Ecological roles of roadside fern ( Dicranopteris curranii) on logging road recovery in Peninsular Malaysia: Preliminary results

Abstract

The role of common roadside fern ( Dicranopteris curranii) on the recovery of logging roads in headwater catchments of Peninsular Malaysia was examined. Hortonian overland flow from a 51.5 m road section was monitored during the 1-year study period along with sporadic measurements of sediment export before and during fern growth. Furthermore, the event-based influence of fern cover on rainfall input and flux of DOC, K, Mg, and Ca were estimated using bulk rainfall collectors (176 cm 2) and compared with those in the adjacent forest canopy for six storms. Air temperatures measured beneath fern cover and forest canopy were compared with those on the open road. Road-generated runoff was reduced by 4.8 mm after fern growth during storms with <30 mm rainfall; decreased sediment production rate from the road section (−86%) also coincided with fern growth. Interception loss of fern cover (19%) was as high as that of the forest canopy; throughfall under fern cover was enriched with K to the similar levels as beneath the forest canopy. With the fern cover (−57% of the road surface), net flux of K (+101%), Mg (+70%), and Ca (+26%) to the road increased significantly. Fern cover maintained daily maximum temperatures comparable to forested areas (<28 °C), whereas open road surfaces reached 40 °C. Our preliminary results suggest that roadside fern growth plays potentially important ecological roles in road recovery by reducing road runoff, mitigating splash and hydraulic surface erosion processes, trapping sediment where plant seeds can germinate, providing nutrient-enriched throughfall, and moderating harsh surface temperature environment.