Volume : III, Issue : VII, July - 2014

Impact of Urban Development on Singapore's Only Primary Rainforest

Kalyani Chatterjea

Abstract :

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (163 km²)in Singapore is surrounded by dense urban residential development. While the forest interior still retains a pristine forest micro-climate, the peripheral areas are characterized by concrete-covered surfaces, high-rise buildings, and highways with high radiation potentials and other associated environmental attributes. This research investigates changes in four specific environmental factors, such as atmospheric temperature, relative humidity, soil temperature, and wind velocities in the interior forests, as well as the forest boundaries. The research determines the changes at the forest peripheries and also analyses the extent of influence into the forest interior. Steep environmental gradients and several hot spots with intense alterations of environment have been demarcated, although forest interiors still retain the original microclimatic conditions of a typical rainforest. These assessments are useful in forest conservation and forest boundary management.

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Article: Download PDF   DOI : 10.36106/ijsr  

Cite This Article:

Kalyani Chatterjea Impact of Urban Development on Singapore’s Only Primary Rainforest International Journal of Scientific Research, Vol : 3, Issue : 7 July 2014

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