He was, of
course, referring to the Nature Reserve Ordinance
enacted in 1951, under which the fern was
originally protected. Since then, the conservation
status of Labrador had undergone a long
roller-coaster ride. But recent re-designation
of Labrador as a Nature Reserve in November
2001 gave
hope and a place of permanence for the survival of
the few remaining Dipteris there. A rare photograph
of the 'last clump' can be found in "A Guide to the
Threatened Plants of Singapore" by Prof Hugh Tan
(published in 1995).
Where else can
one find Dipteris in Singapore then? How about
Kranji - the district mentioned by Prof. Holttum
and where Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is situated
now?
While other rare
plants had been discovered from time to time in
Sungei Buloh, Dipteris had remained illusive by far
- that is, not until we chanced upon Pulau Sarimbun
(an island west of Sungei Buloh) while surveying
shorebirds in the Western Johor Straits on 4 March
2003. It was a day we shall never forget for the
rest of our lives!
We were simply
overwhelmed by the sight of the Dipteris. They were
everywhere! We could see them all around the
island, draping extensively over the steep slopes,
like some Mesozoic 'butterflies' flapping their
paired leafy 'wings' triumphantly in the wind. The
Dipteris colony is simply huge.
Had it not been
for our recent acquisition of a 15-foot motorboat
"Mangrovian" and our newfound mobility at
sea, we would have remained in the dark even now.
We felt incredulous that it is only now (since
Sungei Buloh became a park in 1993) that we finally
solved Holttum's Kranji puzzle. Until now, the
ferns were "so near and yet so far".
But it is
precisely the nature of this 'nearness' that brings
home to us the importance of adjacent ecosystems
that mutually benefit each other as seed areas as
well as sites for trans-migration of marine
animals, such as the otters, and
avifauna.
Paradoxically, it
takes the island of Pulau Sarimbun to remind us
that Sungei Buloh does not exist as 'an island' by
itself. The river of life that links us to the
mangroves and mudflats at Mandai and Lim Chu Kang,
as well as the Horseshoe Reef near Pulau Sarimbun
helps to ensure the continuous exchange of genetic
material from one community of plants and animals
to another.
Given that we
have no control over nature areas being removed for
development immediately across our narrow straits,
it is up to us to mitigate adverse ecological
changes by retaining as much of our own adjacent
ecosystems to the left and right of Sungei Buloh
Wetland Reserve. This is particularly true for
Mandai mudflats which "are a major feeding area
for birds that roost at Sungei Buloh" an
important revelation provided by the study of
Profs. Murphy D. H.& J. B. Sigurdsson in
"Birds, Mangroves and Man: Prospects and Promise of
the New Sungei Buloh Bird Reserve" published in
1990.
But one thing for
sure, our discovery has definitely re-opened a
brand new site for the ecology studies of
Dipteris conjugata as well as other
floristic works. Perhaps, one day someone might
even find the inspiration to study the genetic link
between Dipteris here and those thriving
atop Gunong Pulai, which on a clear day, looms
large over Pulau Sarimbun.
Yes, why not. I
believe dear Prof Holttum is smiling from the
heavens right now!
Joseph Lai is
a freelance writer and a former conservation
officer of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR).
This article is dedicated to former colleagues in
SBWR,
especially co-discoverers - James Gan, Soon Lian,
Ramakrishnan and Supaidi.
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