ECOLOGY OF Pterospermum stapfianum

Huaimei, Yong - Univeristi Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia

Phouthakone, Luangyotha - Wildlife Conservation Society, Lao

Abstract
Pterospermum stapfianum is usually found growing along riverine primary lowland
forest. The effect of proximity to the river and canopy cover on this plant was
examined. Six plots were established along two rivers and measurements on adult tree
and seedling for this species were collected. Results showed, the distribution of adult
tree was related to the distance from the river. This suggested, their distribution were
affected by disturbance from river, presumably flood. The density of seedlings was
affected by the canopy cover, and seedlings were found in areas with less canopy
cover than adult trees.

INTRODUCTION
Understanding canopy structure is essential to achieve an understanding of plant
processes because of the profound influence that structure has on plant and
environmental interactions. Canopy structure affects other factors such as temperature
and moisture of air and leaf litter under canopy. Besides that, evaporation from the
soil below canopy, soil heat storage, precipitation interaction and light intensity are
also affected by forest canopy. Direct sun light and sidelight are two major
components that can be received under the canopy. Forest gaps are important as they
allow regeneration of young plants by providing higher light intensity and other
interlinked factors (eg. nutrients as dead plants decay, and a temporary decrease in
roots competition). Yet, the forest canopy is also one of the main determinants of the
microhabitat within the forest as it could affect plant growth and relative success rate
of seedlings. This in turn determines the nature of vegetation and wildlife habitat
(Turner, 2001; Whitmore, 1996; Ishii et. al., 2004; Norman and Cambell, 1991).
Apart from that, natural edges of forests such as river banks also provide a source of
light for seedling and sapling establishment.

Pterospermum stapfianum, from Sterculiaceae family, is a common plant that can be

found along river bank at primary lowland forest. In general, this plant is absent deep
inside forest. It is a medium tree with pale brown and smooth, brown to greyish-
brown bark. The inner bark is pink to reddish-brown, and the sapwood is white in
colour. Leaves are peltate with the stalk of 2mm to 8mm, and the blade is ovate to
oblong-ovate to elliptic-oblong in shape. This species can be easily recognised by
their light brown with densely matted layer of pale brown hairs at the lower surface of
the leaves. The fruit of this species is five-angled capsule to 10 x 3.5cm. (Beaman &
Anderson, 2004; Cockburn, 1976). According to the research assistants in DVFC,
ungulates like to feed on the bark of this plant species, and bark stripped from the
butresses and lower trunk is another characteristic feature. A study showed that the
Kadazan and Dusun community apply the sap from the bark to treat fever (Kulip et.
al.). Besides that, Orang Utan also feed on the young fruit.

This study was carried out in order to understand the distribution of adult
Pterospermum stapfianum as well as the seedling of this species and also the
importance of canopy cover and disturbance from river to the regeneration of the
seedling.

METHODOLOGY
The study took place along the river bank of Segama River and Palum Tambun River
near the Danum Valley Field Centre.

Sampling method:
Adult tree:
Three plots with the size of 50m along the river bank and 20m perpendicular from the
river bank were established at each the two rivers respectively. The location, canopy
cover percentage, diameter at breast height (DBH), and height of every encountered
target tree were measured by using measuring tape, densiometer and clinometer.
Seedlings:
10 quadrats with the size of 2m x 2m were set in at two distances from the river - five
quadrats at 5m from river and another five quadrates at 15m from river (Figure 1).
The height of the seedling was categorised into two classes: x < 20cm and 20cm > x <
100cm. The numbers of seedling for each category was counted and the canopy cover
percentage was recorded in each quadrat.

River

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5

2x2
20m

Q6 Q7 Q8 Q9 Q10

50m

Figure 1: Sampling plot and quadrates.

Analysis:
Adult tree:
 All data were analysed by using simple regression and General Linear Model
(GLM).
 Nested ANOVA was used to analyse the frequency of adult tree with respect to
height.

Seedlings:
 Density of seedlings at each transects were counted:
frequency
 Mean distance of adult tree to area
each quadrat were counted:
∑ distance of adult tree to each quadrat ∕ no. of adult tree
 Simple regression and GLM were used to analyse the data.
 Nested ANOVA was used to analyse the density of seedlings with respect to
distance from river.

RESULTS
The result showed adult trees tend to have a clustered distribution (Figure 2).

Transect 1 Transect 2
 Transect 3 Transect 4

Transect 5 Transect 6

Figure 2: The distribution of the adult tree with the distance from the river.
In addition, there is a significant negative relationship between the frequency of trees
with the distance from river (n=72, F=3.84, P < 0.05; Figure 3).

Figure 3: The frequency of Pterospermum stapfianum with distance from river.

There is a non-significant positive trend for canopy cover percentage to increase with
the distance from river (n=72, F=2.17, P > 0.05; figure 4).

Figure 4: The canopy cover percentage for adult tree with distance from river.
There is a significant positive relationship between the height of tree and the distance
from river (n=72, F=4.65, P < 0.05; Figure 5).

Figure 5: A positive relationship of height of tree with respect to the distance from
river.

There was no significant relationship between the density of seedlings and the mean
distance to the adult trees (Table 1). However, for seedlings <20 cm tall and for
seedlings >20 cm but <100cm tall there was a significant effect of transect on density.

