Journal of Tropical Biology & Conservation (JTBC)

Species Composition of Anopheles Mosquitoes in Danum Valley, Lahad Datu, Sabah

Sonia Hui Meng LING — 2024-08-12

Malaria continues to be a public health concern globally, while in Malaysia, cases remain high among interior communities in Borneo, including in Sabah. We studied the Anopheles species in Danum Valley, Lahad Datu, by random sampling of mosquitoes in the virgin forest of the Danum Valley Conservation Area (VF), low-ground regenerated forest (100m above sea level) (LRF) and high-ground regenerated forest (400m above sea level) (HRF). Over 12 trap nights, a total of 839 individuals of Anopheles mosquitoes belonging to nine species were collected with mosquito magnet: Anopheles asiaticus (94), An. balabacensis (12), An. barbumbrosus (7), An. fragilis (640), An. interruptus (38), An. jamesii (9), An. latens (5), An. maculatus (17) and An. montanus(17). Among them, are vectors for zoonotic malaria in Malaysia namely Anopheles balabacensis (1.43%), An. maculatus (2.03%) and An. latens (0.60%), albeit relatively low in numbers. HRF had the highest number of Anopheles mosquitoes collected (670), followed by LRF (130) and VF (39). Both Simpson’s (D) and Shannon-Wiener (H) diversity indices were highest at LRF (D = 2.07; H = 1.2 with highest Species Evenness, E = 0.58), followed by HRF (D = 1.62; H = 0.8; E = 0.39) and VF (D = 1.31; H = 0.47; E = 0.43. Greater numbers of the malaria vectors were found in LRF and HRF, compared to VF suggesting that there may be greater exposure to vectors and vector-associated diseases when entering these regenerated forests. Significant differences (p < 0.05) for different forest types were detected for the total number of mosquitoes, total Anopheles and An. fragilis between different forest types.

Woody Plants of Ulu Muda Forest Reserve Kedah, Malaysia

Zakaria RAHMAD — 2024-08-20

The woody plants species inventory and diversity of primary, old secondary and secondary forest patches of Ulu Muda Forest Reserve (UMFR), Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia were assessed in this study. This was done to understand the current status of the forest towards ensuring proper conservation plans. Plants with diameter at breast height of not less than 10 were identified and enumerated within 10m radius (both left and right) of a 1500m transect laid at each site. Two hundred and thirty-five (235) plant species belonging to 56 families and 144 genera were enumerated in all the sites. The percentage composition of lianas (14.53%) was found to be very minimal to tree species (76.49%) which denotes the health status of the forest. Polyalthia jenkensii, Spondias cytherea and Intsia palembanica were the most common plants in the three sites. The Shannon diversity index of all the sites was observed to be greater than 2, which shows the high diverse nature of the forest despite some past disturbances. The old secondary forest patch was reported to have recuperated over the years due to its highest diversity indices.

Checklist of Parasitic Plants in Marilog District, Southern Philippines

Romeo M. Jr TUBONGBANUA — 2024-08-20

Parasitic plants are interesting flowering plants that are present around the world, except in the coldest regions. These species are categorized either as hemiparasites or holoparasites depending on their mode of nutrition to their hosts. Botanical fieldworks through repeated transect walks and opportunistic samplings were carried out in the five forest patches of the three Barangays in Marilog District, Davao City, Philippines on February 2018 to September 2019. Data revealed that there were six species of parasitic plants in the area belonging to five genera in four families. These species include Balanophora papuana Schltr. (Balanophoraceae), Amyema curranii (Merr.) Danser, Amyema seriata (Merr.) Barlow and Decaisnina ovatifolia (Merr.) Barlow (Loranthaceae), Mitrastemon yamamotoi Makino (Mitrastemonaceae), and Christisonia schortechinii Prain (Orobanchaceae). Amyema seriata was the most frequently encountered species, whereas A. curranii and M. yamamotoi (collected only in Site 2 – Mount Malambo) and C. scortechinii (collected only in Site 5 – Sitio Matigsalug) were less frequently recorded. Host plants of these species are provided in this paper and the habitat and ecology for each species are discussed. It is imperative that Mount Malambo, the only place where M. yamamotoi was documented, should be protected and conserved since this species is rare in the wild. The rapid habitat destruction and conversion of forest lands into agricultural and residential properties in areas near these mountains may lead to depletion of these species. Thus, conservation management strategies of these parasitic plants should be relayed to different policy makers and local people in the area.

