29-04-2025
Sabah Forestry Centre publishes journal showcasing plant discoveries
The latest SANDAKANIA journal was presented to the Chief Conservator of Forests, Datuk Frederick Kugan, by Dr Arthur Chung, witnessed by others from the Forest Research Centre, Sepilok.
SANDAKAN (April 29): The Forest Research Centre of the Sabah Forestry Department in Sandakan has published SANDAKANIA, a journal dedicated to plant systematics, morphology and natural history.
The recently printed Volume 25, was made possible through financial support from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability. The online version was available earlier in December, 2024.
In this latest volume, four scientific papers were contributed by botanists and one write-up in memory of the late Datuk Anthony Lamb. The first paper features the discovery of two new species of tropical blueberry from central Sabah, by researchers from the United States in collaboration with Dr Joan Pereira of Sabah Forestry Department.
The second paper highlights the new locality records for the rare and Sabah's endemic Rafflesia tengku-adlinii, by John Sugau and Alviana Damit.
A provisional checklist on seed plant diversity and its conservation status in Mount Sinsing of the Trusmadi Range in Tambunan, was provided by Jonathan Lucas and researchers from the Sabah Forestry Department.
Mount Sinsing is the third highest mountain in Malaysia. Andi Maryani together with other researchers from Sabah Forestry Department and Universiti Malaysia Sabah focused on ferns and lycophytes of Mount Sinsing. The last paper was a write-up by Datuk C.L. Chan to remember the late Datuk Anthony Lamb, who contributed significantly to botany and nature in Sabah.
Behind the SANDAKANIA journal stands the editorial committee, led by Dr Arthur Y.C. Chung as Chairman, John B. Sugau as Editor, Dr Joan T. Pereira as Assistant Editor and Alviana Damit as Layout and Copy Editor. There are also four advisers, namely Dr Wong Khoon Meng and Timothy M.A. Utteridge (Singapore Botanic Garden), Todd J. Barkman (Western Michigan University, USA) and Elliot Gardner (Case Western Reserve University, USA).
The committee under the Chief Conservator of Forests, Datuk Frederick Kugan, actively seeks publications to enrich the scientific understanding of the flora in Sabah and Borneo. SANDAKANIA continues to be a beacon for the dissemination of botanical knowledge, fostering a deeper appreciation for the rich biodiversity of this region.
