THE ECOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION OF BORNEAN NEPENTHES

Abstract

The ecology and distribution of 31 Bornean Nepenthes are described. The geographical distribution of Nepenthes is restricted to the tropical area of the world. Nepenthes grows from sea level to 3400 m above sea level. The species prefers exposed habitats, on nutrient poor soils. The occurence of Nepenthes in these habitats is attributed to its carnivorous habit. Generally, Bornean endemic species have very restricted distribution, in some cases being found on a single mountain summit. The restricted distribution of the species may be attributed to soil factor, insufficient time for the species to spread or inadequate knowledge due to lack of the exploration of the species, particularly in the Kalimantan area. This study shows that while N. mirabilis is the most widespread species, N. reinwardtiana is confined to Borneo and Sumatra.