The Deramakot Forest Reserve is a lush tropical rainforest area that stretches at 55,507 hectares and is located in the heart of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. It is the first natural tropical rainforest in the world to be certified as a “Well-Managed Forest”. The forest reserve has been certified since 1997 by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC-C009139)(SGS-FM/COC-000065), making Deramakot the longest certified rainforest in the world!
Deramakot is a commercial forest reserve and as dictated by the 3rd Forest Management Plan, 49,711 ha of the area is set aside for log production, whereas 5,778 ha is for conservation whilst the remaining 18 ha is under community forestry.
The sambar deer is just one of the many wildlife that can be sighted in Deramakot
Because its core business is logging, it has raised many questions and concerns. How is it possible for Deramakot to be a forest reserve but have logging as its core business? Many even ask, what happens to the wildlife there? The idea appears to be contradicting especially to environmentalists. So, what does it mean by being a “Well-Managed Forest” then?
Check out our Deramakot Forest Wildlife Safari here!
It simply means that Deramakot Forest Reserve (DFR) is managed in accordance with good and sustainable forestry practices. The harvesting of logs is carried out based on “Reduced Impact Logging” (RIL), which is a practice where only trees that have minimal impact on soil and the forests’ surrounding will be removed. Trees that are less than 60cm in diameter as well as fruit trees which are a source of food for the wildlife there will remain untouched. Besides that, buffer zones at riparian, watersheds, slopes and other environmental elements that keeps the forest thriving are also maintained.
An aerial view of Deramakot Forest Reserve
Compared to Conventional Logging, which is extremely destructive, RIL results in low levels of damage to the residual tree stocks, soil as well as water quality, whilst sustaining the productive capacity and the environmental functions of the forest. As RIL leaves the forest mostly unscathed, the logged forest will take only 25 years to regenerate, whereas if Conventional Logging is done, it will take 50 to 80 years! Not only that but based on the felling cycle of RIL logged forests, 40 years is given for the forests to recover before it is harvested again.
Birding in Deramakot
DFR also plays a huge role in protecting the wildlife and flora in the area as it is an integral part of the forests, and Wildlife Management is another practice that is being done there. A large population of Sabah’s wildlife mammals can be found in the reserve- About 75% to be exact. This includes the endangered orangutan, tembadau or banteng, proboscis monkey, Bornean pygmy elephant and the clouded leopard. Conservationists have also claimed that Deramakot is one of the safest habitats for wildlife and it is of the best destination in Sabah for wildlife watching.
An orangutan up on a treetop
Info of wildlife species that can be found in Deramakot
Deramakot Forest Reserve has been chosen as the model forest for having the best forest management practices, and since 2000, RIL has been adopted and implemented by the Forestry Department throughout the state of Sabah.
How did it all began?
In year 1989, upon realising the reality of our depleting forests, the Sabah Forestry Department, together with German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) who provided technical support, had developed a management system for responsible production of timber for logged over forestland. The move to carry out and implement the system requires a substantial amount of investment in forest planning, low impact harvesting equipment and infrastructure, as well as training of foresters, managers and workers in the new techniques. Through applying this new system, which is both an ecologically and scientifically acceptable forest management system, the commercial forest reserves are managed in a sustainable manner in terms of balance nutrient cycles, biodiversity, forest structure and function and socio-economic needs.
For more information, you can also head over to Deramakot Forest Reserve’s website for more details!
Check out our Deramakot Forest Wildlife Safari here!
