Forest types

Forest cover

In 2011, about 75 % of Brunei Darussalam land area is under forest cover, 65 % of the forest cover has not been severely affected by human activities. For detailed info on Brunei"s forest cover, visit: https://sites.google.com/site/peterengbersbrunei/brunei-forests

Main vegetation types in Brunei Darussalam

Note that each type has numerous variants

• Mixed Dipterocarp Forests: 'MDF", the most common forest types in Brunei, found in the lowlands and lover altitudes
• Peat Swamp Forests: the most affected by development in S.E. Asia, therefore 'unique & precious' in Brunei, on waterlogged areas inland
• Freshwater Swamps: along the river banks
• Mangrove Forests: over the coastal swamps
• Heath Forests, 'Kerangas': on white sands
• Montane Forest: above 800 m
• Coastal Forest and vegetation
• Secondary Forests and Forest edges: disturbed by human activities
• Urban, Cleared and Cultivated land.

'Treasures of Brunei Darussalam'

The booklet describes schematically the major forest types in Brunei: Mangrove Forest, Peat Swamp, Heath Forest. Mixed Dipterocarp Forest and Montane Forest. It was produced by the Brunei Shell Petroleum Health, Saftery & Environment Department in 1995 to accompany the video 'Treasures of Brunei Darussalam'. Text and most photos by J. Henrot.

See below to download the document in pdf.

'Ultimately, what will determine the long term harmonious conservation of the forests of the world and their wildlife is only in part the laws and regulations, which can be modified in time or disobeyed, but, in large, the economic circumstances prevailing in the countries involved, the appreciation of the people who live next to the forest for its beauty and resources, and their active desire to preserve it.'