W e & You & A Dog named Benson
Week No. 20
16 May 1999

Matang Mangrove Forest

Sepetang and Jebong Forest Reserve

Not many people are keen to know about Mangrove Trees and Wetlands.

They are so remote and alien to our urban life.

Just imagine that we are blessed with so much tropical forest, the joy and benefit it is bringing to us.

Then, here in Matang you are getting another kind of forest!

 
They are found along all coastal region. Those trees growing at the sea shores? You should not see them this way! Look at the forest! the largest is in the north- matang and another in the south Kukup!

Matang at 40,151 hectares is the single largest Mangrove forest in Peninsula Malaysia. By international standard, it is best managed , exemplary of a sustainable forest that can meet continued demand for wood resources and preservation of the mangrove ecosystem

We had a peep into life among the forest, a very dense forest in Sepetang and another small coastal forest with mudflats.

Its location which is between the land and the sea plays an important role in
a] fishery production
b] coastal habitats for trees
c] coastal habitats for wildlife's

The recognition of Matang as a reserved area started in 1902 and lobbying pursued until it was fully gazette in 1906.

Management of the forest started as early as 1904 and full control attained in 1908. Enhancement over the systematic control plan was made in 1954 when a more effective 10years renewable plan took charge.

The Matang Forest Reserve measured 51.5 kilometers long from both extreme ends and widest part 13 kilometers. About 95% of the forested area are tidal swamp of the 5 different inundation classes.

 
This is Jebong where the regional Forestry Department is located.

The department functions besides supervision of the area, manages nurseries, police logging action, checking on charcoal kilns production and thinning operation.
The forest yields between 140-200 tone of greenwood per hectare.

Two species are particularly chosen for replanting and harvesting, the Rhizophora apiculata and R. mucronata.

More information of Mangrove Forest appear in our other site dealing with this topic.

Sepetang or formerly known as Port Weld is the largest producer of farmed cockles.

Here the clams are harvested, sorted out and packed for distribution around the country or exported to Thailand and Hong Kong.
This production shed for the sorting, packaging and distribution is large. The size of the building gave a fair impression on the volume handled here.
This was a broad estuary of the Sungei Larut! From the map, the channel at this point is shown as a narrow river. Imagine the breadth of the river mouth, whose basin housed the cockles farms.

Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary

Moving up north about 50 kilometer from Taiping is the estuary village of Kuala Gula.

Geographically, this site is 32 kilometers north of Port Weld, 11 kilometers south of Kuala Kurau and through the only direct link by road, Simpang Empat, is 30 kilometers from Parit Buntar.

The park started ringing birds in 1973 and had recorded 112 species from 34 families.

 

The main activities of the sanctuary was centered around the island of Pulau Kelumpang. The island is bordered by the Sungei Selinsing in the south, Sungei Kelumpang on the east and the Straits of Malacca on the west.

This site at the northern edge of the Matang Forest Reserve, was a mixture of mudflats and Mangrove forest.
For an impression of the width of the estuary at Kuala Gula, watch the open area between the banks behind Khoo.
 

The type of mangrove found in these diversified intertidal plains were:-

Avicennia lanata - Api api bulu       Rhizophora mucrunata - Bakau kurap
Avicennia manua - Api api jambu       Rhizophora apiculata - Bakau minyak
Avicennia officinalis - Api api ludat       Bruguiera hatinesii - Berus
Avicennia alba - Api api puteh       Bruguiera parviflora - lenggadai
          Exoecuria agallocha - bebuta

The more impressive and easy to see type of birds found here are:-

Black Crowned Night Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax
Lesser Adjunctant Stork - Leptoptilos javanicus
Milky Stork - Myctaria cinererea

Kuala Gula is a tidal plain with little or no dry land. Depending on differences in habitats, food preferences and soil type, the mammals that could be seen are:-

 
Smooth Otter   - Lutrogale perspicillata
Long Tail Macaque   - Macaque fascicularis
Dusky Leaf Monkey   - Presbytis abcura
     

Khong's Travel Guide

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