Growth performance of Magnolia champaca (L.) Baill. ex Pierre using different types of mulching at Montane Rainforest in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia
Tropical Montane Cloud Forest (TMCF) is one of the ecosystems most threatened by deforestation, fragmentation and global climate change. The study conducted on Sg. Terla A at Forest reserved Cameron Highlands with mean elevation 1478m above sea level. The objectives of this study are; (i) to...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/98852/1/FPAS%202021%2018%20UPMIR.pdf |
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| Summary: | Tropical Montane Cloud Forest (TMCF) is one of the ecosystems most
threatened by deforestation, fragmentation and global climate change. The study
conducted on Sg. Terla A at Forest reserved Cameron Highlands with mean
elevation 1478m above sea level. The objectives of this study are; (i) to
determine the growth performance and biomass of Magnolia champaca planted
under different types of mulching at the degraded area, and (ii) to determine the
effect of different types of mulching on soil properties at degraded area. In this
study Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used. The data on
growth performance were taken since July 2019 until July 2020. The plant was
measured for above and below biomass. The soil samples were taken to study
the effect of different mulching materials on the soil characteristic. The results in
this study showed that mulching had no significant effect on plant height,
diameter breast height, and root collar diameter, and chlorophyll content
between treatments. Although oil palm mulching treatment had a greater effect
on plant height, root collar diameter and diameter breast height growth among
treatments. Mulching showed a significant effect on root diameter and main root
length among treatments. Root direction towards to sun direction among plants
was varied. The root horizontal and vertical were significant difference between
treatments while coconut treatment showed the highest value and oil palm
showed the lowest among treatments. Mulching had no significant effect on root
shoot ratio among treatments. Compared between treatments, oil palm
treatment was significantly higher than other treatments. Furthermore, 75% of
plants had coiling while 25% had no coiling. Dry biomass fraction was not
showed significant differences between stem, branch, leaf and root in coconut,
oil palm, plastic and control treatments. The highest value of roots, leaves and
branches were found in coconut treatment while the lowest was found in control
treatment. The highest amount of stem was found in coconut and the lowest was
found in oil palm treatment. There was no significant difference for dry above
and below biomass between treatments. The highest amount of above and below biomass was found in coconut while the lowest value was found in oil palm
among treatments. Moreover, soil compaction showed a significant difference
between treatments. The maximum value showed in the control treatment while
the minimum value was found in the coconut mulching treatment. Furthermore,
the soil texture was clay 20%, silt 60 %, and 20 % sand for all treatments.
Mulching had a significant effect on soil pH. The minimum pH value (4.28 pH)
was recorded in plastic mulching, and the maximum value (4.57 pH) was found
in coconut mulching treatment. Mulching had a highly significant effect on soil
moisture content. The maximum value (17.92 %) was recoded in plastic while
the minimum was showed in oil palm mulching (16.12 %) treatment. Mulching
did not show a significant effect on soil organic carbon, soil organic matter, soil
total nitrogen, and soil available phosphorus and topsoil and subsoil between
treatments. However, mulching showed a strongly significant effect on exchange
potassium and soil sulfur among treatments while topsoil and subsoil did not
show a significant effect between treatments. In conclusion, the results indicate
that different types of mulching have no significant effect on tree growth rate
although it improves the growth rate, root development, biomass, and soil
properties on the degraded areas. |
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