Conservation of endangered species: In the case of Shorea macrantha

Shorea macrantha (Kepong hantu), critically endangered species of Dipterocarpaceae that produce harder, heavier and more resinous than most merantis as well as its edible large fruits known as ‘engkabang bungkus’ is restricted to swamp and semi swamp localities and the vicinity of rivers. The Malaysian Plant Red List of Peninsular Malaysia Dipterocarpaceae reported that 35 species are endangered and 15 species are critically endangered. Of the critically endangered species, six are endemics to Peninsular Malaysia in which S. macrantha falls under this category as listed by the Red List and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The species has degraded due to habitat degradation and land conversion. A total of 18 trees had been discovered in fragmented forest of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) campus in Sri Iskandar, Perak by Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) researchers. This paper is apparently focuses on the distribution, habitat, conservation status, morphological characteristics as well as threat to this species. In order to conserve the species, effective conservation initiatives should emphasize on monitoring the populations and aid its recovery and restoration as well as accomplish many studies to create better understanding on S. macrantha. The species are lone representatives of unique lineages and if it is extinct, the loss would not only mean loss of genetic diversity of a single species but of an entire lineage.