An international team of researchers, including two from the University of Montana, are working to help identify priority forest areas for protection on Borneo.
An international team of researchers, including two from the University of Montana, are working to help identify priority forest areas for protection on Borneo.
The government of the state of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo has set an ambitious target of securing 30% of Sabah’s land area under protection by 2025. The study identified important forest areas across the state that are critical for protection. These areas are rich in threatened rainforest animals and plants. The forests also store large amounts of carbon, helping to slow global warming.
In total, the priority forests identified are about the size of Glacier National Park, almost twice the size of the Yorkshire Dales National Park in the United Kingdom.
Lead author, Dr. Sara Williams from UM said, “What makes our study different is that the research is being used to inform conservation planning decisions about to be taken by government agencies.
Read more at University Of Montana
Photo: A Borneo rainforest area identified in the study as critical for protection. Photo courtesy of Jedediah Brodie
