Biodiversity in Malaysia: Threats and Conservation

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, species, conservation methods, and ecological threats discussed in the lecture on biodiversity in Malaysia.

Megadiverse Countries

A group of 17 nations recognized for harboring the majority of Earth's species, in which Malaysia ranks 12th globally based on the National Biodiversity Index.

Biological Prospecting

The systematic collection, chemical analysis, and testing of biological samples from plants and organisms as potential sources of new medical drugs.

Ecosystem Services

Natural ecological processes, such as biogeochemical cycles including the hydrological cycle and carbon cycle, that sustain clean water and fresh air for life.

Vulnerable (IUCN Red List)

A conservation status category defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature indicating that a species is likely to become endangered.

Endangered (IUCN Red List)

A conservation status category defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature indicating that a species is at risk of becoming extinct.

Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List)

A conservation status category defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature indicating that a species faces the highest risk of extinction in the wild.

Forest Fragmentation

The breaking of large, contiguous forested areas into smaller patches of forest, typically separated by roads, agriculture, or human development.

Overexploitation

The unsustainable harvesting of species from the wild at rates faster than natural populations can recover.

Invasive Alien Species

Organisms introduced from one ecosystem into another where they were previously unknown, which can prey on native species, compete for resources, introduce disease, and disrupt food chains.

Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

An invasive alien plant species that disrupts original aquatic ecosystems.

Peacock Bass

An introduced game fish species in Malaysia that acts as an invasive alien predator disrupting native freshwater aquatic ecosystems.

Sustainable Development

Balancing human economic and social development needs with environmental sustainability to ensure resources meet the requirements of both present and future generations.

Conservation

The management of human use of nature so that it yields the greatest sustainable benefit to current generations while maintaining potential to meet future generations' needs.

Community-Based Conservation

A conservation approach where biologists actively engage local residents to protect land and wildlife, ensuring resources are sustainably managed rather than depleted or sold.

In-situ Conservation

The conservation of ecosystems and natural habitats, and the maintenance and recovery of viable species populations within their natural surroundings.

Ex-situ Conservation

The conservation and maintenance of species outside their original natural habitats in controlled, human-managed facilities such as zoos, botanic gardens, and seed banks.

Artificial Insemination

An ex-situ reproductive technique in which sperm collected from a male of a rare species is artificially introduced into one or more females to produce offspring.

Embryo Transfer

An ex-situ breeding method where a rare female treated with fertility drugs produces eggs that are fertilized and surgically implanted into a female of a related surrogate species.

Wildlife Crossing (Eco-bridges)

Human-built infrastructure such as vegetated bridges or tunnels designed to reconnect bisected habitat corridors and allow animals to cross roads safely.

Iman

The last known Sumatran rhinoceros in Malaysia, captured in March 2014 and died of cancer in November 2019, marking the species' extinction in Malaysia.

Tam

The last male Sumatran rhinoceros in Malaysia, discovered in an oil palm plantation in 2008 and housed at Tabin Wildlife Reserve until his death in May 2019.

Renewable Resources

Living natural assets, including all plants and animals, that can regenerate naturally unless ecosystem equilibrium is disrupted beyond recovery.

Non-renewable Resources

Finite geological and fossil materials, specifically including metal ores and petroleum, that do not regenerate on a human timescale.

National Policy on Biological Diversity 2016-2025

Malaysia's strategic policy framework committing to conserve biological diversity, promote sustainable use, and ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits across five core goals.