The Peninsular Malaysian montane rain forests is an
ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...
on Malay Peninsula. It occupies the mountainous spine of the peninsula in Malaysia and southernmost Thailand. It is in the
tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Description
TSMF is generally found in large, discon ...
biome
A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...
.
Geography
The ecoregion occupies elevations above 1000 meters in the
Titiwangsa Mountains
The Titiwangsa Mountains ( Malay: ''Banjaran Titiwangsa,'' بنجرن تيتيوڠسا, ), also known as ''"Banjaran Besar"'' (Big Range) by locals, is the chain of mountains that forms the backbone of the Malay Peninsula.
The northern section ...
, which form the mountainous backbone of the Malay Peninsula. It also includes ranges to the east in
Kelantan
Kelantan (; Jawi: ; Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate'') is a state in Malaysia. The capital is Kota Bharu and royal seat is Kubang Kerian. The honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' (Jawi: ; "The Blissful Abode").
Kelantan is located in th ...
,
Terengganu
Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', Jawi: ), formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu, is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l- Īmān'' ("Abode of Faith" ...
, and
Pahang
Pahang (; Jawi: , Pahang Hulu Malay: ''Paha'', Pahang Hilir Malay: ''Pahaeng'', Ulu Tembeling Malay: ''Pahaq)'' officially Pahang Darul Makmur with the Arabic honorific ''Darul Makmur'' (Jawi: , "The Abode of Tranquility") is a sultanate and ...
states. The highest peak in the Titiwangsa Mountains is
Mount Korbu
Mount Korbu () is a mountain in Hulu Kinta, Perak, Malaysia, about 25 km from Ipoh. It is the highest peak in the state of Perak , located on the Titiwangsa Mountains, the southernmost section of the Tenasserim Hills.
Mount Korbu is also th ...
at 2,183 meters elevation. Other peaks include
Mount Tahan
Mount Tahan ( ms, Gunung Tahan), is the highest point in Peninsular Malaysia with an elevation of above sea level. It is located within the Taman Negara national forest, in the state of Pahang. The mountain is part of the Tahan Range in the Te ...
(2,188 m), the highest peak in peninsular Malaysia, and Mount Benum (2,130 m). The ecoregion is surrounded at lower elevations by the ecologically-distinct
Peninsular Malaysian rain forests
The Peninsular Malaysian rain forests is an ecoregion on Malay Peninsula and adjacent islands. It is in the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome.
Geography
The ecoregion covers most of the southern Malay Peninsula in Malaysia ...
.Saw, Leng Guan. (2010). Vegetation of Peninsular Malaysia.Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). ''Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment.'' Washington, DC: Island Press.
Flora
The montane forests are made up of evergreen trees, which form a canopy 10-20 meters high. The tree canopy is lower than the lowland forests and lack emergent trees, and the trees mostly and lack buttressed roots and have smaller glossy-green leaves. Ephiphyes, including orchids, ferns, mosses, and lichens, are more abundant.
Above 1000 meters elevation, the
dipterocarp
Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 16 genera and about 695 known species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus ''Dipterocarpus'', is derived from Greek (''di'' = two, ''pteron'' = wing and ''karpos'' = f ...
s that characterize the lowland forests become fewer, and trees in the beech family ( Fagaceae) become predominant, including evergreen
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
s (''Quercus'') and species of '' Lithocarpus'' and ''
Castanopsis
''Castanopsis'', commonly called chinquapin or chinkapin, is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the beech family, Fagaceae. The genus contains about 140 species, which are today restricted to tropical and subtropical eastern Asia. A total o ...
''. Trees in the Myrtle family ( Myrtaceae) and conifers are also common, including species of '' Agathis,
Dacrydium
''Dacrydium'' is a genus of conifers belonging to the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. Sixteen species of evergreen dioecious trees and shrubs are presently recognized. The genus was first described by Solander in 1786, and formerly included many m ...
'', and ''
Podocarpus
''Podocarpus'' () is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family, the Podocarpaceae. The name comes from Greek πούς (poús, “foot”) + καρπός (karpós, “fruit”). ''Podocarpus'' species ...
''.
Upper montane forests occur above 1500 meters elevation. Trees form a flat-topped canopy from 1.5 to 18 meters high. Epiphytes, including orchids, ferns, leafy liverworts, and lichens, are abundant. Common trees include species of ''
Dacrydium
''Dacrydium'' is a genus of conifers belonging to the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. Sixteen species of evergreen dioecious trees and shrubs are presently recognized. The genus was first described by Solander in 1786, and formerly included many m ...
,
Daphniphyllum
''Daphniphyllum'' is the sole genus in the flowering plant family Daphniphyllaceae and was described as a genus in 1826. The genus includes evergreen shrubs and trees mainly native to east and southeast Asia, but also found in the Indian Subconti ...
