Rehabilitation of Tropical Rainforests Based on Indigenous Species for Degraded Areas in Sarawak, Malaysia

background

This study describes the success of native species planted in areas of abandoned shifting cultivation in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Research Goals & Methods

Site contitions in which species were planted included:  open conditions, including severely eroded and compacted areas and man-made mounds, and shady conditions. Growth and survival was recorded for 60-72 months, depending on the site

Conclusions & Takeaways

Survival rate in the man-made mounds was higher than in the compacted areas, which the authors suggest was caused by the good aeration of the topsoil in the mound, more nutrients, good drainage, and less weed competition for the site. Survival rates for shade tolerant species were very low in the open sites. In the shadier sites, survival rates were higher, except when species were so small that they could not compete with weed growth. Based on growth, the authors divide the species into three categories: Light Demanding Species: Shorea ovata, Shorea mecistopteryx, Dryobalanops aromatica, Pentaspondon motleyi and Whiteodendron moultianum. Shade Tolerant Species: Shroea macrophylla, Shorea gibbosa, Shorea materialis, Parashorea parvifolia, Hopea beccariana, Cotylelobium burckii, Calophyllum ferrugenium, Durio carinatus, and Eusideroxylon zwageri. Late Growth Species: Hopea kerangasensis, Eugenia sp., and Vatica sp. Overall the authors recommend using mixtures of Shorea ovata, Shorea mecistopteryx, Shorea macrophyllan, Dryobalanops aromatica, Parashorea parvifolia, Hopea beccariana, Durio carinatus, and Eusideroxylon zwageri.