Species Composition and Assessment of Sphingid Moths (Heterocera, Sphingidae) in Mount Malimumu, Pantaron Mountain Range, Mindanao, Philippines

Romeo M. Jr TUBONGBANUA — 2024-08-20

High diversity of sphingid moth species can be found in tropical rainforests. Mount Malimumu of Pantaron Mountain Range, Mindanao, Philippines, has a vast rainforest, which is a Key Biodiversity Area. However, no records of sphingid moths have been known to occur in Mount Malimumu of the Pantaron Mountain Range. Thus, this study aimed to determine species composition and assess the local statussphingid moths of Mount Malimumu. A 3 × 4 m white silk cloth and 250 V light bulbs were used for light trap sampling. Specimens collected were brought to the University Museum of Central Mindanao University. A total of 20 species distributed to 10 genera in 4 tribes was recorded. At least 8 species are endemic to the Philippines, i.e., Ambulyx bakeri, Ambulyx. staudengeri, Ambulyx johnsoni, Amplypterus panopus mindanaoensis, Meganoton rufescens philippinensis, Acosmeryx socrates, Cechenena transpacifica and Theretra manilae. Uncontrolled anthropogenic activities around the Mount Malimumu of Pantaron Mountain Range such as slash and burn, conversion of forest land to farmlands and overcollection of host plants may threaten these species.

Species Evenness and Diversity of Soil Invertebrates at Different Agricultural Lands and a Forest Reserve at Kota Belud, Sabah

Elfiorena Farrel TIMPAS — 2024-08-31

Increasing agricultural activities can lead to changes in soil ecosystems, potentially impacting soil invertebrate communities as they are highly responsive to soil disturbances. The composition of soil invertebrates within each agricultural habitat provides insights into how these communities respond to their environmental conditions. This study aimed to investigate the evenness and diversity of soil invertebrates in agricultural areas of Kota Belud, Sabah. Soil samples were collected from three different agricultural sites, a rubber plantation, an oil palm plantation, and a paddy field, as well as a forest reserve as a control site. Pitfall traps and Berlese-Tullgren funnels were used to collect soil invertebrates. A total of 180 soil samples and 474 individuals of soil invertebrates were collected and analyzed. Physicochemical analyses, including moisture content, soil texture, pH, soil nutrient content, and organic matter, were conducted on all soil samples to assess their influence on the composition of soil invertebrates. Results indicated that Julida, Coleoptera, Gastropoda and Araneae were frequently associated with high organic matter, pH, moisture content and phosphorus. On the other hand, Haplotaxida appeared to be more sensitive to potassium levels. Notably, the Blattodea, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera, Isopoda, Polydesmida and Diptera, were found to be abundant in areas with lower organic matter and pH in the control site, i.e., forest reserve area. These findings underscore the significance of soil layer activities in influencing the presence and survival of soil invertebrates. Given their vital role in sustaining life, prioritizing the enhancement of soil invertebrate populations is crucial, particularly in Sabah, a prominent food crop-producing state in Malaysia.

