Natural LandscapeResource : An cologicalResponseAbd Aziz Othman & Nurhuzailin Hussain

Jury ReviewKhclilch Zakariya & Devendiran S.T.Mani

The StrataMohd Kher Hussein, Abd Aziz Othman & Murad Abdul Ghani

Recover and DiscoverSuhardi Maulan, Kamariah Dolo, Aini Jasmin Ghazali& Mohd Johari Mohd Yusof

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Natural Landscape Resource:An Ecological ResponseAbd Aziz Othman & Nurhuzailin Hussain

Introduction

As one of the countries with the most biodiversity inthe world, Malaysia is composed of a variety of forestecosystem types which are related to one or more featuresof its location, notably soil quality, aspect and elevation.It can be seen originally as a continuous ecosystemwhich begins on the shores of the country -mudflat andmangrove forests-and expanding inland. The expansiongoes through swamp and riverine forests, lowlanddipterocarp forests, limestone forest and montane forestsat the higher elevation. However, the unprecedentedscale of changing land use patterns over decades havetransformed these ecosystems into a mosaic of habitatsthat include large and small fragments of primary forestas well as various degraded forests embedded in a matrixof developed area.

These fragmented forests have received great attentionrecently since there is an infinite and beautiful arrayof natural characters in the built environment whichare specific to existing and timeless processes of life.Their importance has become apparent in landscapeplanning and design supported by the explosion ofcriticism against the amenity values of landscaperesources, the environmental and ecosystem functionsand habitat conservation. Hence, this chapter comes intobeing: to address a mean by which landscape resourcescan be exploited to establish a more efficient andhealthy landscape for human habitation and for futuresustainability. It presents landscape planning, designand analysis process, with simple method and ideas fordescribing landscapes and their functions.

Natural Landscape Resource Planning and Design Process

The natural resource-based planning and design is aprocess that places the landscape's natural resourceat the foreground. By identifying the resources at thebeginning of the process, they will be used as the basis

for sensitive site inventory and analysis. Since all naturalresources are to be protected, in this case, they must beprioritized based on the site's values and context. All site'sresources are assessed in a series of S.W.O.T. (strengths,weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analyse thecommon landscape analysis tool resulting in the planningand design rationalization or synthesis. An advancedlandscape resources assessment such as GIS-basedapproach, Potential Site Analysis (PSA), can be used toobtain a quantitative result of the ecological assessment.

Based on the synthesis, the planning and design thoughtwill be generated in order to solve the site issue. Aconceptual idea and statement is produced prior tothe planning and design by setting out the objectivesand programmes as well as approaches focussed inthe different parts of the site. The typical approachesneeded for the landscape resources planning and designinclude the benefit sharing mechanism as well as someconservation and preservation measures for sustainableuse and protection of natural landscapes. Thisprovides asignificant outline of the ecological planning and designstrategy for a sensitive area.

Once the concept has been finalized, a master plan willbe developed to realize the ideas. The master plan shouldbe intended to protect and manage significant features,stands and sensitive landscapes and to achieve planningand design objectives set up for long term retention. Theguidelines and detailing continue the ultimate process todirect development to areas most suited for them. Theproposal expects to minimize impacts to prioritized naturalresources through the location, design and engineeringof new development.

The Projects

Three significant ecosystems were selected for the exerciserepresenting different ecological types of tropical forests.They are 1) the mangrove forest in Tanjung Agas, Negeri

Sembilan, 2) lowland dipterocarp forest in Bukit Mertajam,Penang and 3)limestone forest at Gunung Lang, Perak.

Beginning with the mangrove forest at Tanjung Agas, NegeriSembilan, the site is one of the few remaining mangroveareas in the west coast of the peninsula. The forest isclassifiedas managed mangrove forest, grows in tidal areas of theLinggi river mouth. The plant community is dominated bya common species of mangrove trees such as Rhizophoraspp., Bruguiera spp. and Sonneratia spp. which can reacha height of 50 metres and only form a single stratum (layer)canopy. This forest features only a small number of plantspecies compared to the tropical rainforest that containsthousands of plant species. Although it lacks plant speciesdiversity, the ecosystem provides a home for a great varietyof other organisms and is an important natural resourcefor the coastal communities. As a biodiversity hub in theregion, the design thus looks at the value of conservationand preservation approaches in protecting the site'snatural character. 'Osmotic Greenizotion' is a metaphor ofthe estuary ecosystem where the organisms have a greatsymbiotic interaction in creating an ideal ecosystem.

