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21-596: Situated in the Gomantong Forest Reserve , the caves and the surrounding area are a protected area for wildlife, especially orangutans . The limestone hill is also the only known site for the endangered land snail Plectostoma mirabile . Investigation of the guano deposits were first made in 1889 by J.H. Allard of the China Borneo Company , and the caves were first mapped by P. Orolfo in 1930. Detailed re-mapping and laser scanning of

42-402: A source for plywood . The family name comes from the type genus Dipterocarpus which is derived from Greek words δι di "two", πτερόν pteron "wing", and καρπός karpós "fruit"; the words combined refer to the two-winged fruit available from trees of that genus, other related genera with winged fruits of more than two are included in the family as well. The dipterocarp family

63-1001: Is a protected forest reserve in Sandakan and Kinabatangan Districts of Sandakan Division , Sabah , Malaysia. It was designated as a Class 1 Protection Forest by the Sabah Forestry Department in 1984. Its area is 3,297 hectares (32.97 km ). The Gomantong Caves are within the reserve. Gomantong's terrain consists of low to moderate hills and flat areas with swamps. The forest is a mixture of dipterocarp and swamp forest. Gomantong Forest Reserve hosts threatened tree species such as Hopea beccariana , Shorea atrinervosa , Shorea hypoleuca and Dipterocarpus confertus . Swamp species include Mitragyna speciosa and Nephrolepis biserrata . The reserve hosts numerous Diospyros , Tristaniopsis , Campnosperma , Syzygium and Cordia species. Gomantong Forest Reserve hosts migrating elephants . The reserve

84-437: Is generally divided into two subfamilies: Anisoptera Cotylelobium Dipterocarpus Stemonoporus Upuna Vateria Vateriopsis Vatica Anthoshorea Doona Dryobalanops Hopea Neobalanocarpus Neohopea Parashorea Pentacme Richetia Rubroshorea Shorea Marquesia Monotes Pseudomonotes A recent genetic study found that

105-896: Is home to orangutan , clouded leopard and wild boar. This Sabah location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Dipterocarp Dipterocarpaceae is a family of flowering plants with 22 genera and about 695 known species of mainly lowland tropical forest trees . Their distribution is pantropical , from northern South America to Africa , the Seychelles , India , Indochina , Indonesia , Malaysia and Philippines . The greatest diversity of Dipterocarpaceae occurs in Borneo . The largest genera are Shorea (196 species), Hopea (104 species), Dipterocarpus (70 species), and Vatica (65 species). Many are large forest-emergent species, typically reaching heights of 40–70 m, some even over 80 m (in

126-769: The Guaianan highlands of South America, is now found to be more closely related the Cistaceae and is placed there in the APG IV (2016) . Some 52-million-year-old amber found in the Gujarat province, India , containing a large amount of fossilized arthropods , was identified as sap from the family Dipterocarpaceae. Dipterocarpaceae species can be either evergreen or deciduous. Species occurring in Thailand grow from sea level to about 1300 m elevation. Environments in which

147-703: The genera Dryobalanops , Hopea and Shorea ), with the tallest known living specimen ( Shorea faguetiana ) 93.0 m tall. Name Menara, or tower in Malaysian, this specimen is a yellow meranti tree. It grows in Danum Valley in Sabah. The species of this family are of major importance in the timber trade . Some species are now endangered as a result of overcutting, extensive illegal logging , and habitat conversion. They provide valuable woods , aromatic essential oils , balsam, and resins , and are

168-712: The Asian dipterocarps share a common ancestor with the Sarcolaenaceae , a tree family endemic to Madagascar. This suggests that ancestor of the dipterocarps originated in the southern supercontinent of Gondwana , and that the common ancestor of the Asian dipterocarps and the Sarcolaenaceae was found in the India-Madagascar-Seychelles land mass millions of years ago, and were carried northward by India, which later collided with Asia and allowed

189-458: The bats as they leave their roost. For centuries, the caves have been renowned for their valuable edible swiftlet nests, which are harvested for bird's nest soup . The most valuable of the nests, the white ones, can sell for very high prices. The birds' nest collection is an ancient tradition, and the trading of these nests has been done since at least AD 500. Twice a year, from February to April and July to September, locals with licenses climb to

