I see a splash of orange and it is the wild Ixora bearing clusters of tiny light-orange flowers at the apex of its branches. More spectacular are the white, fragrant and large trumpet-shaped flowers of the treelet, Rothmannia macrophylla. This plant flowers infrequently so one is lucky to come across it in bloom. Look under some large leaves and you may see the numerous attractive but inconspicuous flowers of the Thottea grandiflora. Each flower of this small plant has a distinctive purplish-brown lampshade-like perianth, with pale netting-like veins. It exudes a faint unpleasant odour. Another visit, three weeks later, and I found fruits in place of flowers. The Ixora bears berries while the Thottea bears slim okra-like pods. Quite unexpected was the discovery of the fruit pods of the Sterculia, borne in sets of four and hanging like chandeliers. I must have missed the flowers on the previous walk, but this time the bright orange-red opened elliptical pods did not escape my attention. They were not yet opened in the cool of the morning. Walking back later in the day, I saw that one pod had dehisced, revealing several jet-black seeds attached along the rim.

The crowded and brightly coloured inflorescences of Ixora adds much needed colour to the forest The most distinctive feature of the flower of Thottea grandiflora is its three-lobed campanulate or bell- shaped perianth. It is a relative of the Aristolochia vine and is a caterpillar foodplant for two locally rare butterflies. The ripened pods of Sterculia are strikingly red and stand out amongst the greenery

Fruiting trees always attract a host of frugivorous animals. The resident troop of Long-tailed Macaque monkeys was up, engaged in their routine of grooming themselves and each other, and foraging in the branches overhead and on the ground. In their wake was a Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, picking off insects disturbed by the monkeys. Two species of squirrels, the Red-bellied and the Slender, having converged on the same tree, were engaged in raucous territorial conflict. However, on the same tree, the Asian Glossy Starling and the Pink-necked Green Pigeon were feeding peacefully, displaying nonchalance at the dispute among the rodents.

Flowering and fruiting trees are beacons for animals such as bees, butterflies, moths, birds and bats in the forest. They play important and varied roles as pollinators of the flowers and dispersal agents of seeds. The forest provides and the favours are returned, a crucial and mutually beneficial relationship that ensures the perpetuation of species.

Riches in the Leaf Litter
What most of us do not appreciate as we crunch our way over the abundant plant litter on the forest floor is that it acts as ground cover, preventing loss of vital topsoil during torrential rain. More than this, the dead and decaying leaves represent a huge store of nutrients just waiting to be unlocked.

A key agent for releasing this resource are the termites. Some species have bacteria in their gut that aid in the digestion of the tough woody material while others carry the material back to their nest where they are used to cultivate fungal gardens. One large swarm I encountered were working their jaws into the forest litter, guarded by aggressive soldiers. The mechanical crunch was audible when I placed my ears close to the ground. Many other tiny unseen animals, including millions of insects and their larvae, also contribute to the recycling and life-giving process. Fungi permeates many aspects of the forest, silently breaking down these indigestible substances. Almost everything is efficiently re-utilised by the plants in the forest.

Termites are efficient and indispensable workhorses of the forest nutrient recycling process This colourful mushroom curiously pushed itself through the leaf litter

Yes, the forest is a intricate green tapestry made up of a multitude of lifeforms interwoven in a complex way To uncover and truly appreciate Nature's splendour, tune into the gentle soothing rhythm of life in the forest. You will be amazed by each discovery. Do not hurry. Nature never reveals her secrets all at once.

Note: Forests are precious ... and so fragile. As soon as trees are cut down and the forest floor laid bare, it takes only one season of monsoonal rain to divest the once-lush forest of its life-giving topsoil.

Goh Si Guim is a Perfusionist (providing life support during Open-heart Surgery) with the Cardiac Department, National University Hospital. He is an active member volunteer of NSS, being an exco member as well as leading nature walks.

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