Abstract
The pattern of forest structure changes is crucial to identify the leading ecological processes and future forest composition after disturbance. Hulu Terengganu, Malaysia was subjected to the development of a hydroelectric power plant. After the dam development, three forest habitat types were identified i.e. lowland dipterocarp remnants, secondary and isolated island forests. After one year, all trees were monitored in 39 units of 5 m × 5 m sample plots. In January 2017, forest edge had the highest number of individuals with 134 records from 36 families, 58 genera and 72 species compared to the ridge with 89 individuals (eight families, nine genera and 11 species) and islands recorded 59 individuals (nine families, 15 genera and 20 species). Forest edge also showed the highest density with 6700 ind./ha from 0.02 ha sample plots compared to the ridge (1780 ind./ha) in 0.05 ha and islands (1395 ind./ha) in 0.04 ha. Despite the difference in floral composition, these habitats had the same dominant species that of Macaranga tree species. In 2018, the number of plant individuals for all three habitats were slightly reduced. We suspected, elephants affected the regeneration processes. We recorded plants germinated from wild elephant dungs consisted of 32 species belonging to 15 families. Five species were considered as the most preferred plants by elephants. The regenerated tree species from our sample plots matched with the germinated seeds from the elephant dungs. In conclusion, forest regeneration at Hulu Terengganu was closely related with wildlife activities.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
David, L., Don, G.: Rehabilitation and Reforestation of Degraded Forests. IUCN, Switzerland (2003)
Carlos, L., Barros, D.: Tropical rain forest regeneration in an area degraded by mining in Mato Grosso State, Brazil. For. Ecol. Manag. 190, 323–333 (2004)
Nathan, R., Muller-Landau, H.: Spatial patterns of seed dispersal, their determinants and consequences for recruitments. Trends Ecol. Evol. 15(7), 278–285 (2000)
Alexander, D.Y.: Dispersal of seeds by elephants in Tai forest, Ivory coast Terre et la Vie. Rev. Ecol. 32, 47–72 (1978)
Chapman, L.J., Chapman, C.A., Wrangham, R.W.: Balanites wilsoniana: elephant dependent dispersal? J. Trop. Ecol. 8(3), 275–278 (1992)
Lieberman, D., Lieberman, M., Martin, C.: Notes on the seeds in the elephant dung from Bia National Park. Biotropica 19, 365–369 (1987)
Campos-Arceiz, A., Blake, S.: Megagardeners of the forest: the role of elephants in seed dispersal. Acta Oecol. 37, 542–553 (2011)
http://www.geographiccoordinates.com/coordinates/latitudelongitude/MY/hutan-rizab-kekal-tembat/77408. Accessed 2017
Ummi Mustaqiedah, A.: Species composition and richness of vertebrates (herpetofauna, birds, small mammals) at Hulu Terengganu. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Peninsular Malaysia (2013)
Blake, S.: The Ecology of Forest Elephant Distribution and its Implications for Conservation. University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (2002)
Calenge, C., Maillard, D., Gaillard, J.M., Merlot, L., Peltier, R.: Elephant damage to trees of wooded savannah in Zakouma National Park Chad. J. Trop. Ecol. 18, 599–614 (2002)
Shannon, G., Thaker, M., Vanak, A.T., Page, B.R., Grant, R.C., Slotow, R.: Relative impacts of elephants and fire on large trees in a savannah ecosystem. Ecosystems 5, 1372–1381 (2011)
Haynes, G.: Elephant landscape: human foragers in the world of mammoths, mastodonts and elephants. In: The World of Elephants- International Congress, Rome, pp. 571–576 (2011)
Dublin, H.T., Sinclair, A.R.E., McGlade, J.: Elephants and fires as causes of multiple stable states in the Serengeti Mara woodlands. J. Anim. Ecol. 59, 1147–1167 (1990)
Lombard, A.T., Johnson, C.F., Cowling, R.M., Pressey, R.L.: Protecting plants from elephants: botanical reserve scenarios within the Addo Elephant National Park South Africa. Biol. Conserv. 102, 191–203 (2001)
Sam, M.K., Barnes, R.F.W., Kotchikpa, O.: Elephants, human ecology and environmental degradation in Northeastern Ghana and Northern Togo. Pachyderm 26, 61–68 (1998)
McKay, G.M.: Behaviour and ecology of the Asiatic elephant in southeastern Ceylon. Smithsonian Contribution to Zoology, Washington, DC (1973)
Olivier, R.C.D.: On the ecology of Asian elephant, University of Cambridge (1978)
Roy, M., Bhattacharya, T., Baskaran, N., Sukumar, R.: Foraging ecology of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) in northern West Bengal, northeastern India. In: Proceeding International Elephant Conservation and Research Symposium, pp. 153–162 (2006)
Sukumar, R.: The Asian Elephants Ecology and Management. Cambridge University Press (1989)
Acknowledgments
This work was funded by research grant ST-2017-010 and in collaboration with TNB Research and Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Terengganu.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this paper
Cite this paper
Razak, S.N.A., Ahmad, W.J.W., Noh, N.A.I., Nasir, N.A.M., Shukor, A.M., Nor, S.M. (2020). Regeneration of Degraded Lowland Dipterocarp Forest: Elephants as Seed Dispersal Agent. In: Mohd Sidek, L., Salih, G., Boosroh, M. (eds) ICDSME 2019. ICDSME 2019. Water Resources Development and Management. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1971-0_44
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1971-0_44
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-15-1970-3
Online ISBN: 978-981-15-1971-0
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)