herba in shading of meranti

Hadis qudsi

Allah Taala berfirman ...

jadilah seperti burung yang terbang bersendirian...ia makan buah buahan dari pohon kayu dan minum dari air bersih

Apabila petang/ male telah tiba ia mencari tempat di sebuah gua di antara

Alkahfi/ cave yang banyak di hutan forest...كهف

Untuk berlindung bersama Allah

dan menjauhi diri dari orang derhaka zalimعصالى

Ya Musa...ALLAh telah berjanji atas diri Ku ...اليتعلىنفسى

Sesungguhnya Aku tak akan menyelesaikan tugas bagi pengatur المدبر

selain

Allah

Ya Musa…Aku akan patahkan angan angan orang yang berangan selain dari Allah.

Aku akan celakakan orang yang bergantung kepada orang lain selain dari Allah.

Aku akan sepi kan yang lama kepada orang yang mencari Teman selain dari Allah.

Aku akan berpaling dari orang yang cinta kan selain dari Allah…

Ya Musa

PADA Ku ada HambaAllah yang Apabila berdoa dengan sir…sembunyi…berbisik zikir doa dan solat. Maka Aku akan makbulkannya…dan maka kalau hamba Allah ni mengadap kepada Allah maka Allah akan hampir dengannya.المقربين

Allah melindungi insan muqarrobinالمقربين

Ahli zikir…

Allah membersihkan kesalahan mereka kalau mereka ikhlas beramal untuk Allah

Allah membalas sawabal akhirah untuk mereka ahli zikir muqarrobiin…

Ahli zikir berada dalam perlindungan Allah…

Mereka Berasa iZZAh KUAT BERSama Allah

Allah mengatur semua urusan mereka…

Mengendali hati mereka…

Allah menguasai keadaan mereka…

Allah menjadikan hati mereka hanya tenang berzikir kepada Allah…

Zikir kepada Allah adalah ubat penyembuh penyakit jiwa…

Allah menjadikan NUR bagi hati insan ahli zikir almuqarrabiin...

Mereka tak akan mencari Teman selain Allah dan tidak akan tetap kediaman mereka hanya kepada Allah tempat mereka kembali...

Introduction

Herbs study in hilly forest stand are inadequate andscarce in literature. Refer to Hermani et all,2007 there are 6000 to 7000 herbs have been determined in the nusantara and Malaysia.

Refered to Jabatan Hutan said that the lowland dipterocarpaceae is the forest from family dipterocarpaceae which growth at > 300 meter above sea level. Thus the hill forest is refer to the forest family dipterocarpaceae which growth 300-750 above sea level.

As cited in Fakhrul Hatta 2003 said that The Krau forest reserve for wildlife was gazetted since 1923.

The site study will be carried out in the forest stand Bukit Tapah covering 200 hektar consisting by the group of Meranti Merah , Merbau and Keruing in family Dipterocarpaceae in BM we called  family Damar

History of Krau Forest and Wildlife Reserve in Temerloh District Phg Darul Makmur.
Krau forest reserve was gazetted since 1923 with the forest covering of 62395 ha equal to 623.95 km square and 603 km square nowadays after harvesting and Degazetted some of the forest stand here in 1969. Refered to Table 1

Bukit Tapah is located in Krau Reserve Lanchang Mukim Semantan District of Temerloh.Th e reserve was managed by Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negera MERGASTUA (PERHILITAN)

1.1 Justification

An inadequate study of herbs in hill forest stand that citation in systematic identification. There a lot of herbs grow in the shading of meranti merah canopy at the rainforest floor.

As cited in Meor Ahmad Nizam 2003 said that traditional medicine in malay community are practiced by elders, medicine men, rural and native peoples. They are assumed to know about traditional medicine and their medicinal plants. However the common name used to identify plants may differ in different localities. Every district has differences in local and common name.

