Orchid diversity in antropogenic-induced degraded tropical rainforest, an extrapolation towards conservation

The uncontrolled logging in Peninsular Malaysia and the resulting mudslides in the lowland areas have been perilous, not to just humans, but also to another biodiversity, including the wild orchids. Their survival in these highly depleted areas is being overlooked due to the inaccessible and harsh e...

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Main Authors: Besi, Edward E., Ng, Dome Niko, Mustafa, Muskhazli, Go, Rusea
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad de Costa Rica 2019
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/81587/1/Orchid%20diversity%20in%20antropogenic-induced%20degraded%20tropical%20rainforest%2C%20an%20extrapolation%20towards%20conservation.pdf
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author Besi, Edward E.
Ng, Dome Niko
Mustafa, Muskhazli
Go, Rusea
author_facet Besi, Edward E.
Ng, Dome Niko
Mustafa, Muskhazli
Go, Rusea
author_sort Besi, Edward E.
collection UPM
description The uncontrolled logging in Peninsular Malaysia and the resulting mudslides in the lowland areas have been perilous, not to just humans, but also to another biodiversity, including the wild orchids. Their survival in these highly depleted areas is being overlooked due to the inaccessible and harsh environment. This paper reports on the rescue of orchids at risk from the disturbed forests for ex-situ conservation, the identification of the diversity of orchids and the evaluation of the influence of micro-climatic changes induced by clear-cut logging towards the resilience of orchids in the flood-disturbed secondary forests and logged forests in Terengganu and Kelantan, located at the central region of Peninsular Malaysia, where the forest destruction by logging activities has been extensive. 109 orchid species belonging to 40 genera were collected from the disturbed areas. The diversity and data analyses show that the disturbed secondary forests had a higher orchid density (0.0133 plants/m2) than the logged sites (0.0040 plants/m2) as the habitat conditions were more dependable. Nevertheless, the logged forests harboured a higher diversity of orchids (H=4.50 and D=0.99) of which 97.9% were epiphytes. Eleven rare species were found along with six species endemic to Peninsular Malaysia, with two species new to science. The results highlighted the factors that allow the orchids to flourish or suffer in the disturbed forests. The logged forests had a higher ambient temperature and lower moisture level than the mud flood-disturbed and canopy-covered secondary forests. Apart from the extensive ground vegetation due to logs dragging extraction, low soil moisture and absence of leaf litter were believed to be the major attributes causing the low abundance of terrestrial orchids. The high abundance and diversity of epiphytic orchids and the large difference of their densities between the logged sites were influenced by the densities of fallen trees hosting orchid(s), disturbance-induced dryness stresses, durations of exposure to the anthropogenic-induced disturbance, and less favourable soil conditions for the terrestrial orchids.
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spelling upm.eprints-815872020-11-03T21:28:28Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/81587/ Orchid diversity in antropogenic-induced degraded tropical rainforest, an extrapolation towards conservation Besi, Edward E. Ng, Dome Niko Mustafa, Muskhazli Go, Rusea The uncontrolled logging in Peninsular Malaysia and the resulting mudslides in the lowland areas have been perilous, not to just humans, but also to another biodiversity, including the wild orchids. Their survival in these highly depleted areas is being overlooked due to the inaccessible and harsh environment. This paper reports on the rescue of orchids at risk from the disturbed forests for ex-situ conservation, the identification of the diversity of orchids and the evaluation of the influence of micro-climatic changes induced by clear-cut logging towards the resilience of orchids in the flood-disturbed secondary forests and logged forests in Terengganu and Kelantan, located at the central region of Peninsular Malaysia, where the forest destruction by logging activities has been extensive. 109 orchid species belonging to 40 genera were collected from the disturbed areas. The diversity and data analyses show that the disturbed secondary forests had a higher orchid density (0.0133 plants/m2) than the logged sites (0.0040 plants/m2) as the habitat conditions were more dependable. Nevertheless, the logged forests harboured a higher diversity of orchids (H=4.50 and D=0.99) of which 97.9% were epiphytes. Eleven rare species were found along with six species endemic to Peninsular Malaysia, with two species new to science. The results highlighted the factors that allow the orchids to flourish or suffer in the disturbed forests. The logged forests had a higher ambient temperature and lower moisture level than the mud flood-disturbed and canopy-covered secondary forests. Apart from the extensive ground vegetation due to logs dragging extraction, low soil moisture and absence of leaf litter were believed to be the major attributes causing the low abundance of terrestrial orchids. The high abundance and diversity of epiphytic orchids and the large difference of their densities between the logged sites were influenced by the densities of fallen trees hosting orchid(s), disturbance-induced dryness stresses, durations of exposure to the anthropogenic-induced disturbance, and less favourable soil conditions for the terrestrial orchids. Universidad de Costa Rica 2019 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/81587/1/Orchid%20diversity%20in%20antropogenic-induced%20degraded%20tropical%20rainforest%2C%20an%20extrapolation%20towards%20conservation.pdf Besi, Edward E. and Ng, Dome Niko and Mustafa, Muskhazli and Go, Rusea (2019) Orchid diversity in antropogenic-induced degraded tropical rainforest, an extrapolation towards conservation. Lankesteriana, 19 (2). pp. 107-124. ISSN 1409-3871; ESSN: 2215-2067 10.15517/lank.v19i2.38775
spellingShingle Besi, Edward E.
Ng, Dome Niko
Mustafa, Muskhazli
Go, Rusea
Orchid diversity in antropogenic-induced degraded tropical rainforest, an extrapolation towards conservation
title Orchid diversity in antropogenic-induced degraded tropical rainforest, an extrapolation towards conservation
title_full Orchid diversity in antropogenic-induced degraded tropical rainforest, an extrapolation towards conservation
title_fullStr Orchid diversity in antropogenic-induced degraded tropical rainforest, an extrapolation towards conservation
title_full_unstemmed Orchid diversity in antropogenic-induced degraded tropical rainforest, an extrapolation towards conservation
title_short Orchid diversity in antropogenic-induced degraded tropical rainforest, an extrapolation towards conservation
title_sort orchid diversity in antropogenic induced degraded tropical rainforest an extrapolation towards conservation
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/81587/1/Orchid%20diversity%20in%20antropogenic-induced%20degraded%20tropical%20rainforest%2C%20an%20extrapolation%20towards%20conservation.pdf
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