National Biodiversity Centre (Singapore)
Encyclopedia
The National Biodiversity Centre (Abbreviation
: NBC; Chinese: 国家生物多样性中心 ; ; ) is a branch of the National Parks Board
and serves as Singapore
’s one-stop centre for biodiversity-related information and activities. It manages all available information and data on biodiversity in Singapore. Diverse biodiversity-related information and data are currently generated, stored and updated by different organisations and individuals. The National Biodiversity Centre will maximize the usefulness of such information and data by linking them in a single meta-database. Having complete and up-to-date information is crucial for many decision-making processes involving biodiversity. This hub of biodiversity information and data at the National Biodiversity Centre will also allow knowledge gaps to be better identified and addressed.
The National Biodiversity Centre takes responsibility for the conservation of both terrestrial and marine flora and fauna in Singapore and represents the National Parks Board
in its role as the government's scientific authority on nature conservation. The National Biodiversity Centre will also represent Singapore in various biodiversity-related international and regional conventions, including the Convention on Biological Diversity
, ASEAN Center for Biodiversity
, ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity and ASEANET.
, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, National Environment Agency
, Ministry of Transport (Singapore)
, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
, Ministry of National Development (Singapore)
and National Parks Board
.
CMEPO works to provide Singapore with a strong basis in coastal and marine environment related policy, management and research-direction issues, consistent with Singapore's long-term economic and sustainable development goals. The CMEPO undertakes a wide range of technical projects in areas such as ecology and the environment, coastal dynamics, legislation and regulations, and other technical areas of coastal and marine environment concern.
.
, National University of Singapore
and the Nature Society (Singapore)
with sponsorship from Shell Singapore.
An online version of the Red Data Book 2008 can be found here
, though being a highly urbanised island-city-state, still manages to retain a surprisingly rich array of biodiversity by virtue of its geographical location within a biodiversity hotspot. Therefore, Singapore is well suited and equipped with relevant expertise to establish a cities' biodiversity index.
Hence, Singapore's Minister for National Development, Mr Mah Bow Tan
, proposed the establishment of an index to measure biodiversity in cities at the 9th Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
in Bonn
, Germany
in May 2008. To lay out the details for the index, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
and the National Parks Board
of Singapore jointly organised a Technical Expert Workshop on The Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity. 17 technical experts on biodiversity indicators as well as city executives responsible for implementation and management of biodiversity and urban projects attended the workshop.
The Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity would measure performance and assign scores based on three categories :
The Index will be presented for endorsement during the 10th Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
in Nagoya, Japan
in October 2010.
A User’s Manual for the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity is available online.
The data gathered will be stored in a national, public database. This scientific knowledge will be used to support policy recommendations regarding protected areas and generate recommendations on how industries can be developed with minimal impacts to marine life.
(NParks) will be conducting coastal protection and restoration works at the north-eastern coastline of Pulau Tekong which suffers from coastal erosion. NParks' National Biodiversity Centre stated that the erosion resulted from the movements of ships and strong waves in the area. A study NParks commissioned in 2006 found that 1.65 km of the north-eastern shore is most severely affected. The coastal erosion poses a threat to the 92 hectares of mangroves in Pulau Tekong which is one of the largest remaining mangrove areas in Singapore with a mature and undisturbed habitat.
with sponsorship from Keppel Corporation
and support from the National Environment Agency
.
A two-year field study initiated by the National Biodiversity Centre revealed that 40 of the more than 120 species in Singapore are living in park ponds, with the majority found at Bishan Park
, Kent Ridge Park
, and Toa Payoh Town Park
outside of the nature reserves. This study will help the National Parks Board further enhance and protect dragonflies, and create new habitats for them. Since a dragonfly larvae lives in water and requires that the water is unpolluted to survive, the National Biodiversity Centre aims to use dragonflies as a bio-indicator of a good fresh water ecosystem.
The National Biodiversity Centre, in partnership with Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Nanyang Technological University
, and researchers Marc Cremades and Ng Soon Chye, implemented the Hornbill Conservation Project to aid in the breeding and recovery of the Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) which had previously went extinct in Singapore but has since started to re-establish itself. Hornbills require tree cavities to nest in. However, tree cavities of sufficient size to accommodate the female hornbill and her young are not common in Singapore. The implementation of artificial nest boxes have been successful and video cameras are even installed within the nest boxes to provide a better understanding of the behavioural and feeding patterns of these birds.
The Banded Leaf Monkey is one of four primate species native to Singapore. However, rapid urbanisation and habitat loss exterminated the population at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
. Today, they are restricted to a small area within the Central Catchment Nature Reserve with a population size of about 40 individuals.
