The Singapore Red Data Book 2008

The Singapore Red Data Book 2008

After a long 14-year wait, the new Singapore Red Data Book 2008 was finally launched on 29 November 2008.

The first Red Data Book was published in June 1994, by Nature Society (Singapore) with Peter Ng and Wee YC as the editors, with 20 contributors covering many groups of flora and fauna. Pictures were in black and white, and in those days, film was still the mainstay of the authors' and contributors' photographic records.

Fast forward fourteen years later and it is November 2008. Editors Geoff Davison, Peter Ng and Ho Hua Chew took on the task of updating the Red Data Book. Based on the new International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and with much more information accumulated over the years since the first book, and a new generation of experts and enthusiasts, the new Red Data Book records the changes and new information added to the repository of knowledge amongst the nature community in Singapore. Bigger and now with colour photographs, the Singapore Red Data Book is expected to be an icon of nature conservation in Singapore.

A page from the flora section of the Singapore Red Data Book 2008

With data, photos and documentation from 63 contributors this time around, the book hopes to cover even more information that will be useful to help decision-makers and the governmental authorities to make policy decisions on land use planning, development guidelines and physical development that will also take into account nature conservation and the protection of our natural heritage for future generations of Singaporeans to enjoy.

The Red Data Book has been a source of information for students, researchers, private and governmental organisations and has been cited in numerous technical publications. Many recent Biodiversity Impact Assessment (BIA) reports conducted prior to any development works in the vicinity of sensitive nature areas often use the Red Data Book as a main source of reference. The Red Data Book is an invaluable resource for students and researchers, local and foreign, in their understanding and appreciation of Singapore's biodiversity.

A page from the butterflies section of the Singapore Red Data Book 2008

The Singapore Red Data Book 2008 starts with a chapter on Nature Conservation Laws in Singapore which gives a good overview of the legal protection of flora and fauna in Singapore. The legal framework with which our natural heritage in Singapore is protected has come a long way since 1994. There are now gazetted nature reserves covering specific areas, and new laws (and penalties) governing any breach of these laws.

With this grim preamble on the legal aspects of the protection of nature, the various expert contributors cover various groups of flora and fauna in the following categories :

Flora

• Bryophytes
• Ferns and Fern Allies
• Seed Plants

Fauna - Invertebrates

• Corals, Worms and Molluscs
• Springtails, Peripatus & Insects (to Moths)
• Butterflies
• Phasmids
• Spiders
• Horseshoe Crabs and Decapod Crustaceans
• Echinodemate

Fauna - Vertebrates

• Fishes
• Amphibians
• Reptiles
• Birds
• Mammals

The book concludes with comprehensive checklists of the threatened species covering the above groups of flora and fauna.

This 285-page book is the culmination of the efforts and hard work of the various expert contributors and will further the iconic status of the Singapore Red Data Book as the 'lighthouse' for nature conservation activities in Singapore.

A page from the fish section of the Singapore Red Data Book 2008

ButterflyCircle has contributed significantly in the section covering 14 pages (main write up) and 8 pages (checklist), featuring 26 species from the IUCN categories Vulnerable, Endangered and Critically Endangered, with the excellent photographs from Sunny Chir, Wong CM, Chan SC, Richard Ong and Khew SK. All butterflies featured are of live field shots, unlike the first Red Data Book, which had to feature dead specimens due to time constraints.

The Singapore Red Data Book 2008 is another successful book launched, and ButterflyCircle is proud to be the reference authority for butterflies in Singapore.

Two generations of authors - Steven Neo who wrote the butterflies section of the 1st Edition and Khew SK who wrote the butterflies section in the 2nd Edition of the Singapore Red Data Book, posing with Professor Tommy Koh at the book launch.

Read about the launch of the Singapore Red Data Book 2008 - courtesy of Ria Tan's Wild Shores of Singapore Blog.

Text by Khew SK ; Photos scanned from the Singapore Red Data Book 2008

The Singapore Red Data Book 2008 is available from Nature's Niche @ Orchidville and Nature Society (S) at a price of S$20.