Search

A study was conducted to investigate the association between tree species composition with soil edaphic factor in Chemerong Recreational Forest, the largest recreational forest in Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. Two types of forest were chosen which are riparian forest and inland forest. Four plots with the dimension of 50 m x 20 m each were established with two plots at each forest type with total study site of 0.4 ha. A total of 1158 trees (≥1 cm diameter) from 263 species, 125 genus and 50 families were recorded. The higher species number was recorded in the inland forest with 175 species, 103 genus and 45 families compared to riparian plot with 154 species, 109 genera and 39 families. Lijndenia laurina was found to be the important species in the riparian forest with Important Value Index (IVi) of 5.22% while Mangifera caesia at the inland forest with 3.21%. The Shannon-Weiner diversity indexes (H') was considered high in all two types of forest with 5.04 at the riparian forest and 5.14 at the inland forest. Sorenson's community similarity coefficient (CCs) showed the tree species communities, between the two types of forest had low similarities with 0.38. A total 33 endemic species in Peninsular Malaysia were found at Chemerong Recreational Forest. Fifty-five species in this study were listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN red list of threatened species 2019. Significant differences were found in phosphorus, electric conductivity, ammonium nitrate, moisture content and organic matter between these forests. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed less association between species composition with the physico-chemical characyeristics of soil in this study indicating the soil edaphic factor is not the main factor controlling the species distribution at this site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study on basic biology parameters of fish is important in fishery science and conservation. In this study, a commercial species of fish, Scolopsis taeniopterus from the southeastern coastal waters of Peninsular Malaysia was chosen for wellbeing assessment according to length-weight relationships (LWR), condition factor (K) and trophic level (TL). The size of 30 individual fish as specimens were between 11.5 and 23.0 cm total length. Range of weight were between 25.3 and 179.7 g. Result from the LWR analysis indicated that S. taeniopterus exhibited negative allometric (b = 2.79) with r2 value of 0.94. The condition factor between 1.18 and 1.87, suggested that the fishes were in good condition. The relative gut length value was in the range of 0.44 to 0.69. The analysis of fish diet composition revealed that decapods are the major diet (Index of Relative Importance, IRI = 54.4 %), which indicated that this species is carnivorous. It is a predator species, a position that contributing to the local marine ecosystem balance and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic study of genus Cibotium Kaulf. was done on two Cibotium species from Peninsular Malaysia. The species studied are Cibotium barometz (L.) J. Sm. and Cibotium cumingii Kunze. The study involved the morphological observation, anatomy of the stipe and chromosome number. The objectives are to determine the morphological features of the rhizome, shape of the fronds and pinna, hair type on the lower surface of the costa and costule and the number of sori. Anatomical study was conducted to investigate the shape of the stipe and stele, the veins pattern and type of stomata. The cytological study was carried out to determine the chromosome number for both species. From this study, the morphological variation seen in these two species are the presence of different hair on the lower surface of costa and costule, the shape of the pinna and the number of sori. The morphological similarities of both species include the presence of soft and golden brown hairs on the rhizome and at the base of the stipe and its bipinnate fronds type. The shape of stipe in C. barometz was elliptical but circular in C. cumingii. Closed veins pattern was observed in C. barometz while open veins pattern in C. cumingii. The anatomical similarities between these two species are on its stele shape that showed U-shape with both adaxial ends curved inward, and paracytic stomata. The mitotic chromosome number of both species showed are diploid with 2n = ca 136. Cibotium cumingii is a new record for Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of an insect's life cycle is important to understand the abundance, diversity, development and the environment in which it lives. To date, only limited investigations have been conducted in Malaysia on the mayfly Baetis, a genus of ephemeropterans. Here, we report a study on the larval instar determination and secondary production of Baetis idei in four rivers in the Bukit Merah catchment area, Perak. Samples were collected monthly from May 2014 until April 2015 using the kick-net and drag methods. B. idei displayed nine instar stages on a discriminant function analysis (DFA) scatter plot. Based on an analysis of nymphal body length and the emergence time of early and final larva instar, B. idei was found to be multivoltine in the Ara, the Jelai, Kurau and Ayer Itam rivers. The estimated annual production of B. idei in the four rivers ranged from -3.64 mg m-2 y-1 to 15.35 mg m-2 y-1 and the annual P/B ratio varied from -2.14 to 1.56. The highest turnover ratio for this species was recorded in Ara River. Different types of habitat and substrate at each river determined the abundance, voltinism, and secondary production of B. idei in the four rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian elephants are classified as an endangered species on the IUCN red list, warranting more research and conservation efforts to protect them. A study of the distribution of haplotypes among Asian elephants in Peninsular Malaysia was performed using a partial DNA sequencing of a D-loop region. In this study, 10 haplotypes (Hap01--Hap10) were detected in Peninsular Malaysian populations with a high haplotype diversity (Ĥ) of 83%. Hap01 was shared by Kelantan (n = 1), Johor (n = 2), Pahang (n = 2), and Perak (n = 2). The other shared haplotype was Hap06, which was evident in the Pahang (n = 1) and Johor (n = 1) samples. DnaSP analysis demonstrated that low genetic diversity (π) was observed in Peninsular Malaysian elephants (0.55%). Conversely, the gene flow was high (Nm = 9.65 migrants per generation). In a test of population subdivision, all pairwise comparisons for Peninsular Malaysia were low (0.00 to 0.13) except for Kelantan-Pahang (0.57). Our results demonstrated that the genetic diversity was low within the different populations of Peninsular Malaysia. The level of genetic differentiation was also low, but the gene flow was high regardless of the geographic distance of the Asian elephant populations in Peninsular Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study on the stipe anatomy was conducted on six taxa of Blechnum in Peninsular Malaysia namely B. finlaysonianum, B. fraseri, B. indicum, B. melanocaulon subsp. pallen, B. orientale and B. vestitum. The objective of this study is to investigate the variations in the stipe anatomical characteristics that can be used for species identification and classification. There are five stipe anatomical characteristics found in this study that can be used to distinguish the Blechnum species. The characters are stipe outlines, patterns of sclerenchyma cell layers present under epidermal cells, presence and absence of sclerenchyma cell layer encircled the vascular bundles, number of vascular bundles, and presence of auricles on the adaxial side of stipe. Similarities found in stipe anatomical characteristics in all Blechnum species studied are the Aspidium stele type and presence of sclerenchyma cell layers underneath the epidermal layer. The diagnostic anatomical characteristics found in this study is the absence of sclerenchyma cells layer ensheathing each vascular bundles in the steles of B. finlaysonianum. Therefore, the stipe anatomical characteristics can be used in the identification of species in the genus Blechnum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reported the ranging behavior of a group of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) that inhabit the area near Kuala Selangor Nature Park, Selangor, Malaysia. The data on the ranging behavior were collected daily through scan sampling from February to December 2011 on all significant individuals in the focus group. Observations were focusing on the moving distance and usage of canopy level by the study group in the exploiting habitat. They often travelled in the range between 100 and 600 m per day, and the ranging patterns were influenced by the food distribution, sleeping site, predation and territorial factors. The study group seems to use areas that are close to human settlements because of the availability and high distribution of food. The study group does not seem to move far from their home range because they will be returning to the trees along the roadside to sleep. Avoiding predators and territorial factor are the main reasons why they are using the same sleeping sites. The most frequent forest canopy strata used by the study group are the ground level (36.78%), followed by the lower canopy (35.46%), middle canopy (17.93%), upper canopy (7.74%), and the lowest is emergent (2%). Overall, ranging behavior of the study group is not only influenced by food distribution but also by other factors such as avoiding predators and territorial possession at the studied area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]