Forest Ecology & Environmental Monitoring

Tropical Forest Ecology Research programme

The Singapore Botanic Gardens has championed forest research and conservation since the late 19th century. Following a pivotal 1880s report by then-Gardens’ Superintendent Nathaniel Cantley, forest reserves were created across Singapore and the Straits Settlement, managed by the Gardens’ Forest Department. Notable early work includes Assistant Director E.J.H. Corner's extensive studies (1929-1945) on Singapore's swamp forests.

Today, the Forest Ecology team continues this legacy through the Tropical Forest Ecological Research programme, coordinating forest research across Singapore. The programme centres on a network of permanent research plots: 160 plots in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and surrounding Nature Parks, two 2-ha Forest Dynamics Plots in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, and the Singapore Botanic Gardens Rain Forest.

These plots enable researchers to study flora, fauna, and ecosystem processes, including long-term monitoring of tree populations from seedlings to mature trees. By co-locating research efforts, the programme fosters collaboration and synergies that advance forest management and conservation science in Singapore and the region.

NParks staff setting up the camera trap to monitor local fauna in Singapore's forests.

Staff collecting data to analyze the microclimate, water and nutrient fluxes across urban and forested sites in Singapore.

Photographing the crowns of trees in order to identify them and catch signs of flowering or fruiting.

Censusing trees in the permanent forest plots to understand tree recruitment, growth, and mortality.

Environmental Monitoring

The Environmental Monitoring section was set up in Jan 2025 to study Singapore’s biophysical environment and their relations to urban forestry, forest dynamics, and management policies. We will work with our stakeholders, including from the Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Parks Board, and institutes of higher learning to monitor and analyse microclimate, water, and nutrient fluxes across urban and forested sites within Singapore.

Microclimate sensors that measure air temperature, humidity, wind, and sun light intensity at Jurong. The measurements are to provide better understanding on the cooling benefits of greenery in the urban landscape.

This research monitors above-ground weather conditions—such as rainfall, air temperature, wind, and relative humidity—alongside below-ground soil metrics like moisture, temperature, and water seepage collected via a lysimeter. By combining this data, the study provides valuable insights into how weather patterns drive nutrient leaching.