Tioman Research Essay

To what extent has human activity

transmuted the natural environment on
Tioman Island?
Tazwar Sikder (s10418)
Grade 10C
Peter Haughton
Humanities
Saturday, 16 November 2013
Word Count: 1334

Table of Contents:
Locator map of Tioman Island . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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3
Map of Tioman
Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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........
4
Introduction, Natural Formation of the Island
and Reefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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5
Climate of
Ecosystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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6
Relationship of Flora and Fauna to the
Stability of the Ecosystem, Early Human
Involvement in the Degradation of Tioman . . .
.....................................
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..........
7

Present Human Involvement in the

Degradation of Tioman, Present Human
Involvement in the Protection of Tioman . . . . .
.....................................
.....................................
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8
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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9
Tazwar Sikder
Peter Haughton
Humanities
Monday, 11 November 2013

Sikder 3)

Tioman Research Essay

Locator map of Tioman Island

Tioman Sea. 2009. Wordpress. Web. 11 Nov. 2013

Sikder 4)

Map of Tioman Island

Tioman Map. 2012. Divezone. Web. 05 Nov. 2013

Sikder 5)

The island of Tioman is located approximately 32 kilometres from the eastern

coast of Malaysia. The investigation conducted on the island made research
into the ecosystem of the island and the diverse ecology found there. We
also probed into the impact of human activity on the island. Much of the
investigation involved interviewing the tourists there regarding the
environment and efforts to sustain it, or destroy it. The research question
formulated by me is: to what extent has human activity transmuted the
natural environment on Tioman Island?
Natural Formation of the Island and Reefs:
The island of Tioman was a volcanic zone where the many volcanic and
metamorphic rocks can be found on the beaches and rainforests. It was
formed over a period of millions of years as a product of volcanism. Magma
that had eventually cooled down and hardened underground produced the
bedrocks presently found on the island. The western section of Tioman Island
is full of granite. The many bays and headlands were developed as a result of
the shape of the cliff formed by the boulders. There is a wave-cut platform
which is home to the formation of coral in the shallow waters. The eastern
section of Tioman Island is comprised of much pyroclastic rock and lava. The
coast is dominated with cliffs with small coves and beaches. There are also
wave-cut platforms present here with coral formations in the shallow waters.
The southern section of Tioman Island has seen volcanic activity which
created volcanic structures and a crater in the centre. Recent landslides have
created sedimentary rocks found in the river valleys and the bays. The
volcanism on the island has created geological faults which were made
prominent after being eroded. This resulted in the creation of additional cliffs
and coastal abrasion. There is a great abundance of coral reefs in the wavecut platforms off the coast on Tioman Island. It is believed that the sea levels
were higher in the past as fossilised coral reefs can be found on the beaches
above the current sea level. (Teh Tiong Sa) I have witnessed that the beach
of Melina Beach Resort contains a small estuary that has formed a river-like
shape of the coastline. The water has weathered and eroded the sand and
deposited the sediment.

Sikder 6)
Climate of Ecosystem:
The ecosystem of Tioman Island is a tropical rainforest. The climate of the
island is primarily hot and humid with occasional showers and storms. As it is
a tropical rainforest, the temperatures are usually consistent throughout the
year with an average temperature of 29C. The heaviest rainfall occurs
between October and January. This is also the time when the monsoon winds
begin to blow. Most sunshine occurs between February and October,
alternating between 6 and 7 hours of sunshine. Daylight is also constant
throughout the year with approximately 12 hours of daylight on average.
(Audley)