The unsystematic identification and verification in naming of forest plants used by traditional medicinal practitionars in malay traditional medicine. The medicinal plants are mostly used in rural areas compared in urban areas. Most of the society where lives in urban areas do not know about medicines plants and traditional medicine. Traditional medicine have a much questionable about its effective, quality and their efficiency compared to modern medicine which have scientific method for preparation and its can get easily in the market such as pharmacy and clinic.

The people believed and confident with medicinal practices, which practiced by mu’alij a.k.a perawat As Syifa’ and the right muslim bomoh.

The malay traditional medicine practitioner depend on their knowledge and memory where continued from their family or generation. People approve the herbs remedial because its have advantages to cured much kind of diseases and illness with the bless by Allah.

1.2 Objective

i. To identify the herbs in Bukit Tapah

ii. To determine the diversity and abundance of herbs spp

iii. To document the usage of herbs spp

2. Literature Review

As cited in Meor Ahmad Nizam 2003 said that traditional medicine is a science or practice in medicine and healthcare, which has been going on for generation to generation. It is imparted thru the verbal and written forms as well as, thru the practiced and belief of a community. This science is divided into two aspect that are spiritual and empirical. Traditional herbs medicines have evolved in their social and cultural setting through various at ages to the present. In some continental regions, traditional medicine has developed into well documentation and formally established system regularly used by large parts of the populations. In island community, traditional medicines have remain more confined to smaller cultural groups relatively contained within their community and linguistic environments. The herbs medicine also combine with the spell reading of ayatul qur’an with the iman to Allah who will cures the disease, inshaAllah

2.1       Rain Forest Ecology

Refered to Jabatan Hutan Semenanjung Malaysia, as cited in Whitmore 1972 and Fakhrul Hatta 2003 classified the rainforest in Malaysia as

A. Lowland dipterokarp forest <300 meter above sea level;

B. Hill dipterokarp forest 300-750 m;

C. Upper hilly dipterokarp forest 750-900; .

D.Teja range mountain forest >1200meter a.s.l ;

E. Mountain forest.

Hopea spp, Keruing Dipterocarpus cornutus, D. baudii, Shorea acuminate and Shorea ovalis are the family of dipterocarpaceae have grown in lowland forest < 300 meter a.s.l. which known as lowland forest.

The elevation of 750 – 900 meter is hilly forest and 900 meter to 1200 is upper hilly forest. Resak, Meranti, Keruing and Meranti Tembaga, Meranti Seraya etc have grown in the hill forest. Logging operation in 1969 in the north of the reserve such as Perlok ; eastern and southern of the rerserve. Eastern boundary of the reserve nowadays become the Felda Jenderak Selatan and southern boundary become the Felda Bukit Damar stake holder. Bukit Damar is 1.5 km far from the reserve.

The implication of Felda stake holder oil palm plantation is the decreasing in size of lowland forest stand at the southern boundary

According to Milton (1960) as cited in Fakhrul Hatta 2003 said that the "pencari getah jelutung" for chew gum are also active in around this reserve.

Pencari madu Tualang also active in this forest reserve such as ayah Nik and Tok Su sell the madu lebah Tualang in Kampung Cempaka and kampung mempateh with the price of RM27 for 375 g.

Lowland forest which open for Felda in the almost fertilize soil. According to Steven 1967 mention that the eastern of Bukit Tapah were logged along side of the Krau river.

As cited in Fakhrul Hatta 2003 said that Steven1967 proposed for gazzetting the reserve as Rizab Hidupan Liar Krau in 1960an.

The reserve is located in the dry season of monsoon timur laut because it was located between Banjaran Timur in eastern and Banjaran Titiwangsa in the western.

The annually rainfall was 1968 mm in Temerloh district. The heavy rainfall was in April to June and November. The average temperature is 26.4 degree Celcius annually in 1999, the data from Jabatan Kaji Cuaca, Temerloh

Average rainfall in 1986 to 1990 stated that the month of Novemebr is the highest i.e 219.8mm followed by September, 185.0mm; Disember 181.2mm and Oktober 178.5 mm

The month of Febraury is the lowest which stated 63.7mm. The highest evaporation is occurred in Mac with 160.9mm followed by April 153.7mm and Febraury 143.3mm.

