Sekar Imej Conservation Area (SICA) Scientific Expedition, Sabah, Malaysia

The Sekar Imej Conservation Area (SICA) project was initiated by Wilmar International with aims, (1) Establishing effective management of High Conservation Value (HCV) for long term biodiversity conservation in plantation landscapes; (2) capacity building to support local communities; and (3) empowering local communities to support the protection within SICA landscapes. The SICA is recognised as the largest conservation area (2,469 hectares) within Wilmar’s operations in Malaysia (Forest & Reserves, 2021). A rapid assessment was conducted to assess the diversity of dung beetles within the targeted trails. Fieldwork was conducted from 26th – 29th September 2022. Dung beetle sampling was carried out in Monjuk trail (117°11’07.0’’; 6°20’54.1’’) and Tobobon trail (117°11’42.5’’; 6°21’14.5’’) at Sekar Imej Conservation Area (SICA), Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. The forest consist of secondary forest, dominated area with young regenerating forest and lowland mixed dipterocarp forest. These trails are located nearby to larger Paitan and Lingkabau Forest Reserves, which interspersed between other oil palm plantations.