Lowland forest extends up to about 1500 metres elevation, and consists of two main types, based on the dominant tree species – mixed dipterocarp forest and mixed Casuarina forest. The flora of the mountain varies with elevation and geology. In 2015, a major Malaysian-Dutch study showed that the unique flora, fauna, and fungi on the mountain summit are younger than the mountain itself, and have evolved from both local and distant montane ancestors. A reason for its rich diversity and endemisms is that its great height could have provided refuge to cold-adapted species during interglacials. It is therefore one of the world's most important biological sites. A recent botanical survey of the mountain estimated a staggering 5,000 to 6,000 plant species (excluding mosses and liverworts but including ferns), which is more than all of Europe and North America (excluding tropical regions of Mexico) combined. Mount Kinabalu along with other upland areas of the Crocker Mountains is known worldwide for its biodiversity with plants of Himalayan, Australasian, and Indomalayan origin. Snow has been recorded three times in this area in 1975, 19. Due to the coldness of the mountain from December to January, there are a few occasions where frost and ice appear at the summit of Mount Kinabalu. The temperature at the summit of Mount Kinabalu usually stands from −4 to 8 ☌ (25 to 46 ☏) from December to January, and 3 to 12 ☌ (37 to 54 ☏) from June to September. The climate of the mountain varies from humid tropical at its base to alpine at its summit. The organisation defines an IUGS Geological Heritage Site as 'a key place with geological elements and/or processes of international scientific relevance, used as a reference, and/or with a substantial contribution to the development of geological sciences through history.' Climate In respect of it being 'one of the youngest granitic intrusions exposed on Earth and the site of spectacular tropical glacial landscapes', the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) included the 'Mount Kinabalu Neogene granite' in its assemblage of 100 'geological heritage sites' around the world in a listing published in October 2022.
Low's Peak, the summit of Mount Kinabalu. Its granitic composition and the glacial formative processes are readily apparent when viewing its craggy rocky peaks. During the Pleistocene Epoch of about 100,000 years ago, the massive mountain was covered by huge sheets of ice and glaciers which flowed down its slopes, scouring its surface in the process and creating the 1,800 m (5,906 ft) deep Low's Gully (named after Hugh Low) on its north side. It is still pushing up at the rate of 5 mm (0.20 in) per annum. The present landform is considered to be a mid- Pliocene peneplain, arched and deeply dissected, through which the Kinabalu granodiorite body has risen in isostatic adjustment. In geological terms, it is a very young mountain as the granodiorite cooled and hardened only about 10 million years ago. It was pushed up from the earth's crust as molten rock millions of years ago. The granodiorite is intrusive into strongly folded strata, probably of Eocene to Miocene age, and associated ultrabasic and basic igneous rocks. Mount Kinabalu is essentially a massive pluton formed from granodiorite which is intrusive into sedimentary and ultrabasic rocks, and forms the central part, or core, of the Kinabalu massif. Low's Peak can be climbed by a person in good physical condition and there is no need for mountaineering equipment at any point on the main route, but climbers must be accompanied by accredited guides at all times due to national park regulations and may experience altitude sickness. Mount Kinabalu has been accorded UNESCO World Heritage status. Among this rich collection of wildlife are famous species such as the gigantic Rafflesia plants and orangutans.
The mountain and its surroundings are among the most important biological sites in the world, with between 5,000 and 6,000 species of plants, 326 species of birds, and more than 100 mammalian species identified. In 1997, a re-survey using satellite technology established its summit (known as Low's Peak) height at 4,095 m (13,435 ft) above sea level, which is some 6 m (20 ft) less than the previously thought and hitherto published figure of 4,101 m (13,455 ft). It is protected as Kinabalu Park, a World Heritage Site. The mountain is located in Ranau district, West Coast Division of Sabah, Malaysia. With an elevation of 13,435 feet (4,095 m), it is third-highest peak of an island on Earth, and 20th most prominent mountain in the world by topographic prominence. Mount Kinabalu ( Malay: Gunung Kinabalu, Dusun: Gayo Ngaran or Nulu Nabalu) is the highest mountain in Borneo and Malaysia.
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