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July 06 1999

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Urban Forestry Resources

(http://www.oocities.org/EnchantedForest/Palace/1170/ufmsia.html}

The available record of the earliest tree planting practices in the urban Straits Settlements was recorded more than a century ago. According to Koenig (1894) (cited in Wee and Corlett, 1986), the Angsana (Pterocarpus indicus) trees were seen in Malacca as far back as 1778. The very first extensive planting of this tree species, however, was all started way back in 1802 by the British colonial in Penang (Burkill, 1966). Then a systematic planting was subsequently carried out in Malacca, followed by Penang, and Singapore, which lining almost every important promenade.

Unfortunately, despite extensive plantings of Angsana trees in these urban areas, an unknown disease broke out in Malacca circa 1885, Penang circa 1908, and Singapore in 1914 (Burkill, 1966). Corner (1988) added that the disease symptoms were akin to the Dutch elm disease (DED), while Furtado (1935) (cited in Wee and Corlett, 1986) noted that a virus spread by leafhoppers caused the disease. Furtado (1935) reported that some of these trees planted in Singapore became infected and wilted away, and were chopped down to contain the disease.

In 1990, Ahmad et al. (1996) reported that an outbreak of leaf miner, Neolithocollettis pentadesma (Meyrick) was detected on Angsana trees in the Klang Valley, which caused a severe defoliation of trees planted in open spaces and along roadsides.

Ahmad et al. (1996) also noted that the damaged leaves were covered with blotches that appeared like necrotic lesions on the upper side and membranous blotches on the lower side of the leaves. This resulted in premature leaf falls and subsequently caused a complete defoliation of the inflicted trees. These trees, however, usually recovered from light to moderate damage but death of branches or small trees occurred when repeated infestations prevailed.

In another study, Ahmad (1983) found that Angsana is one of the 20 host trees in Malaysian urban landscapes being attacked by Crematopsyche pendulla Joannis, a polifagus pest. This pest caused severe damage to the leaves such as necrosis and holes. High population of the pest also caused the whole leaf or branch becomes discolored and drops prematurely.

After all, the Angsana is still regarded in the Malaysian and Singaporean urban landscapes. In Singapore, for instance, Wee and Corlett (1986) mentioned that Angsana is still the outstanding tree in its garden city although most of the original trees have long gone, except a few can be found strewn all over the island.

This extraordinary tree has long been admired in Singapore and was encouraged to be used again in its Garden City campaign in 1967. This was due to the fact that Angsana is rooted easily through stem propagation that provides shade within the short period of time, and its marvelous flowering when the entire crown is covered with yellow blossoms (Wee and Corlett, 1986).

In Malaysia, the same trend occurs, in which the tree species is commonly planted as ornamental and roadside trees to provide "instant shade" and greenery (Lok, 1996). Browne (1955) and Wong (1982) (both are cited in Lok, 1996) mentioned that large cuttings of more than 3 m long and 5 to 8 cm diameter are normally used as they are found to propagate fairly easily. In a press report made in 1989, the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) estimates that these roadside trees can be harvested within 15 to 20 years, in which the future source of timber would come from (New Straits Times, 1989) (cited in Lok, 1996).

Apart from planting Angsana trees, the colonial also brought in assorted exotic tree species to be acquainted in the urban Straits Settlements. For example, Burkill (1966) mentioned that Rain Tree (Samanea saman) was introduced in Singapore since 1876 from its native South America to reciprocated the Angsana that was troubled by the mysterious disease. The Rain Tree filled most of the spaces emptied by the Angsana. Wee and Corlett (1986) noted that the Rain Trees still lining Connaught Drive that were actually planted around 1916.

Another majestic tree is Broad-leafed Mahogany or False Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), which was introduced in Singapore in 1876 from Sri Lanka and planted widely around 1930 to 1940 (Burkill, 1966). The local Chinese for the treatment of various ailments, including diabetes usually uses the seeds collected from these trees.

Adnan and Abdul Latiff (1993) noted that the colonial was gradually introducing some local tree species, based on their observations and experiences. Apart from being planted as roadside trees, this selection was firmly established on local people's knowledge on ethnobotanical uses of the plants.

The Jambu Laut (Eugenia grandis), for example, is one of the common local trees adopted around 1882 and planted as a fire break along roads bordering lalang (Imperata cylindrica) waste lands subjected to regular fires (Burkill, 1966). It is sometimes planted alternately with the Broad-leafed Mahogany.

