Rafflesia Forest Reserve
Map showing the location of Rafflesia Forest Reserve
Map showing the location of Rafflesia Forest Reserve
Rafflesia Forest Reserve
LocationSabah, Malaysia
Coordinates05°46.64′N 116°20.60′E / 5.77733°N 116.34333°E / 5.77733; 116.34333
Area356 hectares (880 acres)[1]
Established1984

The Rafflesia Forest Reserve is a Virgin Jungle Reserve (VJR) that covers an area of 356 hectares (880 acres) in Tambunan District of Sabah, Malaysia.[1] The reserve was first established in 1967 as part of the Crocker Range Forest Reserve (now Crocker Range National Park).[2] In 1984, it was made a separate reserve by the Sabah Forestry Department to protect the area's Rafflesia flowers.

The Rafflesia Information Centre is located along the road from Kota Kinabalu to Tambunan. Several sites with wild specimens of the parasitic flowering plant Rafflesia pricei are reachable via hiking trails from the centre.[3]

A Rafflesia pricei plant, fully bloomed in the ground.
Rafflesia pricei, a flowering plant commonly seen in the Rafflesia Forest Reserve.

Flora

Rafflesia Forest Reserve is home to Rafflesia pricei and its host plant Tetrastigma leucostaphylum. The reserve is also home to montane forest tree species such as Shorea platyclados, Agathis kinabaluensis, Lithocarpus lucidus, Palaquium gutta, Shorea smithiana, Prainea limpato and Quercus kinabaluensis. Kerangas forest tree species in the reserve include Schima wallichii and Elaeocarpus stipularis.[4]

Fauna

Rafflesia Forest Reserve is home to a number of insect species endemic to Borneo, including Lyclene mesilaulinea, Problepsis borneamagna, Spilosoma ericsoni and Utetheisa abraxoides.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "Rafflesia Virgin Jungle Reserve". Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS). Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (Malaysia). Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b Chung, Arthur Y.C.; Chew, Steven K.F.; Majapun, Richard; Nilus, Reuben & Kugan, Frederick (July 2012). Rafflesia Forest Reserve: Conserving not only Rafflesia but also endemic, rare and interesting insects. International Biological Symposium. Serdang, Malaysia. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Rafflesia Information Centre". Sabah Tourism Board. Archived from the original on 6 September 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2007.
  4. ^ "Rafflesia FR". Sabah Forestry Department. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
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