Referred to Jabatan Kaji Cuaca District of Temerloh informed that the month of November is the lowest in evoparation but as the highest rainfall in the reserve.

As cited in Fakhrul Hatta 2003 said that there are 0.5 million hektar the forest stand around the krau forest reserve that managed by The Forest Department

According to Jabatan Hutan as cited in Fakhrul Hatta 2003  said that the Jabatan Hutan managed 1.4 million hectare of forest stand such as Hutan Simpan Som asshown in Table 2.

The terrain in this reserve is around 45 meter to  2,108 meter above sea level. The southern boundary and the the middle of this reserve are lowland dipterokarp forest. The upper hilly and mountain forest /the mountain range located in noth western of this reserve are with Gunung Benum the highest terrain.

Bukit Tapah 777 meter above sea level is located in the southern of this reserve. The rivers which flowed through the reserve is Sungai Krau, Sungai Lompat and Sungai Teris which known as anak Sungai Semantan. The reserve is 60,338 hektar after logging operation in 1969. Harvesting of logs in forest stand including the area of 1900 hektar at 1969 impact the northern of the reserve boundry changing the landuse from wildlife reserve forest to the aquaculture activity after the reserve was degazetted . The forest stand covering of 156,607 hactare surround Krau Reserve which known as Hutan Simpan managed by Forest Department of Daerah Raub.

The reserved was gazetted since 1923 with surrounding by 156,607 ha of primary forest stand managed by Jabatan Hutan Daerah Raub and Jabatan Hutan Daerah Temerloh nowadays.

The perimeter of the reserve is 136 km refered to ArcGis 3. Around the reserve are

i.. 14.5 percent is plantation such as Felda and for agriculture purposes

ii. 267 percent for private plantation

iii. 58.65 percent covered by primary forest stand.

In 2009 there is The Agfro food Industry Sdn Bhd started the plantation operation by planting the nadir fruit such as citrus limau nipis, nangka etc in the southern of the reserve.

There are 12 thousand people live around the reserve. Refered to Banci Penduduk 1980 and 1991 the population of Phg State increase 2.72 percent. Three mukim around the reserve are mukim Semantan, Kerdau, Jenderak and Gali.

The lowland forest of the reseve consist of hornblende granit , sianit, pairoksin granit porphiri dan dioxide. This type of soil is fertilized naturally at the top soil.

North eastern of Gunung Benum consist of batu batan Trias and Lahar gunung berapi until reach to the elevation of 1000 meter above sea level. In Gunung Benum there is granite rock. Also the type of acidic soil in upper hilly forest.

There are 674 species of vegetation were determined in the lowland forest in this reserve. We believed that there are more than 674 species of vegetation grow in the reserve. May be 4000 species with 2400 species of wood trees such as meranti merah group, merbau and keruing.

The highly diversity of flora in the reserve is the indicator that there are a lot of herbs have grown in the forest stand of this reserve.

The herbs such as Tungkat Ali, Rempah Gunung, Akar Haji Samad, Pasak Bumi, Medang Sarsi, Tungkat Ali Hitam etc have grown wellness in the forest stand

2.1.1 Climatic factors

2.1.1.1 Temperature

According to Richard 1963 as cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994 said that in the highland tropic, there is a steady decrease in ambient temperature with the increase in altitude. In the tropics, temperature decrease at the rate of 0.4 degree to 0.7 degree celcius per 100 meter increase in altitude. said However it varies with some factors which include the locality, season and air humidity as refered to Dale 1963 as cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994. Above 2500 meter , the rate decreases to 1.2 degree celcius per 300 meter rise. Temperature affects plant due to its influence on their growth processes and distribution.

According to Burgess 1975 as cited in Zahari Haji Ismail said that the native mountain plant may die when transferred to the lowlands. The optimal temperature for photosynthesis for such plants are lower than for respiration, as such the highl lowland ambient temperature which wxceeds optimal for photosynthesis, increases respiration rate, leading to wet depletion.

