Learning+Journey

NOTES TAKEN DURING LJ TRIP TO LOWER PEIRCE RESERVOIR (:


 * damming kills ecosystems, destroys self-sufficiency
 * saltwater fish cannot survive in fresh water, will explode due to osmosis
 * less forest, less rain (as less evapotranspiration)
 * jetty is connected with castle-like thing through underground pipes
 * Water from reservoir flows into inlet through pipe to pump to Bradell (use of pressure) –> purification –> house
 * Pink buoys and flexible hoses carry air – pump air into water to keep the water alive for plants, fishes and crustaceans – ecosystem
 * Radio towers at Bukit Timah
 * Water at Bukit Timah flows to Upper Peirce Reservoir then to Lower Peirce Reservoir
 * Ang Mo Kio and Bishan will be flooded immediately if the dam is damaged
 * The place used to be all forest with complex network of streams
 * Drains lead to Kallang River
 * Straight feature of dam is highly important
 * Boats are used by reservoir management staff to create currents to push rubbish from centre to side –> create water movement –> oxygenate water
 * Left of dam: oil palm plantation. Back of dam (hilly area): rubber tree plantation.
 * –> thick secondary forest, mature
 * overflow gate: for 'excess' water to flow out into monsoon drain to sea
 * scum: mixture of chemicals (leached from golf course) and algae – at first white –> brown, foamy as anaerobic decomposition of animals releases chemicals
 * impact of golf course: fertilisers for plants go into water –> algae population increase –> short lived –> mass dying of algae –> bacteria deplete oxygen supply –> fish die –> fish decompose –> water turns foul 
 * island bridge – granite rounded steps down, passages, to Kallang River. Rapid water is split by island –> water from both sides meet in the middle, clash against each other –> force of water decreased, slower speed –> safeguard banks
 * mapping structures (bluish-green) are lined in a perfectly straight line. surveyors use precision instrument to check straightness as any misalignment would be the first sign/warning: there is ground movement due to water pressure
 * rocks at the fishing area are there to mitigate soil erosion
 * streams have native fishes

aNiMaLs AnD pLaNtS fOuNd ThErE:
 * koel: starts chirping at 5am; high-pitched, varying tone (low–>high)
 * kingfisher: trill, up-down pitch
 * white-bellied sea eagle: good eyesight; uses talons to grab fish out of water, only flaps when at low altitude, at high altitude hot air rises to push wings
 * snakehead fish: good to make soup after surgery
 * manila plant: bright red fruits attract honey bees
 * taiping tree: orange, sweet smelling flowers attract a lot of birds and insects; native tree of Malaysia; planted as horticulture fruit
 * iron wood tree: from India (not native); bark peels off, patches of orange (algae), brownish yellow, brown and white (when peeled)
 * fig: waringin tree
 * albizia: looks like raintree
 * tembusu: produces creamy white flowers which turn yellow overnight, orange/red berries attract monkeys, squirrels and bats
 * pulai: good tree from primary forest
 * leban: needs a lot/intense light to grow; used as wood to make daily tools in the past; found at forest edge; attracts butterflies
 *   tapioca: shrub
 * cabbage tree: light green; often found in isolated islands; can live in dry environments
 * silverback: underside of leaves are silverish
 * rubber tree: stalk with three leaflets
 * mahang/ant plant: symbiosis with ants
 * bracket fern (resam)
 * singapore rhododendron: pink/purple flower, sweet edible fruits
 * giant forest ant
 * long tailed macaque: cuddle, groom, jump around. males have pointy fur in the mid top of their heads
 * pitta: blue migratory bird
 * buffy fish owl
 * cicadas: make sounds alternating about the pitches F-sharp and G
 * These plants are signs that the forest has reached a mature state. Birds bring seeds in (e.g. from Bukit Timah which is a primary forest)
 * Maturity of secondary forest depends on: size of trees, type of trees. There are primary elements within secondary forest.
 * Secondary forests are shorter, have lower shrubs, plants are more spaced apart, more light enters, fewer species
 * Proximity to primary forest is important for secondary forest maturation

WhY mUsT pRoTeCt ThE fOrEsTs?
 * Vegetation cover helps to filter water as water percolates through trees and soil and travels underground into reservoir instead of simply surface runoff
 * forests are like sponges which slowly release water
 * They produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide
 * carbon sinking –> mitigate global warming –> capture carbon and lock it in the ground
 * habitat, ecosystem for living things
 * They clear the air – particles get trapped on surface –> rain –> washed away and locked in ground
 * rich medicinal value
 * indigenous people, their livelihood, culture and history