The Status and Future of Urban Forestry in Sabah, Malaysia

Abstract

A wide range of urban green spaces can be entered by the public in Sabah. These urban green spaces are dominated by indigenous tree species, although certain exotic trees are incorporated into the urban landscapes of Sabah. A combination of indigenous and exotic tree species is applied in local urban landscaping, to maximise the ecosystem services provided to a certain area by the urban trees and shrubs. To date, various perspectives of urban forestry in Sabah have been explored by researchers, which include the species composition and ecology of the urban wildlife and vegetation, conditions of the urban trail, health condition of urban tree stands, prospects and functions of various urban habitats, and the perception and satisfaction of public to the urban green spaces. The impacts of the urbanisation and introduction of exotic tree species to the indigenous tree community, and the implementation of GIS in monitoring the change in urban green cover, are yet to be conducted in the urban landscapes of Sabah. With this, further research is required to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the current conditions of every existing urban area and green space presented in Sabah.KeywordsEcosystem serviceUrban biodiversityUrban green spaceUrban landscape