The Peninsular Malaysian peat swamp forests is an ecoregion on Malay Peninsula, which includes portions of Malaysia. It is in the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome.

Setting

The ecoregion covers an area of 3,600 km2 on both the eastern and western sides of the peninsula. The peat swamp forests have formed over hundreds of years, as sediment and organic debris deposited by rivers are trapped behind mangroves, gradually building up a layer of waterlogged, acidic, nutrient-poor soil. These forests are less diverse than the surrounding Peninsular Malaysian rain forests, but are home to many endangered animals.

Flora

Dipterocarps, including Shorea albida, are the dominant trees, while strangler figs (Ficus spp.) are common at the edges of the swamp forests. Pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius) and the red sealing wax palm (Cyrtostachys renda) are common understory plants. These and other plants provide a source of food for a host of animals, including birds.

Fauna

The ecoregion home to many endangered species, including tigers, Malayan tapirs (Tapirus indicus), clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa), Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), and previously also Sumatran rhinoceroses (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis).

Threats

Threats to the forests include: mining, rubber harvesting, and clearing of forest for oil palm and coconut plantations. Land draining has also opened a great deal of space in these forests. Many trees are cut down for development of more space, although this has increased peat forest fires.