Podocarpaceae

Podocarpus brevifolius (Stapf) Foxw.

Endemic to Mt Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia. Extreme climate events such as drought and increasing tourism make fire a potential risk in some parts.

Description

Taxonomic notes

Records of this species from China, Philippines and IndoChina are the result of confusion with other species, for example P. pilgeri

Distribution

Endemic to Mt. Kinabalu and surrounding mountain ridges, Sabah, Malaysia

Habitat and Ecology

Podocarpus brevifolius is locally common in upper montane to subalpine dwarf forest on Mt. Kinabalu and other mountain ridges and heights in the vicinity. It grows most commonly on ultramafic substrate and also on granite, among boulders or from crevices. It has been found on ultramafic rock at 1,350-1,450 m a.s.l. near a copper mine and on the Bambangan Ridge at 1,900 m in lower montane forest. Its altitudinal range on Mt. Kinabalu proper is between 2,100 and 3,800 m a.s.l., where it is a constituent of a dwarfed forest to 10 m tall, dominated by the conifers Phyllocladus hypophyllus and Dacrycarpus kinabaluensis and the umbrella-crowned angiosperm tree Leptospermum recurvum (Myrtaceae). Other common woody plants in this zone are the conifer Dacrydium gibbsiae (on ultramafics) and the angiosperms Eugenia (Syzygium) kinabaluensis, Rhododendron buxifolium and Schima brevifolia. Near the summit of the mountain only dwarfed, shrub-like plants of P. brevifolius occur in granite crevices

Human Uses

No uses are recorded of this species.

Conservation Status

Global Status

Near Threatened

Global Rationale

The very small extent of occurrence and area of occupancy of this species, which is confined to high altitude habitat on Mt. Kinabalu, places it close to a threatened category. However, the total known population is protected within Mt. Kinabalu N.P. and the only plausible threat, fires caused by tourism, has not (yet) materialized to the extent that it has adversely affected the population. These fires are likely to remain local due to climate and weather prevailing on the mountain. Near Threatened remains the best assessment of this species (it almost qualifies for a VU D2 listing).

Conservation Actions

Virtually the entire population is confined to Mt. Kinabalu National Park