26 
Ganl. Bull. Singapore 70 (Suppl. 1) 2018 
However, even in highly studied areas, many species, such as freshwater 
organisms, have only been found in recent years. This shows that streams in Singapore 
are still insufficiently surveyed (Kottelat & Whitten, 1996). 
Also, several groups of organisms present in Nee Soon freshwater swamp 
forest are still underrepresented. While much more is known of the angiosperms of 
Singapore, other groups including the macrofungi, fresh water algae and lichens are 
understudied (Ng et al., 2011). Amongst the fauna, many forest and soil arthopods, as 
well as various protozoan species, are highly unstudied (Ng et al., 2011). 
Extinction in Singapore has proceeded at an alarming rate largely due to habitat 
loss (Brook et al., 2003). Currently, only about 0.25% of land area in Singapore is 
designated as protected nature reserves and 50% of our native species are harboured 
in this area. Between 36% and 78% extinction has been inferred amongst various 
taxonomic groups (Brook et al., 2003). 
A forest cannot be conserved without deep knowledge of the majority of 
its species, and more work should be devoted to surveying these groups. A deeper 
understanding of the organisms present in the Nee Soon freshwater swamp forest 
could greatly aid its conservation. Singapore has many specialist species of animals 
and plants and a large proportion of which occur or occurred within the Nee Soon 
freshwater swamp forest. We have lost some of these species already, and in order to 
protect the rest, we require an improved understanding of their needs and interactions 
within the ecosystem. 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. We would like to thank Dr Geoffrey Davison, Dr Cai Yixiong, 
Sharon Chan, Chew Ping Ting, Li Tianjiao, Lim Weihao, and other colleagues of the National 
Parks Board (NParks). We are also grateful to NParks for the permits to conduct fieldwork 
in the Nee Soon Freshwater Swamp Forest (Permit no. NP/RP13-068-1), and the Ministry 
of Defence (MINDEF) for permitting us to access areas around the firing ranges. Colleagues 
from the Public Utilities Board (PUB) have been very helpful and cooperative in providing 
essential hydrological data (e.g. rainfall, reservoirs’ water levels) required for the numerical 
eco-hydrological model. The PUB’s participation in this project is greatly acknowledged and 
appreciated. We are also appreciative of the help from our collegues, past and present, at the 
Tropical Marine Sciences Institute and the Departments of Biological Sciences and Geography, 
National University of Singapore, who have contributed to the body of work and knowledge¬ 
base on which this study was developed as well as for providing practical, logistical, and 
technical support for the project team. This study forms part of the research project “Nee Soon 
Swamp Forest Biodiversity and Hydrology Baseline Studies—Phase 2” funded by the Ministry 
of Finance and NParks (National University of Singapore grant number R-347-000-198-490). 
References 
Abang, F. & Hill, D.S. (2006). The invertebrate fauna. In: Abang, D. & Das, I. (eds) The 
Biodiversity of a Peat Swamp Forest in Sarawak, pp. 87-98. Kota Samarahan: Universiti 
Malaysia Sarawak. 
