KOTA KINABALU: The plant kingdom isn’t doing so well with at least 600 species facing extinction in Sabah alone.

These species, which comprise flowering plants and trees, are under threat due to poaching and other human activities, says Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Frederick Kugan.

“Besides pitcher plants, the other types of flora facing threats are trees and flowers,” he said.

Kugan cited examples such as the dipterocarp (timber) which are being logged and harvested while high horticultural demand for exotic plants like pitcher plants and orchids means they are poached in the wild and sold in the black market.

“There is also habitat loss due to plantation expansion,” he said.

He also spoke about a small distribution pattern which is being threatened by climate change, especially montane (mountainous) species, adding that this has also contributed to the decline of such species.

Overall, he said, the species are categorised as “threatened” under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list.

The “threatened” category is further divided into CR (critically endangered), EN (endangered) and VU (vulnerable).

In fact, Kugan said that 10 species of CR plants had been marked as possibly extinct – anisophyllea impressinervia, ixora labuanensis, lasianthus subglobosus, melanochyla woodiana, praravinia gracilis, praravinia neriifolia, quercus pseudoverticillata, semecarpus angulatus, semecarpus sandakanus and syzygium badescens.

The last seen photos of these tree species ranged from 45 to 148 years ago, Kugan said.

“Another possibly extinct species that was part of our conservation project for the last few years is the CR elaeocarpus pinosukii’,” he said.

ALSO READ: We need more experts in plant biodiversity, says academician

He said that many search operations were mounted to locate this species at its locality, Pinosuk Plateau or Mesilau in Kundasang, but none had been found.

Kugan said Pinosuk Plateau or Mesilau, as it is known today, is no longer a forest like it was 60 to 70 years ago (when the species was first collected) as most of these areas have been turned into vegetable farms.

He said all these assessments are based on what have been published in the IUCN Red List.

“However, we have thousands of species that have not been assessed yet, especially the non-tree species,” he added.

Kugan said that more research and conservation initiatives need to be taken to better protect these species and hopefully, prevent their extinction.

“There must be coordinated efforts between state agencies, private sectors as well as local communities to find solutions on how to reduce impact on flora and fauna with the development that is taking place,” he said.

In March, Kugan revealed that the pitcher plant is under threat in Sabah, with seven species listed as threatened on the IUCN list.

Pitcher plants, also known as monkey cups, have over 160 species worldwide, out of which 25 are found in Sabah.

The world’s largest pitcher plant, nepenthes rajah, is only found in Mount Kinabalu and its surrounding highlands.

This species can trap not just insects but also small mammals like rats.

An AFP report in March quoting the IUCN said that “deforestation, farming and climate-fuelled fires are driving increasing threats to fungi, the lifeblood of most plants”.

At least 411 fungi face extinction out of the 1,300 varieties, said IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species.