Asyraf Mansor

Soils on exposed Sunda Shelf shaped biogeographic patterns in the equatorial forests of Southeast Asia

The marked biogeographic difference between western (Malay Peninsula and Sumatra) and eastern (Borneo) Sundaland is surprising given the long time that these areas have formed a single landmass. A dispersal barrier in the form of a dry savanna corridor during glacial maxima has been proposed to explain this disparity. However, the short duration of these dry savanna conditions make it an unlikely sole cause for the biogeographic pattern. An additional explanation might be related to the coarse sandy soils of central Sundaland. To test these two nonexclusive hypotheses, we performed a floristic cluster analysis based on 111 tree inventories from Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. We then identified the indicator genera for clusters that crossed the central Sundaland biogeographic boundary and those that did not cross and tested whether drought and coarse-soil tolerance of the indicator genera differed between them. We found 11 terminal floristic clusters, 10 occurring in Borneo, 5 in Sumatra, and 3 in Peninsular Malaysia. Indicator taxa of clusters that occurred across Sundaland had significantly higher coarse-soil tolerance than did those from clusters that occurred east or west of central Sundaland. For drought tolerance, no such pattern was detected. These results strongly suggest that exposed sandy sea-bed soils acted as a dispersal barrier in central Sundaland. However, we could not confirm the presence of a savanna corridor. This finding makes it clear that proposed biogeographic explanations for plant and animal distributions within Sundaland, including possible migration routes for early humans, need to be reevaluated.

Cryptic coloration of Macaranga bancana seedlings: A unique strategy for a pioneer species.

ABSTRACT Macaranga bancana is considered as a successful pioneer plant species. Usually found in disturbed and open areas, most of the current research focused on its relations with ants. One of the unique feature of the plants is that the seedling leaves are red, resembling and almost matching the background. Using a portable spectrometer, we measured the color reflectance of M. bancana seedlings (less than 20 cm in height). We also measured the leaf litter reflectance, adult M. bancana leaves and also seedlings of several other species found in the vicinity of M. bancana seedlings. The reflectances of M. bancana seedlings are very similar to that of the leaf litter background. We suggest that this cryptic coloration is crucial during the early stages of the plant when it still cannot rely on the protection of ants.

Floristic diversity, composition, and environmental correlates on the arid, Coralline Islands of the Farasan Archipelago, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia.

Urban expansion and the associated increase in anthropogenic pressures have led to a great loss of the Red Seas biodiversity. Floristic composition, diversity, and environmental controls were investigated for 210 relevés on twenty coral islands of Farasan in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia. Multivariate statistical analyses for classification (Cluster Analysis), ordination (Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA), and Redundancy Analysis (RDA) were employed to identify vegetation types and their relevance to the underlying environmental gradients. A total of 191 flowering plants belonging to 53 families and 129 genera were recorded. Geophytes and chamaephytes were the main life forms in the saline habitats, whereas therophytes and hemicryptophytes dominated the sandy formations and coral rocks. The cluster analysis and DCA ordination identified twelve vegetation groups that linked to five main habitats with definite floristic composition and environmental characteristics. The constrained RDA with Monte Carlo permutation tests revealed that elevation and soil salinity were the main environmental factors explaining the vegetation distributions. These results indicate that the flora of the study archipelago represents a phytogeographical linkage between Africa and Saharo-Arabian landscape functional elements. These findings should guide conservation and management efforts to maintain species diversity, which is threatened by anthropogenic activities and invasion by the exotic invasive tree Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC.

Ecosystem services assessment using a valuation framework for the Bangladesh Sundarbans: livelihood contribution and degradation analysis

The ecosystem services provided by the Bangladesh Sundarbans contribute in various sectors especially to the livelihood of the surrounding peoples, but they are often overlooked in the valuation process. This study investigates the significance of ecosystem services on peoples’ lives and how these services are affected by climate change and other factors. Here an economic valuation framework was used to list the ecosystem services provided by this mangrove forest. Direct uses included timber, golpata (Nypa fruticans), honey, beeswax, fish, shrimp larvae and tourism. Indirect uses included carbon storage, protection from cyclones and tidal surges, breeding and nursery grounds for the aquatic species, and biodiversity conservation. This work also found that the ecosystem services were diminished by fresh water flow reduction, overharvesting, sea level rise, salinity increase, poaching, and climate change. In the present context and future scenario, sea level rise will be an important contributor to changes in ecosystem services. But because many factors impact sea level rise, the impact of climate change takes on less importance than many other causes of ecosystem service degradation in the Bangladesh Sundarbans.

Assessment of land grabbing from protected forest areas of Bhawal National Park in Bangladesh

Abstract Land grabbing has become the major problem in all the protected forest areas of Bangladesh during the last two decades. The study was conducted in Bhawal National Park, the tropical moist deciduous Sal (Shorea robusta C.F. Gaertn) forest ecosystem of Bangladesh. This area is going through a critical situation caused by industrial revolution. Already, 255.3 ha forest lands have been grabbed by 354 illegal industrial set-ups from the study area. In this study, grabbing of protected forestland by industries, their types, future grabbing trends, increasing population inside the forest area, causal factors of grabbing and impact on biodiversity have been analysed. Increasing practical conservation efforts supported by strong political will and ordinance for specific areas is essential to conserve the protected areas. Community-based conservation approaches need to be applied for mass awareness regarding the value of this ecosystem for sustainability.

