o_19ko2dt161ng2j4e1tgnoqv1s45a.pdf

G.W.H. DAVISON & ZUBAID AKBAR (2007)
STATUS OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN MALAYSIA &
THREAT ASSESSMENT OF PLANT SPECIES IN MALAYSIA
THE STATUS OF MAMMALIAN BIODIVERSITY
IN MALAYSIA
1
G.W.H. Davison & 2 Zubaid Akbar
ABSTRACT
There are approximately 298 valid named species of non-marine mammals within the political
borders of Malaysia. This total includes 229 species in Peninsular Malaysia, and 221 species
in East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), of which 152 species are shared. Over the past 22
years the list for Peninsular Malaysia has expanded by 22, and over the past 25 years the list
for East Malaysia has expanded by 30. Most of the additions are bats. Two genera of mammals
(Pithecheirops, Diplogale) and 30 species are endemic to Malaysia, so far as records now
show. Biodiversity questions range from historical uncertainty, to the definition of geographical
limits, continued survival, synonymy, species already described elsewhere but newly recorded
(various examples) and taxonomy of cryptic species. Since these questions are so varied in
type, scattered across a range of taxa, and each involve few species, it will be inefficient to
focus research effort on a major untargetted build-up of museum specimens. Two important
fields to concentrate on are genetic diversity/biosystematics (including within-species
diversity), and conservation (population dynamics, habitat availability, community structure).
These will be important for retaining the genetic viability of increasingly fragmented
populations of forest mammals, and can only be effective if adequate resources are available
to support research as well as management posts with associated capacity-building.
INTRODUCTION
The status of the biodiversity of mammals, like that of other biological groups, can be divided
into two main themes: first, the description of the diversity that exists at the various genetic,
population and species levels of taxonomy; and second, documenting the changes in numbers
of each species in the wild, as a response to development and other pressures.
Knowledge about the total number of mammal species that occur in Malaysia is still increasing
rapidly, and there are still several taxonomically difficult groups (for example Cynopterus;
Crocidura; Myotis; Haeromys; Petaurillus; Glyphotes). There are approximately 298 valid
named species of non-marine mammals within the political borders of Malaysia (Table 1;
1
National Parks Board, Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569;
Geoffrey_Davison@NParks.gov.sg
2
School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor;
zubaid@pkrisc.cc.ukm.my
3