Sains Malaysiana 47(5)(2018): 861–869

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2018-4705-01

 

Structural and Floristic Pattern in a Disturbed Mangrove Tropical Swamp Forest: A Case Study from the Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark Forest, Peninsular Malaysia

(Struktur dan Corak Flora di Hutan Paya Bakau Tropika: Suatu Kajian Kes dari Global Geopark Forest UNESCO Langkawi, Semenanjung Malaysia)

 

WAN NORILANI WAN ISMAIL*¹, WAN JULIANA WAN AHMAD¹, MUHAMMAD RAZALI SALAM² & A. LATIFF¹

 

¹School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21000 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu Darul Iman, Malaysia

Received: 15 September 2017/Accepted: 14 December 2017

 

ABSTRACT

Forest structure, diversity and above-ground biomass assessment are important to understand the structural and floristic dynamics of a mangrove forest ecosystem. Our study provides valuable comparative analysis between two areas of disturbed mangroves at Kisap Forest Reserve, Langkawi Island. The two study sites were swamp forest at C5 which was disrupted by harvesting activities for charcoal production and C7 was disturbed by lightning strikes. A total of 1,217 and 390 trees measuring 1 cm diameter and above were enumerated in 0.25 ha plots at both sites. Seven mangrove plant species in C5 and eight in C7 were recorded. Ceriops tagal and Rhizophora apiculata were the most prominent species in the C5 and C7, respectively, whereby the Rhizophoraceae was the densest family at both sites. The major contributor of total basal area at C5 and C7 were C. tagal (5.02 m2/ha) and R. apiculata (11.14 m2/ha). Similarly, C. tagal (22.41 t/ha) and R. apiculata (111.75 t/ha) also contributed the highest biomass in C5 and C7, respectively. Diversity and species richness were higher at C7 H'=1.22; R'=1.17 compared to C5 H'= 0.76; R'=0.85 and low evenness at both sites. High similarity was indicated between the two sites by 93%. The distribution of individuals in C7 was homogenous than that of C5, which had more saplings. In conclusion, anthropogenic activities resulted in lower productivity of forest compared to natural disturbances.

 

Keywords: Biomass; disturbance; diversity; forest structure; mangrove plants

 

ABSTRAK

Penilaian struktur hutan, kepelbagaian dan biojisim atas tanah adalah penting dalam memahami struktur dan kedinamikan flora sesuatu ekosistem hutan paya bakau. Kajian ini menyediakan analisis perbandingan antara dua kawasan terganggu di Hutan Simpan Kisap, Pulau Langkawi. Dua kawasan kajian tersebut adalah hutan paya bakau di C5 yang terganggu oleh aktiviti penghasilan kayu arang, manakala, C7 terganggu oleh panahan petir. Sejumlah 1,217 dan 390 pokok berdiameter 1 cm dan ke atas telah diukur di dalam plot bersaiz 0.25 ha di kedua-dua kawasan. Tujuh spesies pokok bakau dalam C5 dan lapan spesies dalam C7 telah direkod.Ceriops tagal dan Rhizophora apiculata merupakan spesies yang paling menonjol masing-masing dalam C5 dan C7 dengan Rhizophoraceae adalah famili yang paling padat di kedua-dua kawasan. Penyumbang luas pangkal terbesar di C5 dan C7 adalah C. tagal(5.02 m2/ha) dan R. apiculata(11.14 m2/ha). C. tagal (22.41 t/ha) danR. apiculata (111.75 t/ha) juga menyumbang biojisim terbanyak masing-masing di C5 dan C7. Kepelbagaian dan kekayaan spesies adalah lebih tinggi di C7 H'=1.22; R'=1.17 berbanding di C5 H'= 0.76; R'=0.85 dan keseragaman yang rendah di kedua-dua kawasan. Indeks kesamaan komuniti antara dua kawasan kajian ini adalah tinggi iaitu 93%. Taburan individu di C7 adalah lebih homogen berbanding di C5 yang mempunyai lebih banyak anak pokok. Kesimpulannya, gangguan antropogenik menyebabkan produktiviti hutan yang lebih rendah berbanding kesan daripada gangguan semula jadi.

 

Kata kunci: Biojisim; gangguan; kepelbagaian; struktur hutan; tumbuhan bakau

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*Corresponding author; email: wan_elani@yahoo.com