The next ecosystem type is the lowland dipterocarp forestin Bukit Mertajam, known as Bukit Mertajam RecreationalForest. The site is strategically located in the middle ofthe town, surrounded by residential, commercial andindustrial areas. It comprises 340 hectares of low land andhilly terrain up to 457 metres above sea level, being agreen landmark in the region. It is classified as a managedlowland dipterocarp forest consisting of various speciesof dipterocarps such as Shorea curtisii (Meranti Seraya)and Shorea acuminate (Meranti Rambai Daun) and nondipterocarps. Gazetted as a protected reserved forest,the site acts as a prominent green lung for the regionas well as being an important source of recreation forthe local communities. The design's idea, 'Recover andDiscover' thus focuses on the balance between needof the forest conservation in enhancing the character oflowland dipterocarp forest and the community demand ofrecreation and education.

The limestone forest at Gunung Lang is another prominentecosystem of the tropic occurs in the Kinta Valley, Ipoh

Perak. The site comprises of unexplored limestone hillsrange, caves and lake. They form part of the naturallandscape that are essential to the region's ecologicalsystem. For example, caves within the hills support batpopulations vital for pollination and pest control. Theunderground river systems help and regulate the flow ofwater into the main rivers. The forest is also home to manyrare species especially wild orchid which ideally adaptedto the harsh environment of limestone hills. Hence, theGunung Lang's limestone forest is classified as a forest ofspecial habitat due to its unique and sensitive geologicalstructure. Based on these features, the site isassessed anddesigned for its biodiversity, educational and recreationalvalues as well as to be a natural landmark and vital greenspace for the lpoh's landscape. 'The Strata' is a conceptthat reflects the layers of sedimentary rock in forming themagnificent character of the limestone hill.

Conclusion

The planning and design process discussed is probablygeneric enough to be extrapolated to most naturallandscapes. The information is qualitative in nature andhighlights basic concepts of resource planning whichshown by the following examples, but does not addressthe design approach and strategy in great depth. Thehope isto encourage a more enlightened and purposefulplanning and design concept of forest landscapes.Understanding the resources is thus important in giving adesign solution a greater level of efficient and effectivesustainable outcome.

175

References

Abd Aziz. O. (2012). 'Soul of Nature'. Sustainable TropicalEnvironmental Design Exhibition (STEdex' 12). Vol. 4 (2012):64-65.

Beck, T. (2013). Principles of Ecological Landscape Design.Island Press,Washington.

Marsh, W.M. (2010). Landscape Planning: EnvironmentalApplications. John Wiley & Sons Inc. New York.

Jury Review

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The StrataMohd Kher Hussein, Abd Aziz Othman & Murad Abdul Ghani

Limestone hills in Malaysia are being threatened from quarryingand clearing activities and receive little protection andconservation from relevant parties such as Municipal Councils.Therefore, an effort towards conservation and preservation forthis area is vital. This project applied a concept of "strata" forconserving the Gunung Lang limestone hills in Ipoh, Perak. Threeelements were stressed: education, recreation and nature. Thegoal is to promote the unique geological structure of limestonehill to the public which will increase the community's awarenesstowards limestone hills' roles and functions. Thisproject issimilarwith the project Timeline at Bukit Larut, Taiping, Perak done byTan Jiun Shyan (Emran, et. al. 2012) to rejuvenate the area bytranslating the chronology of the environmental-architecturaland relationship of the areas. However, the project couldimprove the integration of the existing flora and fauna whichwill determine the 'strata experience'. Therefore, the projectis recommended to emphasize on how this adventure couldeducate the public at large about the natural limestoneenvironment.

PROGRAMMES

DESIGN APPROACHCreating new limestone experiencesthrough different layers of limestoneexposure

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to managed possible conflicts between fragile forestecosystem and human recreational activities (www.rco. wa .gov / documents/ rec _trends/ Wa_ Trails_Plan-1991.pdf). Each management classification has takeninto account consideration of visitors, settings, activities,impacts and management strategy. Nevertheless, thedesign can be further improved if Isin Chai carefully lookedat the relationship between the forest and immediatelocal context. Strong relationship and integration of BukitMertajam city with Bukit Mertajam Forest Reserved wouldmake the design more cohesive and the ecosystem ofthe city would be further improved and enhanced.

Recover and DiscoverSuhardi Maulan, Kamariah Dola, Aini Jasmin Ghazali & Mohd Johari Mohd Yusof

RE--co.VER AND D1.s·COYER

Rehabilitation and conservation of Bukit Mertajam ForestReserved isthe main objective of the project but Liew TsinChaiwanted to give new meaning to the forest by rejuvenatingit with new activities to support ecotourism. The conceptused to explore the design is "The Intersection - Journey toRecover and Discover", in which the designer envisionedthe visitors would be at awed with the charm of the forestwhile discovering new things about the forest ecosystem,recreational activities and services provided. The strengthabout the project is its formulation of Land ConservationStrategy. It is based on Recreational Opportunity Spectrum(ROS) developed by the United States Forest Services (USFS)

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