210-418: The caves was conducted in 2012 and July 2014. The bat population is dominated by a colony of the wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat ( Chaerephon plicatus ), whose nightly exodus is a popular tourist attraction. The population size, which has been widely exaggerated in the past, was counted at between 275,000 and 276,000 in 2012. There are also bat hawks that linger not far from the scene and prey specifically on

231-593: The dipterocarps to spread across Southeast Asia and Malaysia. Although associated with Southeast Asia in contemporary times, recent studies using fossil pollen and molecular data suggest an African origin in the mid-cretaceous. Prior to this research, the first dipterocarp pollen was found in Myanmar (which at that time was part of the Indian Plate ) and it dates from the upper Oligocene . The sample appears to slowly increase in terms of diversity and abundance across

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252-468: The impacts of climate change and land cover on the distribution of this important tree family in the Philippines. They used species distribution models (SDMs) for 19 species that were projected onto both current and future climate scenarios, with current land cover incorporated as well. They found that the current land cover alone reduced the species distributions by 67%, and 37% in protected areas. On

273-412: The interior. Simud Hitam ("Black Cave") is the more accessible of the two caves, only a few minutes' walk from the entrance building, and it is open to the general public. Its ceiling can reach 40–60 m (130–200 ft) high. It is the source of the less-valuable "black saliva" nests. These contain both feathers and saliva and require cleaning afterwards. Simud Putih ("White Cave") is the larger of

294-421: The larger Simud Putih (White Cave) which lies above. The names refer to the main type of nests produced by swiftlets in each cave. The cave system is home to many other animals, including massive populations of cockroaches , centipedes and bats . Outside one can see many raptors including crested serpent eagles , kingfishers , and Asian fairy-bluebirds . Access is in the form of a wooden walkway circuiting

315-511: The other hand, climate change reduced species distributions by 16-27% in both protected and unprotected areas. There was also an upward shift in elevation of species distribution as a result of climate change, as habitats changed. They concluded that there was a need to improve protected area planning as refuges for critical species, with SDMs proving to be a useful tool for providing projections that can then be incorporated into this planning process. Another paper by Shishir et al. also investigated

336-486: The potential effects of climate change on a threatened Dipterocarp tree in Purbachal, Bangladesh. Using a model that incorporated nine different environmental variables such as climate, geography, and soil conditions, they looked at two climate scenarios. They found that precipitation and soil nitrogen were the largest determinants of distribution, and that suitable habitat for this species will decline by 21-28% relative to

357-452: The region into the mid- Miocene . Chemical traces of dipterocarp resins have been found dating back to the Eocene of India. The oldest fossil of the family are from the latest Cretaceous ( Maastrichtian ) aged Intertrappean Beds of India, assignable to the extant genus Dipterocarpus . Subfamily Pakaraimoideae containing the sole genus Pakaraimaea , formerly placed here and native to

378-401: The roof of the caves, using only rattan ladders, ropes, and bamboo poles, and collect the nests. The first collection takes place early in the breeding season before the swiftlets lay their eggs. The birds then make another nest in which they finally lay their eggs. After the young have fledged, the second collection is made. Care must be taken to assure that the nests are collected only after

399-636: The species of the family occur in Thailand include lowland dipterocarp forest 0–350 m, riparian fringe, limestone hills, and coastal hills. The dipterocarps has dominated the Borneo lowland rain forests for millions of years. As the dominant tree in Southeast Asia, the Dipterocarp family has seen extensive study relating to its conservation status. They are a keystone species of the native forests of this region, and are essential to their function and structure. One study by Pang et al. examined

420-460: The two caves, and also the more technical; it is not open to the general public, and access requires appropriate caving equipment and experience. It is where the more valuable "white saliva" nests of the swiftlets are found, and is reached by a steep, 30-minute climb further up the mountains. The main entrance is located above and adjacent to the main "lighthole" at the back of Simud Hitam. Gomantong Forest Reserve Gomantong Forest Reserve

441-503: The young swiftlets have abandoned these nests. These individuals are very much in demand by the people and communities that hold the government's harvesting licenses. Edible birds' nests are protected under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment of 1997. Heavy fines and penalties are imposed on unlicensed collectors. The main cave system is divided into two parts: the more accessible Simud Hitam (Black Cave), and

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