SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
INGENIEUR
Most IUCN Red List of Threatened Tree Species in a Housing Estate – Sierramas Resort Homes
By Ginny Loh Reprinted with permission from Sierramas Newsletter November 2022
Since Sierramas Resort Homes ( SRH ) was established as the first gated and guarded housing estate in 1997 , many different species of trees were planted in abundance within the pleasant landscape that offers communitybased residential living in a resort setting of green space interspersed with residential blocks .
Residents enjoy living in the lush greenery of SRH . The diversity of trees gives SRH a cozy environment and contribute to the surrounding microclimate changes as it directly influences the intensity of light , humidity , and temperature . The diverse tree species improve the air and water quality , and help weed suppression . They also increase resilience from pests and fungi , and indirectly protects the biodiversity in Sierramas .
More than 20 years later , today , all the trees have matured through the good maintenance and management system in taking care of the trees in the estate , and our routine landscape works .
The Board of Directors and the Management Team of Sierramas Homeowners Berhad engaged Dr Ang Lai Hoe , an external professional consultant from FRIM , since early 2021 to provide us with technical consultations in managing the green space , especially in tree maintenance / preservation works .
Since then , Dr Ang has established a comprehensive database of trees in the estate .
According to the database , SRH has 154 tree species , making up a total of 4,264 trees in the common area of our estate , including the wayside and gullies , of which seven species , totalling 1,120 trees , were identified as IUCN Red List of Threatened Tree Species , or REDLIST .
IUCN stands for International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources .
Therefore , the idea of entering the Malaysia Book of Records was initiated as one of the tangible results for the Members / Residents of Sierramas .
The details of the species composition and distribution are shown in table 1 .
There are five quantitative criteria that are used to determine if a taxon is threatened ( Critically Endangered , Endangered , or Vulnerable ). They are :
1 . Declining population ( past , present , and / or projected );
2 . Geographic range size and fragmentation , decline or fluctuations ;
3 . Small population size and fragmentation , decline , or fluctuations ;
4 . Very small population or very restricted distribution ; and
5 . Quantitative analysis of extinction risk ( e . g ., Population Viability Analysis ).
The journey in achieving this significant milestone has been challenging and yet fulfilling .
In October 2022 , we successfully marked our footprint in the Malaysia Book of Records with the title “ Most IUCN Red List of Threatened Tree Species in Housing Estate ”, and we hope residents will feel proud of this achievement .
72 VOL 93 JANUARY-MARCH 2023