Perlis limestone orchids: diversity and conservation.

摘要

Perlis, the smallest and northernmost state in Peninsular Malaysia, has 15% of the total land area but only 0.2% of the forested land. Perlis State Park, a protected biodiversity conservation area established in 1996, consists of Mata Ayer Forest Reserve and Wang Mu Forest Reserve, which cover more than 5000 ha (13.6% of the total land area in Perlis). Most of Perlis consists of limestone hills that harbor many endemic and rare species of flora. Since 1999, two botanical expeditions and many collection trips have been made to explore and document the flora, especially Orchidaceae, on these hills. As a result, 102 species of orchids have been recorded. On Bukit Pelarit, a mere 432-m-tall limestone hill, 41 species were recorded, a clear indication of high species diversity. From these expeditions, four new species have been recorded for Malaysia and 41 as new records for Perlis..