because I thought the otters in Kalimantan were strictly river otters. However, Ibu Rajilah said later that they are frequently seen here, bothering the fishermen by stealing fish from the fishtraps. They are known as `berang-berang.' http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-1.2645,109.9501&spn=0.2,0.2&t=k 6 Apr 2007 Just discovered this amazing site, complete with an interactive key to and loads of photos of the common trees of PNG. http://www.pngplants.org/ 13 Feb 2007 Last night I went down to the Pulau Datok beach. A storm was rolling in and the sky was pitch black. The shallow bay always has phosphorescent plankton, which spark green if you swim at night, or as fish zip by, but this was the first time I had see whole, crashing waves of green. What would have just looked like small white-caps in the day appeared as momentary bars of green, appearing here and there in the shallows along the length of the beach. 10 Feb 2007 Many of the mangrove trees by the highway from Sukadana to Ketapang are dying. I noticed trees without leaves first last August-ish, in the middle of the long, dry burning season. I assumed it was some kind of water-stress leading to deciduousness. But now, in the middle of the rainy season the trees are still leafless and many seem to have died. The road forms a barrier to the movement of tidal flow, but has been in place for more than 15 years. Additionally, the mangroves up and downstream from the bridge over the Siduk river (i.e. right in the water) are also dying. I have no idea what's causing it. Any suggestions welcome! 8 Feb 2007 I never understood the big fuss about RSS news syndication until I started trying to get the news over my handphone via GPRS. WAP sites are good, but you still get a lot more bytes that you want. RSS is perfect. I'm using litefeeds and mReader. So, of course, I had to make my own news into an RSS feed (though not aggregated yet). Which also requires a CSS so you can see it with your web-browser. One day I'll look at XSL style-sheets---will the new formats never end? 8 Feb 2007 We are beginning to organize ATBC 2010 in Bali. Please contact me if you would like information or would like to help. http://www.atbc2010.org Jan 2007 The `Mountain Flora of Java' by van Steenis (perhaps the most beautiful botanical book ever?) has just been republished by Brill, but is very expensive (ca. $150!). Even better news is that Kuswata and Jenny Kartawinata led a team that has translated and and just published an Indonesian version. The plates are actually much higher quality than the Dutch reprint, and the price is only Rp 150,000 ($16). For sale at the front desk of Herbarium Bogoriense. http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=74&pid=25989 Jan 2007 I am preparing for the Harvard Summer School Field Course in Borneo. Feel free to apply. http://www.summer.harvard.edu/2007/programs/abroad/borneo Dec 2006 Small grants are available from CTFS-AA for molecular systematics of Southeast Asian trees. http://www.phylodiversity.net/plant-phylo/awki.cgi/SmallGrantsCtfsAa Nov 2006 We are beginning to DNA barcode trees in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore. http://www.phylodiversity.net/plant-phylo/awki.cgi/BarcodingBukitTimah Nov 2006