Bukit Timah Nature Reserve(:

Haha, this is some information about the BTNR that we're going tmrw. Yay:D Haha so cool.

 

 

Singapore, lying within the tropical zone, and blessed with high temperature and high rainfall all year round, was once covered with tropical rainforests. It has been estimated that primary rainforest once covered about 82% of the land area of Singapore, approximately 442 km² or 44,200 hectares (ha).

However, ever since people have settled on the island, more and more of the original natural vegetation has been cleared, to make way for settlements and for agriculture and plantations. Today, only 192 ha or 0.43% of the original forest cover remains. Most of the surviving primary forest is restricted to the more pristine areas of the 163ha Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR), and in scattered patches throughout the 3,043 ha Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR). The remainder of these two nature reserves is occupied mostly by secondary forest.

The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve contains the largest patch of primary rainforest left in Singapore. Bukit Timah Hill, at about 163.63 metres above sea level, is the highest point in Singapore.

Importance of Tropical Rainforests in Singapore
Even though we do not possess very large areas of tropical rainforests, as compared to other countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Congo and Brazil, our few remaining rainforests are still very important, for various reasons.

• Tropical rainforests have taken hundreds of years to develop and once cleared, they are almost impossible to replace. There are many species of plant and animal in the rainforests, most of which are found nowhere else in the world. And when they are destroyed, some species may become extinct and be lost forever. These include plants with medicinal value which have not even been identified and tested. So, rainforests in Singapore now perform the very important role of providing a place for many species to thrive and grow.
• Rainforests in Singapore also provide us with an idea of what Singapore was like at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Singapore was once covered by tropical rainforests. Hence, by looking at the rainforests now, we get a glimpse of what Singapore might have been like then.
• The rainforests form our water catchment areas. When rain falls, the rainwater is trapped by some of the leaves on the trees. The rainwater then drains slowly into the ground and may be collected in the nearby reservoirs. In this way rainforests help us 'catch' the rain and add to our water supply.
• As Singapore becomes increasingly built up, rainforests act as giant 'lungs' by absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide and producing oxygen in exhange.
• The rainforests are beautiful and scenic, with fresh air and natural surroundings. They provide us with a peaceful alternative to the busy city, and these last bastions of wilderness are places of peace and quiet where Singaporeans can go to enjoy and appreciate nature at its best. They can also be a tourist attraction.
• The rainforests are a legacy of our natural heritage, and it is important to protect and conserve them, keeping them intact for the country's future generations to learn and appreciate the richness of our country's heritage.