Selangor State Park

Last updated
Forest near the entrance of the park. Type locality of Semachrysa jade - ZooKeys-214-001-g004.jpeg
Forest near the entrance of the park.

The Selangor State Park (Malay : Taman Negeri Selangor, also known as Taman Warisan Negeri Selangor) is a park located in Gombak District, Selangor, Malaysia. The 914.41 square kilometre park was gazetted on by the state on January 25, 2007. Upon its establishment, it became the second largest park in Peninsular Malaysia with the largest being the Taman Negara.

Contents

It is over 108,000 hectares in size and is the third-largest park in Peninsular Malaysia. The area was gazetted in 2007 as a state park under the National Forestry Act Enactment 2005 of Selangor and is managed by the Forestry Department of Selangor.

Role of the Park

Selangor and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya depend on the Park for their most basic needs of clean air, water and maintenance of the local climatic stability. The Park thus helps to guarantee the quality of life enjoyed by these communities.

Protecting Water Resource

The forests of Taman Negeri Selangor protect and are catchment for water contributing to the upper reaches of all major rivers in Selangor. These rivers are Sungai Bernam, Sungai Selangor, Sungai Klang and Sungai Langat. The Park area also feeds the five water-supply reservoirs that provide 98% of the water supply to Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. These dams are the Sungai Selangor, Batu, Klang Gates, Langat and Semenyih dams. Ecologically, Taman Negeri Selangor helps to maintain the biodiversity in the river basins and preserve the water quality of the rivers.

Reducing Downstream Floods

The forest cover of Taman Negeri Selangor provides the important ecological function of natural flood mitigation for Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. The forests absorb moisture through plant roots and sponge up large quantities of rainfall in their organically enriched soil system. Thus, the Park serves in water catchment and also as a natural buffer against flooding that is typically most felt in settlements and population centres farther downstream. The natural forest also helps to reduce soil erosion and sedimentation of the reservoirs.

Protecting Steep Slopes

The majority of the State Park is highland over 300 meters above sea level, with steep slopes greater than 25 degrees. This environmentally sensitive area is particularly vulnerable to soil erosion and landslides. The thick forest, together with the leaf litter and other organic debris, help reduce the direct impact of rain on the soil. The extensive root systems of natural vegetation hold the soil in place.

A Centre for Eco-tourism, Research and Education

The Park area provides many recreational opportunities, and it also caters to valuable educational and research activities. As one of the most accessible forest areas in Malaysia, the Park provides an invaluable retreat from the pressures of modern urban lifestyles (e.g. at Ampang Recreational Forest). The Park attracts activities of two major international research centres existing within or near its area, the University of Malaya Field Studies Centre in Hulu Gombak with its incredible forested backdrop, and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong.

Biodiversity

The Park area, rich in fauna and flora, is significant in maintaining existing levels of biodiversity resources. The wealth of the biodiversity of the Park also contributes to Malaysia’s classification as one of the mega-biodiversity countries in the world. Documented within the Park are:

The Klang Gates Quartz Ridge

Resembling the back of a dragon, the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge is a world-class geological wonder and a key feature of the Selangor State Park. Made up entirely of white milky quartz, it is one of the longest quartz outcrops of its kind in the world, measuring about 14 km long above ground and up to 50 m wide at certain sections. This Ridge can be classified as a geotope, having outstanding geological value. The Ridge is estimated to be 170 million years old. It is located just outside the north-eastern part of Kuala Lumpur, stretching from Taman Seri Gombak to Kampung Kemensah. The Klang Gates Dam was built at a small natural opening (gap) separating the two main stretches of the Ridge, namely Bukit Batu Tabor in the west and Bukit Chondong in the east.

Pressures on the Park

The current alignment of the KL Outer Ring Road (KLORR) will have a tremendous impact on the Park, as the alignment of the highway is proposed to cut through to sections of the Park - the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge and the Ampang Forest Reserve. Some residents, community groups and NGOs have spoken out for the need to find a better solution to the KLORR.

See also

Related Research Articles

Kajang Town in Selangor, Malaysia

Kajang is a town in southeastern Selangor, Malaysia. It is located 20 km southeast of downtown Kuala Lumpur, in the coterminous mukim (commune) of Kajang in the Hulu Langat District.

Selangor State of Malaysia

Selangor, also known by its Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west. Selangor surrounds the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, both of which were previously part of it.

Klang Valley area in Malaysia that is centered in Kuala Lumpur

Klang Valley is an urban conglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in Kuala Lumpur, and includes its adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is conterminous with Greater Kuala Lumpur, although there are variations between the two.

Hulu Langat District District of Malaysia in Selangor

The Hulu Langat District is a district located in the southeastern corner of Selangor, between Kuala Lumpur and Negeri Sembilan.

