Flying gardeners: Why should they matter to Malaysia's businesses?

Perhaps a retiree watering plants and pulling weeds on a lawn? For more serious gardeners, you may find them germinating seeds to get their desired plant. Or even exchanging pollen among flowers by hand to get their favourite fruit!

What do ‘flying’ gardeners look like though?

While it may be technologically feasible for humans to fly from garden to garden to pollinate flowers and propagate seeds, it is extremely costly and requires great manpower. Not to mention the immense carbon footprint such an endeavour would entail! However, two groups of flying animals in Malaysia are already doing this naturally and more gracefully – the fruit bats and hornbills.

Scientific studies have shown that fruit bats and hornbills help disperse seeds of ‘keystone’ plant species, such as figs, over long distances. We have 150 species of figs in our rainforest and they are referred to as keystone species because of their role; they are an important steady food source to many wildlife in the forest. This is essential in kickstarting the process of forest restoration and regeneration. Fruit bats are also known to pollinate flowers of commercially important fruit trees, as well as trees in rainforest and mangrove ecosystems.

Flying gardeners are therefore critical if we want Malaysia’s forests to stay healthy or grow healthier. And healthy forests also means clean air and clean water.

Without pollinators, less fruits may be available for other wildlife species to feed on – this may result in a decline of other wildlife populations over time.

Without seed dispersers, plant species may be unable to spread their fruits (and seeds) further away – this would result in less diverse forests and lower regeneration rates of altered forests elsewhere.

Unfortunately, Malaysia’s flying gardeners face numerous threats from human activities. Fruit bats such as Malaysia's two flying fox species, the Large Flying Fox (Pteropus vampyrus) and Island Flying Fox (Pteropus hypomelaus), are severely threatened by deforestation. Apart from being hunted to be sold for food and medicine, bats are often misunderstood and eradicated as agricultural pests.

Many of Malaysia's 10 hornbill species are also targeted by poachers, but the Critically Endangered Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) is particularly vulnerable because of their uniquely large and solid casques – these have long been sought after by artisans in China for the ornamental trade.

So why should businesses care about the fate of Malaysia’s flying gardeners?

If businesses are concerned about how climate change will affect their operations, helping to keep forests intact and healthy is a priority because they are nature’s best carbon sinks.

Without healthy forests that are looked after by Malaysia’s flying gardeners, business operations may suffer from a reduction of regulatory ecosystem services (e.g. flood prevention) and revenue (e.g. loss of eco-tourism opportunities and raw materials).

With the unregulated expansion of durian plantations at the expense of natural forests, the durian industry, for example, should be worried about the decline of fruit bat populations, which are scientifically proven to be the most effective pollinator of durian flowers.

Both flying fox species in the country are now listed as 'Endangered' on the 'Red List of Mammals for Peninsular Malaysia' while all hornbill species are totally protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act. However, poaching of these flying gardeners persists to this day.

So how can businesses better protect our flying gardeners?

For one, businesses should ensure that their operations and supply chain adopt ‘no deforestation’ policies to ensure that forests, the natural habitats of flying gardeners, are preserved.

Over the last few years, researchers from Sunway University, and local NGOs such as Rimba and Gaia, have been conducting studies to better understand the services provided by fruit bats and hornbills. They are also trying to protect the few remaining wild spaces available to provide safe refuges for both flagship species, such as islands and swamps for flying foxes, and tree cavities for nesting Helmeted Hornbills.

As these habitats are largely unprotected and under threat from conversion by state governments who are dependent on natural resources for revenue, this warrants urgent support from businesses to finance their protection.

For instance, businesses that need to offset their carbon emissions to meet their net zero commitments, should consider purchasing carbon credits from forest-based carbon projects, which will go a long way to protect the homes of our flying gardeners. It would also help boost their Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) ratings, and ultimately attract more green-conscious investors.

For the sake of maintaining the health of forests and people, and ultimately the health of our planet, the importance of pollination and seed dispersal services provided by our flying gardeners needs to be better appreciated. At Sunway University, we help develop this appreciation through a biodiversity course in our undergraduate programmes in the School of Medical and Life Sciences, and through a sustainable forestry course in the Masters in Sustainable Development programme in the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development.

So the next time you take shade under a tree, or when you are feasting on your favourite durian variety, give thanks to Malaysia’s flying gardeners. Indeed, gardening isn’t just for retirees!