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Pictures of newly discovered species in Borneo More than 400 species discovered on island rainforest since 1994 mongabay.com December 19, 2006 Yesterday's announcement by WWF that 52 previously unknown species were discovered in the fast-disappearing rainforests of Borneo brings the total number of "new" species found on the island to more than 400 since 1994. WWF is using the discoveries to bolster support for its "Heart of Borneo" initiative which seeks to conserve 84,000 square miles (220,000 square kilometers) of mountainous rainforest in the center of the island.
"The remote and inaccessible forests in the Heart of Borneo are one of the world's final frontiers for science," said Adam Tomasek, director of WWF-US's Borneo & Sumatra Program. "Certainly, many new species are yet to be discovered there. These forests are also vital because they are the source of most of the island's major rivers, and provide life sustaining freshwater and other ecosystem services." The latest discoveries include 30 fish species, two tree frog species, 16 ginger species, three tree species and one large-leafed plant species. Still little is known about most of these species, though WWF gives a brief descriptions of the finds:
Today less than half of the island's original rainforest remains and this is fast-declining due to logging and fires set for land clearing. Once verdant forest is giving way to rows of oil palm trees which are used to produce biofuels and household oil products. The ongoing destruction has spurred WWF to lanuch a major conservation plan for the island's remaining forests. Last March, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to support a WWF initiative to conserve and sustainably manage the Heart of Borneo. In July of this year, the United States also lent support to the initiative. Read the full study [.doc] Articles on species discovery in Borneo
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