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  Straits Times 31 May 07
NParks to study biodiversity changes
Arti Mulchand

CHANGES to Singapore's rainforests and their biodiversity over the past decade will be scrutinised in a study to be conducted by the National Parks Board (NParks) and may provide an insight into possible effects of climate change.

Focusing on the Bukit Timah and Central Catchment nature reserves, it will help understand the changes which have taken place since the last baseline study of the flora and fauna there was conducted between 1992 and 1997.

NParks director of conservation Wong Tuan Wah told The Straits Times yesterday the project is part of a series of long-term studies to understand Singapore's biodiversity.

'Over time, these studies will allow us to understand how climate change may affect our biodiversity in the long term,' he said. The study will involve NParks staff and draw on experts in related fields.

While more details were not revealed, HSBC Singapore public affairs chief Goh Kong Aik said yesterday the bank plans to pledge at least $50,000 to the project this year. It will spend another $50,000 to send a team of up to six youth from the National Youth Achievement Award Council and an NParks officer on an expedition to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in northern Queensland from June 13 to 27.

During the two-week trip, the group will learn techniques on collecting data that will be used to build models to help predict the effects of climate change, said Mr Goh. Their journey, which will cover the Atherton and Carbine Tablelands, will take them from sea level to a height of about 1,300m.

Areas they will be trained in include conducting bird and lizard surveys, collecting ants, studying leaf litter, measuring trees and using instruments important to a rainforest study. The plan is for them to return here and help with the Singapore survey.

They will be joined by a team of about 30 'green' volunteers - HSBC staff who have been trained to lead conservation projects.

HSBC's efforts here are in support of a US$100 million (S$153 million) global programme by the bank to respond to the threat of climate change. The $100,000 it is spending here is in addition to that amount.
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