Effect of differential forest management on land-use change (LUC) in a tropical hill forest of Malaysia

Forest ownership is considered as a vital aspect for sustainable management of forest and its associated biodiversity. The Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015 reported that privately owned forest area are increasing on a global scale, but deforestation was found very active in privately owned hill forest areas of Malaysia. Penang State was purposively chosen as it has been experiencing rapid and radical changes due to urban expansion over the last three decades. In this study, analyses of land-use changes were done by PCI Geomatica using Landsat images from 1991 to 2015, future trends of land-use change were assessed using EXCEL forecast function, and its impact on the surrounding environment were conducted by reviewing already published articles on changing environment of the study area. This study revealed an annual deforestation rate of 1.4% in Penang Island since 1991. Trend analysis forecasted a forest area smaller than the current forest reserves by the year 2039. Impact analysis revealed a rapid biodiversity loss with increasing landslides, mudflows, water pollution, flash flood, and health hazard. An immediate ban over hill-land development is crucial for overall environmental safety.

Measuring Orangutan nest structure using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and ImageJ

The nest is one of the crucial elements in orangutan daily activities. Previously, most of the nest structure studies were done manually by estimating measurement directly from visual observation. However, using the latest unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, we can reduce the workforce, time and energy while simultaneously ensuring the safety of the researcher conducting nest structure analysis. We recorded 49 pictures of orangutan nests at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (SORC) using UAV (DJI Phantom 3 Quadcopter). The nest structure (length, depth, and width) was digitally measured by using ImageJ. Most of the nests were built at a strong, stable, and comfortable position at the top of the tree. Most orangutans chose Eusideroxylon zwageri to build nest compared to other tree species because of the strong and durable wood characteristic which would create a sturdy, strong and comfortable nest. We propose the use of drone with digital image analysis could provide a more accurate, less time consuming and safe method for studying orangutan nest structure.

Rattan (Calamoideae) abundance and above-ground biomass at a primary rainforest of Peninsular Malaysia

Background: Rattans are widespread throughout paleo-tropical forests; however, there is no information on their contribution to above-ground biomass (AGB). Aims: This study established biomass baseline values for 11 different rattan species in a Malaysian primary forest, and calculated the overall rattan AGB contribution and dynamics during two years. Methods: All rattan stems in five 100 m × 100 m study plots were counted in 2011 and 2013. Biometric non-invasive measurements were carried out on 11 climbing and non-climbing species and total rattan biomass for both years calculated was compared. Results: Rattans contributed with 3.1 Mg ha−1 to the forest AGB. There was no significant change in rattan biomass between the years. Conclusions: These preliminary results are the first published on the AGB contribution of rattans to Malaysian primary forests. Further studies are required to ascertain values across forest types and over time to reliably estimate the contribution of rattan species to ABG and carbon sequestration.

Novel polymorphic microsatellite markers for the helophytic plant species Hanguana malayana (Jack) Merr. (Commelinales: Hanguanaceae)

Hanguana malayana (Jack) Merr. is a large to massive colonial dioecious helophyte producing extensive spongy stolons and reproduce both sexually and asexually. It is a plant of open lowlands along muddy banks of large rivers, and the margins of freshwater bodies, and freshwater swamp forest. It ranges from Sri Lanka to western Micronesia (Caroline Islands: Palau), south as far as northern Australia and north to the Philippines (Luzon), and peninsular Thailand below the Isthmus of Kra (Siti Nurfazilah et al. 2010). Throughout its range, H. malayana is morphologically stable, leading to the speculation that the majority of populations may be clonal, reproducing primarily by asexual processes. Clonal plant populations are made up of a few genets and numerous genetically similar ramets (Li et al. 2006). A genet is composed of all tissues originating from single sexually produced zygote, whereas a ramet is an independent part of a genet arisen through clonal replication (Harper 1977). To understand the diversity of population structures and the dynamics of clonal plants, such as H. malayana which reproduce by both asexual and sexual reproduction, genetic studies are required. The goal of this study was to identify and characterize microsatellite containing sequences for H. malayana. These data will be invaluable for a broad range of applications in genetic research of H. malayana, including population structure, and spatial distribution of genets and ramets. Microsatellite markers are highly polymorphic, with high variability of repeating units (Pung et al. 2000; Mizuki et al. 2005) and further, are easily and economically assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (McCouch et al. 1997; Temnykh et al. 2000). Use of microsatellite markers enable detection of high levels of allelic diversity, and are therefore ideal for ecological and population studies.

Influences of Island Characteristics on Plant Community Structure of Farasan Archipelago, Saudi Arabia: Island Biogeography and Nested Pattern

Khalid Al Mutairi1, Mashhor Mansor1, Magdy El-Bana2,3,*, Saud L. Al-Rowaily2 and Asyraf Mansor1 1School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, 2Department of Plant Production, College of Agricultural & Food Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, 3Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Education at El-Arish, Suez Canal University, El-Arish, 1Malaysia 2Saudi Arabia 3Egypt