,
Eurya
''Eurya'' is a genus of about 70 species of flowering plants in the family Pentaphylacaceae.
Fossil record
Several fossil seeds of ''Eurya stigmosa'' have been described from Middle Miocene strata of the Fasterholt area near Silkeborg in centra ...
,
Ficus
''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extendi ...
Ilex
''Ilex'' (), or holly, is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...
Lindera
Dried fruits of ''Lindera neesiana'' used as spice (coll. MHNT)
''Lindera'' is a genus of about 80–100Lithocarpus,
Melicope
''Melicope'' is a genus of about 240 species of shrubs and trees in the family Rutaceae, occurring from the Hawaiian Islands across the Pacific Ocean to tropical Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Plants in the genus ''Melicope'' have simple or ...
,
Podocarpus
''Podocarpus'' () is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family, the Podocarpaceae. The name comes from Greek πούς (poús, “foot”) + καρπός (karpós, “fruit”). ''Podocarpus'' species ...
,
Prunus
''Prunus'' is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes (among many others) the fruits plums, Cherry, cherries, peaches, Peach#Nectarine, nectarines, apricots, and almonds.
Native to the North American temperate regions, the neotropics of Sou ...
,
Quercus
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ...
,
Syzygium
''Syzygium'' () is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1200 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific. ...
,
Schima
''Schima'' is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the tea family, Theaceae.
The genus inhabits warm temperate to subtropical climates across southern and southeastern Asia, from the eastern Himalaya of Nepal and eastern India across Ind ...
Tristaniopsis
''Tristaniopsis'' is a group of shrub and tree in the myrtle family Myrtaceae described as a genus in 1863. They have a wide distribution in Southeast Asia, New Guinea, New Caledonia
)
, anthem = ""
, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe ...
'', and ''
Weinmannia fraxinea
''Weinmannia fraxinea'' is a tree in the family Cunoniaceae. It grows up to tall. The bark is grey to dark brown. Inflorescences bear up to three pairs of flowers. The specific epithet ' is from the Latin meaning "ash tree", referring to the le ...
''. Rhododendrons are common shrubs, especially on acidic and peat soils.
Fauna
The ecoregion home to several large and endangered mammal species –
Asian elephant
The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus ''Elephas'' and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in the no ...
(''Elephas maximus''),
gaur
The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ), also known as the Indian bison, is a bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 m ...
(''Bos gaurus''),
tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ...
(''Panthera tigris''),
sun bear
The sun bear (''Helarctos malayanus'') is a species in the family Ursidae (the only species in the genus ''Helarctos'') occurring in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is the smallest bear, standing nearly at the shoulder and weighing ...
(''Helarctos malayanus''),
Malayan tapir
The Malayan tapir (''Tapirus indicus''), also called Asian tapir, Asiatic tapir and Indian tapir, is the only tapir species native to Southeast Asia from the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra. It has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since ...
(''Tapirus indicus''), clouded leopard (''Neofelis nebulosa''), and
siamang
The siamang (, ; ''Symphalangus syndactylus'') is an arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The largest of the gibbons, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching in height, a ...
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
mammal. The
Sumatran rhinoceros
The Sumatran rhinoceros (''Dicerorhinus sumatrensis''), also known as the Sumatran rhino, hairy rhinoceros or Asian two-horned rhinoceros, is a rare member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant species of rhinoceros. It is the o ...
(''Dicerorhinus sumatrensis'') once inhabited the forests, but Malaysia's last rhinoceroses died in 2019, and the species' few remaining members survive only in Sumatra.
The ecoregion is home to over 250 species of birds, including the endangered
Malayan crested argus
The Malayan crested argus (''Rheinardia nigrescens'') is a large and spectacular peafowl-like species of bird in the pheasant family with dark-brown-spotted black and buff plumage, a heavy pink bill, brown irises and blue skin around the eyes. Th ...
(''Rheinardia nigrescens''), and the threatened endemic mountain peacock-pheasant (''Polyplectron inopinatum'').
Conservation
A 2017 assessment found that 5,678 km², or 33%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas within or partially within the ecoregion include
Royal Belum State Park
Belum-Temengor is the largest continuous forest complex in Peninsular Malaysia. Specifically, it is located in the Malaysian state of Perak (Hulu Perak) and crosses into Southern Thailand. Belum-Temenggor is divided into two sections. Belum is lo ...
Taman Negara National Park
Taman Negara is a national park in Peninsular Malaysia. It was established in 1938/1939 as the King George V National Park after Theodore Hubback lobbied the sultans of Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan to set aside a piece of land that covers the ...
(4524.54 km²) includes Mount Tahan and the montane forests to the east, as well as lowland and hill forest."Malaysia". ''Protected Planet''. Accessed 15 May 2020 /ref>