Assessment of Floristic Composition in a Rehabilitated Forest, Sarawak, Malaysia

Authors

  • Roland Kueh Jui Heng
  • Nik Muhamad Ab. Majid
  • Seca Gandaseca
  • Osumanu Haruna Ahmed
  • Silvester Jemat
  • Melvin Ku Kin Kin

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33736/bjrst.279.2013

Keywords:

Floristic composition, forest rehabilitation, natural regeneration, secondary forest

Abstract

Assessment of the floristic composition provides information on forest succession stage which is important but only relatively few information are available on the rehabilitated tropical forest. The information can provide an indication of the recovery status of the forest. The objective of this study was to assess the floristic composition of selected age stands at a rehabilitated forest situated in Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus, Sarawak, Malaysia. A 20 x 20 m plot (0.04 ha) was established each in stands planted in 1991, 1999, 2008 and an adjacent natural regenerating secondary forest (± 23-year-old). All stands were tagged, identified and analyzed for species composition, Importance Value (IV), species diversity and similarity. Floristic analysis showed that in the rehabilitated forest, over 50% of the total family was dominated by the Dipterocarpaceae family but only 14% in natural regenerating secondary forest. Based on the IV Index, stand year 1991 was dominated by Shorea dasyphylla (IV=155.8) while stand year 1999, 2008 and natural regenerating secondary forest were Dryobalanops beccarii (IV=156.2), Sandoricum borneense (IV=144.4) Teijsmanniodendron holophyllum (IV=115.3), respectively. The Simpson’s diversity index at the rehabilitated forest ranged from 0.82 to 0.87 compared to 0.98 at the natural regenerating secondary forest whereas the Shannon-Wiener diversity index ranged from 2.04 to 2.29 compared to 4.23, respectively. Jaccard’s Coefficient of Similarity (Cj) between all combinations of the study plots was generally low (2.2-19.4%). Rehabilitated forest exhibited climax species community despite having lower species diversity. This can promote the conservation of these climax species.

References

Brearley, F.Q., Prajadinataa, S., Kidda, P.S., Proctor, J., & Suriantata. (2004). Structure and floristics of an old secondary rain forest in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia and a comparison with adjacent primary forest. Forest Ecology and Management, 195: 385-397.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2004.02.048

Brower, J., Zar, J., & von Ende, C. (1990). Field and laboratory methods for general ecology. Third edition. Dubuque: Wm. C. Brown Publishers.

Brunig, E.F. (1970). Stand structure, physiognomy and environmental factors in some lowland forest in Sarawak. Tropical Ecology, 11: 26-43.

Gobilik, J. (2008). Stand structure and tree composition of Timbah Virgin Jungle Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia. Journal of Tropical Biology Conservation, 4(1), 55-66.

Grieg-Smith, P. (1957). Quantitative plant ecology. First edition. New York: Academic Press.

Husch, B., Beers, T.W., & Kershaw, J.A. (2003). Forest mensuration. Fourth edition. New York: Wiley.

Jumaat, A. & Kamarudin, I. (1992). An enumeration of one hectare of lowland dipterocarp forest at Danum Valley Field Centre, Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia. In: M.N.A. Nik Majid, I.A.M. Adenan, M.Z. Hamzah & K. Jusoff (Eds.), Proceedings International Symposium on Rehabilitation of Tropical Rainforest ecosystem: research and development priorities. 2nd - 4th September, 1991, (pp. 43-56). Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Selangor: Universiti Pertanian Malaysia.

Kartawinata, K. (1994). The use of secondary forest species in rehabilitation of degraded forest lands. Journal of Tropical Forest Science, 7: 76- 86.

Kochummen, K.M. (1966). Natural plant succession after farming at Sg Kroh. Malaysian Forester, 29: 170-181.

Kochummen, K.M., LaFrankie Jr, J.V., & Manokaran, N. (1990). Floristic composition of Pasoh Forest Reserve, a lowland rain forest in Peninsular Malaysia. Journal of Tropical Forest Science, 3(1), 1-13.

Kueh, J.H.R. (2000). An estimate of primary productivity in Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve. Master of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia.

Lee, H.S., Davies, S.J., LaFrankie, J.V., Tan, S., Yamakura, T., Itoh, A., Ohkubo, T., & Ashton, P.S. (2002). Floristics and structural diversity of mixed dipterocarp forest in Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia. Journal Tropical Forest Science, 14(3), 379-400.

Magurran, A.E. (1991). Ecological diversity and its measurement. New York: Chapman and Hall.

Manokaran, N. & Kochummen, K.M. (1987). Recruitment, growth and mortality of tree species in a lowland dipterocarp forest in Peninsular Malaysia. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 3: 315-330.

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467400002303

Miyamoto, K., Rahajoe, J.S., Kohyama, T., & Mirmanto, E. (2007). Forest structure and primary productivity in a Bornean Heath Forest. Biotropica, 39(1), 35-42.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7429.2006.00231.x

Miyawaki, A. (1999). Creative ecology: restoration of native forests by native trees. Plant Biotechnology, 16(1), 15-25.

https://doi.org/10.5511/plantbiotechnology.16.15

Okimori, Y. & Matius, P. (2000). Tropical secondary forest and its succession following traditional slash-and-burn agriculture in Mencimai, East Kalimantan. In: E. Guhardja, M. Fatawi, M. Sutisma, T. Mori & S. Ohta (Eds.), Rainforest ecosystems of East Kalimantan: El Nino, drought, fire and human impacts (pp. 185-197). Tokyo: Springer-Verlag.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-67911-0_16

Okuda, T., Suzuki, M., Adachi, N., Eng, S.Q., Hussein, N.A., & Manokaran, N. (2003). Effect of selective logging on canopy and stand structure and tree species composition in a lowland dipterocarp forest in Peninsular Malaysia. Forest Ecology and Management, 175: 297-320.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(02)00137-8

Pielou, E.C. (1975). Ecological diversity. New York: Wiley.

Simpson, E.H. (1949). Measurement of diversity. Nature, 163: 688.

https://doi.org/10.1038/163688a0

Swaine, M.D., Lieberman, D., & Putz, F.E. (1987). The dynamics of tree populations in tropical forest: a review. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 3: 359-366.

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467400002339

Verchot, L.V. & Petkova, E. (2009). The state of REDD negotiations consensus points, options for moving forward and research needs to support the process. Indonesia: Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Bogor.

Whitmore, T.C. (1984). Tropical rain forests of the Far East. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Whitmore, T.C. (1991). Tropical forest dynamics and its implications for management. In: A. Go'mez-Pompa, T.C. Whitmore & M. Hadley (Eds.), Rain Forest Regeneration and Management (pp. 67-89). U.S.A: The Parthenon Publishing Group.

Downloads

Published

2016-06-29

How to Cite

Heng, R. K. J., Majid, N. M. A., Gandaseca, S., Ahmed, O. H., Jemat, S., & Kin, M. K. K. (2016). Assessment of Floristic Composition in a Rehabilitated Forest, Sarawak, Malaysia. Borneo Journal of Resource Science and Technology, 2(2), 60–66. https://doi.org/10.33736/bjrst.279.2013

Issue

Section

General