(tualang) and Shorea faguetiana
(Damar Siput) have been recorded at heights of 88m. Accompanying these grand trees are also other emergent species with heights from 50m to 80m tall, where the typical mature rainforest canopy reaches.
Topographical contours and features at the Southern Ridges are exploited and designed for an assemblage of large native trees, creating a most impressive sight amidst the ridges of Telok Blangah and Mount Faber. A subsidiary collection of forest trees with large foliage is also planned to be interspersed in between the Sembcorp Forest of Giants collection to serve as interesting visual points.
, National Biodiversity Centre, TeamSeagrass and volunteers from the public regularly conduct surveys and monitoring of the seagrasses found in Singapore, in inter-tidal areas such as Chek Jawa
and Pulau Semakau
. These surveys are part of Seagrass-Watch, a global seagrass assessment and monitoring programme spanning 18 countries with more than 200 monitoring sites worldwide. Non-destructive scientific surveying methods developed by Seagrass-Watch are adopted. Data gathered is then fed back to Seagrass-Watch Headquarters, which then analyses the trends and condition of seagrass habitats at the local, regional and global scale.
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
: NBC; Chinese: 国家生物多样性中心 ; ; ) is a branch of the National Parks Board
National Parks Board
The National Parks Board is a statutory board of the Singapore Government.The National Parks Board is responsible for providing and enhancing the greenery of Singapore. NParks manages around 300 parks, the park connector network and the roadside greenery in Singapore...
and serves as Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
’s one-stop centre for biodiversity-related information and activities. It manages all available information and data on biodiversity in Singapore. Diverse biodiversity-related information and data are currently generated, stored and updated by different organisations and individuals. The National Biodiversity Centre will maximize the usefulness of such information and data by linking them in a single meta-database. Having complete and up-to-date information is crucial for many decision-making processes involving biodiversity. This hub of biodiversity information and data at the National Biodiversity Centre will also allow knowledge gaps to be better identified and addressed.
The National Biodiversity Centre takes responsibility for the conservation of both terrestrial and marine flora and fauna in Singapore and represents the National Parks Board
National Parks Board
The National Parks Board is a statutory board of the Singapore Government.The National Parks Board is responsible for providing and enhancing the greenery of Singapore. NParks manages around 300 parks, the park connector network and the roadside greenery in Singapore...
in its role as the government's scientific authority on nature conservation. The National Biodiversity Centre will also represent Singapore in various biodiversity-related international and regional conventions, including the Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty...
, ASEAN Center for Biodiversity
ASEAN Center for Biodiversity
The ASEAN CENTRE FOR Biodiversity is an intergovernmental regional centre of excellence that facilitates cooperation and coordination among the members of ASEAN, and with relevant national governments, regional and international organizations on the Conservation and Sustainable use of biological...
, ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity and ASEANET.
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Before 1 April 2003 | Conservation Branch of National Parks Board |
| 1 April 2003 | Biodiversity Centre was formed (renamed from Conservation Branch) |
| 22 May 2006 | The National Biodiversity Reference Centre was established. It was first mentioned to the public at the Biodiversity of Singapore Symposium in 2003 by Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan Vivian Balakrishnan Vivian Balakrishnan is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources.... |
| January 2008 | National Biodiversity Centre was formed (renamed from National Biodiversity Reference Centre) |
Organisation structure
The National Biodiversity Centre is a branch of the Conservation Division of National Parks Board. NBC consists of four departments; the Coastal and Marine Environment Program Office, International Relations, Marine and Terrestrial.Coastal and Marine Environment Program Office
The Coastal and Marine Environment Program Office (CMEPO) was established in April 2008 in order to foster greater inter-agency coordination on coastal and marine environment issues and also to strengthen Singapore's strategic capacity in areas related to the coastal and marine environment. The government agencies involved include Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore)Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for conducting and managing diplomatic relations between Singapore and other countries. It is headed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the office currently held by K...
, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, National Environment Agency
National Environment Agency
National Environment Agency formed on 1 July 2002, is a statutory board under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in Singapore. As a statutory board, it gives NEA greater administrative autonomy to be more nimble in the protection of the environment...
, Ministry of Transport (Singapore)
Ministry of Transport (Singapore)
The Ministry of Transport is a ministry in the Government of Singapore that administers and regulates land, sea and air transportation within the republic’s jurisdiction....
, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Singapore Government.-History:The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore was established on 2 February 1996 by the MPA Act of...
