Research Biodiversity Value Of Epiphytes And Understory Vegetation On Microinvertebrates Diversity And Vertebrates Abundances In Malaysian Oil Palm Ecosystem

MPOGCF telah melakukan pemantauan kerja lapangan bagi kajian Biodiversity Value Of Epiphytes And Understory Vegetation On Microinvertebrates Diversity And Vertebrates Abundances In Malaysian Oil Palm Ecosystem yang dijalankan oleh UiTM di Ladang Sawit Felda Pasoh 4, Negeri Sembilan.

Kerja lapangan yang bermula pada 16 hingga 20 Jun 2025 tersebut bertujuan mengenal pasti jenis-jenis flora yang ada di dalam ladang sawit, menilai peranan kumpulan flora tersebut terhadap kehadiran kepelbagaian spesies fauna, dan membandingkan amalan pengurusan antara pekebun kecil dengan syarikat perladangan besar.

Projek bernilai RM221,000 tajaan MPOGCF ini turut dihadiri Eksekutif Pemuliharaan dan Kemampanan MPOGCF Zalifah Ramli, Pengerusi Koperasi Pelancongan Hanya D’pasoh Berhad dan siswazah UiTM.

Dua kaedah utama yang digunakan dalam projek kajian ini ialah tinjauan kepelbagaian tumbuhan dan kepelbagaian haiwan. Spesies flora yang dikaji terbahagi kepada dua (2) kumpulan iaitu epifit yang menumpang di batang sawit dan tumbuhan bawah teduhan (understory vegetation) manakala spesies fauna yang dikaji terdiri daripada invetebrata, mamalia kecil dan juga burung.

Untuk setiap ladang, sebanyak 30 pokok kelapa sawit yang mempunyai kelimpahan epifit paling tinggi dipilih untuk kajian spesies epifit di mana setiap satunya dinilai dari segi bilangan dan kepelbagaian epifit yang tumbuh padanya selain daripada jenis serangga yang ada pada batang sawit tersebut. Untuk kajian tumbuhan bawah teduhan pula, sebanyak 30 kuadrat 1M x 1M telah digunakan untuk merekodkan kesemua spesies flora dan fauna yang hadir.

Tinjauan haiwan pula bertujuan merekodkan kehadiran fauna di dalam ladang dengan memasang perangkap malaise, perangkap jaring (mist-net), perangkap lubang (pitfall trap), perangkap mangkuk kuning (yellow pan trap), perangkap kamera, dan pengekstrak Berlese.

Seperti kajian flora, pengumpulan sampel akan dijalankan di tiga lokasi berbeza di dalam ladang iaitu kawasan bersebelahan hutan, kawasan tengah ladang dan juga kawasan pinggir ladang.

Hasil kajian dijangka akan menunjukkan bahawa pengekalan epifit dan tumbuhan bawah teduhan dalam ladang boleh meningkatkan biodiversiti dan membantu mencipta amalan pertanian yang lebih mampan serta mesra alam.

Kerja lapangan seterusnya dijangka akan diadakan pada bulan Ogos bagi merekodkan kehadiran spesies fauna.

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MPOGCF conducted field monitoring for the study titled *Biodiversity Value of Epiphytes and Understory Vegetation on Microinvertebrates Diversity and Vertebrates Abundances in Malaysian Oil Palm Ecosystem*, which is being carried out by UiTM at Felda Pasoh 4 Oil Palm Plantation in Negeri Sembilan.

The fieldwork held from 16 to 20 June 2025 aimed to identify the types of flora present within the oil palm plantation, assess the role of these plant groups in supporting faunal species diversity, and compare management practices between smallholders and large plantation companies.

This RM221,000 project, sponsored by MPOGCF was also attended by MPOGCF’s Conservation and Sustainability Executive, Zalifah Ramli, the Chairman of Koperasi Pelancongan Hanya D’pasoh Berhad and UiTM graduates.

Two main methods used in the study were surveys of plant and animal diversity. The flora species studied were divided into two groups: epiphytes growing on oil palm trunks and understory vegetation. The fauna species surveyed included invertebrates, small mammals, and birds.

For each plantation, 30 oil palm trees with the highest abundance of epiphytes were selected for the epiphyte study, with each tree assessed for the number and diversity of epiphytes as well as the types of insects present on the palm trunk. For the understory vegetation study, 30 plots measuring 1m x 1m were used to record all flora and fauna species present.

The animal surveys aimed to document fauna presence within the plantation using malaise traps, mist nets, pitfall traps, yellow pan traps, camera traps, and Berlese extractors. As with the flora study, samples were collected from three different zones within the plantation: areas adjacent to forest, central plantation zones, and plantation edges.

The study is expected to demonstrate that maintaining epiphytes and understory vegetation within plantations can enhance biodiversity and contribute to more sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices.

The next fieldwork session is scheduled for August to record the presence of fauna species.