TALK about the Meliau Range and many will likely mistake it for the more wellknown Maliau Basin in southern Sabah. The greatly unexplored Meliau Range is actually located just north of Telupid, about 200km from Kota Kinabalu. It is a 35km-long, picturesque, mountainous area at the eastern quarter of the Ulu Tungud Forest Reserve in central Sabah.

Much of the range is in pristine condition, which, combined with its numerous natural features, gives impetus to biodiversity and conservation studies. The range is predominantly covered with ultramafic forests which are generally low in nutrients, rocky and well-drained, and with toxic metals such as magnesium, nickel, cobalt and chromium.

Dr Lee Ying Fah, head of the Forest Research Centre in Sepilok, said the forests harbour an interesting and unique flora adapted to such conditions, such as pitcher and ant plants and orchids. Ultramafic forests are one of the least studied ecosystems in Borneo. As such, a scientific expedition was conducted in August this year to explore the unique biodiversity of the Meliau Range. Organised by the Sabah Forestry Department in collaboration with TSH Resources Bhd (which manages the forest reserve) and Global Environmental Centre, the expedition saw 70 participants — scientists and researchers from various organisations and institutions including the Sabah Biodiversity Centre and Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

The expedition was part of the Meliau Range Conservation Programme initiated by the Sabah Forestry Department, TSH Resources and Global Environmental Centre, and funded by the Keindanren Nature Conservation Fund of Japan. Sabah Biodiversity Centre's Anuar Mohamed, who led the expedition, said it aimed to document Sabah's rich biodiversity and to create awareness about conservation of ultramafic forests.

Sabah is one of the 12th mega-biodiversity hotspots in the world and such an expedition would contribute towards a better understanding of unexplored areas in the State. Anuar disclosed that the expedition unveiled some fascinating findings. Researchers had initially forecasted low biodiversity in this low nutrient environment but found many exciting specimens, including several species of orchids and land snails believed to be new to science.

Two species of rheophytic orchids of the genus Malaxis and Appendicula which are rooted to river rocks were discovered; these are believed to be able to withstand flashfloods. Other fascinating plants include the rare Slipper Orchid Paphiopedilum hookerae volonteanum, the endemic Borneodendron aenigmaticum and various species of the carnivorous pitcher and ant plants.

"Some of the plants found are endemic, meaning that they are confined to ultramafic soil only, mainly due to their adaptation to the area's unique ecosystem," said eminent orchid and herb expert Anthony Lamb.

Associate Professor Dr Menno Schilthuizen, of Universiti Malaysia Sabah, who has done work on land snails, was excited over the existence of the Ditropopsis and Planispira cf. loxotropis, an unusually shaped and probably undescribed land snail species new to Borneo.

Schilthuizen also found great diversity in the genus Japonia, including three species which have never been collected in Sabah before. Forest ecologist Dr Reuben Nilus observed that landslides were common in the Meliau Range due to the steepness of the terrain. Succession is slow because of poor nutrients. However, the common pioneer species in ultramafic forests, Gymnostomu sumatrana,also known as the Bornean Christmas Tree, found after landslides, and in burnt and logged areas, could be a future prospect for forest rehabilitation.

During the expedition many interesting insects were sampled through lighttrapping. Researchers Dr Arthur Y.C. Chung and Nordin Wahid considered the insect fauna diverse. Some rare amd spectacular beetles were encountered, such as the stag beetle endemic to Sabah, Odontolabis vollenhoveni,the intriguing guitar-like beetle Mormolyce sp,and the elegant Cyriopalus wallacei, which has a comb-like antennae.

The expedition also saw the documentation of ethnobotany and ethnoentomology at Kampung Ansuan and Kampung Baba, which are located adjacent to the Meliau Range.

George Majawat, who led the enthnobotany survey, said plants are still widely used for medicinal purposes other than as a food source. The expedition was a great success and the biodiversity information gathered essential in enhancing the conservation efforts of this unique ecosystem in Sabah.