Birds at Semenggoh, Sarawak

A comparison between birds captured in 1964-1965 compared with those secured in 2015-2016 has revealed a dramatic decline in species. The 64-65 capture was 139 species, while the2015-16 secured only 55 species.  JOURNAL OF ASIAN ORNITHOLOGY 39 (2023): 43–53

Miri Oil History

 Lecturer Terry Justin Dit tells of the inimitable Canadian oil drillers who brought their expertise and skills in oil extraction and left their mark on Miri with the now famous Canada Hill overlooking Miri city named in their honour. He also relates how the knowledge and skills the locals gained from these early pioneers and later generations of oil and gas professionals. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/94242

Evergreen Trees

Sea Cyprus (Casuarina equisetifolia) and Mountain Cyprus (Casuarina junghuhniana) are the subjects of a climate change study. The Mountain Cyprus is expected to expand by 18% while the Sea Cyprus is expected to show a reduction of 0.6%.10.13057/biodiv/d241161

Penan and Leprosy

Out of the 257 new cases of leprosy reported in Sarawak, 42.8% were Penans, and 72.7% were from Baram. The majority of the cases were detected through active case detection, but some cases were detected late. https://doi.org/10.1177/10105395241227507

Weather and Covid

The weather did affect the spread of Covid. The higher the relative humidity, the lower the spread of Covid. The spread of Covid is greatest between temperatures between 24-29C but decreases dramatically when the temperature reaches 30C. The higher the wind speed, the lower the virus was spread. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-023-09804-8

Leaf Spot on Pineapple

Leaf spot was first detected in Pineapple plants in 2017 in Perak and spread to Sarawak. Studies have shown the disease was caused by the fungus Neoscytalidium dimidiatum. The disease causes brown spots to appear, then they would meet and cause large brown spots and creamy white splotches. They would then cover the entire leaf, causing the plant to die. The identification of the cause allows for the search for a cure. First Report of Leaf Spot of Pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr Caused by Neoscytalidium dimidiatum in Malaysia/M. Afifah

Austronesian Dispersal

The Ami people of Taiwan began their migration 19,000 years ago. They then split into three branches 4,900 years ago. They included the Ami branch, the Southeast Asian branch and the Polynesian/Micronesian branch. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52293-z

Bugs on Shallots

Peatland that has been cleared and planted with shallots has attracted many insects. In this study, 217 predators were collected. They include ladybugs were 4 species with 143 individuals and the highest population was discovered by the discoloured ladybug beetle. 10.55446/IJE.2024.1598

Thomas Flying Squirrel

Thomas’s Flying Squirrel (Aeromys thomasi) is a rarely observed, large, nocturnal species of Flying Squirrel, confined to the island of Borneo. Very little is known about it.  Fruit is the only diet item recorded so far. I report for the first time feeding on bark and on young leaf shoots by the species. https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2023-0159

Storms Stork

The stork is found only in the forested lowlands of the Thai-Malay peninsula, Borneo and Sumatra. On Borneo, the species is found in Sabah and several swamp and peat forests. Today, while Storm’s Stork maintains a clear stronghold on Borneo, it is gravely threatened by the clearance of lowland dipterocarp and swamp forests. BirdingASIA 38 (2022):83–85

Iban and Education History

In Malay. The Iban people who receive education are motivated by their awareness to change their lives for the better, while the people who refuse are pushed by the community’s desire to maintain traditions, the attitude of parents who do not want to be away from their children and the poverty factor. The negative attitude caused the education of the Iban community to develop slowly compared to other races. : https://doi.org/10.37134/perspektif.vol16.1.1.2023

BorneoHistory.net