Summary: | The study is carried out in Klias Forest Reserve (Class I protection forest reserve), a peat swamp forest of approximately 3,620 hectare of area, to investigate the tree stand and
composition, occurrence in different forest canopy density and surface elevation, and
evaluate the species health. Line transects were established in three different location and
at each transect site, Global POSitioning System (GPS) coordinate were recorded.
Transects location coordinates are at No5116.157, E115137.075 (transect North),
No5117.106, E115137.380 (transect Centre), and No5119.155, E115138.555 (transect
South). GPS coordinate of transects locations in Global Information System (GIS) forest
canopy density map and GIS surface elevation map are then determined. Transect design
was a straight line transect of 220m in length and 20m wide. Transects are then divided
into 11 sub-plots of 20mx20m dimension. Result shows that highest occurrence of Ramin
tree stand is in transect Centre followed by in transect South and no Ramin trees found in
transect North. Mature bigger and small young trees are also found in higher number in
transect North than in transect South. Young trees and saplings dominates composition of
tree stands in both transects Centre and South with no intermediate size of trees being
found signifying huge generation gap. There is an opposite trend between vegetation
cover and number of Ramin tree stand. The trend indicates high density of forest canopy
does not necessarily accommodate high number of Ramin trees. Ramin trees are found to
exist in one transects but are absence in the other although level of forest canopy density
is the same. At higher level of forest canopy density, Ramin tree stands are lesser than at
lower level of forest canopy density. These findings signifying the difference in species
composition in the different part of forest reserve. Ramin tree is absence in transect North
at highest surface elevation of forest reserve. The occurrence of young Ramin trees is
higher at elevation of ~6m than at elevation of 4-5m is observed. Canopy condition
evaluation reveals that Ramin trees canopy at investigated areas found to be in good
condition.
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