Forest biodiversity conservation in geoforest park: Langkawi experience

Langkawi sits in the Andaman Sea off the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia comprising of 104 isalnd covering an area of 478 sq. km. 500 million years ago, Langkawi began as a barren "feotus" land called Gondwanaland with no living things. Steadily, the sea level changes and the nerichment of dissolved nutrients brougght more new lifeforms. Caves were formed, mountain top etched and soil developed for flora to star their colonies. Development concentrates on the lowland area on its western coast while much of the interior and northen part are still covered with thick virgin tropical rainforest housing a diversified flora and fauna living in various terrestrial and marine eco-system within the Permanent Reserved Forests (PFRs) which have high geological and landscapes heritage value. This makes the island of Langkawi an excellence venue for the conservation of biodiversity as well as geodiversity. The Kedah State Forestry Department has taken in the environmental protection and the preservation of its genetic resources of wild flora and fauna as well as their geological components. Geoforest parks are a new concept of forest conservation where both biological and geological resources within the PRFs are conserved laterally to promote research, education and eco-tourism. Over the years the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia has shifted from sustained yield to sustainable forest management taking into censideration the economic, social and environment components. The Kedah State Forestry Department has identified three areas to be proposed as Geoforest Parks. These special conservation areas are The Machinchang Cambrian covering the exixting Gunung Machinchang Forest Reserve, The Kilim Karst which dominate the northeastern part of Langkawi Island and adjacent small island and The Dayang Bunting Marble located within the existing Pulau Dayang Bunting Forests Reserves. Logging was totally banned and forestry activities concentrates on the conservation of flora and fauna and the environmental protection as stated in the National Forestry Act 1984, provision for law enforcement and regulations of activituies relating to the conservation flora nad fauna. The National Forestry Policy address and incorporate concern raised locally and internationally on the important of the conservation of biological biodiversity, sustainable utilization of genetic resources and the role of the local communities in forest development. Langkawi`s forest serve several functions and are classified into conservation, water catchment, forests reserves and recreation. With the additional function of the geoforest parks, the geological heritage of these reserved forests will also be conserved.