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Effects of tree species heterogeneity on leaf fall in primary and logged dipterocarp forest in the Ulu Segama Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

T. B. A. Burghouts ,
E. J. F. Campbell  and
P. J. Kolderman
T. B. A. Burghouts
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Ecotoxicology, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
E. J. F. Campbell
Affiliation:
PO Box 282, 91108 Lahad Datu, Sabah, E., Malaysia
P. J. Kolderman
Affiliation:
Zoutkeetsgracht 64, 1013 LC Amsterdam
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Abstract

Effects of tree species heterogeneity on leaf fall were studied in a primary (4 ha) and in a selectively logged forest plot (2.5 ha) in the Ulu Segama Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia, from April 1988 to December 1989. Leaf fall was collected at 30 sampling points in each plot, and identified to species.

Dipterocarpaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lauraceae, Fagaceae and Meliaceae are important tree families in both plots with regard to their contribution to total basal area, tree density and annual leaf fall. The total number of tree species was higher in the primary forest plot (267) than in the logged forest plot (218), although the number of climber species was higher in the logged forest (44) than in the primary forest plot (33). The overlap in species composition between the two forest plots was relatively small (49%) compared with that in family composition (88%).

In the primary forest plot, the Dipterocarpaceae contributed 29% of the total basal area and 34% of the annual leaf fall. In the logged forest plot these contributions were much lower, 11% and 15%. The contribution to annual leaf fall made by climbers and pioneer trees was higher in the logged forest plot (34%) than in the primary forest plot (8%).

In the primary forest plot, leaf fall was dominated My large emergent and main canopy trees, mainly dipterocarps, and occurred as regular large peaks. In the logged forest leaf fall was dominated by climbers and many, relatively small trees of pioneer species, such as Macaranga hypoleuca, and was more evenly distributed in time.

Keywords

climbersdecompositiondipterocarpsheterogeneityleaf fallMacaranga spppatchinessrainforestSabahselective logging
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , February 1994 , pp. 1 - 26
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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