a) Water Regulation

Peatlands in their natural state are water-logged due to a high water table and act as a large water reservoir, consequently playing an important role in water regulation. Important functions in this aspect are flood mitigation and water supply, which contributes to the environmental security of human populations and ecosystems in its surrounding areas.

b) Carbon Sequestration and Storage

Peatlands in the Southeast Asia play a role of global importance in storing an estimated 120 billion tonnes of carbon or approximately 5% of the global terrestrial carbon. Malaysia has the second largest extent of peatlands in Southeast Asia after Indonesia, most of which are still intact thus contributing to sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and acting as a store for large amounts of carbon.

c) Biodiversity

Peatlands in Malaysia support significant biological diversity. In Peninsular Malaysia, 132 tree species were recorded in an area of 5ha in the Bebar Forest Reserve in Pahang (Ibrahim, 1995) and 107 tree species have been recorded in the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest (Appanah et al., 1999). In Sarawak, according to Anderson (1963), 242 tree species were recorded in peatlands. Ibrahim (1995) stated that many of these species are endemic to this unique habitat – for example, 75% of the tree species found in peat swamp forest in Peninsular Malaysia are not found in other habitat types and some have a relatively restricted distribution.

Peat swamp forests are habitats or are part of the home range for rare and endangered mammals such as Malayan Tiger (Panthera tigris malayensis), Tapir (Tapirus indicus), Sumatran Rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) and Orang Utan (Pongo pygmaeus). Peat swamp forests also support a diverse bird community. Prentice and Aikanathan (1989) recorded 173 species of bird in the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest of which 145 were breeding residents. Birds present include endangered species such as hornbills and the Short Toed Coucal. Peatland rivers, also known as ‘black-water rivers’ are important aquatic habitats for fish. These rivers often have a higher degree of localised endemism for fish species compared to other rivers, and they are also an important source of aquarium fish. Ng et al. (1992) recorded more than 100 fish species in the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest. Approximately 50% of these are restricted to black-water rivers.