The entrance to Poring Station in the Kinabalu National Park is on the left. In the middle ground is an introduced flowering African Tulip tree Spathodea campanulata. On the horizon is the Langganan Ridge, a stiff 2.5 hours walk uphill from Poring HQ.
Despite the stiff walk it is well worth the effort , because enroute to the Langganan waterfall you pass through the lowland/montane forest ecotone. There are very significant differences between the birds, mammals and plants (including figs) found above and below the lowland/montane ecotone on Borneo’s mountains. The altitude of this transition varies from mountain to mountain dependent on size and location but it starts at around 900m on exposed ridges eg the Langanan ridge but may be as high as 1,500m eg the Liwagu river valley at Kinabalu Park HQ. For the explanation see the illustration at the end of this article. The Hump or mid-elevation effect on tropical mountains”