2.1.1.2 Rainfall

According to Wyatt-Smith 1963 as cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994 said that the topography plays an important role in determining the rainfall of an area. According to Richard 1964 as cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994 said that maximum rainfall in tropical highlands occurs at altitudes where temperature is cold enough to the high mountains.

According to Smith 1963 as cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994 said that the rainfall reaches its maximum at the altitudes of 300 meter a.s.l. and beyond this it decreases. As cited in Zahari Haji Ismail there must been some moisture stress occured on the ridges. Thus it is very difficult to find meranti seraya on the foot of hills due to the occurance of heavy rainfall and lack of regular drought.


2.1.1.3.Light intensity

According to grubb and whitemore 1969 as cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994 said that the frequency of fog or cloud in the rainforest is the most vital factor determining the distribution of the formation of vegetation types in the mountains.

The light intensity at 180 meter a.s.l in coastal hill rainforest measured by using lux meter at the forest floor is around 2 percent (whitemore and wong 1969) as cited in zahari haji ismail 1994. While inland hill forest is measured abaout 10 percent less sunshine than the plains (Burgess 1969).

The increasing fog frequency decreases light inthesity, dampens the range of light intensities and generally exerts a moderating influence on the annual variation pattern of light intensity (Brown 1919) as cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994.

According to Robinwith 1951 as cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994 said that the most important use of light by plant is for photosynthesis, and the average actively growing land plant use only about 1 percent of visible emission for photosynthesis.

As cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994 said that light intensity available in the forest floor around highland rainforest stand is adequate for the growth of herbs.

2.1.2 Humidity

As cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994 said that the humidity increase with altitude up to the fog belt regions (Burgess, 1969). According to Richard 1964 as cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994 said that the condition on the mountain rain forest, has found the zone of maximum humidity and highly evaporation increases.

2.1.3 Wind

As cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994 said that the amount of air movement affects the rate of evaporation and thus minimizing the temperature in the forest stand (Burgess 1969). Expected an increase in wind speed with elevation (Burgess, 1975). According to Smith 1965 as cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994 said that the highly wind speed occurs at the highly altitudes.

According to Richards 1964 as cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994 said that the both structure and floristic composition of the highland forests are partly determined by the wind speed and he suggested that wind may be one of the factors that cause the maximum drawfing of the vegetation on isolated peaks and ridges on highland and mountain forest.

2.1.4 Soil Physical Condition.

As cited in Zahari Haji Ismail 1994 have written that there is a significantly relationship between plant composition and soil characteristics (Burgess 1975).

According to Richards 1964 as cited in Zahari haji ismail 1994 said that the soil at higher altitudes tend to be very shallow with thicker litter accumulation and contain bigger size rock due to the decrease of temperature and intense erosion which often result in very immature soils, especially on the steep slopes.

2.2 Biodiversity  of Herbs Analyse by Using Spec Diversity Software.

2.3The important of herbs study in hill forest stand

The important of Medicine Herbs Plan.There alot of herbs grow up wellness in hill forest stand shading by group of Meranti Merah. Herbs medicinal plant have the potential to cure disease. These medicinal plant are able to cure, relief, cease and treat the disease. Thus this herbs plant source widely used in traditional medicine Fortunately nowadays it started been used in modern medication and treatment. Many scientist interserted to study on the effectiveness and the potential of medicinal herbs plant in curing disease. May among traditional medicinal practioner believed that tha substances produced by herbs plant almost same with substance produced by human body. Thus human body able to react with the substances with minimal effect.

According to WHO World Health Organization , almost 70 percent to 90 percent of the world population consumed the herbs mainly from developing and undeveloped country. Consuming the herbs because it is easily obtain and cheaper.

As cited in Latif 1994 said that in Malaysia there is more than 1,230 species of flowered plant been used in traditional treatment.

2.4 Herbs Resource Pertaining to Economic

Refered to Mohd Shariff 2001 said as proof, community demand towards ulam is increasing because of the awareness towards special properties of ulam. He also said that in the year 2000 the ulam selling successfully achieved about RM 3 million compared to RM1.3 million on year 1994.

