Conservation Ecology of Rafflesia tiomanensis on Tioman Island, Malaysia

Grant Type:

Research Grant

Year:

2026

State(s):

Pahang

Project Leader:

Siti Munirah Mat Yunoh

This study documents the ecology of the endemic Rafflesia tiomanensis on Pulau Tioman. It will monitor growth and flowering dynamics, examine environmental and disturbance factors, and provide evidence to guide conservation planning and future species assessments.

The project will study the ecology of Rafflesia tiomanensis, an endemic species recently described in 2021, when there’s a mass budding in the area — a timely research. The habitat of this rafflesia is facing human disturbance hence local guides will be recruited and empowered to protect it.

Siti Munirah Mat Yunoh

Forest Research Institute Malaysia

Siti Munirah is a Rafflesia researcher with over a decade of experience in taxonomy, ecology, and conservation management in Peninsular Malaysia. At the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), she has conducted extensive field surveys across Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, and Tioman Island, contributing to new discoveries and species descriptions, including Rafflesia tiomanensis in 2021. Her work combines long-term field research with close collaboration with local communities and authorities, advancing knowledge and conservation of one of the region’s most iconic and least understood plant groups.