Danum Valley is one of the world's most active outdoor laboratories. The research conducted here generates the knowledge necessary for its own preservation and that of tropical forests globally, woven by a consortium of international institutions.
The SAFE Project (Stability of
Altered Forest Ecosystems):
One of the world's largest ecological experiments, studying forest fragmentation
and oil palm conversion. Danum's pristine condition serves as the critical baseline
control. It is a collaboration led by the Royal
Society, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and SEARRP,
with Yayasan Sabah.
The Danum Valley Rainforest
Ecology Plot:
A 50-hectare plot where every tree is tagged, mapped, and measured—part of the
global ForestGEO network (Smithsonian).
This allows direct comparison with over 70 forests worldwide to understand
carbon cycling and forest dynamics, managed by DVFC and SEARRP with
partners like the University of Aberdeen.
Bornean Carnivore Programme:
A long-term study using camera traps and telemetry to uncover the lives of
elusive predators like the Sunda clouded leopard and sun bear, co-led by Cardiff
University and the Leibniz Institute
for Zoo and Wildlife Research.
Orangutan and Elephant Research
Units:
Continuous behavioral studies focus on orangutan cognition and the movement
ecology of elephants, involving Universiti
Malaysia Sabah, WWF-Malaysia,
and DVFC's own ranger teams for
monitoring and anti-poaching.