During the period of 1920s and 1930s, many other species were also been introduced (Wee and Corlett, 1986). Among others are Hop Tree (Arfeuillea arborescens) planted in 1922; Kapok Tree (Ceiba pentandra), Brown Heart (Andira inermis), Tulang Daing (Millettia atropurpurea), African Tulip (Spathodeacampanulata), Jacaranda (Jacaranda filicifolia) and Yellow Flame (Peltophorum pterocarpum) around 1938; and Snake Tree (Stereospermum fimbriatum) around 1939. Most of the trees, however, have been removed as a result of road widening activities, but there are many others that are still standing today.

With the establishment of Federated Malay States Forestry Department in 1901, Adnan and Abdul Latiff (1993) mentioned that the roadside tree planting programs for amenity purposes was grown up through the research collaborations with the Department of Agriculture and Public Works Department. As a result, between the 1920s and end of 1930s, local tree species such as Tulang Daing (Millettia atropurpurea), Yellow Flame (Peltophorum pterocarpum), Penaga Lilin (Mesua ferrea), and Bungor (Lagerstroemia speciosa) were widely planted in urban areas.

These planting efforts, however, were mainly focused on urban areas and selected places only. Thus, the establishment of public parks such as the Penang Botanical Garden, Taiping Lake Garden, and Kuala Lumpur's Perdana Lake Garden had laid a foundation and helped the early development of urban forestry in Malaysia. Instead of being a major attraction for tourists, these parks also serve as the research centers for botanists and horticulturists to study ornamental plants and shade trees. Today, these mature parks are part and parcel of the urban forests in Malaysia and become a major tourist attraction for recreational purposes (Adnan and Abdul Latiff, 1993).

In those days, the colonial also tend to choose hilly and undulating sites for their offices and residential homes that surrounded by vegetation, which make the area scenic and beautiful (Patahayah, 1997). These settings still exist today as at Mahameru Road and Kenny Hill in Kuala Lumpur City and also in other towns. The Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) itself boasts the oldest Rain Trees that were planted during the colonial days. [Back to Table of Contents?]

The modern concept and practices of urban forestry in Malaysia was embraced rather lately, i.e. circa the 1980s. Although it was implemented in recent times, Zakariya (1990) noted that the evolved urban forestry in Malaysia was started way back in 1973, where a serious effort of urban tree planting had been made in the beautification programs of Kuala Lumpur, the federal city of Malaysia. This effort was made as a result of consciousness of the environmental deterioration by the authority.

The urban forest concept as applied to Kuala Lumpur was alluded by Justice (1986), which he understand has straight and very significant application to the enhancement of the urban environment quality.

This concept is differs from the more formal and traditional layout of vegetation. It attempts to provide a new more relevant description that reflects the more natural, lower maintenance, self sustaining, and informal groupings of tree and associated vegetation that are characteristics of the forest. In addition, it is already a natural regenerating ecology that requires a minimum of care and tends to maintain itself. Furthermore, the vegetation that make up this forest ecology have the ability to adapt and survive and are also very acceptable visually (Justice, 1986).

Justice (1986) insists that the adoption of this concept is needed since it is becoming more expensive to develop, manage, and maintain the traditional gardens and landscapes that require constant care and attention. These types of landscapes must be minimized and reciprocated with less labor-intensive landscapes, so that labor can be redirected and used more productively on other places that provide more direct service to people.

In his view on the structural plan of Kuala Lumpur that came into effect in 1984, Zakariya (1990) noted that the plan emphasizes more on the concept and direction of urban tree planting. This includes:

• planting of shade trees;
• establishment of theme gardens;
• beautification and ornamental plantings;
• slope planting;
• roadside planting and beautification; and
• ground covers.

Nowadays, urban forests are rapidly lessening in both extent and quality. In Malaysia alone, swift urban development had been found disrupted the balance of nature where most of its vegetation has been destroyed (Chee and Ridwan, 1984). Zakariya (1990) also mentioned that rapid urban development due to the ever-increasing population had led to the diminishing of green areas, which is always connected with common urban problems. These problems are such as environmental pollution and degradation, high demand for land space, traffic congestion, housing and health problems, poor urban drainage, and waste collection and disposal difficulty.

Since the early 1980s, the national awareness of the environment have been raised, where unanimous efforts were being made in the "greening" of the Malaysian urban environment through stepped-up tree planting programs (Tho et al., 1983). For this reason, the government has established a Landscape Unit within the Department of Town and Country Planning in 1981 to assist the local governments in landscaping works (JPBD, 1995). This was followed with the establishment of Public Parks Monitoring and Adjustment Division in 1990. The main task of this division is to ensure that all development projects such as park construction, maintenance, and management are implemented accordingly with the necessary legislation, together with consultations with the federal, state, and local governments.