Climate graph of Tioman Island

Temperature and Precipitation. 2013. Audley. Web. 14 Nov. 2013

Sikder 7)
Relationship of Flora and Fauna to the Stability of the Ecosystem:
The ecology of Tioman is diverse including an array of mammals, which are
under protection, and the marine life. There are approximately 45 species of
mammals and 138 species of birds (Wikipedia). The marine life on Tioman
includes an abundance of coral reefs and various kinds of fish and other sea
life. The ecosystem of Tioman relies on maintaining a stable equilibrium
between the flora and the fauna to operate in a functional manner. When
there will be disruptions to the local population of flora or fauna there can be
a serious chain of repercussions. If the flora population were to decrease the
food chain would be devastated. This would result in the deterioration of the
local fauna as well. Herbivorous animals would be unable to feed on plants
and therefore die of starvation. The carnivorous animals would have no
animals to feed on and therefore die of starvation. Overall, a complete
imbalance and break down of the ecosystem would occur and cause great
disorder.
Early Human Involvement in the Degradation of Tioman:
The environment of Tioman has been negatively affected by human activity
in early times particularly due to the disruption of the flora. The disruption of
the flora was largely due to deforestation. I have heard from the biologists
that the vast rainforests on Tioman Island were deforested and then
reforested with large-scale rubber plantations. It was done after a man
smuggled in rubber seeds from a neighbouring country and sold them for a
large profit. The rubber plantations soon became useless as synthetic rubber
production had been discovered. This practice may have well disrupted the
various floras as the diversity of plants would decrease. The loss of plant life
would result in broad ramifications for both the local fauna and the
surrounding ecosystem. The fauna in the rainforests would be disrupted by
effectively having their habitats removed and by the complicated
devastation of the food chain. Herbivorous animals would not find plants to
feed on and therefore would starve to death. Similarly, the carnivorous
animals would not find animals and starve to death. Likewise, the ecosystem
would be disrupted by the effects of soil erosion. The topsoil would become
dry over a period of time and would eventually wash away from rain or be

blown away by the wind. New trees would not be able to grow due to scarcity
of soil and result in a significant loss of life.

Sikder 8)
Present Human Involvement in the Degradation of Tioman:
The environment of Tioman has been negatively affected by human activity
in present times particularly due to the disruption of the fauna and the
environment. The disruption of the fauna was largely due to overfishing. I
have heard from the biologists that tourists have been fishing on the island
to a significant extent by using large fishing nets to capture the fish. Fishing
on Tioman Island is strictly prohibited unless it is for subsistence fishing for
the locals. This practice may have well disrupted local fish populations and
also affected the other marine life present, such as coral, by confining them
within the fishing nets along with the fish. The disruption of the environment
was largely due to the governments allowance of the construction of a small
airport on Tioman Island. According to the biologists, the surrounding
mangrove environments were cut down to clear land for the airport.
Therefore, it is evident that tourism has had a somewhat negative impact on
the islands environment. The local inhabitants of Tioman Island have also
caused damage to the environment through pollution. According to the
tourist interview results, 85% of the interviewed have witnessed acts of
littering on the island. The littering is spread out across the island occurring
on the beaches, around the villages and in the rainforests.
Present Human Involvement in the Protection of Tioman:
The environment of Tioman has been positively affected by human activity in
present times particularly due to the rules and regulations of the island and
the government activity. The locals have made efforts to sustain and protect
the environment. According to the tourist interview results, there have been
a wide range of methods implemented for sustaining the environment. The
island has a proper water drainage system in the village areas, contains
many recycling bins, has eco-friendly accommodation, limits use of water

and electricity, has houses made from wood, has limited transport (few
motored vehicles), has a tree conservation association and subsistence
fishing. The establishment of the island as a state wildlife reserve in 1972
and a national marine reserve in 1985 had several positive effects. This
meant that the diverse ecology could be kept intact and the local flora and
fauna would be safeguarded to avoid damage of the environment.
The island of Tioman has been affected by both natural factors and human
intervention. The extent of human activity on Tioman has negatively affected
the island to a great significance. But the current position of acts to sustain
the environment has definitely made a positive impact on the ecosystem of
the island. If the efforts continue, the island can gradually stabilise and reach
its original environmental condition.

Sikder 9)
Bibliography

1) Maps. Digital image. Vacations To Go. VacationsToGo.com, n.d. Web. 05 Nov.

2013. <http://www.vacationstogo.com/images/ports/maps/958_w.gif>.

2) Sa, Teh Tiong, Dr. "Geogallers.com." Geogallers.com. Geogallers.com, n.d.

Web. 16 Nov. 2013. <http://geogallers.com/geo/ISMPS.php>.

3) Temperature and Precipitation. Digital image. Audley - Tailor-made Journeys

for the Discerning Traveller. Audley Travel, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.audleytravel.com/destinations/southeast-asia/malaysia/placesto-go/tioman-island/climate.aspx>.

4) "Tioman Island." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 11

Nov. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tioman_Island>.

5) Tioman Map. Digital image. Divezone - Where To Dive Next? Divezone, n.d.
Web. 05 Nov. 2013. <http://divezone.net/wpcontent/uploads/2012/07/tioman-map.gif>.
6) Tioman Sea. Digital image. Frog + Princess Blog. Wordpress.com, n.d. Web.
11 Nov. 2013. <http://frogandprincess.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/tiomansea.jpg>.