Uncommon species found at Lower Peirce
By Sandra Davie
Animals and plants may vanish if golf course is built
THE Banded Wolf Snake, thought to be extinct in Singapore since the 1920s, was found at the Lower Peirce forest area recently.
It has a unique pattern of brown with spaced-out white bands.
One of the island’s three remaining pairs of the Grey-headed Fish Eagle also has its home at the nature reserve.
The eagle is the largest resident bird of prey in Singapore.
But these uncommon species and plants like the Ni-bong Palm and the Black Lily may well disappear for good when the 120-hectare nature reserve at Lower Peirce is developed into & golf course.
The Nature Society (Singapore) Is worried and is conducting a study to find out the variety and number of plant and animal species in the area.
The society wants to know if such plant and animal life and the surrounding forested catchment area will be affected by the planned golf course, to be developed by the Public Utilities Board.
The society hopes that the findings of its survey, which will be ready by the end of June, will persuade the Government to select an alternative site for the golf course. They would prefer such a course to be outside the nature reserves.
NSS president, Professor Wee Yeow Chin, said their survey has already thrown up some exciting findings.
"The Banded Wolf Snake has not been seen in Singapore since the 1920s.
"Others like the Dog-toothed Cat Snake have been sighted less than 10 times in the last decade.
"We have found several other species of flora and fauna, not commonly found in Singapore."
From regular surveys over more than 10 years it is estimated that there are about 150 plant and 185 wildlife species in the area.
Of these, about 23 per cent of the wildlife species are rare. Prof Wee said that some of the uncommon fauna are the Flying Lemur, the Lesser Mousedeer and the Black-eyed Litter Frog and the Malesian Frog.
The area is also home to some uncommon plant species like the Nibong Palm, the Black Lily, Pitcher plants and the Tree Fern.
But Prof Wee stressed that if substantial parts of the forest are cleared to build the golf course, then Singapore stands to lose one of its richest nature reserves.
He said: "Even if they leave patches of the forest it will be no good because they will not be enough to support the animal and bird life.
"They will not have enough space to forage for food."
The NSS and other conservationists interviewed also noted that it is ironic that there are plans to build a golf course in Lower Peirce nature reserve even as a reforestation project Is being carried out nearby at Upper Peirce.
Under the reforestation project launched by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong during the Clean & Green Week in November, about 300 saplings — local trees such as Kapur, Chengal, Resak and Mersawa — were planted at a 500 sq m site next to the reservoir.
Mr David Chan, 34, a banker and nature enthusiast, said: "The efforts to revive part of the primary forest will be wasted If another part of the nature reserve is going to be cleared of its rich forest cover."
Preserve diversity of flora and fauna
PROTECT the Earth’s biodiversity. This is one of the key phrases that has come up in the run-up to next week’s Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
It is argued that the rich variety of plant and animal species in Singapore’s nature reserves, just like those in much larger rain forests like the Amazon, hold the genetic material to create new drugs, chemicals and food.
Biodiversity is important because it provides basic services. It protects and maintains soils and regulates and ensures photosynthesis, thus furnishing the oxygen which sustains all life.
The head of the United Nations Environment Programme, Dr Mostafa Tolba, said: "With an unbelievable lack of action, we are watching the annual destruction of about 17 million hectares of tropical forest.
"Yet we know that tropical forests contain roughly half of the biological diversity inventory of the entire planet."
In Singapore, a census of plant life to keep track of biodiversity has been started, and plans have also been announced to give attention to the animal life here.
Source : The Straits Times, May 26 1992
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