River Water Quality and Landscape in the Kumena and Tatau Basins, Sarawak, Malaysia [Keitaro Fukushima]

River Water Quality and Landscape in the Kumena and Tatau Basins, Sarawak, Malaysia Keitaro Fukushima  (Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University)  River water quality is a very useful indicator of upstream terrestrial environment including land use, geology, lifestyle, development of infrastructure, and so forth. For example, the concentrations of calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+) ions and dissolved silica (Si) are mainly controlled by underlying bedrock geology; nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentratios reflect land use such as agriculture and urbanization; and chloride ion (Cl–) concentration is likely proportional to the distance from the sea. Mines, factories, and livestock facilities can discharge high concentrations of N, P, certain metals, and […]

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Bank Erosion along the Rajang River and Its Social Impacts [Watakabe, Soda, Mokudai, Ikeda, Yuhora]

Bank Erosion along the Rajang River and Its Social Impacts Takuma Watakabe(Graduate School of Regional Sciences,Tottori University) Ryoji Soda(Graduate School of Literature and Human Sceiences, Osaka City University) Kuniyasu Mokudai(Pro Natura Foundation Japan) Hiroshi Ikeda(Fukada Geological Institute) Kazuhiro Yuhora(Muroto Geopark Promotion Office) Introduction Fig. 1 Study area  Introduction  The district of Sarawak, Malaysia is stretched in the tropical forest and the residents of this area are facing a drastic environment change ever since the logging operation began. One example is the Rajang river basin (Fig. 1) where people witness serious riverbank erosion. According to the residents, the problem began to surface from the end of 1960s or 70s which coincide […]

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Developing a plant-survey method at Anap-Muput Forest Management Unit [Miyako Koizumi]

Developing a plant-survey method at Anap-Muput Forest Management Unit Miyako Koizumi (Research Institute for Humanity and Nature)  There is global concern over sustainable development and mechanisms to provide incentives for the sustainable use of forests. There are two major problems in the development of such mechanisms. One is the economical problem of who and how to share costs and benefits. The other is the biological problem of how to evaluate ecosystems. The latter is considered highly challenging in tropical rainforests, where biodiversity is very high.  Biodiversity studies in tropical rainforests have been conducted by specialists, sometimes with the help of para-taxonomists. Their study sites are relatively small, usually less than 1 […]

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A report on joint research in Sarawak: the possibilities for study of ethnic Chinese by researchers and scholars from different fields [Tetsu Ichikawa]

A report on joint research in Sarawak: the possibilities for study of ethnic Chinese by researchers and scholars from different fields Tetsu Ichikawa(College of Tourism, Rikkyo University)  My study in Sarawak mainly focuses on the ethnic Chinese groups in that area. I have conducted the research, paying attention to the interactions between the ethnic Chinese and indigenous people in Sarawak. The interactions include business, mixed marriage, adoption and so forth. From the perspective of research experience in Sarawak, I would like to elucidate some of the characteristics of the research, performed by a team of researchers that integrate the humanities and science.  The major benefit for me to take part […]

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An overview of Anap-Muput Forest Management Unit [Hiromitsu Samejima]

An Overview of Anap-Muput Forest Management Unit Hiromitsu Samejima(CSEAS, Kyoto University)   East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) can be divided into following land categories in general¹ 1. Government land 1.1 Natural reserves such as national parks 1.2 Concessions (the lease of commercial exploitation rights) managed by private companies 1.2.1 Logging management in natural forests (selective logging) 1.2.2 Industrial tree plantation (Plantations of fast-grow- ing trees species (ex. Acacia mangium) 1.2.3 Oil palm plantations 2. Private property mainly employing the shifting cultiva- tion system of hill padi ¹There is some land that is earmarked for other use, but the area is small.  In sparsely populated East Malaysia, the major part of […]

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