Some herbs are medically useful, but the American public would benefit from increased regulation. Manufacturers should be able to ensure that herbs contain pure ingredients. Side effects and drug interactions should be listed. Well-designed studies are being conducted. The results will be helpful to physicians and patients when the clinical evidence becomes available.

As cited in Hezliyana Husin 2003 said that based on data provided by Kementerian Perusahaan Utama said  that hebs and aromatic industry could help encouraging our country’s economy when its market value marked at RM4.5 bilion a years.

Herbs and aromatic industry will becoming a new commodity besides palm oil, rubber and crude oil. Unfortunately five percent of market used by local product because of unadequate  in commercializing the herbs.

As cited in Hairul Azim Mahmud 2002 said that the commodity in this country plat herbs merely for their own use and not for the international market, for example Tongkat Ali Eurycoma longifolia, Kacpi Fatimah Labisia pumila and Pegaga Centella asiatica are among the thousands of hebs or effective medicine in curing various disease. Herbs are widely used in health care for ages until today. All these plants have been growing in our country in healthy and wellness in primary hilly forest stand, is the most suitable climate for herbs ecology.

Tongkat Ali is the herb in family Simarousbacaea, also known as Penawar pahit, Bedara, Tongkat baginda, Pasak bumi a.k.a Tongkat Ali Hitam or Tunjang Bumi refered to certain states in Malaysia.

Among the benefits of Tongkat Ali is the bitter stock extracted from the skin of its root which could be used as a tonic for postnatal mothers.

Besides its root extract usefull to anti malaria activities cause by protozoa, there is a lot of its benefit and the most popular is it could increase men’s sex performance.

Kacip Fatimah Labisia pumila is the herbs from family Myrsinaceae. This herbs is easily found in the primary hill forest stand.

In traditionally medicine, this herbs is normally boiled and served as a drink to pregnant women to ease the process of labor; it could also effective as a cure to flatulence, dysentery and problems during period and sex diseases.

Pegaga is the herbs from family Umbelliferae a slender and herbs with long stalked, green kidney-shape leaves.

Refered to Razak Hj Lajis 1996 said that Petai Parkia speciosa is very much favoured by Malaysian especially in the villege people. Despite its pungent smell, it could cure diabetes, heart and kidney disease. Petai is tall and big tree, which normally grows wild in forest. Ginger Zinger officinale is also identified to be used in curing kembung perut and could release gas/ wind in body. Young ginger can be made ulam and could be eaten as ulam or could be made as juice. It could also cure headaches

2.5 Link Between Traditional and Modern Medicine

Actually Traditional and modern medicine share a common resources. They both utilize plants, animal, microorganism or minerals. These resources may be found either on and or in the sea.

As cited in Haliza 1996 said that the traditional medicine and modern medicine originates resource from similar raw reasources. These may be dried herbs or parts of plants, animals, the extract of which is used in treatments. In traditional medicines, these ingredients are eaten directly or boiled to extract the active chemical compounds in concentrated form. Malaysia the developing country is rich with the natural herbs resources inhabited inside the rain forest stand especially in meranti forest stand.

Traditional and alternative medicines in Malaysia appear to be finding appreciation by some modern practitioner, as they seek to understand their patient’s expectations and treatment seeking behavior. A clinician provides hid own interface with colleagues to determine their assessment of the alternative herbs medicinal treatment services used by country mu’alij who utilize both traditional and modern health care despite professional misgivings. It is clear that patients have their own reasons for doing so.

The explainations for this are provided partly from traditional practices as comfirmed by scientific research evidences, for example as cited in Azimahtol Hawariah’s 1994 said that the herbs plant derive for medicinal treatment such as the natural anticarcinogen products in the treatment of malignancies.

