Barclaya
All Creatures Great and Small # 23
Gas and Oil
A report from Petronas, the oil company for Malaysia, indicates that production of 5.0 thousands of gallons of oil per day is possible from the Brownfield Sarawak area. https://doi.org/10.2523/IPTC-22448-EA
White Shrimp
A disease affecting white shrimp being grown in Sarawak has concluded it attacks the pancreas. The study recommends immediate harvest or destruction of the population if the disease is encountered. Pertanika J. Trop. Agric. Sci. 45 (1): 171 – 186 (2022)
Storage of Carbon Dioxide
This paper reports on the storage of carbon dioxide from oil fields in Sarawak. https://doi.org/10.2523/IPTC-22685-MS
Grain Storage
The storage of grains for seed has been discussed in this article with a study of seeds lost due to mice eating the grain and urine damage.t DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467422000050
Altitude and Borneo Mammals
As one walks up a mountain the habitat for animals changes. This study, at Gunung Pueh National Park,(Lundu District 100 km from Kuching) included 19 species of mid sized mammals in the lowland forest and 18 species in the montane (ecosystems found on the slopes of mountains) forest. Four species were detected only in the lowland forest (sambar deer, Malay civet, Borneo Banded langur and Malayan porcupine) while three others (collared mongoose, malay weasel, Hoses Civet) were detected further up the mountain in the montane forest. I have a copy of the study. Just ask.
Trans Borneo Highway and the Melano
This study has found that the highway has benefited the villagers. The roadway has solidified the Islam beliefs of the community. The highway has kept some social and traditional beliefs. In linguistics the mother tongue remains firm but Sarawak Malay has made inroads especially in dealing with outsiders. Sustainability 2022, 14, 2655. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052655
Headhunting
A chapter in the book The Routledge Companion to Humanism and Literature entitled “Head Hunting and Native Agency in Lundayeh (Sabah) Oral Literature” has been published. The chapter explains the Lundayeh divide the world into the seen and unseen. “The rituals that followed a successful headhunting expedition, placed the severed head in the rightful place of the cosmos because the dead person’s soul force has now been incorporated into the homogenous tribe. ” I have a copy of the abstract. The download is way too expensive.
New Population of Rafflesia
A new population of the Rafflesia Tuan Muda has been discovered in Naha Jaley Sarawak. The plants are located on the Eastern side of the of the known distribution of the species. DOI:10.3759/tropics.MS21-14
Rabies in Sarawak
90% of the dogs across Sarawak have been vaccinated. Early post-management has saved two lives. Thirty-two enforcement teams cover 978 villages that keep stray dogs from entering the hound population. Rabies vaccinations for home dogs, annual dog licensing and mass awareness programs is the result of the “One Health Strategy” as advocated by the World Health Organization. The goal of WHO is to eradicate rabies by 2030. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2021.12.250
New Species
A new species of fungus gnat has been made known to science. Residing in Lagang Cave Sarawak, it joins five others in the genus Chetoneura Colless. They feed on fungus.https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5697-1197
Species Richness
Northeast Borneo and western Sumatra are the areas with the most species-rich diversity. “Our analysis suggests that common and generalist carnivores are the most effective indicators of sampled biodiversity and have high potential as focal, umbrella or indicator species to assist multi-species vertebrate conservation planning.” 10.1111/acv.12771
Five New Species of Land Snails
Occurring on the limestone hills of Sarawak and east Kalimatan, five new species of land snails have been made known to the western world. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12657/folmal.030.004
Timber
Everything you ever wanted to know about how to name trees in Malaysia is included in this small publication. Frim Timber Technology Bulletin No. 114, 2022
Practice makes Permanent
This essay discusses why we should emphasize practising a science skill or concept in order for the brain to retain it. It follows the Brain-Based Learning Theory. Borneo International Journal Vol. 5 (1); 2022; 16-23
New Riffle Beetle
A new Riffle beetle has been made known to science. Found in the Kelabit highlands, Potamophilus kelabitensis sp. nov., is also found in south Sabah. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2022.806.1695
Oil
Several papers about off shore drilling of Sarawak from the March 2022 conference are available from https://doi.org/10.4043/31417-MS
Three New Species
Three new species of Barclaya, an aquatic plant, has been made known to the western world. They are found in tropical Asia and named after Thomas Barclay, an American brewer. Nordic Journal of Botany doi: 10.1111/njb.03392
