HILL DIPTEROCARP FORESTS
The hill dipterocarp forest in Peninsular Malaysia is quite unique to it, in the sense that you don’t have such a similar formation elsewhere, on the island of Borneo for example, even though both are the centers for mixed dipterocarp biodiversity. The dipterocarp forest on elevations of 300 – 750 meters ASL in Peninsular Malaysia is often classified as hill dipterocarp forest, and there are certain characteristics of it that I’m going to point out. The chief denoting feature of hill dipterocarp forest is the presence of stands of seraya trees. Seraya (Shorea curtisii) are large sized dipterocarp trees with silvery hued leaves on the surface. From afar, their silvery or grayish crowns stand out like billowing gray colored broccoli, amongst the other trees of the forest canopy. Seraya trees grow as pure stands most frequently on hill ridges, as they are well adapted to the dry conditions there. They can grow as large trees, although usually not to any particularly great height or size. Typically, they reach 30-45 meters in height at maturity; old trees are almost always hollow.
Find out species planted in here:
MERANTI SERAYA (Shorea curtisii) - MAIN SPECIES