The production of traditional medical herb products in Malaysia has taken on such vital, clinically and economically that the government has established guidelines for safety pertaining to appealing and challenging with its strong economic and treatment implication. As cited in Nik Aziz 1999 focus on the key issues related to the vital pharmacological aspects in the determination of safe products for producers, sellers and particularly users of the products of traditional preparation

Tongkat Ali is the herb in family Simarousbacaea, also known as Penawar pahit, Bedara, Tongkat baginda, pasak bumi (Tongkat Ali Hitam) or Tunjang Bumi according to certain states in Malaysia.

Among the benefits of tongkat Ali is the bitter stock extracted from the skin of its root which could be ised as a tonic for postnatal mothers.

Besides its root extract usefull to anti malaria activities cuse by protozoa, there is a lot of its benefit and the most popular is it could increase men’s sex performance
Kacip Fatimah Labisia pumila is the herbs from family Myrsinaceae. This herbs is easity found in the primary hilly forest stand.

In traditionally medicine, this herbs is normally boiled and served as a drink to pregnant women to ease the proce3ss of labor; it could also effective as a cure to flatulence, dysentery and problems during period and sex diseases.

Pegaga is the herbs from family Umbelliferae a slender and herbs with long stalked, green kidney-shape leaves.

As cited in Razak Hj Lajiz 1996 said that Petai Parkia speciosa is very much favoured by Malaysian especially in the villege people. Despite its pungent smell, it could cure diabetes, heart and kidney disease. Petai is tall and big tree, which normally grows wild in forest. Ginger Zinger officinale is also identified to be used in curing kembung perut and could release gas/ wind in body. Young ginger can be made ulam and could be eaten as ulam or could be made as juice. It could also cure headaches

Tropical rain forest is among the richest ecosystems in the world/ the flora is very diverse compared to other types of forest such as the temperate forest. the three largest tropical rain forest in the world are located in south America Africa Madagascar and far east region Richards 1952) as cited in zahari Ibrahim 2005. The most wellknown tropical rain forest are amazon rain forest western Africa rain forest and indo malesian rain forestlaocated in three continents along the equatorial line between 23 ° 27' north and 23° 27' south.

According to Ashton 1964; poore 1968; whitmore 1984 as cited in zahari Ibrahim 2005 mention that among the continents, indo malesian has been considered by many ecologist as one of the mosty complex and richest terrestrial ecosystem in the world. According ti pringle, 1999 as cited in zahari Ibrahim 2005 mention that indo malesian rainforest represented the second largest rainforest which is approximately 250 million ha,.

According to Soepadmo 1991 as cited in zahari Ibrahim 2005 said that indo malesian rain forest occupying a total land area of 3 million km square . no other rain forest contains a greater number of different species growing together in discrete areas as the indo malesian forest (whitmore 1988).

The tropical rainforests of the indo malesian region consist of south east asia, papua new guinea and northern part of Australia are widely known as one of te most species rich and complex terrestrial ecosystems in the world.

According to Jacobs 1974 and van steenis 1971 as cited in zahari Ibrahim 2005 described the indo malesian flora as rich and diverse, having more than 40,000 species of vascular plants. Part of these vascular plants, more than 36,000 are flowering plants belonging to 266 families and 3,075 genera. According to De Laubenfels 1978 as cited in zahari Ibrahim 2005 said that there are 3,600 ferns and allies representing 35 families and 164 genera and 87 species are conifers which belong to 5 families and 12 genera. According to Ashton 1964; wyatt smith 1952 as cited in zahari Ibrahim 2005 said that the family kaum Damar dominated the forest of unsurpassed grandeur in indo malesian region and is the most abundant of the emergent and tall upper canopy trees. Indo malesian tropical rainforesta are centres of distribution and species diversity not only for tropical hardwood timber species but also for many plant families with highly economic yield such as fruit ornaments rattans and herbal medicines.

According to liew 1991 as cited in zahari Ibrahim 2005 said that there are about 2850 species 551 genera and 94 families of herbaceous flowering plants and abaout 846 species of orchirds recorded in semenanjung Malaysia. More than 100 endemic species of orchirds and herbs also occur in semenanjung Malaysia. Thus some of this understorey plants are probably under estimated because several families are awaiting detailed study.