, Ministry of National Development (Singapore)
Ministry of National Development (Singapore)
The Ministry of National Development is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to land use planning and infrastructure development...
and National Parks Board
National Parks Board
The National Parks Board is a statutory board of the Singapore Government.The National Parks Board is responsible for providing and enhancing the greenery of Singapore. NParks manages around 300 parks, the park connector network and the roadside greenery in Singapore...
.
CMEPO works to provide Singapore with a strong basis in coastal and marine environment related policy, management and research-direction issues, consistent with Singapore's long-term economic and sustainable development goals. The CMEPO undertakes a wide range of technical projects in areas such as ecology and the environment, coastal dynamics, legislation and regulations, and other technical areas of coastal and marine environment concern.
International Relations
The International Relations department administers regional and international environmental agreements, provides policy analysis of environmental agreements and monitors regional and international developments relevant to biodiversity conservation. It coordinates both the work related to the Convention on Biological Diversity and ASEAN Cooperation on nature conservation and biodiversity and also inter-agency positions on biodiversity-related topics. It also provides policy support to the work of the National Biodiversity Centre and is currently assuming the role of Secretariat in the development of the Cities Biodiversity Index(CBI).Marine
The Marine department has a mandate and responsibility to ensure that Singapore's rich but limited marine biodiversity is conserved as part of her natural heritage. The Marine department regularly establishes and reviews policies related to marine conservation in Singapore and provides up-to-date baseline information on marine biodiversity for decision-making. Development proposals that have potential impacts on marine biodiversity will also be critically analysed and mitigation measures implemented. The Marine department will also generate better awareness among the public and educate them on the importance of marine biodiversity and its conservation.Terrestrial
The Terrestrial department conducts regular field surveys in Singapore's nature reserves, nature parks, park connectors and nature areas in order to increase the baseline on biodiversity-related data in Singapore's terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Key projects include the Banded Lead Monkey Conservation Programme.National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) is a document published by the National Biodiversity Centre that maps out Singapore's master plan for biodiversity conservation. It aims to promote biodiversity conservation by adopting a pragmatic approach to conservation and develop unique solutions to her challenges as Singapore is a densely populated country with no hinterland. It intends to establish both policy frameworks and specific measures to ensure better planning and co-ordination in the sustainable use, management and conservation of Singapore's biodiversity. Inputs from various public sector agencies and nature groups have been taken into consideration in the preparation of the NBSAP. This master plan also fulfils Singapore's regional and international commitments, primarily the Convention on Biological DiversityConvention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty...
.
Singapore Red Data Book
The Singapore Red Data Book contains in-depth information of all threatened flora and fauna species in Singapore. It serves as an invaluable reference source not only for students and researchers but also for policy makers to aid them in the drafting of biodiversity conservation plans. This book is the result of collaborative efforts from various governmental and non-governmental organisations. It was first published in 1994 and revised in 2008 with even more relevant and authoritative information provided by a wide range of expert contributors from organisations such as the National Biodiversity Centre of National Parks BoardNational Parks Board
The National Parks Board is a statutory board of the Singapore Government.The National Parks Board is responsible for providing and enhancing the greenery of Singapore. NParks manages around 300 parks, the park connector network and the roadside greenery in Singapore...
, National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
and the Nature Society (Singapore)
Nature Society (Singapore)
The Nature Society is a non-government, non-profit organisation centered towards the preservation and appreciation of Singapore's natural heritage, as well as that of the surrounding region...
with sponsorship from Shell Singapore.
An online version of the Red Data Book 2008 can be found here
The Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity
Global demographic trends indicate that the degree of urbanisation will increase and that more people will live in cities. In 2008, more than half of the world’s population lived in cities. Biodiversity will play an increasingly important role within the urban landscape. SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, though being a highly urbanised island-city-state, still manages to retain a surprisingly rich array of biodiversity by virtue of its geographical location within a biodiversity hotspot. Therefore, Singapore is well suited and equipped with relevant expertise to establish a cities' biodiversity index.
Hence, Singapore's Minister for National Development, Mr Mah Bow Tan
Mah Bow Tan
Mah Bow Tan is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently a Member of Parliament representing the Tampines Group Representation Constituency...
, proposed the establishment of an index to measure biodiversity in cities at the 9th Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty...
in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in May 2008. To lay out the details for the index, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty...
and the National Parks Board
National Parks Board
The National Parks Board is a statutory board of the Singapore Government.The National Parks Board is responsible for providing and enhancing the greenery of Singapore. NParks manages around 300 parks, the park connector network and the roadside greenery in Singapore...
of Singapore jointly organised a Technical Expert Workshop on The Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity. 17 technical experts on biodiversity indicators as well as city executives responsible for implementation and management of biodiversity and urban projects attended the workshop.
The Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity would measure performance and assign scores based on three categories :
- Biodiversity - the number of plant, animal and other species that exist in a city
- The services that these plants and animals provide, such as pollination and as carbon sinks
- How well a city manages its biodiversity - for instance, by setting up a conservation agency or a museum to document species and habitats
The Index will be presented for endorsement during the 10th Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty...
in Nagoya, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in October 2010.
A User’s Manual for the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity is available online.
Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey of Singapore
A three-year national-scale comprehensive survey of marine biodiversity will be conducted in Singapore from August 2010 onwards. Marine habitats and ecosystems to be surveyed include the mangrove mudflats, inter-tidal areas, offshore coral reefs, seagrass lagoons and the sea floor. The National Parks Board and National Biodiversity Centre will be the coordinating agencies involved. This comprehensive survey will also rope in the help and expertise of local scientists, green groups, non-governmental organisations, volunteers and students, and also international experts.The data gathered will be stored in a national, public database. This scientific knowledge will be used to support policy recommendations regarding protected areas and generate recommendations on how industries can be developed with minimal impacts to marine life.
Coastal Protection and Restoration at Pulau Tekong
The National Parks BoardNational Parks Board
The National Parks Board is a statutory board of the Singapore Government.The National Parks Board is responsible for providing and enhancing the greenery of Singapore. NParks manages around 300 parks, the park connector network and the roadside greenery in Singapore...
(NParks) will be conducting coastal protection and restoration works at the north-eastern coastline of Pulau Tekong which suffers from coastal erosion. NParks' National Biodiversity Centre stated that the erosion resulted from the movements of ships and strong waves in the area. A study NParks commissioned in 2006 found that 1.65 km of the north-eastern shore is most severely affected. The coastal erosion poses a threat to the 92 hectares of mangroves in Pulau Tekong which is one of the largest remaining mangrove areas in Singapore with a mature and undisturbed habitat.
"Biodivercity" Photo Competition
"BiodiverCity" is a photo competition and exhibition organised to support the International Year of Biodiversity by celebrating the rich biodiversity found in Singapore’s urban environment. Singapore is often known as a bustling city state and a centre for commerce. Through the lenses of local residents, the National Biodiversity Centre and the Photographic Society of Singapore hope to show that it is also a haven for biodiversity.Coral Nursery Project
In order to enhance and restore the current coral cover in Singapore, a coral nursery was established off Pulau Semakau in 2007. It is the first coral nursery in the region to utilise "corals of opportunity" as seed corals for growth and transplantation. Unlike other commercial methods which breaks up healthy coral colonies for planting, this method uses coral fragments that lie free on the reef having been naturally fragmented by wave impacts. Coral fragments that have been successfully grown in the coral nursery are then transplanted onto the degraded reef sites off the southern coast of Singapore. This project is spearheaded by the National Biodiversity Centre and the National University of SingaporeNational University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
with sponsorship from Keppel Corporation
Keppel Corporation
The Keppel Group of Companies includes Keppel Offshore & Marine, Keppel Integrated Engineering, Keppel Energy, Keppel Telecommunications & Transportation and Keppel Land, among others....
and support from the National Environment Agency
National Environment Agency
National Environment Agency formed on 1 July 2002, is a statutory board under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in Singapore. As a statutory board, it gives NEA greater administrative autonomy to be more nimble in the protection of the environment...
.
Study on Dragonflies
Bishan Park
Bishan Park is a major park in Singapore, located in the popular heartland of Bishan. The riverine park is situated between Bishan and Ang Mo Kio housing estates, along Ang Mo Kio Ave 1.-Visitor info:...
, Kent Ridge Park
Kent Ridge Park
Kent Ridge Park is a 47-hectare public park in western Singapore, between the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Science Park...
, and Toa Payoh Town Park
Toa Payoh Town Park
Toa Payoh Town Park is located at the junction of Toa Payoh Lor 2 and Toa Payoh Lor 6.-History:The park, previously known as Toa Payoh Town Garden, was completed in 1973. Its main features are an observation tower and a landscaped pond with willowing trees....
outside of the nature reserves. This study will help the National Parks Board further enhance and protect dragonflies, and create new habitats for them. Since a dragonfly larvae lives in water and requires that the water is unpolluted to survive, the National Biodiversity Centre aims to use dragonflies as a bio-indicator of a good fresh water ecosystem.
Hornbill Conservation Project
Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University is one of the two largest public universities in Singapore with the biggest campus in Singapore and the world's largest engineering college. Its lush 200-hectare Yunnan Garden campus was the Youth Olympic Village of the world's first 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in...
