Conservation and management of peat swamp forests in Brunei

According to 1984 figures, peat swamp forest (PSF) covered 90,884 ha of Brunei, 15.6% of the total land area. The greatest area is found in Belait district in the west, where the peat swamps form a contiguous block with the PSF of the Baram Basin cover the border in Sarawak. The peat swamps are recent, having developed only over the last 5,000-6,000 years. The Baram/Belait Peat Swamp complex is considered to be the most highly developed in northern and western Borneo, with individual blocks of peat swamp between watercourses having a distinctly domed shape, the deepest peat being found at the centre of the dome. Six phasic plant communities have been recognised on these domed swamps. Some of these phasic communities are unique ecoystems, being found nowhere else in the world. Of particular significance are the stands dominated solely by Shorea albida, whis is endemic to west and north Borneoand the open community at the top of the domes dominated by Combretocarpus rotundatus. There is little pressure at present for conversion of these peat swamps and many areas remain pristine. Major threats are from infrastructure development and fire, with rapid development in the coastal zone having destroyed parts of the swamps closer to the sea. Protection of pristine areas of peat swamps in Brunei may offer the best option for conservation of these unique ecosystems confined to western and northern Borneo, particularly as those in sarawak and West Kalimantan are under greater threat. The major constraints to the protection of the peat swamp forests in Brunei are a lack of awareness of their benefits and lack of integration and coordination between government agencies concerned with the management of land and natural resources. Cooperation with Malaysia is required for the effective conservation of the Belait peat swamps.