New Book
Ian Douglas Water and the Rain Forest in Malaysia Borneo Hydrological Research at the Danum Valley Research Center Switzerland: Springer Nature Ecological Studies,362 p. 2022 e-book Euros 129; hardcover Euros 159.00 The book is a collection of scientific papers dealing with water at the Danum Valley research station. Book review later.
Non-flying mammals
This paper reviews the species of non-flying mammals at Kubah National Park in Sarawak. Mice and rats, squirrels and tree shrews were recorded. Borneo Journal of Resource Science and Technology (2021), 11(2): 110-117
Motorcycle Thefts
The hotspots for motorcycle thefts are in the town centre of Kuching. Borneo Journal of Resource Science and Technology (2021), 11(2): 110-117
Freshwater Fish
A study of the fish in the Wilmer Oil Palm Plantation in Miri reveals “high fish species diversity and richness.” Borneo Journal of Resource Science and Technology (2021), 11(2): 30-37 DOI: https:doi.org/10.33736/bjrst.4076.2021
Stingrays in local Markets
The nutritional value of stingrays obtained at local fish markets includes fats and minerals based on two tests. Other analyses have yet to be performed, according to this paper. Trends in Undergraduate Research (2021) 4(2): a1-a5 https://doi.org/10.33736/tur.3431.2021
Land Cover at Bakun Dam
The most significant change at the dam during the last 30 years was from vegetation to a lake. This study also shows” land cover mapping” as a helpful tool. Geographica Vol.3 no. 1
Coral Reef in Sabah
The mapping of coral reefs is a valuable tool for monitoring and determining reef development. A few mushroom corals and submassive corals were recorded using his system. Borneo Journal of Marine Science and Aquaculture Volume: 05 | (02) | Dec 2021, 70-74
New Book
In the book, Digital Transformation Management has a chapter dedicated to Sarawak entitled The Next Frontier towards Digital Sarawak by Chai Lee Goh. ISBN 9781032124346
Trees
DBH is the measure of the diameter of a tree 1.35 meters from its base. DBH, after one year of study, was related to rainfall, rainy days, temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation in a secondary forest of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. (Unimas) Advances in Biological Sciences Research, volume 17 International Conference on Tropical Agrifood, Feed and Fuel (ICTAFF 2021)
Sibu Neurological Center
The centre has been hailed as the great first step in establishing a rural area. However, the centre has problems. The lack of a neurosurgeon, training programs, getting neurosurgeons to practice in a rural area, and other issues make the centre a dismal place to work. The constant barriers such as protracted transport times, lack of human resources and financial resources, difficulty in retaining specialists and absences of the infrastructures should be addressed promptly. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inat.2022.
New Book
New Directions in Theology and Science has a chapter about Sarawak.
Food in Forests
A comparison was made between food in a logged vs an unlogged forest. Research has shown, “All things being equal, results imply selective logging may increase wildlife food security if considerately practised. The findings, however, should be interpreted with caution.” International Journal of Biometeorology (2022)
New Beetle Species
A new species of beetle has been made known to science. Discovered in Sabah by scientists from Ehine University in Japan, the beetle may associate ants. Japanese Journal of Systematic Entomology (27) 2 December 2021
Orangutans
“This study verified the existence of a closely related group of wild orangutans including adult males and females who are local to the Camp Leakey study area. All sampled individuals appear to be from a dispersed but related community.” Journal of Biosciences Vol. 29 No. 1, January 2022 62-75 DOI:10.4308/hjb.29.1.62-75
Bees in Singapore
There are 133 known species of bees in Singapore. More species are expected to be found in the canopy and mangrove areas, where samples were difficult to obtain. Loss of stingless bees are of particular concern as they are key generalist pollinators present year-round in tropical forests. In considering the bee fauna as a whole, our findings emphasise the need to conserve remaining natural habitat sites, including remnant dipterocarp forests and mangroves and associated coastal habitats in Singapore. RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY 70: 39–64 Date of publication: 14 January 2022 DOI: 10.26107/RBZ-2022-0004 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4C605B04-26A5-4856-A5D9-75586B46C1F4
Two New Bird Species
The jungle flycatcher (genus Cyornis) and a white eye (genus Zosterops) are two new species of birds that have been made known to science. They were found in the Meratus Mountains of southeast Borneo. The new Meratus Flycatcher is closely related to the Cyornis Montanus, except it has lighter blue on the upperparts and whitish and less red on the lower parts. The new Meratus white eye is closely related to the Zosterops chlori, except it has olive upperparts and darker underparts. J Ornithol (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-021-01937-2
Proboscis Monkey
A study of the number of Proboscis monkeys in the Balikpapan Bay area revealed no changes after experts had predicted a dramatic decline during the forest fire season linked to El Nino. The study was conducted during the 2007-2017 seasons. However, one subgroup is possibly reaching its breeding maxim because of habitat loss. Am J Primatol. 2022 Jan 7;e23357.doi: 10.1002/ajp.23357.
Bidayuh Proverbs
A very interesting paper about Bidayuh proverbs using plant and animal references: for example, Mopuk suik mun isin banuak (White like the flesh of tapioca root) Flawless beauty: ideal smooth skin and white complexion of a woman. Human Behavior, Development and Society ISSN 2651-1762, Vol 22 No 3, December 2021
Japanese Immigrants to Sarawak
From 1880 to 1940, karayuki-san(sex workers) immigrants and farmers migrated to Sarawak. This paper states they successfully integrated into the economic system.(?) The article focuses on Seiji Kuno, who entered Islam and became part of the Malay culture. The work also features Chinese- Japanese unions. WILAYAH: The International Journal of East Asian Studies, Vol. 10, No. 2, 2021, pp. 31-43.doi.org/10.22452/IJEAS.vol10no2.3
Fungus Among Us
Tropical cord forming fungi are poorly documented. They are valuable in breaking down the leaf litter in the forests. Research suggests a large undiscovered tropical fungal diversity in Borneo that has been detected independently. Microorganisms vol. 10 issue 2 10.3390/microorganisms10020239
Java Archaeology
Modern human teeth
which have intruded into older levels could occur in cave sediments. This could result in the misdating of the remains. Journal of Human Evolution vol.163 February 2022 103122