Kota Damansara Community Forest Park
Encyclopedia
Kota Damansara Community Forest Park (KDCFP) is a secondary forest located in the western outskirt of Kuala Lumpur
, Malaysia. It was part of a defunct Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve gazetted in 1898 which contained 3900 acres (16 km²) of protected primary forest. This made it as the oldest forest reserve in Peninsular Malaysia
. The forest reserve was degazetted a number of times and subsequent development brought down the size of the reserve to a 857 acres (3.5 km²).
Logging activities especially has turned the area into a secondary forest
. This results in the abundance of pioneer plants as well as rare species of plant such as Begonia aequilateralis
. Despite being a secondary forest, a number of primary forest species such as meranti are observable at the park. Furthermore, KDCFP is a dipterocarp forest typically found in tropical countries such as Malaysia. The area is a combination of flat land and low elevation hill.
The trademark of KDCFP is an artificial lake. The lake was created in early 2000s due to the building of a road that blocked a small stream that flows through the park. This has introduced aquatic flora and fauna attributable to slow-flowing water body to the area.
is a developing area and there are efforts to develop the area. The local residents and the Malaysian Nature Society
with aid from the United Nations Development Program through the Small Grants Program are trying to protect the area from further development projects.
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia. It was part of a defunct Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve gazetted in 1898 which contained 3900 acres (16 km²) of protected primary forest. This made it as the oldest forest reserve in Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
. The forest reserve was degazetted a number of times and subsequent development brought down the size of the reserve to a 857 acres (3.5 km²).
Logging activities especially has turned the area into a secondary forest
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
. This results in the abundance of pioneer plants as well as rare species of plant such as Begonia aequilateralis
Begonia aequilateralis
Begonia aequilateralis Irmsch., 1929 is a species of begonia known only from the Sungai Buloh area of Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia."...probably the most endangered begonia in the Peninsula, being known from a single small population in a forest area currently being cleared." - Kiew, p...
. Despite being a secondary forest, a number of primary forest species such as meranti are observable at the park. Furthermore, KDCFP is a dipterocarp forest typically found in tropical countries such as Malaysia. The area is a combination of flat land and low elevation hill.
The trademark of KDCFP is an artificial lake. The lake was created in early 2000s due to the building of a road that blocked a small stream that flows through the park. This has introduced aquatic flora and fauna attributable to slow-flowing water body to the area.
Current development
Kota DamansaraKota Damansara
Kota Damansara is a 4,000-acre developing township located in the mukim of Sungai Buloh in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia....
is a developing area and there are efforts to develop the area. The local residents and the Malaysian Nature Society
Malaysian Nature Society
Malaysian Nature Society is the oldest and one of the most prominent environmental not for profit, non-governmental organizations in Malaysia. It was first established, as the Malayan Nature Society, with the launch of the Malayan Nature Journal, in 1940...
with aid from the United Nations Development Program through the Small Grants Program are trying to protect the area from further development projects.
External links
- (3.17861°N 101.591327°W) Geo Links for Kota Damansara Forest Park
- Selamatkan Hutan Simpan Kota Damansara
- Clean-Up Program during EARTH DAY 2008