Table 1: The results of the distribution of seedlings with respect to the mean distance
to adult tree.
Density of x < Density of 20cm > Density for both
20cm x < 100cm

Regression 0.349 0.294 0.963

R2 (adj.) 2.3% 0.2% 3.7%
No. of transect F=5.07 F=3.59 F=1.08
(n=6) P < 0.05 P < 0.05 P > 0.05
Mean distance to F=2.24 F=0.25 F=1.82
adult tree (n=4) P > 0.05 P > 0.05 P > 0.05
R2 (adj.) 27.57% 17.63% 10.32%
In addition, there was no relationship between the density of seedlings and the
distance from river (n=60, F=0.00, P>0.05). However, the density of seedling did
have a significant negative relationship with canopy cover percentage (Table 2). For
seedlings <20 cm tall and for seedlings >20 cm but <100cm tall there was again a
significant effect of transect on density.

Table 2: The results of the density of seedlings with respect to the canopy cover.
Density of x < Density of 20cm > Density for both
20cm x > 100cm

Regression 0.069 0.0001 0.0001

R2 (adj.) 3.9% 28.9% 29.3%
No. of transect F=5.84 P< F=2.02 F=1.40
(n=6) 0.0001 P < 0.05 P > 0.05
Canopy cover F=6.23 P< F=14.14 P< F=19.00 P<
(n=60) 0.05 0.0001 0.0001
R2 (adj.) 32.23% 34.67% 31.72%

DISCUSSION
In general, Pterospermum stapfianum is a plant species that grows along river bank at
primary lowland forest. They can be easily recognised by their light brown with pale
brown hairs at the lower surface of the leaves and stripped bark at buttresses and
lower tree trunk. The estimated relative growth rate of stem height is 1.35cm cm-1
year-1(Yamada, et. al., 2006).

Seedlings are important from an ecological view point because their relative success
rate has an impact on the total population size and spatial distribution of its species in
the forest (Turner, 2001). Our results showed both adult trees and seedlings of
Pterospermum stapfianum were distributed in clusters. However the density of
seedling is much more higher than the adult. Hence, this situation may suggest that
there is a competition among the seedlings and only the fittest survive to adulthood.

Canopy cover may be one of the reason that caused the cluster pattern in adult
distribution. Presumably, the canopy cover percentage at the current area with
clustered adult was relatively low back at 30 or 40 years ago. Seedlings competed
with each other and survived then grew into adult trees as we can encountered now.
This theory may supported by our results, where seedlings demanded more light
compared to the adult tree and they were distributed in cluster. Hence, the study
suggests that, low canopy cover is one of the factor that affect the growth, relative
survival rate, and their distribution in future for seedling of Pterospermum
stapfianum.
The habitat of Pterospermum stapfianum is river bank at primary lowland forest and
is rarely found far from river bank (Beaman & Anderson, 2004). This was supported
by our results where the frequency of trees decreased significantly away from the
river bank. However, the distribution of seedlings did not show the same pattern as
the adult trees. This phenomena may be explained by the disturbance from river such
as flood and river current.

Records at DVFC showed that, the level of river water could rise to three metres in
height during raining season. River water may carry and randomly distribute those
seeds along the river bank after the level of river water decreased. The seeds will then
germinate and establish in an open area which is supported by our study since there
were more seedlings in larger gaps. This pattern would occur in the absence of
competition from advance regeneration (Whitmore, 1996). Although Pterospermum
stapfianum have winged seeds, presumably the river current also helps in seed
dispersion. The fact that seeds are dispersed far from the adults is suggested by our
study that showed that, density of seedlings have no significant relationship with
mean distant of adult Pterospermum stapfianum.

Flooding of the river might be the factor that caused the frequency of the adult tree to
decrease away from the river but not seedlings. According to the meteorology record,
there were three big floods occurred at DVFC back at year 1996, 2000 and 2006.
These flood could sweep away young trees and seedlings that cannot withstand the
flooding force. Only the matured and strong trees survived. This theory is supported
by our data that show tree height of Pterospermum stapfianum has a significant
positive relationship with the distance from river, where height increases as the trees
are found growing far from river (Figure 5). As the height could be used to estimate
the age of tree (Turner, 2001; Ishii et. al. 2004), this suggested the trees encountered
near at river bank were young trees that regenerated at open space after the flood.
While the taller trees encountered far from river were the matured tree that can
withstand and survived from the previous flooding force.

CONCLUSION
The distribution of adult Pterospermum stapfianum tends to distribute in clusters
along the river bank, and their occurrence is affected by the disturbance from river.
The distance from the river has no effect on seedlings of this species. However, the
canopy cover is important to these seedlings as they showed a significant negative
relationship with the canopy cover percentage, which meant they needed more light
compare to adult trees. In addition, canopy cover influences the distribution of
seedlings in the future.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are indebted to Tropical Biology Association, which made possible for this field
training and funding. This report was substantially improved by Dr. Daniel Metcalfe,
Dr. Paul Craze, Dr. Robert Jehle, Dr. Rosie Trevelyan and Dr. Tom Fayle, for whom
we are very grateful. Many thanks go to research assistants at DVFC, and Mr. Mike
who help us during fieldwork. This project was fully sponsored by TBA and DVFC,
for which we are thankful.

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