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ENVIRONMENT
@ Forest | May-June , 2022
BY FATIHAH MANAF
RAFFLESIA IS the largest flower in the world . Despite being a parasite , this rare species is protected due to its uniqueness . It is also an icon for tourism and conservation . The plant is also known as Bunga Pakma , Pokma and Bunga Malang among Malaysians . There are around 40 species of Rafflesia in the world , and the species can only be found in Southeast Asian countries - Indonesia , Malaysia , the Philippines , Thailand and Brunei .
To discuss the conservation of the species in Indonesia and Malaysia , Universiti Malaysia Kelantan organised a webinar entitled ‘ Conservation of Rafflesia in Southeast Asia ’. The webinar featured Assoc . Prof Dr Agus Susatya from the Department of Forestry at the University of Bengkulu , Indonesia and Assoc . Prof . Dr Zulhazman Hamzah from the Faculty of Earth Science , Universiti Malaysia Kelantan .
Agus ’ presentation focused on the conservation of Rafflesia in Bengkulu Province , Sumatera Barat , while Zulhazman elaborated on the conservation works in Kelantan .
Conservation of Rafflesia in Bengkulu
Indonesia is home to many species of Rafflesia . According to Agus , there are 13 species of Rafflesia found in Sumatera , three in Java and three in Kalimantan .
Four main elements for Rafflesia conservation in Bengkulu are : 1 . Habitat and population attributes 2 . Government policy on the preservation of Rafflesia 3 . Networking 4 . Power of social media
Sharing the reported habitat with flowering Rafflesia , Agus said most sites were privately owned .
“ If they ( Rafflesias ) are on private land , there will be some constraints to conserve them . We have to ask permission from the landowners , and we cannot control the protection of the Rafflesia ,” said Agus .
Regarding population attributes , the fundamental elements for Rafflesia conservation are population size , population structure and mortality . The average population size of Rafflesia in Indonesia ( 20 sites ) has 7.6 flower buds . Agus shared that 80 per cent of the population has less than 10 flower buds , with the smallest one having one flower bud and the largest one having 22 flower buds .
He explained : “ Small population size tends to be sensitive for local extinction . Generally , it also has low adaptability to changing environment .”
Strategic plans for the conservation
According to Agus , the government of Indonesia set up strategic action plans for the conservation of Rafflesia . It came up with the Strategy and Action Plan for Conservation Rafflesiaceae 2015-2025 as a guideline . He then stressed the involvement of local people in the conservation effort .
Based on his team ’ s experiences in the conservation of Rafflesia arnoldii , he shared : “ We have two principles . Firstly , we believe the best way to conserve Rafflesia depends on the participation of local people , networking , the power of social media and eco-tourism .”
“ Secondly , the conservation will be successful if local people get economic benefits . Based on this principle , we
Conservation of Rafflesia in Southeast Asia
Indonesia and Malaysia have done many initiatives for Rafflesia conservation and protection
came up with eco-tourism , which includes exploring natural resources , culture , local foods , etc .”
The network for Rafflesia conservation
In building the network for conservation in Bengkulu , Agus said his team also established the Community for Caring Rare Flower , or Komunitas Peduli Puspa Langka ( KPPL ). The members of the volunteer group are from different backgrounds .
The roles of KPPL at the provincelevel are : 1 . Increasing awareness among the general public on Rafflesia arnoldii
2 . Educating the public on Rafflesia conservation
3 . Establishing and coordinating local groups ( KPPL ) and developing groups into a network Meanwhile , the roles of KPPL at the local level are : 1 . Protecting the habitat of Rafflesia and reporting on flowering Rafflesia 2 . Educating the local public on Rafllesia and its conservation
3 . Become the local guide on Rafflesia and eco-tourism “ We also recognised the power of social media . We recognised its importance in reporting the flowering Rafflesia and reaching out to local and global viewers . It is also a good tool to promote eco-tourism and influence public opinion or awareness . Social media also strengthens the network within KPPL ,” explained Agus .
Conservation of Rafflesia in Kelantan
There are 13 species of Rafflesia in Malaysia ; eight of them are found in Peninsular Malaysia , while the other five are in Sabah and Sarawak . Zulhazman shared that the conservation works on Rafflesia in Kelantan , specifically in Lojing Highlands , started in April 2008 .
“ This expedition is massive . It involves more than 100 participants from local universities like UMK , Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia ( UKM ), Universiti Putra Malaysia ( UPM ) and state and federal agencies like Kelantan Forestry Department ( KFD ), the Department of Wildlife and National Parks ( PERHILITAN ), and Forest Research Institute of Malaysia ( FRIM ).
“ We stayed in the forest for three weeks and documented all flora and fauna in this area , including the Rafflesia ,” shared Zulhazman , adding 26