Peatswamp forest (Shorea albida) recovery at Sungai Damit

• Main Author: Cheng, Bernadette Yunyuan
• Other Authors: Shawn Kaihekulani Yamauchi Lum
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/67154
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Tropical peatswamp forests are significant global carbon stores and a turning point for biodiversity conservation. The peatswamp forests of northwestern Borneo are dominated by dipterocarps and are largely characterized by the monodominance of Shorea albida. Most countries in Southeast Asia with extensive peatswamp forests have often regarded them as wastelands, resulting in the rapid clearing of these forests. The annual rate of peatswamp forests deforestation in Borneo averages about 2.2%. A study of regeneration in logged over peatswamp forest in Brunei published in 2000 by Kobayashi stated with certainty that the monodominant Shorea albida forest will be taken over by a different forest type. This study looked at forest recovery after logging in the same forest that Kobayashi had studied, but 20 years late. We have set up ten 10x10m plots and identified individual tree species in the plots. Our study have found that regenerated forest patches were largely dominated by non-dipterocarp primary forest species and exposed areas were colonised by Pandanus andersonii and Nephrolepis biserrata and some dipterocarp seedlings found in Sungai Damit. The findings have revealed that even though regeneration is slow, there is no absolute certainty that the forest will be taken over by other forest type.