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Small populations are often exposed to high inbreeding and mutational load that can increase the risk of extinction. The Sumatran rhinoceros was widespread in Southeast Asia, but is now restricted to small and isolated populations on Sumatra and Borneo, and most likely extinct on the Malay Peninsula. Here, we analyse 5 historical and 16 modern genomes from these populations to investigate the genomic consequences of the recent decline, such as increased inbreeding and mutational load. We find that the Malay Peninsula population experienced increased inbreeding shortly before extirpation, which possibly was accompanied by purging. The populations on Sumatra and Borneo instead show low inbreeding, but high mutational load. The currently small population sizes may thus in the near future lead to inbreeding depression. Moreover, we find little evidence for differences in local adaptation among populations, suggesting that future inbreeding depression could potentially be mitigated by assisted gene flow among populations. Highly endangered species like the Sumatran rhinoceros are at risk from inbreeding. Five historical and 16 modern genomes from across the species range show mutational load, but little evidence for local adaptation, suggesting that future inbreeding depression could be mitigated by assisted gene flow among populations.

Taxonomic studies of Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) are seldom conducted on material from Borneo, despite its being widely recognized as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. As part of our preliminary studies on the braconids from this island in the Natural History Museum (UK) collection, we describe and illustrate four new species of Diolcogaster Ashmead: D. dolichogaster Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov. , D. flavicoxa Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov. , D. hamus Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov. , and D. parallela Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov. Two previously described species, D. eclectes (Nixon) and D. urios (Nixon), are redescribed and illustrated. The species examined in this study are classified into two distinct groups, the basimacula –group ( D. dolichogaster, D. eclectes, and D. hamus ) and the xanthaspis –group ( D. flavicoxa, D. parallela and D. urios ). Additionally, we provide an identification key to the six Diolcogaster species from Borneo, with a distribution map. A concise discussion of the Diolcogaster species–groups is provided.

The increasing demand for wood, pasture, and palm oil drives deforestation and stands as the largest threats to rainforests. Whilst many consequences of deforestation are well understood, the effects on coastal ecosystems remain less clear. This issue is very apparent in Malaysian Borneo where the lack of historical deforestation data makes characterising baseline environmental conditions challenging. Building upon a previous study testing the suitability of coral Ba/Ca records as proxies for riverine sediment, we extend these records to the late nineteenth century, revealing a significant mid-20th-century surge in riverine barium levels, and a gradual lag within records consistent with distance from the river. We argue this increase is associated with the onset of industrial deforestation supported by historical logging records as well as land use data. Ba/Ca records provide unequivocal evidence for the temporal onset and magnitude of the impact of deforestation raising baseline sediment discharge in the nearshore waters.

The small microgastrine braconid genus Wilkinsonellus Mason was known previously from parts of the Australo-Oriental region, but it has never been reported from Borneo (Brunei and Sarawak), Peninsular Malaysia, Seram, or the Solomon Islands before this study. Here we describe three new species, namely, Wilkinsonellus carinatus Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov. from Brunei, Sarawak, and Seram; Wilkinsonellus paracorpustriacolor Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov. from Sarawak; and Wilkinsonellus rugiscutum Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov. from Peninsular Malaysia. We also present a new distribution record of Wilkinsonellus amplus Austin & Dangerfield from the Solomon Islands, along with a key to 21 species known from the Australo-Oriental region.

Today, insular Southeast Asia is important for both its remarkably rich biodiversity and globally significant roles in atmospheric and oceanic circulation. Despite the fundamental importance of environmental history for diversity and conservation, there is little primary evidence concerning the nature of vegetation in north equatorial Southeast Asia during the Last Glacial Period (LGP). As a result, even the general distribution of vegetation during the Last Glacial Maximum is debated. Here we show, using the stable carbon isotope composition of ancient cave guano profiles, that there was a substantial forest contraction during the LGP on both peninsular Malaysia and Palawan, while rainforest was maintained in northern Borneo. These results directly support rainforest \"refugia\" hypotheses and provide evidence that environmental barriers likely reduced genetic mixing between Borneo and Sumatra flora and fauna. Moreover, it sheds light on possible early human dispersal events.

The Orthoptera from Borneo require further research since some areas have never been studied, including parts of Mount Kinabalu in Ranau, Sabah. A five-day survey at Marai Parai and Nunuk in October 2023 revealed 32 species of Orthoptera from nine families. There are at least nine new species records for the Mount Kinabalu region and four new species records for the state of Sabah. Twenty-one out of the 32 species collected are singletons, indicating that many species on Mount Kinabalu are rare and of low abundance or collected during the wrong season. Hence, an annotated and illustrated checklist of the Orthoptera of this region is presented with notes on their taxonomy and, where data are available, on their natural history. With extended sampling, it is expected that more species will be discovered than in this preliminary checklist.

