All Creatures Great and Small #33
Ants
A one-hectare of lowland forest in Brunei yielded 115 species of ants, of which 102 have been identified. No fewer than 24 of these are new records for Borneo. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31184/M00138908.1584.4153
Crocker Undersea Fan
The Crocker undersea fan has good undersea gas and oil prospects for the west Borneo area. The Crocker Fan is the largest sedimentary deposits in the South China Sea. DOI: 10.7623/syxb202210006
New Indonesian Kampongs
The proposal designs two kampongs in villages in the new Indon capital area. Two entirely different design approaches will be used to create liveable and vibrant neighbourhoods that will answer the needs of the rural people in the new urban environment. 10.34726/hss.2022.88520
Water and Pontianak
This study investigates the interaction between tides, storm surges and river discharges in the Kapuas river valley. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/266564
Microscopic Ocean Water Organisms
Three new species of dinoflagellates (organisms which make the seawater glow at night) were discovered in Borneo waters. The new species, H. borneoensis sp. nov., H. limii sp. nov., and H. iwatakii sp. nov. were described in this study. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hal.2022.102338
Fungi+Bacteria in Root soil
Bacteria which grow near the roots of trees is associated with fungi which also grow there. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14030
Bidayuh Medicinal Plants
A total of 44 different plants were used to treat 25 ailments. Reducing the number to five ailments, 11 species were used to treat fever, 10 species were used for wounds, 8 for post-partum care and 7 for hypertension and 7 for skin rashes. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496475.2022.2140739
Engkabang
Shorea macrophylla (Illpe nut tree) is a woody tree that grows in the rainforest. The complete DNA sequence for its chloroplast is reported here. doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2224050/v1
A Collection
The Barry Roper Collection of Sarawak materials in the Sarawak State Library is available for patrons. Journal of Information and Knowledge Management (JIKM) Vol 1 Special Issue (2022)
Bacteria on downed fruit
Workers should be aware of the possibility of deadly bacteria on downed oil palm fruit from soil bacteria. https://doi.org/ 10.37231/ajmb.2022.6.S1.575
Beware of salt lick water
The water of a salt lick in Kapit, Sarawak shows the presence of faecal bacteria. https://doi.org/10.37231/ajmb.2022.6.S1.514
New Book
Mulyawan Karim, Di Rumah Panjang: pergulatan hidup dan cinta orang Dayak Iban is available from Brill https://doi.org/10.1163/22134379-17804006
Lizards
Pelturagonia, a lizard native to Borneo, has a camouflage colouration of greenish brown. However, when a lizard was captured in Kapit and placed in a dark box and then exposed to sunlight hours later, the colours changed to yellow. Further studies are needed to determine the cause of the change in colouration. An interesting read. Herpetology Notes, volume 15: 763-767 (2022) (published online on 14 November 2022)
Malaria
This article summarizes malaria on Indonesian Borneo Island. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04366-5
Kota Kinabalu Movement
Mt. Kinabalu is moving to the southeast at 22.9-31.7 mm per year. https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/69221
2/4th Commando Squadron
A history of the 2/4th Commando Squadron from Australia during WW2 is available here. https://www.hmoob.in/wiki/2/4th_Commando_Squadron_(Australia)
Airborne Lasers
Airborne laser scanners can now map forest gaps in trees. They have mapped logging disturbances in Malaysian Borneo. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.90778
Bacteria in Waterfall
Satow Waterfall in Bau contains bacteria, “superbugs” that are resistant to most treatments. /doi.org/10.37231/ajmb.2022.6.S1.529
Food Prices
Pre- and post-Covid food prices were analysed. The highest prices were in Sabah and Sarawak. Celery had the highest price increase, while shallots showed a major price drop. Prices were very volatile among other items. The study has lists of prices for imported vs domestic items. Economic and Technology Management Review, Vol. 18(2022): 45 – 57
Tourism Spending
- The study reveals that tourists who used travel agencies/tour operators and magazines/newspapers before their visit are likely to spend more across all expenditure categories. While in destination, tourists tend to use the internet to find the best prices on various activities, leading to significantly lower expenditure across most categories. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2022.2144154
Bats
Bat poop and nitrogen were the studies of this paper at Deer Cave near Bau in Sarawak. It was found that some of the nitrogen in ammonia would be lost to the air, much of the nitrates were dissolved in water and bacteria changed the rest to a gas. https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.51.3.2438
Logged Forests
Trees in logged forests in Borneo grew slower due to higher temperatures. Trees located in the understory also had the same effect. https://studenttheses.uu.nl/bitstream/handle/20.500.12932/43214/Thesis_Fichtbauer.pdf?sequence=1
Rice Pest
The striped rice stem borer is a major pest on rice crops. It is dispersed by the wind and flight. The stem borer kills the rice plant by affecting the growing points of young shoots. It also keeps the plant from flowering. https://doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.12855
Minimum Wage
The minimum wage in Malaysia is US $1.73 or MR6.90 per hour for an eight-hour day for five days. FBM UITM Insights Volume 6 p.109
Mahua Literature 馬華文學
Mahua literature is a type of storytelling that is deeply rooted in local customs and social conditions. Two Sarawak writers were shortlisted but did not place as one of the top 20 Mahua novels written between 2001-2015. The paper states it is the story of the unrewarded. https://doi.org/10.7312/chan20338-003
Wind Turbine in the Shape of camphor seed
This paper proposes a wind turbine be built on the geometry of the Borneo Camphor seed. Paperfor14th International Conference on Applied Energy – ICAE2022, Aug. 8-11, 2022, Bochum, Germany.
Endangered orchid
The Paphiopedilum lowii (Lindl.) Stein is a slipper orchid that has become critically endangered due to poaching. This study successfully identified conditions for seed germination and produced the structure which causes the plant to become associated with fungus. DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d231119