KUALA LUMPUR — The Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve, one of the Klang Valley's last remaining lowland dipterocarp forests, is drawing renewed attention amid concerns over proposed development on land adjacent to the reserve.
Located in Puchong and managed by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), the forest serves as both a biodiversity refuge and a long-standing research site. UPM describes it as a "living laboratory" for students, scientists and conservation efforts, with ambitions to develop it into a premier tropical forestry education centre for the Asia Pacific region.
UPM Faculty of Forestry Dean Prof Dr Mohamed Zakaria Hussin has spoken of ongoing efforts to attract foreign researchers to the site. "We are attempting to make SISFEC a premier tropical forestry education centre in the Asia Pacific region. We're doing various initiatives and efforts in attracting foreign researchers and encouraging them to write the results of their research here," he said in a report.
The forest is classified as a lowland dipterocarp forest of the Kelat-Kedondong type — distinguished by a higher density of Kelat (Eugenia species) and Kedondong (Canarium species) compared to other dipterocarp forests in Malaysia.
Additional environmental context describing Ayer Hitam as a lowland dipterocarp forest in the Puchong area can be found in reports such as Rainforest Journal, written by JungleBoy.
Rich in biodiversity
Scientific studies conducted within the reserve underscore its ecological significance. Research by UPM's Faridah Hanum and co-authors recorded 262 vascular plant species from 142 genera and 56 families, while broader surveys have identified more than 400 plant species in total.
Wildlife diversity is also well documented. At least 14 species of small mammals from 11 genera have been recorded within the reserve, reflecting its role as a functioning habitat for terrestrial fauna. A separate study published in the Malaysian Applied Biology Journal identified 27 species of macrofungi from 14 families — organisms researchers say are essential to nutrient cycling and forest regeneration.
"The overall diversity and health of ecosystems are enhanced by macrofungi, which perform crucial ecological roles in their habitats," the report noted.
Conservation assessments, including those compiled by the Rhino Resource Centre, have also pointed to Ayer Hitam's suitability as habitat for a wider range of animal species.
An island forest
Despite its biodiversity, researchers warn that Ayer Hitam is increasingly vulnerable. The forest has been significantly reduced in size over the years by surrounding development and is now described as an "island forest", hemmed in by housing estates, highways and industrial areas on all sides.
This fragmentation limits wildlife movement, increases ecological stress and makes the forest more susceptible to external disturbance. Researchers note that even development in the vicinity, without directly clearing the forest, can disrupt habitat conditions, alter water systems and affect species survival.
"Amid rapid development, the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve has now become one of the last lines of defence for the conservation of fauna and flora in the Klang Valley," researchers from UPM's forestry faculty have noted.
Calls for transparency
The concerns have taken on a political dimension. Subang MP Wong Chen has urged the Selangor government to explain a controversial land deal involving 169 acres of land adjacent to the reserve, saying he has received no response despite months of enquiries on the matter.
He is demanding transparency on how the land was sold and transferred. Public opposition to the deal has been growing, with concerns centred on the potential for development on the site and the environmental impact this could have on the adjoining forest.
Experts caution that any changes to the forest's surrounding landscape could have lasting consequences — not only for its wildlife and plant species, but for the decades of research and scientific knowledge built around it. — March 22, 2026
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