Bukit Nanas Recreational Forest, Kuala Lumpur

The Bukit Nanas Recreational Forest is located in the middle of the Kuala Lumpur city with a total of 10.5 hectare tropical rainforest. The location of the Bukit Nanas Recreational Forest which situated right in the center base of the national skyscraper, the Kuala Lumpur Tower has made a special uniqueness to our Malaysia?s reserve tropical rainforest. Besides that, the Bukit Nanas Recreational Forest was also the earliest reserve forest which gazetted as a wildlife reserve and bird sanctuary since the year 1906.

The recreational forest evolved in several stages. It was initially a forest reserve and subsequently turned into an eco-forest park and finally it is now known to be Bukit Nanas Recreational Park by the Department of Forestry, Peninsular Malaysia. The transformation from the forest reserve to a recreational forest was highly due to the presence of current needs. There are many visitors which demand for numerous activities which regularly conducted in the forest. These activities include camping, hiking, exhibition, explorace and etc. have enhance the expansion of Bukit Nanas Recreational Forest.

The Bukit Nanas Recreational Forest is a lowland tropical rainforest which categorized to be a dipterocarp forest that rich in flora and fauna biodiversity. The rich variety of flora flourishes the forests include orchids, ferns, climbers and herbs plants that rise above the forest floor. Besides that, there is also rich rainforest canopy which dominated by huge tropical tree species such as meranti, chengal and pulai. And among the popular dipterocarp species found in the recreational forest include the Meranti Pa?ang (Shorea bracteolate), Meranti Batu (Shorea dasyphylla), Kapur (Dryobalanops aromatic), Merawan Siput Jantan (Hopea odorata) and many more. Not only that, the Bukit Nanas Recreational Forest also attracts many nature lovers come to observe the sanctuary wild inhabitants which includes squirrels, birds, butterflies, insects and two special introduced species of monkeys. These monkey species comprise of the long tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) and silvered leaf langur (Trachypithecus cristatus) that can be found in the deep forest of Bukit Nanas.

There are about four walkway trails available in the recreational forest that branching from Denai Jelutong trail, Denai Arboretum trail, Denai Penarahan trail and Denai Merawan trail. Each trail has different type of specialties as it covers diverse types of flora species in the trail walkway. We have managed to complete three trails which include Denai Penarahan, Denai Merawan and Denai Arboretum trails in a very short period of time.

 

A short briefing was given by Mr. Zul, the ?Resident Naturalist? that often brings visitors for a complimentary nature walks around the Bukit Nanas Recreational Forest. Inevitably, Mr. Zul is a knowledgeable man as he shared a lot of information and interesting facts during our entire tour in Bukit Nanas Recreational Forest. One of the many interesting facts that Mr. Zul ever shared that caught my attention was about the Hibiscus flowers. I was totally astonished when I got to know that the Hibiscus flower was not a native flower in Malaysia yet it is our (Malaysia) national flower. Moreover, the state of Hawai?i and Jamaica also shared the same hibiscus flower as their country?s national flower.

Interesting Flora Species Found at The Bukit Nanas Recreational Forest

(A) Mahang Gajah (Macaranga gigantea)

Morphology: It is a medium tree that can grow up to 30 metres tall. It has bark hoped, lenticelled and latex reddish of tree stems. The tree twigs are often solid and the leaves are peltate, shallowly to deeply 3-lobed and it is large in size with 50 centimetres x 50 centimetres. The fruit has two loculars and it is not spiny.

Ecology: Throughout primary and secondary forests of Peninsular Malaysia which less than 1400 metres altitude.

Uses: Often use as soft and light timber fibre for pulpwood production.

(B) Pulai (Alstonia angustiloba)

Local Name: Pulai (Dukun Hutan) Family: Apocynaceae

Morphology: The tree can grow up to 45 metres tall with fluted bole. The tree bark is finely scaly with brownish grey in colour. The leaves are in whorl of 5 to 8 centimetres long with oblong-elliptic shape and parallel secondary veins on it. The Alstonia angustiloba flower is often small in size and usually white in colour and with fragrant smell. The fruits can have up to 30 centimetre long of woody follicles and typically contain many seeds.

Ecology: Commonly found from lowlands forest up to 700 metres above sea level.

Uses: Often plant as an ornamental tree especially along the roadside for its pagoda-like structure. It is also commonly used for medical purposes that able to cure many type of illnesses.

(C) Keredas (Archidendron bubalinum)

Local Name: Keredas Family: Mimosoideae

Morphology: The tree is a medium size which can reach up to 15 metres in height. It has compound leaves consisting of two to three pairs of leaflets where the young leaves often present in reddish brown in colour. The seeds are edible and it is almost black in colour when it is fully ripen. The pods are not lobed but slightly coiled in shape.

Ecology: Usually found in Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatera.

Uses: The seeds are eaten raw as ?ulam? and the young shoot is also edible too. Both seeds and shoots are known for diuretic and purgative properties.

