NParks replaces casuarina trees on Coney Island, but expert says move could improve biodiversity
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
NParks said it replaced 102 trees in two areas of the park between August and October 2025.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
Letitia Chen
SINGAPORE – Coney Island Park in north-eastern Singapore is known for its tall casuarina trees, a native species with needle-like twigs resembling the leaves of a pine tree.
A children’s play area in the park was even named after these coastal sentinels, with the Casuarina Exploratory featuring wooden structures and seats
But visitors to the 81ha park – roughly the size of 19 Padang fields – say they have observed fewer such trees there in recent months.
When The Straits Times visited the park on Jan 19, a poster put up by the National Parks Board (NParks) explained that the trees had been removed for various reasons, including minimising the risk of tree falls and encouraging the growth of other native species.
Retiree Ding Chin Kee, who visits Coney Island two or three times a week, told ST that he had noticed the poster a few weeks ago and was saddened by the removal of the casuarina trees (Casuarina equisetifolia).
“It’s one of the only places left where there are so many casuarinas around,” said the 60-year-old. “It took a long time for the trees to grow to this size, and they gave the island such a unique and beautiful landscape.”
In response to queries, NParks said it replaced 102 trees – comprising storm-damaged casuarina trees and non-native invasive tree species such as earleaf acacia (Acacia auriculiformis) – in two areas of the park between August and October 2025.
In their place, endangered native species
Mr Chia Seng Jiang, NParks’ group director for parks, said 185 native coastal trees, including the critically endangered mengkudu laut (Timonius finlaysonianus) and putat laut (Barringtonia asiatica), had been planted on Coney Island with community support.
Over 1,000 native coastal shrubs were also planted to reforest storm-impacted areas, he added.
These efforts involved the removal of storm-damaged casuarina trees, Mr Chia said.
“Habitat enhancement works are undertaken where there is an opportunity to fill in gaps left behind by storm damage, to minimise disruption to the island’s natural landscape and park visitors,” he added.
While these areas of the park may remain bare as the young plants grow, the replacement of the casuarina trees with other native species may not be all that bad, said forestry expert Lahiru Wijedasa.
Dr Lahiru, who previously worked at NParks managing parks in north-eastern Singapore, including Coney Island Park, said such reforestation efforts would enable the park to benefit from a more diverse coastal habitat, along with the reintroduction of native flora.
“Many species that should naturally occur in these habitats are no longer present – not necessarily because the habitat has disappeared, but because conditions have changed too quickly or natural recolonisation is no longer possible,” he said.
Dr Lahiru, now the Asian forest coordinator at environmental non-profit organisation BirdLife International, noted that tropical ecosystems dominated by a single plant species – such as the casuarina on Coney Island – are rare in natural conditions.
As casuarina needles decay slowly, they can form thick litter mats that suppress seed germination, inhibiting the growth of other native species, he explained.
“If this dominance is reduced in a managed way and followed by replanting with appropriate native species, the impact can be positive,” he said.
He added that natural disturbances such as tree falls cannot be allowed to occur unchecked because of safety considerations for parkgoers, and controlled intervention can mimic natural ecosystem dynamics.
As Singapore undergoes rapid climate and land-use changes, many ecosystems no longer have the time or conditions to adapt on their own, said Dr Lahiru.
He noted: “Adaptation increasingly requires intentional, science-based intervention – from improving soil conditions to managing dominant species to reintroducing native plants and ensuring that ecosystems remain functional while also being safe and usable for people.”
“We have seen long-term loss of biodiversity over time even where natural vegetation has remained, which highlights why passive protection of habitats alone is often no longer sufficient.”
Another parkgoer, communications professional Kenneth Low, who visits Coney Island daily, said he was initially surprised by the empty plots he noticed around the island at the start of the vegetation enhancement works.
“At first I wasn’t quite sure why they had removed the trees as it left parts of the park quite barren,” said the 38-year-old.
However, he also noticed the poster a few months back and found it informative, providing a sense of assurance about the works around the park.
Other species planted
Indian camphorweed (Pluchea indica)
The Indian camphorweed has a wide distribution and can be found in India, South China, Australia, the Pacific Islands and across South-east Asia. It grows along seashores and in tidal swamps. The Indian camphorweed is a bushy shrub with silvery leaves. It is free-flowering, and bears clusters of pink flowers that are pollinated by butterflies and other insects.
Twin-apple (Ochrosia oppositifolia)
Presumed to be nationally extinct in Singapore, this tree has white fragrant flowers and fleshy leaf blades that are usually broader at the tip than at the base.
Sea lettuce (Scaevola taccada)
This plant can be found at various coastal forests and beaches of Singapore. It has pale yellow or white flowers, and its round, fleshy fruits ripen from green to white. It has apparently been used for various treatments, including treatment for asthma, earaches, eye infections and indigestion.
Silver bush (Sophora tomentosa)
The fruit pods of this critically endangered plant resemble a string of beads and are covered with short hair. Its yellow flowers provide nectar for butterflies, and the leaves provide food for caterpillars of various moths.
Source: NParks