, and researchers Marc Cremades and Ng Soon Chye, implemented the Hornbill Conservation Project to aid in the breeding and recovery of the Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) which had previously went extinct in Singapore but has since started to re-establish itself. Hornbills require tree cavities to nest in. However, tree cavities of sufficient size to accommodate the female hornbill and her young are not common in Singapore. The implementation of artificial nest boxes have been successful and video cameras are even installed within the nest boxes to provide a better understanding of the behavioural and feeding patterns of these birds.
Banded Leaf Monkey Conservation
The National Biodiversity Centre, in partnership with the Evolution Lab of the National University of Singapore, initiated an ecological study of Banded Leaf Monkeys (Presbytis femoralis) in order to propose conservation management recommendations and maintain a viable population in the long term. Comprehensive surveys were conducted to determine the population number, demography, home range, behaviour and communication, food choices, habitat and also anthropogenic interferences on the banded leaf monkeys.The Banded Leaf Monkey is one of four primate species native to Singapore. However, rapid urbanisation and habitat loss exterminated the population at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is a small 1.64 square kilometer nature reserve near the geographic centre of the city-state of Singapore, located on the slopes of Bukit Timah Hill, Singapore's highest hill standing at a height of 163.63 metres, and parts of the surrounding area...
. Today, they are restricted to a small area within the Central Catchment Nature Reserve with a population size of about 40 individuals.
Sembcorp Forests of Giants
Sembcorp Industries has donated $1 million to the Garden City Fund to set up an arboretum - a living gallery of giant tree species - for education and research, and to fund green educational programmes to benefit the community. This is part of efforts to enhance biodiversity within urban areas. These trees are native to the rainforests of the region and include some of the world's tallest species. For example, Koompassia excelsaKoompassia excelsa
Tualang, or Koompassia excelsa, is an emergent tropical rainforest tree species in the Fabaceae family. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. It is one of the tallest tropical tree species: the tallest measured specimen is 85.8 m or 88 m tall.Tualangs grow mostly in...
(tualang) and Shorea faguetiana
Shorea faguetiana
Shorea faguetiana is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The tallest documented tropical angiosperm is a 88.3 m tall Shorea faguetiana in the Tawau Hills National Park, in Sabah on the island of Borneo.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. . ...
(Damar Siput) have been recorded at heights of 88m. Accompanying these grand trees are also other emergent species with heights from 50m to 80m tall, where the typical mature rainforest canopy reaches.
Topographical contours and features at the Southern Ridges are exploited and designed for an assemblage of large native trees, creating a most impressive sight amidst the ridges of Telok Blangah and Mount Faber. A subsidiary collection of forest trees with large foliage is also planned to be interspersed in between the Sembcorp Forest of Giants collection to serve as interesting visual points.
The Singing Forest
A new collection of bird-attracting native trees is being established at Southern Ridges to provide a wide variety of suitable food sources as well as shelter and nesting areas for native birds. When established, the additional planting of suitable tree species will eventually provide an opportunity for visitors to learn and appreciate the diverse collection of birds and trees. This project is sponsored by ST Microelectronics.Seagrass Monitoring
The National Parks BoardNational Parks Board
The National Parks Board is a statutory board of the Singapore Government.The National Parks Board is responsible for providing and enhancing the greenery of Singapore. NParks manages around 300 parks, the park connector network and the roadside greenery in Singapore...
, National Biodiversity Centre, TeamSeagrass and volunteers from the public regularly conduct surveys and monitoring of the seagrasses found in Singapore, in inter-tidal areas such as Chek Jawa
Chek Jawa
Tanjong Chek Jawa is a cape and the name of its 100-hectare wetlands located on the south-eastern tip of Pulau Ubin, an island off the north-eastern coast of the main island of Singapore...
and Pulau Semakau
Pulau Semakau
"Pulau Sakeng", "Pulau Seking" & "Pulau Sakeng Police Post" redirects here.Pulau Semakau is located to the south of the main island of Singapore, off the Straits of Singapore. The Semakau Landfill is located on the eastern side of the island, and was created by the amalgamation of Pulau Sakeng ,...
. These surveys are part of Seagrass-Watch, a global seagrass assessment and monitoring programme spanning 18 countries with more than 200 monitoring sites worldwide. Non-destructive scientific surveying methods developed by Seagrass-Watch are adopted. Data gathered is then fed back to Seagrass-Watch Headquarters, which then analyses the trends and condition of seagrass habitats at the local, regional and global scale.