Sustainable management of peat swamp forest of Sarawak with special reference to ramin (Gonystylus bancanus); development of a monitoring system

Peat swamp forests in Sarawak are valuable in terms of timber and biodiversity, but heavily degraded. In order to assess the current status, potential developments and possible management interventions, an adequate monitoring system is necessary. In this study a new monitoring system is proposed, based on an evaluation of the current system combined with the identification of present PSF values. Adjustments include the monitoring of all woody species in all size classes, the monitoring of standing and fallen dead wood and the monitoring of environmental factors such as hydrology and peat depth. Moreover, the protection and monitoring of primary, undisturbed PSF is of paramount importance in the light of conservation of biodiversity and the design and evaluation of management interventions.