Gombak District District of Malaysia in Selangor

The Gombak District is an administrative district located in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. The district was created on February 1, 1974, the same day when Kuala Lumpur was declared a Federal Territory. Until 1997, Rawang was the district capital; the capital has been moved to Bandar Baru Selayang. Gombak borders Kuala Lumpur to the southeast and the Genting Highlands to the east. Both Gombak and Kuala Lumpur, along with some other districts in Selangor, are situated within the Klang Valley. Other localities that are situated in Gombak district include Batu Arang, Kuang, Rawang, Bandar Kundang, Gombak Town, Selayang, Kepong and Hulu Kelang.

Klang River river in Malaysia

Klang River is a river which flows through Kuala Lumpur and Selangor in Malaysia and eventually flows into the Straits of Malacca. It is approximately 120 km (75 mi) in length and drains a basin of about 1,288 km2 (497 sq mi). Klang River has 11 major tributaries.

Kuala Langat District District of Malaysia in Selangor

The Kuala Langat District is a district of Selangor, Malaysia. It is situated in the southwestern part of Selangor. It covers an area of 858 square kilometres, and had a population of 213,876 at the 2010 Census. It is bordered by the districts of Klang and Petaling to the north and Sepang to the east. The Strait of Malacca forms its western border.

Ampang, Kuala Lumpur Place in Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Ampang, or Ampang Hilir, is a ward and city district, in the eastern part of Kuala Lumpur (KL) in the Titiwangsa constituency. Its area in Kuala Lumpur can be identified as being along the Ampang Road and Ampang Hilir.

Puchong is a major town and a parliamentary constituency in the Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia.

Jalan Ampang or Ampang Road is a major road in Klang Valley region, Selangor and Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Built in the 1880s, it is one of the oldest roads in the Klang Valley. It is a main road to Ampang Jaya and is easily accessible from Jalan Tun Razak or Jalan Ulu Klang from the Hulu Kelang or Setapak direction. It is also accessible from Cheras through Jalan Shamelin, from Jalan Tun Razak through Jalan Kampung Pandan via Taman Cempaka, from Kampung Pandan through Jalan Kampung Pandan Dalam via Taman Nirwana, from the Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2 via Pandan Indah & Taman Kencana and from Hulu Langat town through the mountain pass. Wangsa Maju, Setapak, central Kuala Lumpur, Ampang Park and Salak South surround Ampang. Jalan Ampang became the backbone of the road system linking Ampang to Kuala Lumpur before being surpassed by the Ampang–Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH) E12, in 2001.

Ampang Jaya Place in Selangor, Malaysia

Ampang Jaya, more commonly known as just Ampang, is a town, a mukim and a parliamentary constituency straddling parts of the Hulu Langat District and Gombak District, in eastern Selangor, Malaysia. It is located just outside the eastern border of Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory.

The Selangor water works provides water supply to the state of Selangor as well as the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya in Malaysia. The raw water are sourced mostly from surface water collected by several dams, lakes and rivers, and treated at nearby water treatment plants. The Selangor water works is run by Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd, Selangor State owned company.

Bandar Saujana Putra is a township in Tanjung Dua Belas sub-district, Kuala Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia. It is located south of Putra Heights, UEP Subang Jaya and Puchong, along the North–South Expressway Central Link. Cyberjaya, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) are to the east and south, and Jenjarom and Teluk Panglima Garang to the west.

Greater Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area in Malaysia

Greater Kuala Lumpur is the geographical term that determines the boundaries of Metropolitan Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Though similar to the term "Klang Valley", there remains a variation between the two. It is similar to Greater London and Greater Toronto. It covers an area of 2,793.27 square km.

Negeri FM

Negeri FM is a Malay language-radio station broadcasting from Seremban, Malaysia which is operated by the Radio Televisyen Malaysia. Negeri FM has been in operation since 1990. It provides the latest news, plays Western music, other entertainment, religious programmes etc. It covers the areas of Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, North Johor and parts of Pahang in Malaysia. Negeri FM is transmitted in Malay language. Negeri FM provides hourly news broadcasts. Negeri FM broadcasts in Seremban on 92.6 MHz; Melaka, North Johor and South Negeri Sembilan on 107.7 MHz; and in Tampin on a low power transmitter on 95.7 MHz.

The East Klang Valley Expressway, EKVE is a new expressway under construction in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The 39.5-kilometre-long (24.5 mi) expressway will connect Ukay Perdana in Ampang, Selangor and Bandar Sungai Long in Kajang. This expressway is part of the Kuala Lumpur Outer Ring Road (KLORR). The construction of the expressway was started on 1 September 2015. The entire expressway is expected to be completed by 2019. Once completed, the expressway will benefit 140,000 motorists per day.

Gombak is a town and locality in the mukim of Setapak in the coterminous Gombak District, Selangor, Malaysia.

The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to Selangor.

References

the Selangor State Park blog

Coordinates: 3°18′43″N101°41′45″E / 3.311927°N 101.6958473°E / 3.311927; 101.6958473