Falcatifolium falciforme | Threatened Conifers of the World (en-GB)

Podocarpaceae

Falcatifolium falciforme (Parl.) de Laub.

A widespread species that has been impacted by habitat loss and conversion, especially in the lower elevation parts of its range. The extent of decline in likely to be close to the threshold for Vulnerable so that it is assessed as Near Threatened

Distribution

Recorded from Indonesia: Kalimantan (incl. Lingga Island), Malaysia: Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak; and Brunei.

Records from Sibuyan Island in the Philippines refer to Falcatifolium gruezoi de Laub. (e.g. Procter et al. 1998)

Habitat and Ecology

Falcatifolium falciforme is most common on mountain ridges where the forest is more sparse or dwarfed; here it forms shrubs or small trees to 12 m tall. However, its altitudinal range is from 300 m to 2,100 m a.s.l. In kerangas (forest on leached podzolic sands) it is an understorey tree or occasionally a canopy tree, with e.g. Agathis borneensis, Sundacarpus amarus, Nageia wallichiana and Dacrycarpus imbricatus as (co)dominant or emergent conifer trees. Occasionally it is found as a co-dominant or more or less emergent large tree in lowland to sub-montane primary rainforest on more fertile soils; these individuals are scattered and rare and may be associated with episodic disturbance and succession events, which initially led to more abundant conifers, most of which were in a later successional stages replaced by angiosperms. On Mt Kinabalu F. falciforme shows moderate abundance of small trees and saplings in the shaded understory, but juveniles of Dacrycarpus and Dacrydium are infrequent and appear to be associated with canopy openings (Enright and Jaffre 2011).

Human Uses

The rather rare large trees of this species will be logged together with other podocarps when growing outside protected areas. Its wood is traded as 'sempilor' together with that of Dacrydium, Dacrycarpus and Phyllocladus. Falcatifolium wood is light and easy to work; it is used in light construction, doors, windows, joinery, furniture, interior finishing, veneers as well as boat masts and crates. The wood is not durable and therefore unsuitable for work that will be exposed to outdoor conditions. It is in cultivation only as specimens in some tropical botanic gardens.

Conservation Status

Global Status

Near Threatened

Global Rationale

Although this species is widespread and common in at least the higher altitude habitats, there is a suspicion that in certain lower altitude forests on more fertile soils it would have been affected by logging and deforestation due to agricultural expansion. The extent of its decline is probably just below the threshold for Vulnerable (almost meets criterion A2cd)) hence it is listed as Near Threatened.

Conservation Actions

This species is known from several protected areas including Imbak Canyon Conservation Area and Mt Kinabalu in Sabah

References and further reading

Enright, N. J., & Jaffré, T. (2011). Ecology and distribution of the Malesian podocarps. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, 95, 57-78.
Farjon, A. & Carter, G. 2013. Falcatifolium falciforme. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T42475A2981700. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42475A2981700.en. Downloaded on 28 July 2017.
Kitayama, K., Aiba, S. I., Ushio, M., Seino, T., & Fujiki, Y. (2011). The ecology of podocarps in tropical montane forests of Borneo: distribution, population dynamics, and soil nutrient acquisition. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, (95).
Proctor, J., Argent, G. C., & Madulid, D. A. (1998). Forests of the ultramafic Mount Giting-Giting, Sibuyan Island, the Philippines. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 55(2), 295-316.
Repin, R., Majuakim, L., Suleiman, M., Nilus, R., Mujih, H., & Gunsalam, G. (2012). Checklist of trees in Crocker Range Park Permanent Research Plot, Sabah, Malaysia. Journal of Tropical Biology & Conservation (JTBC), (9).
Suratman, M.N., Hamid, N.H.A., Sabri, M.D.M., Kusin, M. & S.A.K. Yamani 2015. Changes in tree species distribution along altitudinal gradients of montane forests in Malaysia. in (eds) Ozturk, M. Hakeem, K.R., Faridah-Hanum & R. Efe. Climate Change Impacts on High-Altitude Ecosystems, Springer International Publishing pp 491-522