The genus Kelawakaju Maddison & Ruiz, gen. nov. , is described for a lineage of bark-dwelling Asian marpissine jumping spiders that represent a dispersal to Eurasia separate from that of the Marpissa - Mendoza lineage, according to the phylogeny recovered from analysis of four gene regions. All species of Kelawakaju are new to science except Kelawakaju frenata (Simon, 1901), comb. nov. , which is transferred from Ocrisiona Simon, 1901. Kelawakaju frenata is known from Hong Kong, Guangdong, Guangxi, and likely Taiwan. The five new species are Kelawakaju mulu Maddison & Ruiz, sp. nov. (type species of Kelawakaju , from Sarawak, Malaysia, ♂♀), K. intexta Maddison & Ruiz, sp. nov. (from Sarawak, ♂), K. leucomelas Maddison & Ng, sp. nov. (Singapore and Johor Bahru, ♂♀), K. sahyadri Vishnudas, Maddison, & Sudhikumar, sp. nov. (India, ♂♀), and K. singapura Maddison & Ng, sp. nov. (Singapore, ♂♀).

The coral reefs at the northernmost tip of Sabah, Borneo will be established under a marine protected area: the Tun Mustapha Park (TMP) by the end of 2015. This area is a passage where the Sulu Sea meets the South China Sea and it is situated at the border of the area of maximum marine biodiversity, the Coral Triangle. The TMP includes fringing and patch reefs established on a relatively shallow sea floor. Surveys were carried out to examine features of the coral reefs in terms of scleractinian species richness, and benthic reef assemblages following the Reef Check substrate categories, with emphasis on hard coral cover. Variation in scleractinian diversity was based on the species composition of coral families Fungiidae (n = 39), Agariciidae (n = 30) and Euphylliidae (n = 15). The number of coral species was highest at reefs with a larger depth gradient i.e. at the periphery of the study area and in the deep South Banggi Channel. Average live hard coral cover across the sites was 49%. Only 7% of the examined reefs had > 75% hard coral cover, while the majority of the reef sites were rated fair (51%) and good (38%). Sites with low coral cover and high rubble fragments are evidence of blast fishing, although the observed damage appeared old. Depth was a dominant factor in influencing the coral species composition and benthic reef communities in the TMP. Besides filling in the information gaps regarding species richness and benthic cover for reef areas that were previously without any data, the results of this study together with information that is already available on the coral reefs of TMP will be used to make informed decisions on zoning plans for conservation priorities in the proposed park.

An emended description of the genus Aulacolepis is given, and the taxonomic status, diagnostic characters, and geographical distribution of its representatives are clarified. Two species groups which differ in the degree of dilation of the lateral margins of the elytra and in the density of the scales covering the dorsal side of the body are distinguished. The representatives of the mouhoti species-group distributed in mainland Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, and some adjacent islands have sparse scales on the dorsal side of the body and narrow lateral margins of the elytra. The species of the decorata group from Singapore and the Greater Sunda Islands have denser scales on the dorsal side of the body and widely flattened lateral margins of the elytra. Two new species of this genus have been described: Aulacolepis malayana sp. n. inhabiting the Malay Peninsula and adjacent islands (including Phuket) and belonging to the mouhoti species group, and the Bornean Aulacolepis borneensis sp. n. from the decorata species group. Aulacolepis decorata Baly, 1867 is recorded for Singapore and Java for the first time. An identification key is compiled for all the species of the genus, and photographs of the beetles and their genitalia are provided for the first time.

Alternative land uses make different contributions to the conservation of biodiversity and have different implementation and management costs. Conservation planning analyses to date have generally assumed that land is either protected or unprotected and that the unprotected portion does not contribute to conservation goals. We develop and apply a new planning approach that explicitly accounts for the contribution of a diverse range of land uses to achieving conservation goals. Using East Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) as a case study, we prioritize investments in alternative conservation strategies and account for the relative contribution of land uses ranging from production forest to well-managed protected areas. We employ data on the distribution of mammals and assign species-specific conservation targets to achieve equitable protection by accounting for life history characteristics and home range sizes. The relative sensitivity of each species to forest degradation determines the contribution of each land use to achieving targets. We compare the cost effectiveness of our approach to a plan that considers only the contribution of protected areas to biodiversity conservation, and to a plan that assumes that the cost of conservation is represented by only the opportunity costs of conservation to the timber industry. Our preliminary results will require further development and substantial stakeholder engagement prior to implementation; nonetheless we reveal that, by accounting for the contribution of unprotected land, we can obtain more refined estimates of the costs of conservation. Using traditional planning approaches would overestimate the cost of achieving the conservation targets by an order of magnitude. Our approach reveals not only where to invest, but which strategies to invest in, in order to effectively and efficiently conserve biodiversity.