Forest product plays a significant role in the economics development of a country especially in foreign exchange earning government revenues development of local wood based industries and related industries and employment sectors. For example malaysIa forest are among the most natural resources that contribute a significant proportion of income to government in semenanjung Malaysia amounted rm379.9 million. The forestry sector provided 11,864 persons or 14.7 percent were directly employed in timber harvesting operation (FDPM 1995).

According to chin and lai 1993 as cited in zahari Ibrahim 2005 said that a part from this , the function of forest to stabilized the environment of country and are a store house of plant and animals. In view of their richness and diversity forest have been considered to be the centre of origin and diversity of many present day and future crop plants.

Thus the knowledge on the need to conserve and manage forest wellness and effectively requires the relative among the varieties plants families occurance distribustion and the role that forest play in our daily life.

2.1.1 Forest Types and Formation of Forest Stand

As cited in zahari Ibrahim 2005 said the the area of tropical rain forest has been estima6ted to be 8.2 million km2 (whitmore, 1988) or abaout 6 % of land area of the earth iUCN 1990 The FAO 2001 estimated the total area occupied bt tropical rain forest in 2000 at 2,170 million ha.

Evergreen tropical rain forest can be subdivided in lowland forest and montane rain forest and mangrove forest alng environmental fradieants determinate by al tititued physiography substrate and soil water (whitmore 1988)

Lowland rain forest cover the largest area and they differ as a result of variation in bed rock soil toporaghy and hydrologi iucn 1990 As cited in zahari Ibrahim said that the tropical rain forest of malay sia are highly complex ecosystem rich and varied in plants and animal life .

These forest are not only rich in timber but also home a wide array of flora and fauna that have significant economic values

In 2001 the total forested land in Malaysia is 20.20 million ha with 5.94 million ha (29.41%) in Semenanjung Malaysia, 4.42 (21.88%) million ha in sabah and 9.84 (48.71%) million ha in Sarawak.

In addition to the 20.20 million ha. under forest another 5.27 million ha are under tree crops such as rubber and oil palm and 7.36 million ha of the total area of Malaysia is under other land use such as urban housing development and infrastructure

The distribution of Malaysia forest area by major types in 2001 were 17.91 (88.66%) million ha of family kaum Damar forest lowland hilly upper hilly and montane forest 1.46 (7.23%) million ha of swamp forest , 0.58 (2.87%) million ha of forest land area are gazzetted as national Parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

Approximately 0.74 million ha are gazette in Semenanjung malaysia 58.11% equal to 434300 ha national parks;  41.89 % wildlife sanctuaries ; 0.41 million ha (60.97%) national parks; 39.02% wildlife sanctuaries in sabah and 0.1 million ha (70%) - national Parks; 30% wildlife sanctuaries in Sarawak (Anon 2002).

According to Bidin and latif 1984; 1995 as cited in Zahari Ibrahim 2005 said that about 1082 species from 7000 species of angiosperm and 600 ferns have medicinal active elements.

According to Burkhill 1966 as cited in Zahari Ibrahim 2005 mention that more than 1300 plants are being used in traditional medicinal.  Soepadmo 1991 as cited in Zahari Ibrahim 2005 stated that about 1200 species of seed plants in Semenanjung  Malaysia and 2000 species in Sabah and Sarawak are reported to have medicinal values

The use of plant material in traditional medicinal is popular among the local rural communities especially the melayu, aborigines and other indigenous tribes.

Nowaday the use of plant materials for medicinal plants and health food products has expanded worldwide. The health product market in Malaysia is growing at about 15 percent per year. It has been reported that the market value of plant based medicines (pharmaceuticals and herbal care products ) in Malaysia had exceeded rm 1 billion in 1998 and traditional medicine recorded an annual sale of rm 2 billion (Anon 1998).

