Sains Malaysiana 41(6)(2012): 679–690

Association of Liana Communities with their Soil Properties in a Lowland Forest

of Negeri Sembilan, Peninsular Malaysia

(Perhubungan Komuniti Liana dengan Ciri Tanah dalam Suatu Hutan Tanah

Rendah di Negeri Sembilan, Semenanjung Malaysia)

M.S. Nizam*

School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

K. Nurfazliza

Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Salahuddin

50660 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

M.N. Nur Supardi

Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), 52109 Kepong, Selangor, Malaysia

Received: 31 January 2011 / Accepted: 30 December 2011

ABSTRACT

A study was conducted in a lowland forest at Pasoh Forest Reserve (FR), Negeri Sembilan, to determine the association between liana communities and its soil properties. Liana species inventory and soil samplings were carried out in 16 plots (40 m × 40 m each) established within the 50 ha permanent plot of Pasoh FR. All lianas with diameter at breast height (dbh) of 1 cm and above were measured, tagged and identified, whilst soil samples were analysed for texture, pH, base cations, available nutrients that include Mg, P and K, and inorganic nitrogen of ammonium-N and nitrate-N. The liana inventory recorded a total of 1628 individuals which comprised of 167 species and 65 genera from 31 families. The most speciose family was Annonaceae which was represented by 33 species, followed by Connaraceae and Leguminosae with 20 species and 19 species, respectively. Density-wise, the Leguminosae recorded the highest density of 41 stems/ha, whilst at species level, Byttneria maingayi (Sterculiaceae) showed the highest density of 25 stems/ha. The most important species based on the highest important value (IVi) was Byttneria maingayi with an IVi of 7.5%. Soils analyses showed that the soil texture was dominated by clay, and the organic matter content was low with mean percentage of 3.98±0.21%. In general, the soils of the study site were acidic, whilst available nutrients were in the range of low to high concentrations. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed a low species-environment correlation with eigenvalues of the first and second axes of 0.178 and 0.154, respectively. Nevertheless, the CCA species ordination diagram shows that several liana species are closely associated with soil factors such as soil pH, inorganic nitrogen and available nutrients of Mg, K and P, thus indicates the role of soil factors in influencing floristic distribution patterns of vegetation communities in the forest habitats.

Keywords: Edaphic factors; environmental gradient; florisitic pattern; species distribution; vegetation-environment relationships

ABSTRAK

Satu kajian telah dijalankan di Hutan Simpan Pasoh, Negeri Sembilan untuk menentukan hubungan antara komuniti liana dengan ciri-ciri tanah kawasan kajian. Inventori spesies liana dan pensampelan tanah telah dilakukan dalam 16 plot (40 m × 40 m setiap satu) dalam plot kekal 50 ha Hutan Simpan Pasoh. Semua liana yang berdiameter pada paras dada (dbh) 1 cm dan ke atas telah diukur, ditanda dan dicam, manakala sampel tanah dianalisis untuk menentukan tekstur, pH, kation bes, nutrien tersedia termasuk Mg, P dan K, dan nitrogen tak organik iaitu ammonium-N dan nitrat-N. Inventori liana merekodkan sejumlah 1628 individu yang mengandungi 167 spesies dan 65 genus daripada 31 famili. Annonaceae merupakan famili yang mempunyai bilangan spesies paling banyak diwakili 33 spesies, diikuti Connaraceae dan Leguminosae masing-masing dengan 20 spesies dan 19 spesies. Daripada segi kepadatan, Leguminosae merekodkan kepadatan tertinggi dengan 41 batang/ha, manakala pada peringkat spesies, Byttneria maingayi (Sterculiaceae) menunjukkan kepadatan tertinggi sebanyak 25 batang/ha. Spesies paling penting berdasarkan nilai kepentingan tertinggi (IVi) ialah Byttneria maingayi dengan nilai kepentingan 7.5%. Analisis tanah menunjukkan tekstur tanah didominasi oleh liat, dan kandungan bahan organik adalah rendah dengan min peratusan 3.98±0.21%. Secara umum, tanah di kawasan kajian adalah berasid, manakala nutrien tersedia mempunyai julat kepekatan rendah hingga tinggi. Analisis Kesepadanan Kanonikal (CCA) menunjukkan korelasi spesies-persekitaran yang rendah dengan nilai-nilai eigen paksi pertama dan kedua masing-masing ialah 0.178 dan 0.154. Bagaimanapun, rajah ordinasi CCA bagi spesies liana menunjukkan beberapa spesies liana adalah berkait rapat dengan faktor tanah seperti pH tanah, nitrogen tak organik dan nutrien tersedia seperti Mg, K dan P, dan ini menunjukkan peranan faktor tanah dalam mempengaruhi corak taburan flora bagi komuniti vegetasi dalam habitat-habitat hutan.

Kata kunci: Corak flora; faktor edafik; kecerunan persekitaran; perhubungan vegetasi-persekitaran; taburan spesies

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*Corresponding author; email: m.n.said@ukm.my