SINGAPORE - The restoration of coastal forest habitats in Labrador will boost conservation efforts for native flora and fauna species, many of which are critically endangered.

On Sunday (Nov 7), National Development Minister Desmond Lee announced the Forest Restoration Action Plan for Labrador Nature Reserve, which includes the planting of about 5,000 native trees suited to the coastal forest environment.

Despite the nature reserve's small size of 22ha, its habitats contain a rich variety of flora and fauna: six mammal, 41 butterfly, 10 dragonfly, 15 mangrove and about 100 bird species.

The National Parks Board (NParks) plans to focus restoration efforts on a 2.5ha coastal beach area, which lies between a coastal hill forest and the sea. The area currently comprises mostly empty fields and recreational facilities.

NParks said the restoration of the coastal beach forest builds on and expands its previous enhancement efforts in the reserve.

The area will be planted with native coastal species, such as the locally critically endangered penaga laut (Calophyllum inophyllum) and sea teak (Podocarpus polystachyus).

Replanting efforts will provide a significant physical and ecological buffer for the coastal hill forest, as well as increase sources of food and shelter for the fauna of the nature reserve, especially pollinators and dispersers such as birds, bats and butterflies.

Among the bird species that will benefit from the restoration is the globally critically endangered straw-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus) and migrant species like the Japanese sparrowhawk (Accipiter gularis).

Mr Lim Liang Jim, group director for conservation at NParks, said restoration works will also strengthen ecological processes in the nature reserve's habitats.

This means that every organism within the habitat will contribute to natural processes within the habitat, making it a sustainable one. For instance, flora will provide shelter for fauna, which, in turn, rely on the plants for food and help to pollinate them.

Mr Lim said this will, in turn, increase the climate resilience of the habitat. In the event of extreme climatic events like droughts, high biodiversity and the presence of multiple ecological connections will allow the habitat to survive and thrive, even if some species are lost.