Study to keep S'pore forests resilient

Researchers have started a long-term forest monitoring survey of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve - the most extensive survey of its kind so far.

It will allow the authorities to improve forest conservation efforts, said the National Parks Board (NParks) yesterday.

The study involves the marking out of 62 forest plots within the reserve that had previously been surveyed in 1992.

Within these plots, the vegetation, wildlife and soil will be studied repeatedly over time.

Researchers will conduct surveys on the flora and fauna within the plots, as well as monitor the life cycles of selected trees, seedlings and saplings, among other work.

NParks aims to share interim results of the study within the next three to five years.

In a speech at the Botany Centre in the Botanic Gardens yesterday, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said: "The information gathered will allow us to better understand how the forests within the nature reserve have grown and evolved over the past 30 years.

"This will help us to develop better conservation strategies to ensure that their ecosystems remain healthy and resilient."

He added that the Central Catchment Nature Reserve is one of Singapore's most precious biodiversity sites, with highlights such as giant forest trees and freshwater swamps.

Dr Shawn Lum, president of Nature Society (Singapore), said there is another long-term study being done in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve by researchers from Nanyang Technological University. But this is on a smaller scale, covering two plots of land each spanning the size of four football pitches.

"What makes the Central Catchment study especially important is that not only does it complement what we know from Bukit Timah, but it also adds a much wider sampling of the forest," he said.

"Taking the results from both Bukit Timah and this new study, I think we can say with confidence what is happening to Singapore forests."

Dr Lum also said that the study will provide valuable data about the threshold in terms of size needed for self-sustaining forests.

But he added that the Central Catchment study should not be seen as a stand-alone academic study. He cited examples of how schools and the public have been contributing to efforts to document biodiversity, saying: "It's all part of this much wider, holistic effort to monitor what is happening around us."

NParks announced the new study in conjunction with the launch of the Festival of Biodiversity yesterday. The event is an annual celebration of the community's effort to commemorate the International Day for Biological Diversity. This year's festival features interactive booths and walks, among other activities.

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said at the festival's opening that a programme to give primary school pupils seed packs will be enhanced this year.

The Every Child a Seed programme distributes a starter kit comprising a pot, potting mix and a pack of seeds to Primary 3 pupils and pupils of special education schools. More than 400,000 pupils have received the kits in the last decade.

Primary 3 pupils in all 185 primary schools this year will each get three packs of seeds to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the programme.

Ms Hiew Li Tiang, a science teacher at Westwood Primary School, said the programme has helped pupils to learn about plants and food sustainability.

She said: "With the additional seed packets, I think the pupils will be quite excited. Sometimes, seeds don't germinate, so with the extra packets, I think it will actually help the pupils."

Westwood Primary School received the award for School of the Year in the primary school category under NParks' Community in Nature Schools Award yesterday.

Far Eastern Kindergarten and Kranji Secondary School were lauded in the kindergarten and secondary school categories.

The biennial award seeks to acknowledge schools, teachers and students who advocate for local biodiversity.