Justice (1986) also mentioned that the establishment of the same kind division within the Parks and Recreation Department is the key to the successful management of trees and urban areas in Kuala Lumpur. This including administering standards of tree care and management under urban conditions, undertaking programs of tree selection, tree planting, and urban forest management. Another important aspect of this division's work is such as the preparation and implementation of programs on public awareness, interpretive and educational programs related to the trees in Kuala Lumpur's urban environment.

Obviously, however, the town councils and landscape planners were drawn only a limited number of tree species that much was not indigenous to Malaysia (Tho et al., 1983). This does appear rather paradoxical especially when the country have over 8000 known species of flowering plants, which 2000 species are trees.

Tho et al. (1983) also estimates that about 50 percent of the popularly planted species are exotics (Table 1). In the tree planting record of Kuala Lumpur City, Khuzaimah (1989) (cited in Zakariya, 1990) mentioned that up to September of 1989, the record indicates that a total of 278 tree species had been planted. The ten most common planted tree species are being Angsana (Pterocarpus indicus), Bungor (Lagerstroemia speciosa), Beringin (Ficus benjamina), Medang Teja (Cinnamomum iners), Broad-leafed Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), Flame of the Forest (Delonix regia), Rain Tree (Samanea saman), Bunga Tanjung (Mimosups elengi), Tulang Daing (Millettia atropurpurea), and Yellow Flame (Peltophorum pterocarpum). Out of this, three of them are exotics, i.e. Swietenia macrophylla, Delonix regia, and Samanea saman.
 
 

Tho et al. (1983) noted that there are reasons behind the occurrence of so much exotics that have been planted in the Malaysian urban landscapes. Apart from being introduced by the colonial, their familiarity as roadside trees is often an effectual factor when local authorities select species for planting. There has been a lack of native species promotion, aside from those several species such as the Angsana and Batai, and also a lack of conscious effort to shift away from the well-suited set of ornamental exotics that grants well known, easily unimpressive result.

This explains why town planners and landscape designers should reexamine their strategies and efforts to intensify landscaping the urban environment with plants. Through proper planning and management, it could effectively provide the greenery as well as an original character by the expedient selection and use of species (Tho et al., 1983).

Tho et al. (1983) also recommended an ample resource of 74 native tree species that are suitable for harsh urban conditions, which can be successfully exploited in urban planting programs. The record list consists of three categories, i.e. most commonly planted species, not commonly planted but successfully tested species, and recommended  species to be planted based on collective field inspection and valuation. Furthermore, this selection was made based on the following criteria:

• suitability for planting in open areas;
• abundant of seed supply due to regularity of flowering and fruiting, thus enabling easy propagation;
• have moderate to fast growth rates; and
• possess various attractive features such as lush foliage, regular conspicuous flowering, attractive foliage, and tree shapes.

Otherwise, the planting efforts of uniquely attractive indigenous tree species in the Malaysian urban landscape could also grant a home identity and nationalistic feelings to this country (Tho et al., 1983). After all, ornamental exotics should be properly selected against the awareness that there are many exceptionally suitable native species.

Even though the accentuation tends to be more on ornamentation, the public sensibility on the significance of urban forestry has inaugurated various measures to pinpoint that greenery should be planned, managed, and sustained not only for aesthetics, but functional purpose for current and future needs (Zakariya, 1990). Zakariya (1990) also pointed out that efforts should also be made to stress development of greenery in a broader sense within the setting of urban forestry, as the current trend tends to be more of embellishment work only.

A suggestion on enrichment planting with indigenous forest species in selected secondary vegetation areas by Zakariya and Ahmad Ainuddin (1989) (cited in Zakariya, 1990) also proved to be meaningful so as to bring back the identity of the forest in the city, including the gazetting of more urban green areas for parks and nature reserves. Furthermore, Mohd. Basri et al. (1983) mentioned that the afforestation of urban areas could also entail the domestication and adaptation of trees to a drastically changed environment.

As additional follow-ups, a nationwide tree planting campaign was reemphasized again and launched on March 03 1997, aiming to combine present efforts in making Malaysia a "Garden Nation" and encompasses other tree planting programs carried out by the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) (New Straits Times, 1997). This campaign was carried out with a long-term target of planting three million trees by the year 2000 and another 20 million trees by the year 2020.

This campaign was in line with the release of "Guidelines on National Landscaping" by the Department of Town and Country Planning in July 1995 (JPBD, 1995). The main objective of this guide is to create a total landscaping quality nationwide and make landscaping mandatory with the necessary legislation in all development projects. This guidelines is requisite to all town planners and landscape designers, so that systematic and professional development and maintenance of landscapes could be done correspondingly to make it functional.

