Abstract
The aims of this study is to survey the abundance and diversity of medicinal plants found in burned and unburned areas of klias peat swamp forest, Beaufort. There are 16 plots established with the size of 25m x 25m for each plot with total area of 1 ha. All the plots were established using random sampling method and Simpson’s Index and Important Value (IV) were used to determine the diversity and abundance of the species. The result of the study shows that 11 species have been found in burned area while 10 species at unburned area. The most common medicinal plant species are identified as Stenochlaena palustris, Melastoma malabathricum, Lygodium flexuosum, and Clidemia hirta. The most abundant medicinal plant species found in burned area was Stenochlaena palustris with 185 percent (%). While in unburned area, the most abundant medicinal plants were Hedychium longicornutum and Lygodium flexuosum with 55 percent each. Simpson’s Index is higher with 0.55 in burned area compared in unburned area with only 0.14. Where when the value of Index increases, the diversity will decrease and this proved that diversity of medicinal plants in unburned area was slightly higher than the burned area. This situation might be caused by the previous land clearing due to burning and small scales landuses activities at the edges of Klias peat swamp forest. More research is needed in order to gain more precise data
Highlights
Plants contribute many uses for human since long time ago
The abundance and diversity of medicinal plants in both burned and unburned area in Klias Forest Reserve has successfully collected after the entire inventory had been done
Important value was used to count the abundance of medicinal plants that successfully collected in both areas
Summary
Plants contribute many uses for human since long time ago. Many species of plants are used as part of the treatment of diseases and for the well-being of man. Medicinal plant is a plant that used in the treatment of diseases and to maintain health (Lewis & Elvin-Lewis, 2003). In Malaysia, around 2,000 plants species have therapeutic characteristics and can be use in traditional treatment (Rukayah, 2006). Plants such as shrubs, bushes and wild flower have the pharmaceutical value (Wiart, 2000). According to Mojiol (2006), humans are the agents of extinction to the natural environment. They caused the extinction by altering habitats (mainly forests, and fresh waters and wetlands), overexploiting and introducing an exotic species
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