Using Google Earth to Improve the Management of Threatened Limestone Karst Ecosystems in Peninsular Malaysia

Thor-Seng Liew,Gopalasamy Reuben Clements,Liz Price

doi:10.1177/194008291600900219

Abstract

In a world of limited resources and so many species and habitats in need of protection, informed prioritization is essential. However, we cannot prioritize effectively if historical and current information regarding a particular habitat or species remains scattered. Several good platforms have been created to help users find, use and create biodiversity information. However, good platforms for sharing habitat information for threatened ecosystems are still lacking. Limestone hills are an example of threatened ecosystems that harbor unique biodiversity, but are facing intensifying anthropogenic disturbances. As limestone is a vital resource for the construction industry, it is not possible to completely halt forest degradation and quarrying in developing countries such as Malaysia, where 445 limestone hills have been recorded in the peninsula to date. As such, there is an urgent need to identify which hills must be prioritized for conservation. To make decisions based on sound science, collating spatial and biological information on limestone hills into a publicly accessible database is critical. Here, we compile Malaysia's first limestone hill GIS map for 445 limestone hills in the peninsula, based on information from geological reports and scientific literature. To assist in conservation prioritization efforts, we quantified characteristics of limestone hills in terms of size, degree of isolation, and spatial distribution patterns. We also assessed the degree of habitat disturbance in each limestone hill in terms of buffer area forest degradation and quarrying activity. These data are stored in a KMZ file and can be accessed through the Google Earth interface. Rather than being viewed as a final output containing basic limestone hill information, this database should be regarded as a foundational platform for users to collect, store, update and manipulate spatial and biological data from limestone hills to better inform decisions regarding their management.

Highlights

In a resource-limited world that is rich in biodiversity, we have to make difficult choices about which habitats of an ecosystem or which populations of a species to conserve [1,2]
As limestone is a vital resource for the construction industry, it is not possible to completely halt forest degradation and quarrying in developing countries such as Malaysia, where 445 limestone hills have been recorded in the peninsula to date
One of the main challenges to setting up such a database is a lack of resources and expertise to gather these kinds of scientific data. Another fundamental problem is that there is no general reference scheme to identify limestone hills; different studies often use different names for the same hill, and this is problematic for data integration. In view of these issues, we have developed a working limestone hills GIS map for Peninsular Malaysia

Summary

Introduction

In a resource-limited world that is rich in biodiversity, we have to make difficult choices about which habitats of an ecosystem or which populations of a species to conserve [1,2]. Ecosystems that have yet to be adequately mapped include limestone hills, which cover about 11% of the Earth’s surface [5]. Limestone hills in the tropics are regarded as “arks” of biodiversity as they contain high levels of species endemism [6,7,8,9]. Degradation of forests on and around limestone hills can result in negative impacts on their biodiversity, too [11]. Many species that are endemic to limestone hills are already extinct or on the brink of extinction [9,12]. There is an urgent need to prioritize limestone hills for conservation as they continue to be exploited, by the cement industry [7, 13]

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Conclusion