Sustainable urban development is a major issue in developing countries, namely in environmental and social aspects. Urban forests have the potential to address these issues. Thus, it is not surprising that urban forest research is slowly gaining traction in these regions. However, there have been limited urban forest research reviews focusing on developing countries, especially tropical countries in the global south. Research reviews are vital in identifying the distribution of research themes, hence revealing research gaps and needs. Therefore, this review paper aims to provide a deep insight into the development of urban forest research in Malaysia in the past 20 years. The core purpose of this review is to analyze the distribution of research themes in Malaysia, thus identifying research gaps and needs in developing countries. A total of 43 articles were selected for this review, using the PRISMA framework. The distribution of research articles showed a continuous increase over time, especially for the past five years (2016 to 2021). The reviewed articles were categorized according to five emerging research themes in urban forestry. More than 41% of the reviewed articles fell under Theme 1 (the physicality of urban forests), with the majority being on biodiversity (n = 10). Theme 5 (the governance of urban forest) had the lowest research output (n = 3). Urban forestry research is slowly gaining prominence globally including the global south; however, there are obvious preferences in research focus, causing some research questions to be neglected. These research gaps are especially evident in four areas—soil science, ecophysiology, valuation (economics), and environmental justice. These research gaps should be addressed by the scientific community to ensure a thorough and complete research growth pertaining to urban forestry.

Background: The Melanau Igan community is a distinctive subgroup of the larger Melanau ethnic group. What sets the Melanau Igan apart from other Melanau communities is their unique dialect and cultural characteristics. The present study was conducted to document the herbal medicinal plants used by this community, and the cultural, geographical, and historical dimensions that shape this ethnomedicinal system. Methods: A total of 71 respondents from five Melanau Igan villages were interviewed in this study. The results were evaluated based on the plant’s total use-reports, number of respondents citing the plant, and use-reports by ailment category. Moreover, the similarity with other neighboring ethnic groups were calculated. Results: The 71 respondents in this study cited 72 plant species with a total of 596 use reports. Fever, headaches, skin issues, diabetes, and hypertension are the most common ailments treated with traditional medicine in the Melanau Igan community. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Citrus aurantifolia, Psidium guajava, Ageratum conyzoides and Citrus limon play prominent roles in the traditional medicine of the community, being the top five plants with the most respondent citations. Conclusions: A distinctive feature of the Melanau Igan community's ethnomedicine is the significant role of women in traditional healing due to their household and caregiving responsibilities. The uniqueness of the community’s traditional medicine is influenced by historical and cultural factors, while geographical proximity does not guarantee similarity. Their coastal lifestyle, historical associations, and cultural ties with Malays shape their ethnomedicinal practices, underscoring the importance of considering these contexts when studying traditional medicine in Borneo. Keywords: Ethnobotany; Tropical forest herbs; Borneo; Southeast Asia; Traditional medicine

Understanding the effects of various forest management systems, including logging practices, on soil properties is essential for implementing sustainable management strategies. In Malaysia, two types of forest management systems were commonly used: Malayan Uniform System (MUS) and Selective Management System (SMS) practices. However, their effects on soil quality remained elusive, especially after decades of recovery. To address this need, we selected three plots for the MUS and SMS in Johor, Malaysia, to assess soil properties in logged-over forest plots. All the plots were natural forest reserves. Soil properties analyzed include soil acidity, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, selected nutrient contents, and soil compaction. Generally, the results of the study indicate that forests logged using the SMS exhibit superior soil quality compared to those logged using the MUS according to several key soil properties. Specifically, significantly higher cation exchange capacity, potassium content, calcium content, and magnesium content with lower soil compaction was observed in the SMS when compared to MUS plots. In short, the SMS enhances soil quality more effectively than the MUS, even with a shorter logging cycle. This is because the SMS does not harvest all trees and distributes the impact of harvesting more evenly over time, rather than concentrating it at a single time point. Ultimately, this highlights that the SMS can play a significant role in promoting sustainable forest management practices by preserving soil quality.

As the population grows and resource consumption increases, waste management has become a significant environmental challenge. A more sustainable approach to waste management is essential to maximize the recovery of materials acquired from nature. Vermicomposting is one of the answers to sustainable waste management. A study was conducted to determine the viability of vermicomposting Gliricidia sepium leaves and office scrap paper with matured compost as feedstock and to determine the vermicompost characteristics and suitability as potting mixtures for vegetable cultivation. The choy sum mustard was selected as the test crop. The plants were grown in the pots in a netted nursery in Serdang, Selangor. Treatments were mixtures of vermicompost to soil ratio by volume: control (0% no vermicompost), T1 (20% vermicompost), T2 (40% vermicompost), T3 (60% vermicompost), T4 (80% vermicompost) and T5 (100% vermicompost). Physicochemical properties of the potting media mix were determined and compared to an established growth media concentration and other ASEAN standards. Crop growth was evaluated by measuring plant height, the number of petioles, and fresh and dry weights at harvest. A significant improvement in the physicochemical properties of the media was observed, where the optimum ratio of potting media was 60% to 80% (T3 & T4). The number of petioles was 20-46% higher, plants were 39-46% taller, and dry matter accumulation was three-fold higher than controls. Crop yields were 200% higher in media treatments consisting of 60-80% vermicompost. In conclusion, G. sepium based vermicompost could be used in media mixtures for potting plants.