Abstract
Rattans (subfamily Calamoideae) are an important component of the forests of the Old World. However, few studies have been conducted on the distribution of these abundant palms within different habitats, specifically in Peninsular Malaysia. This study was aimed at assessing rattan diversity, abundance and biomass change across two different habitat types, namely, dipterocarp forests and fresh-water swamps within the Segari Melintang Forest Reserve, Perak, within two years. All rattan stems within five 100 m × 100 m sized study plots (A-E) of the two habitat types were counted in 2011 and 2013, and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices (H') and Bray-Curtis dissimilarity indices were calculated. A total of 11 species from 5 genera (161 stems ha-1) were sampled. Rattan abundance was higher in all swamp plots; however, rattan diversity (H') was highest in the dipterocarp plot (D: H' (2011)1.79; H' (2013)1.84). Bray-Curtis indices of rattan abundance (highest similarity in swamp: plot BC(2011) 0.484, BC(2013) 0.262) and biomass were highest for study plots with the same vegetation types in both years. For rattan biomass, the most similar plot pairs changed during the years: dipterocarp plots A and D were most similar in 2011 (0.509), and swamp plots B and C were most similar in 2013 (0.282). This study helped contribute information regarding the distribution and dynamics of rattans in a primary rainforest of Peninsular Malaysia.
Highlights
Rattan palms are an important component of the primary and secondary forest vegetation of South-East Asia because they contribute structural complexity (Putz 1991), shelter (e.g., Sunderland 2004), and food (e.g., Henderson 1986; Lee 1995; Sunderland & Dransfield 2002; Kidyoo & McKey 2012)
Few studies have been conducted on the distribution of these abundant palms within different habitats, in Peninsular Malaysia
This study was aimed at assessing rattan diversity, abundance and biomass change across two different habitat types, namely, dipterocarp forests and fresh-water swamps within the Segari Melintang Forest Reserve, Perak, within two years
Summary
Rattan palms (family Arecaceae, subfamily Calamoideae) are an important component of the primary and secondary forest vegetation of South-East Asia because they contribute structural complexity (Putz 1991), shelter (e.g., Sunderland 2004), and food (e.g., Henderson 1986; Lee 1995; Sunderland & Dransfield 2002; Kidyoo & McKey 2012). Rattans are comprised of approximately 600 species of 13 genera and grow throughout the Old World tropics and subtropics of Australia, Asia, and Africa (Dransfield et al 2008). They reach their highest diversity in the Western part of Malaysia, where endemic species can occur together with as many as 30 species existing in one locality, helping to shape the distinctive local forest vegetation (Dransfield & Manokaran 1994). Rattans are used as a commercial commodity on a global scale as well as for local purposes and have become the most important non-timber forest product in South-East Asia (Ros-Tonen 2000; FAO 2010). Local communities that depend on rattan as a source of income are economically affected by the loss of rattan abundance and diversity (Avé 1988)
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