TALLEST TROPICAL TREE FOUND
100m tree discovered by British varsity scientists in Sabah
THE world’s first 100m tropical tree has been discovered in Danum Valley Conservation area in Lahad Datu, by scientists from the University of Nottingham and University of Oxford.
The previous record of 96.9m was held by a Shorea faguetiana tree from the Dipterocarpaceae family in Tawau Hills Park last year.
According to a report by www.nationalgeographic.com, the team, which is also working with Southeast Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP), has named the new-found tree “Menara”, meaning tower in Bahasa Malaysia.
The tree is lengthier than a football field and weighs 81,500kg.
Initially, it was spotted from the air, before the actual height was determined using the old school way of climbing and using a tape measure.
SEARPP research assistant Jamiluddin Jami, whose nickname is “Unding Jami”, was tasked to do the measurement.
The climbing and measuring, said Unding, were not easy as the presence of tiny animals could be a nuisance and life threatening.
“This kind of expedition is good for our community and rainforest conservation. It’s about friendship too as a successful climb like this is not about one person. You need a skilled team.
“It is important to know that conserving the primary rainforest is bearing fruit. Some of these unique giant trees are still out there. They haven’t all been lost,” wrote the arborist in the report.
Unding said ever since he was involved with one of the rainforest replanting programmes and planting seedlings since the age of 13, he realised the importance of the forest.
He hoped the trees would be around for years to come for future generations to see.