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Important both for its high biodiversity and for its karst
features, Gunung Mulu National Park, on the island of Borneo in the
State of Sarawak, is the most studied tropical karst area in the world.
The 52,864-ha park contains seventeen vegetation zones, exhibiting some
3,500 species of vascular plants. Its palm species are exceptionally
rich, with 109 species in twenty genera noted. The park is dominated by
Gunung Mulu, a 2,377 m-high sandstone pinnacle. At least 295 km of
explored caves provide a spectacular sight and are home to millions of
cave swiftlets and bats. The Sarawak Chamber, 600 m by 415 m and 80 m
high, is the largest known cave chamber in the world.
Gunung Mulu National Park, situated in
the Malaysian State of Sarawak on the island of Borneo, is outstanding
both for its high biodiversity and for its karst features. The park is
dominated by Gunung Mulu, a 2,376 m-high sandstone pinnacle and the
property is the most studied tropical karst area in the world. The
geological Melinau Formation contains a remarkable concentration of
caves, revealing a geological history of over more than 1.5 million
years.
High in endemism, Gunung Mulu National
Park provides significant natural habitat for a wide range of plant and
animal species, both above and below ground. The 52,865 ha park contains
seventeen vegetation zones, exhibiting some 3,500 species of vascular
plants. Its palm species are exceptionally rich, with 109 species in
twenty genera recorded, making it one of the worlds richest sites for
palm species. Providing protection for a substantial area of Borneo’s
primary tropical forest and a home for a high diversity of species,
including many endemics and threatened species, the large cave passages
and chambers provide a major wildlife spectacle in terms of millions of
cave swiftlets and bats.
The property is home to one of the
world's finest examples of the collapse process in karstic terrain and
provides outstanding scientific opportunities to study theories on the
origins of cave faunas. The deeply-incised canyons, wild rivers,
rainforest-covered mountains, spectacular limestone pinnacles, cave
passages and decorations found within the property produce dramatic
landscapes and breathtaking scenery that is without rival.
Important both for its high biodiversity
and for its karst features, Gunung Mulu National Park, on the island of
Borneo in the State of Sarawak, is the most studied tropical karst area
in the world. The 52,864-ha park contains seventeen vegetation zones,
exhibiting some 3,500 species of vascular plants. Its palm species are
exceptionally rich, with 109 species in twenty genera noted. The park is
dominated by Gunung Mulu, a 2,377 m-high sandstone pinnacle. At least
295 km of explored caves provide a spectacular sight and are home to
millions of cave swiftlets and bats. The Sarawak Chamber, 600 m by 415 m
and 80 m high, is the largest known cave chamber in the world.