The JPBD (1995) mentioned that the guidelines was prepared after the government decided to publish a detail guidelines on setting up and maintaining perfect and beautiful landscapes on May 9, 1995. Most of its contents were accomplished from "Landscaping the Nation" notes released by the government on May 24, 1995.

Beyond making Malaysia a "Garden Nation" by the year 2005, it is the best interest of the government to safeguard and refurbish the environment through replanting programs. With proper planning and management, and sustainable development, it is optimistic that Malaysia can accomplish in achieving her vision as a developed nation by the year 2020 (JPBD, 1995).

Moreover, the guidelines also suggest open-spaces and areas for tree planting purposes. This includes roadsides and highways, railways, riverbanks, near beaches, residential areas, public parks, buildings, parking lots, industrial estates, cemetery grounds, and countryside. Suggestion on species selection, space requirements, and planting distances is also being made. In addition, a total of 72 tree species, 16 palm species, 55 shrub species, and 4 bamboo species have been recommended for that purposes. [Back to Table of Contents?]

1. Adnan, M. and M. Abdul Latiff. 1993. Perhutanan bandar di Malaysia. Pp. 265-283. In Alam Sekitar dan Pengurusannya di Malaysia (Sham, S., H. Abdul Samad and M. J. Jamaluddin, eds.). Working Group on Urban Ecosystems, Malaysian National MAB Committee and MAB UNESCO. 519p.
2. Ahmad, S. S. 1983. Ulat bungkus Crematopsyche pendulla Joannis (Lepidoptera Psychidae), serangga perosak berbagai pokok di taman rekreasi. Pp. 359-365. In Rekreasi Luar di Malaysia (Outdoor Recreation in Malaysia): Jalan bicara seminar kebangsaan hutan, taman negara dan taman bandaran untuk rekreasi, 26-28 September, 1983, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia (Wan Sabri, W. M., M. Rusli, A. Kamis, H. Mohd. Basri, and J. Mohd. Zin, eds.). Fakulti Perhutanan, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia. 406p.
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4. Browne, F. G. 1955. Forest Trees of Sarawak and Brunei. Government Printing Office, Kuching, Sarawak. 369p. (cited in Lok, 1996)
5. Burkill, I. H. 1966. A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Min. Agric. & Coop., Kuala Lumpur. Vols. I & II (reprinted).
6. Chee, T. Y. and S. Ridwan. 1984. Fast-growing species of trees suitable for urban roadside and shade planting. The Malaysian Forester 47(4): 263-284.
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8. Furtado, C. X. 1935. A disease of the Angsana tree. J. Malay. Br. Royal Asiatic Soc. 13: 163-192. (cited in Wee and Corlett, 1986)
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10. Justice, C. L. 1986. The concept of the urban forest as applied to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Journal of Arboriculture 12(7): 178-181.
11. Khuzaimah, Y. 1989. Kuala Lumpur's experience on the improvement of urban environment through greenery programme. ASEAN Seminar on Urban Forestry. November 6-9, 1989. Singapore. (cited in Zakariya, 1990)
12. Koenig, J. G. 1894. Journal of a voyage from India to Siam and Malacca in 1779. J. Royal Soc. St. Br. 26: 58-201. (cited in Wee and Corlett, 1986)
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15. New Straits Times. 1989. FRIM: Angsana good for furniture. March 21, 1989. (cited in Lok, 1996)
16. New Straits Times. 1997. PM calls for landscaping to be made mandatory. March 4, 1997.
17. Patahayah, M. 1997. Effects of human activities on urban trees. B. For. Sc. Thesis, Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia. 82p.
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19. Wee, Y. C. and R. Corlett. 1986. The City and the Forest: Plant life in urban Singapore. Singapore University Press, National University of Singapore. 186p.
20. Wong, Y. K. 1982. Horticultural notes on the Angsana (Pterocarpus indicus Willd.). Gards' Bull. Singapore 34: 189-202. (cited in Lok, 1996)
21. Zakariya, A. and Ahmad Ainuddin, N. 1989. Kuala Lumpur: Urban forestry or just urban beautification. ASEAN Seminar on Urban Forestry. November 6-9, 1989. Singapore. (cited in Zakariya, 1990)
22. Zakariya, A. 1990. Urban forestry in Malaysia: current and future. Pp. 228-235. In IUFRO XIX World Congress, 5-11 August 1990, Montreal, Canada. Part 1, Volume 2. Canadian IUFRO World Congress Organizing Committee. 481p.