Endemic Trees: Issues and Challenges

Of an estimated 5,000 species of trees in Borneo, 41% are endemic to the island. This estimate is supported by data from the 64 families so far published in the Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak Vols 1-4, in which 490 species have been found to be endemic of a total of 1,201 species recognised. So far, 102 species have been confirmed endemic to Sarawak, but the final total may reach 400 species. The conservation of hundreds of endemic species is a major exercise requiring the mobilization of intellectual and practical resources. Priorities, goals and incentives are proposed. It is emphasised that the stewardship of biodiversity is a dynamic knowledge-based activity. A Sarawak endemic is significant only in the context of the flora of Borneo; a Bornean endemic is significant only in the context of the flora of SE Asia and the world.