ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION

The Sabah Ficus Germplasm Centre

The Sabah Forestry Department has entrusted BORA to develop and curate the Sabah Ficus Germplasm Centre at Tabin WildlifeReserve.

This facility contains about 90 species of native wild fig (Ficus)species, maintained as living plants, and all able to produce materials for planting elsewhere.

BORA and other NGOs are constantly seeking and collecting seeds and cuttings of other native Ficus species, to add to the collection.

Seedlings, cuttings, marcots and bud-grafts of selected species are produced tohelp restore habitat for orangutans and other wildlife species in ForestReserves and in oil palm plantations.

Under Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil standards, if endangered species or high biodiversity values are present in a plantation, appropriate measures for management planning and operations are required. This can take the form of cultivating wildlife food plants such as Ficus on riparian zones and steep areas.
Dr Zainal Zahari Zainuddin
Programme Director
Protected areas alone are insufficient to preserve all Malaysia’s species diversity. To prevent further extinctions we must develop targeted policies and actions towards recovery and restoration.
Datuk Dr John Payne
Executive Director