Kent Ridge is being increasingly developed. The patches of forest remaining are being isolated and surrounded by developments, e.g. housing, the various Institutes newly built along the Ridge, etc. In addition, the Ridge is treated as wasteland or a free 'dumping ground' by contractors, and piles of building refuse can sometimes be seen along the road. Kent Ridge is highly isolated from other natural areas, and its increased fragmentation will lead to a manifestation of the 'edge effect', where the edge:area ratio is high. Hence, the fronts from which external influences can affect the Ridge will increase. Drying winds blowing through the forest reduce its humidity, and rainfall coming in washes away humus. Hence, the forest is effectively being prevented from carrying out its natural rehabilitative functions. As such, the soil and the flora of the Ridge may permanently remain poor, exacerbated by its distance from sources of seed for the further stages of succession to proceed. Buildings and other structures also store up heat during the day and release it during the night, hence radiating heat into the forest due to its close proximity. This affects both the plant growth and animal life.
Transects of the Ridge (Mudaliar, 1984) have shown interesting results. Land on the Ridge is mostly urban, belukar, or abandoned open land. Acacia can be found in belukar and abandoned areas. Plants like Cinnamomum iners have escaped to abandoned land too. However, most trees in belukar are restricted to it, especially natives, notably Adinandra itself, and have not escaped to abandoned open land. Some plants that are not conventional belukar plants, like Durio zibethinus (Durian), Pterocarpus indicus (Angsana) and Tabebuia sp. (Tabebuia, an ornamental) are present there. The first is probably from settlements and villages, the second was planted as a wayside tree by the government, and the last can be found in some private gardens on the Ridge. Other non-belukar plants that can be found there are Millettia artopurpurea, Cassia spp., Areca catechu, and others. From the trends, it seems that most of the belukar 'invaders' are from one of three sources: cultivated as food in former kampungs, planted as wayside trees by the government, or horticultural shrubs from private gardens. Not many belukar plants are successful in colonizing land outside the belukar, perhaps because the conditions are different than from the original disturbances in which they first established themselves about 50 years ago. In particular, Nepenthes is not commonly seen outside the belukar. A possible reason is that its pitchers are highly in demand by collectors and the merely curious, hence it cannot grow under such duress.
In view of the various factors involved, it would be interesting to see how the forest on the Ridge develops in response to them. But in spite of its invasion and admittedly poor diversity (compared to primary forests), the belukar is still 'natural' and has a function to play. Within the forest, away from the bustle of the urban areas, many species of birds and animals still survive in the heart of the city. Many species of insects and invertebrates are also present, and require the leaf litter and shaded conditions of the forest to survive. As mentioned above, the birds and bats feed on the fruits of the belukar plants, and we humans can think of this in a favourable light, as we would rather them do so than loiter in our food centers and canteens. But still, the Ridge should be preserved for its own sake. After all, Holttum first described the belukar from the Ridge, and it has historical value as well. Allowing people to recreate on the Ridge, which is a public place after all, will give them a better appreciation of nature, even if in a modified form.