FORESTS IN ASIA

KINUBALU NATIONAL PARK

On the northern part of the island of Borneo, Kinubalu National Park encompasses an area of roughly 300 square miles. Despite being one of the smaller forests on this list, it’s biodiversity and mix of habitats make it a big deal.

Kinabalu National Park is famous for its namesake mountain, which, at 13,435 feet, is the tallest one between New Guinea and the Himalayas. With elevations ranging from less than 650 feet up to Mount Kinabalu, the park boasts an extremely diverse and distinctive collection of plants and animals, including over 1000 species of orchids.

Habitats in Kinabalu vary from tropical lowlands and hill rainforest to sub-alpine forest, which has an incredible mix of plants found in the Himalayas, Australia, and China. It is a Center of Plant Diversity for Southeast Asia.

Though the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is thus protected, industrial development has begun to threaten it more in recent years.