(D) Petaling (Ochanostachys amentacea)

Morphology: It can be a small to medium tree which sometimes reaching up to 30 metres tall. The leaves often present in elliptic to ovate-elliptic shape with 7x4 to13x7 centimetres. The flowers often spike simply and usually in green colour. The Petaling fruits are in oval shape and look greenish in colour.

Ecology: Commonly found throughout most of the Peninsular Malaysia. Often appear in the hillsides and ridges that up to 900 metres above sea level.

Uses: It is a medium hard type of wood that usually use for constructional timber, furniture and boxes. The leaves and barks also can be used for traditional medication purposes.

(E) Meranti Pa?ang (Shorea bracteolata)

Morphology: It is medium sized tree that can grow up to 60 metres height. The Meranti Pa?ang tree is a branchless that able to reach up to 20-30 metres. The tree bark is thick and fissured. The structure of the leaves are elliptic-oblong in shape while the flower is often small and present in pale yellow.

Ecology: It is widely distributed in lowland forests.

Uses: It is a light hardwood that usually use for wood industry such as plywood, flooring strips and veneer purposes.

(F) Merawan Batu (Hopea beccariana)

Local Name:Merawan Batu  Family: Dipterocarpaceae

Morphology: It is a medium to large tree which able to grow up to 45 metres tall with straight cylindrical bole on it. It has a small buttress that sometimes known to be stilted. The leaves are ovate, coriaceous and the base is cuneate-rounded. The flowers are often small in size and look creamy. The fruits have two calyx lobes that up to 3.5 centimetres long, twisted while the nut is ovoid.

Ecology: It is widely seen on the deep soils of inland ridges and coastal hills.

Uses: It is an important source of merawan timber.

(G) Terap Hitam (Artocarpus scortechinii)

Morphology: The characteristics are very similar to Terap Nasi (Artocarpus elasticus) but the trunk is darker while the leaves are slightly smaller. The upper surface of leaves is glabrous while the lower part is soft-densely hairy. The Terap Hitam fruits are similar to keledang which has no long soft spines on the fruit surface.

Ecology: It is commonly scattered in the lowland forests throughout Peninsular Malaysia.

Uses: It is suitable for light construction, strip flooring, pattern-making furniture joinery, core veneer, box, crate and wooden pallet.

(H) Rambutan Pachat (Xerospermum noronhianum)

Morphology: It is a medium sized tree that able to grow up to 25 metres tall. The leaves normally have one to two pairs of leaflets. Each leaflet has 6-22.5 centimetres x 3.2-10.4 centrimetres big. All leaflets vary in sizes and generally it is small and has elliptic to obovate or glabrous in shape. The colour of flowers is green.

Ecology: It is commonly found in the lowland forests throughout Peninsular Malaysia with less than 500 metres in elevation.

Uses: It is use as a native food for forest animals where the fruit is sweet.

(I) Menterbang (Aidia densiflora)

Morphology: It has a small tree which can reach up to 15 metres tall. The tree bark is smooth and often look greyish brown in colour. The structure of leaves is elliptic with 9-24 centimetres x 3-9 centimetres in size. The Menterbang tree has small and globose berries which turn from yellow to reddish-black when the fruit is ripened.

Ecology: It can be found from the lowland up to mountainous forests of Peninsular Malaysia.

Uses: The fragrant flowers often use as an aromatic garden plants.

(J) Penarahan (Knema kunstkeri)

Local Name: Penarahan         Family: Myristicaceae

Morphology: It is a medium tree with the maximum height of 28 metres. It has a brown tree bark and sometimes it is scaly. The tree twigs are often finely rusty and the leaves are glabrous, elliptic or elliptic-oblong in shape. The size of leaves can be 6x4 centimetres up to 18x6 centimetres. It has a small and red colour flower.

Ecology: It can be found at lowland and hillsides up to 780 above sea level. At certain times, the Penarahan trees also can be found at peat swampy forests.

Uses: It can be used as a medium hardwood. The type of wood is very durable and suitable for houses, beams and etc.

It has been a fruitful trip to Bukit Nanas Recreational Forest where most of us enjoy seeing tangible flora species and able to observe greenery nature panorama which stands right in the middle of Kuala Lumpur city.

References:

1. Oon, H. (2008). Globetrotter Wildlife Guide Malaysia. New Holland Publisher.
2. Saw, S.H. (2007). The population of Peninsular Malaysia. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
3. (1998). Asian Regional Workshop (Conservation & Sustainable Management of Trees, Viet Nam) Ochanostachys amentacea. In IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
4. (n.d.). Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve. Retrieved from http://www.malaysiavacationguide.com/bukitnanas.html
5. (n.d.). Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve, Kuala Lumpur. Retrieved from http://blog.tourism.gov.my/bukit-nanas-forest-reserve-kuala-lumpur/
6. (n.d.). Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve "A Unique City Rainforest Habitat. Retrieved from http://www.nature-escapes-kuala-lumpur.com/bukit-nanas.html
7. (n.d.). Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve at KL Tower. Retrieved from http://visit-to-kl.com/visit/Bukit_Nanas_Forest_KL_Tower.html