Balembangan Forest Reserve

Balembangan Forest Reserve
IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
Location in Borneo
Balembangan Forest Reserve
Location	Sabah, Malaysia
Nearest city	Kudat, Kudat District
Coordinates	7°12′29″N 116°52′01″E
Area	3.71 km^2 (1.43 sq mi)
Established	1984
Governing body	Sabah Forestry Department[1]

Balembangan Forest Reserve is a protected forest reserve on Balambangan Island, off the northern tip of Borneo. The reserve is part of Kudat District in Kudat Division, Sabah, Malaysia.^[2] It was designated as a Class 1 Protection Forest by the Sabah Forestry Department in 1984. Its area is 371 hectares (3.71 km²).^[3] Balembangan's terrain is rugged and steep inland, with flat coastal areas of mangroves.^[1]

Flora

Balembangan Forest Reserve hosts dipterocarp tree species including Dipterocarpus grandiflorus, Shorea faguetiana and Vatica maritima. Mangrove species include Ceriops decandra, Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora stylosa and Sonneratia alba. Pandanus tectorius grows freely in watery areas behind the mangroves.^[1]

Fauna

Balembangan Forest Reserve is home to mouse deer, sambar deer and wild boar. Saltwater crocodiles and long-tailed macaques have also been observed.^[1]

References

1. "Balembangan". Sabah Forestry Department. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
2. Sheldon, Frederick H (October 2015). "Gazetteer and site-based history of the ornithology of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo". Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University. 1 (86): 7. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
3. "Balembangan Protection Forest Reserve". Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS). Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (Malaysia). Retrieved 23 June 2021.