As cited in Zahari ibrahim 2005 said that the current well known medicinal plants are Tongkat Ali Eurycoma longifolia. Kacip Fatimah Labisia pumila, mengkudu Morinda citrifolia, Pegaga Centella asiatica, hempedu bumi Andrographis paniculata, Serai wangi Cymbopogon nardus and Dukung Anak Phyllanthus niruri are widely recognized as the important components of the biodiversity. These medicinal plants have been increasingly harvested and are used extensively as a vital ingredient for production of pharmaceuticals and herbal care products. The study by Kumari et al 1998 as cited in Zahari Ibrahim 2005 showed that most of the raw material required by industries are extensively and exclusively collected from the natural forests.

Nowaday Tongkat Ali is considered as one of the most popular medicinal plants and is gaining well recognition in Malaysia. It is being over exploited due to its high popularity as a potential herbal medicine and high demand in market. Therefore it is being harvested and used extensively as a vital ingredient for medicinal herb products. The occurrence and distribution of Tongkat Ali in Malaysia is scarce well documented and it is declining in the forests shading.

According to Whitmore 1993 as cited in Zahari Ibrahim 2005 mention that most of the tropical rain forest trees are living under their group or associated with them. The idea of association is very important and implies that certain spesies are found growing together in certain location and environment more frequently than would be expected by chance and other groups of species will grow together in other environment (Kent and Coker 1997).

The fact that certain species grow together in a particular environment is perhaps because they have similar requirements for existence in terms of environmental factors such as light, temperature, water, drainage, soil and nutrients uptake. Growth of vegetation in forest ecosystem is influenced by physiological and environmental factors.

A study by Ashton 1964,1965 in north Borneo indicated that soil nutrient played a dominating role in influencing vegetation composition and distribution of tropical tree flora. Hall and Swaine 1976 as cited in Zahari Ibrahim 2005 observed that rainfall distribution and soil types as the major factors influencing species diversity. Several studies conducted on Tongkat Ali species focused mainly on the medicinal value of its roots (Chan et. al 1995, Kardono et. al 1991, Itokawa et. al 1992 and Morita et. al 1990).

An investigation made by mohd Azmi and Awang nor 2000 on 28 malaysian Traditional medicine industries in northern Semenanjung Malaysia / Tanah jawi showed that the requirement of Tongkat Ali by vendors was about 54,189 kg per year and all forms of the raw materials came from the forest shading. Generally most of the raw materials required by the industries are collected from the natural forests.

According to latif 1989 as cited in Zahari Ibrahim 2005 said that over collection of Tongkat Ali has been observed in langkawi island and Kedah Darul Aman. If this over exploitation are not control wellness may be will cause to the extince of Tongkat Ali in future. Thus the manner in harvesting of Tongkat Ali that growing wellness and healthy in forest shading of meranti merah are compulsory to pursuit in the sustainable usages of herbs in future.

IUCN 1993 in the guidelines for the conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants are taken from the wild, they are taken on sustainable basis. The guideline also addressed the cultivation activities that will protected and enhance genetic diversity of this species.

Referred to Aiken and leigh 1992 as cited in Zahari Ibrahim 2005 said that forest stand in Malaysia are far from being uniform related to physical factors and migrational history of malesian flora. There is a well defined altitudinal zoniation of vegetation migrational history of flora with respect to physical barriers isolation and the emergence of endemics variations in lithology soils, topography and precipitation/ water availability and natural disturbances such as landslide cause by logging operation.

According to Kobahyashi et. al 1996 as cited in Zahari Ibrahim 2005 said that vegetation association in forest ecosystem is influenced by soil and climatic factors and therefor any difference in soil properties will affect both the forest composition and its growth rate indefinitely (Binkley and fisher 2000)

The significance of physical soil characteristics in influencing vegetative composition in tropical rain forest has been widely acknowleged. The physical properties of soils which include texture, structure, density, porosity,  strength,  temperature and hue colour are dominant factors that affect tree growth. These properties determine the availability of oxygen in the soils, the mobility of water flow thru soils and the ease of root penetration. Physical properties can be described by physical measurement such as strength, temperature and weight. Soil tecture controls water content, water intake rates , aeration, root penetration and some chemical properties.