Sabah has the world's tallest tropical tree EVERYONE knows that the tallest trees in the world belong to the Coastal Redwoods of California, which can tower more than 100m (over 350 feet) into the sky! These trees do not occur in Sabah, but did you know that the tallest tropical rainforest tree in the world is a Borneo dipterocarp? And not just any dipterocarp but one that grows right in our own backyard in Sabah's Tawau Hills Park! The lowlands of Borneo were once covered from coast to coast by towering dipterocarp forests. There are at least 270 species in Borneo, all having winged shuttlecock fruits, typical of the dipterocarp family, that twirl like helicopters when dispersed by the wind. While dipterocarps are found across South-east Asia, Borneo is (or was) their kingdom. Years ago, I remember walking through a logging concession before the trees were felled - one of the most magnificent forests I have ever seen. The huge buttressed trunks with their mass
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