Suitability of the Former Mamut Copper Mine for Nature-based Tourism: A Preliminary Visual Assessment of Site Conditions

Wing Shen LIM — 2024-09-06

The Former Mamut Copper Mine (MCM) is a historical landmark rich in both aesthetic and cultural values, but from a scientific perspective, its potential for nature-based tourism remains unexplored. A visual rapid assessment was conducted at MCM, to examine its suitability for nature-based tourism, focusing on site accessibility, hazard levels, scenic visibility, and scenic beauty. Twenty locations with high aesthetic and/or historical values were visually investigated, based on the four specified criteria, utilizing a three-point rating score system. The assessment emphasized a moderate suitability level for nature-based tourism at MCM (Score = 2.337), with significant variations in suitability level observed between the 20 locations (χ²= 32.36, p = 0.021). Twelve locations showing higher scores in site accessibility, hazard level, and scenic visibility were determined to be more suitable for nature-based tourism, when compared to the other eight locations. Both the Principal Component Analysis and Spearman’s Correlation test highlighted the significant influences of hazard level (ρ = 0.685, p < 0.001), accessibility (ρ = 0.652, p = 0.002), and scenic visibility (ρ = 0.685, p < 0.001) on the suitability of MCM for nature-based tourism, in comparison to site scenic beauty (ρ = 0.203, p = 0.381). These findings provide new insights highlighting the high suitability of MCM for nature-based tourism. Additionally, this research uncovers safety concerns, rendering public access and the carrying out of recreational activities at MCM, currently infeasible. Management authorities are urged to prioritize efforts that reduce hazard levels and enhance the quality and accessibility of local attractions in future.

Assessment of Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Effects of Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex Silva Against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Injury in Rats

Senty VUN-SANG — 2024-09-18

Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex Silva, commonly known as red algae, holds economic significance as a primary source of κ-carrageenan, which exhibits promising medicinal and therapeutic properties. This study aims to assess the antioxidant potential as well as hepatoprotective activity of the ethanolic extract of K. alvarezii (EEKA). The assays utilised to determine the antioxidant properties of EEKA were total phenolic content (TPC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging. In addition, the ability of EEKA to ameliorate experimentally induced liver injury in Sprague-Dawley rats caused by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) was evaluated. The biochemical assays involved measuring liver marker enzymes (AST and ALT) in serum as well as determining the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation (LPO) via malondialdehyde, catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in liver homogenates. The TPC and DPPH radical scavenging activity of EEKA demonstrated relatively low antioxidant properties compared to standard references. However, CCl₄-induced groups exhibited significantly increased levels of AST and ALT, along with depletion of antioxidant status (GSH, CAT, and GST) indicated by LPO. Pretreatment with EEKA resulted in slightly decreased liver marker enzyme activity and LPO, coupled with an increase in antioxidant status. These findings suggest that EEKA contains active principles capable of counteracting the hepatotoxic effects induced by CCl₄.

Non-Native Plants Provide Nectar and Host Plant Resources to Native Butterflies

Sze Huei YEK — 2024-11-14

Urban restoration projects often aim to completely remove non-native plant species from the restored landscape and replace them with native plant species. However, this is unrealistic as early successional plants in urban settings comprise predominantly of non-native plant species. In this study, we investigate whether native butterfly species showed a preference on using native versus non-native plant species in their nectar sourcing and caterpillar host plant choice in two urban gardens at Monash University Malaysia. Native butterflies significantly preferred non-native plant species as nectar food plants, suggesting butterflies are generalists in nectar sourcing. Native butterflies showed no preference towards non-native plants as caterpillar host plants. However, six native butterfly species in our study (Zizula hylax, Hypolycaena erylus, Chliaria othona, Junonia orithya, Yppthima spp., and Eurema hecabe) can use non-native plants as their caterpillar host plants. This demonstrates the usefulness of these non-native plant species in an urban garden in maintaining native butterfly biodiversity. This study indicates a paradigm shift is required among urban ecologists to recognize that not all non-native plants have negative impacts on biodiversity. For more effective urban restoration planning and management, further research emphasising how native insects use non-native plant species is required to maximise biodiversity and ecosystem services restoration.