Rainforests of Malaysia: Compared to the rest of the world's rain forests, Malaysia's is a grandmother aged 130 million years.

Biodiversity features: The island of Borneo has the world's oldest rainforests, with over 8,000 species of flowering plants, including some 2,000 species of trees, 200 odd palms and more than 800 varieties of orchids .Among the other well-known flowers are the hibiscus (Malaysia's national flower), and the evil-smelling Rafflesia. Rafflesia is the largest flower in the world. It is estimated to contain 20% of the world's animal species in the rainforests. There are about 210 mammal species in the country. Peninsular Malaysia holds two big cats, the Indochinese Tiger and the clouded leopard, and large prey such as the Sumatran Rhinoceros, Malayan Tapir, Sambar Deer, Gaurs, and Asian Elephants can also be found. East Malaysia lacks the tigers of the peninsular, leaving clouded leopards, sunbears, and Sunda Otter Civets as the primary predators. Rhinoceroses and Elephants are also found there, along with a variety of primates such as Bornean Orangutans and Proboscis Monkeys. Bornean forests show high levels of endemism among bird species with 38 species, 250 reptile species, with about 150 species of snakes, 80 species of lizards, 150 species of frogs, 100 species of butterflies and a staggering 1, 50,000 species of insects. Biodiversity hotspots: Malaysia's Exclusive economic zone is 1.5 times larger than its land area, and some of its waters are in the Coral Triangle, a biodiversity hotspot. The waters around Sipadan Island are the most biodiverse in the world. The Sulu Sea has around 600 coral species, 1200 fish species, 5 species of sea turtles inhabit the area, along with 20 species of Sea snake. The Dugong is found around Sabah and in the Strait of Johor. It is composed of a variety of types, although they are mainly dipterocarp forests. There are around 14,500 species of flowering plants and trees, estimated 8,500 species of vascular plants in Peninsular Malaysia, with another 15,000 in the East. These forests host many members of the Rafflesia genus, the largest flowers in the world. They also contain large numbers of carnivorous plants, such as pitcher plants, bladderworts, sundews, and ant-house plants.

Current status : Logging, along with cultivation practices has devastated tree cover, causing severe environmental degradation in the country. Over 80% of Sarawak has been cleared and over 60% of the Peninsular's forests have been cleared. With current rates of deforestation, the forests are predicted to be extinct by 2020. The Orangutan population has dropped 40% in the last 20 years. Sumatran Rhinoceroses are likely to go extinct in Malaysia, and hornbills are steadily declining in numbers. Marine life is also detrimentally affected by uncontrolled tourism. The Malaysian government aims to balance economic growth with environmental protection, but has been accused of favoring big business over the environment. Mangrove forests: Mangroves are an important, but often overlooked, form of coastal forest in Southeast Asia. These mangroves are also fascinating places to explore for tourists and visitors. There are over 1,425 square kilometers (550 sq mi) of mangroves in Malaysia. Biodiversity Features and importance: In the mangrove forests of Malaysia, the mangrove palm, or Nipah, dominates the plant diversity. These unique palms are characterized by their large fern-like leaves. They have an equally important part to play like rainforests in the entire ecological cycle, ultimately essential to the well being of Malaysia's natural environment. Acts as Bufffer zone between sea and shoreline: In Malaysia, these mangrove swamps form an important buffer zone between the sea and shoreline, absorbing the shocks of waves and storms while filtering excess sediments and preventing salt from creeping inland. Mangrove swamps, also referred to as wetlands, act as important nurseries for the growth of estuary fishes while sustaining a large variety of wildlife. Three of the Mangrove forests are Kuala Selangor Tanjung Tuan Pulau Ketam