As consumer interest in organically grown vegetables is increasing in Malaysia, there is a need to answer whether the vegetables are more nutritious than those conventionally grown. This study investigates commercially available vegetables grown organically and conventionally, purchased from retailers to analyse â-carotene, vitamin C and riboflavin contents. Five types of green vegetables were selected, namely Chinese mustard (sawi) (Brassica juncea), Chinese kale (kailan) (Brassica alboglabra), lettuce (daun salad) (Lactuca sativa), spinach (bayam putih) (Amaranthus viridis) and swamp cabbage (kangkung) (Ipomoea aquatica). For vitamin analysis, a reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography was used to identify and quantify β-carotene, vitamin C and riboflavin. The findings showed that not all of the organically grown vegetables were higher in vitamins than that conventionally grown. This study found that only swamp cabbage grown organically was highest in β-carotene , vitamin C and riboflavin contents among the entire samples studied. The various nutrients in organically grown vegetables need to be analysed for the generation of a database on nutritional value which is important for future research.
This paper focuses on Langat River basin which is experiencing fast pace land use changes and accelerated soil erosion associated with land clearing and earthwork activities. Land use changes detected from Landsat imageries from 1989-1999 show that urban expansion is the most active, i.e. recording an expansion of 180% over that time period. The major land use reduction is the tropical dipterocarp rainforest located along the upper catchment of the Langat River and the mangrove forest found along Kuala Langat in the west. The 11% decline in the trend of the forest over that decade is anticipated to contribute in the near future. Results from logistic regression on the casual factors of rapid land use changes are attributed to three significant variables namely transport accessibility, population dynamics and agriculture. The eroded material due to land use changes enters into the Langat River systems as suspended sediments and contributed as non point source of pollution. Some finer sediment is being discharged offshore forming sediment plumes at the river estuary. Sediment plumes detected by Landsat TM imageries were analysed. It is found that the dispersion was not extensive and generally the suspended solids existed at low concentration (varying from 10-50 mg/l). This result is unexpected considering the rapid land use and land cover change that is occurring within the basins. These are mainly due to the loss of sediments during flooding into flood plain and active dredging of the river channels.
Trapping of small mammals was conducted at 5 study sites in Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP) from 20-24 June 2005. A total of 11 animals comprising 2 species of rodents, Maxomys whiteheadi and Rattus exulans were caught from 3 sites, i.e from an area of mixed secondary forest and mangrove swamp; an area of mangrove swamp, and from an area of lalang fringing mangrove swamp. From these animals, the following 7 species of ectoparasites were found: Laelaps echidninus, Laelaps nuttalli, Ascoschoengastia indica, Leptotrombidium deliense, Hoplopleura pectinata, Hoplopleura pacifica and Polyplax spinulosa. One of the ectoparasites found, L. deliense is a known vector of scrub typhus and thus may pose potential health risks to visitors to KSNP.
Mineral elemental uptake by Colocasia esculenta growing in swamp agroecosystem was studied following 14, 18 or 28 months of field spraying (MAT, months after treatment) with herbicide Gramoxone ® (paraquat). In overall, Al (68226.67 + 24066.56 μg/g dw) was the major element in riverine alluvial swamp soil, followed by micronutrient Fe (22280.00 + 6328.87 μg/g dw).
Concentration of macronutrient K (20733.33 + 7371.82 μg/g dw) was the highest in swamp taro leaf followed by macronutrient Ca (7050.00 + 3767.26 μg/g dw). In overall, the order of importance of the average mineral concentration in swamp taro leaf was K > Ca > Mn > Al > Na > Fe > Zn > Br > Co. However at 14 MAT, the order of importance of mineral content concentration in swamp taro leaf was K > Ca > Al > Na > Mn > Fe > Zn > Br > Co. At 18 MAT, the order of importance of mineral content concentration in swamp taro leaf was K > Ca > Mn > Al > Fe > Na > Zn > Br > Co. At 28 MAT, the order of importance of mineral content concentration in swamp taro leaf was K > Ca > Mn > Fe > Al > Zn > Na > Br > Co. In overall, the average order of importance of mineral elemental uptake or the soil plant transfer coefficient was Mn > K > Na > Zn > Co > Fe > Al; similar with the order at 28 MAT. However, at 14 MAT the order of importance of the soil plant transfer coefficient was different at Mn > K > Na > Co > Zn > Al > Fe.
A field investigation was conducted at all water treatment plants throughout 11 states and Federal Territory in Peninsular Malaysia. The sampling points in this study include treatment plant operation, service reservoir outlet and auxiliary outlet point at the water pipelines. Analysis was performed by solid phase micro-extraction technique with a 100 microm polydimethylsiloxane fibre using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection to analyse 54 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of different chemical families in drinking water. The concentration of VOCs ranged from undetectable to 230.2 microg/l. Among all of the VOCs species, chloroform has the highest concentration and was detected in all drinking water samples. Average concentrations of total trihalomethanes (THMs) were almost similar among all states which were in the range of 28.4--33.0 microg/l. Apart from THMs, other abundant compounds detected were cis and trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, trichloroethylene, 1,2-dibromoethane, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, chlorobenzene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene and 1,2-dichloro - benzene. Principal component analysis (PCA) with the aid of varimax rotation, and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) method were used to statistically verify the correlation between VOCs and the source of pollution. The multivariate analysis pointed out that the maintenance of auxiliary pipelines in the distribution systems is vital as it can become significant point source pollution to Malaysian drinking water.
Ten polymorphic microsatellite markers have been developed for Gonystylus bancanus (Ramin), a protected tree species of peat swamp forests in Malaysia and Indonesia. Eight markers were also shown to be polymorphic in other Gonystylus species. The markers will enable assessing the amount of genetic variation within and among populations and the degree of population differentiation, such that donor populations can be selected for reforestation projects. They may be used for tracing and tracking of wood in the production chain, so that legal trade in this Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora-protected timber species, derived from specifically described origins, can be distinguished from illegally logged timber.
Putrajaya Wetlands in Malaysia, a 200ha constructed wetland system consisting of 24 cells, was created in 1997-1998 to treat surface runoff caused by development and agricultural activities from an upstream catchment before entering Putrajaya Lake (400ha). It was designed for stormwater treatment, flood control and amenity use. The water quality improvement performance of a section of the wetland cells is described. The nutrient removal performance was 82.11% for total nitrogen, 70.73% for nitrate-nitrogen and 84.32% for phosphate, respectively, along six wetland cells from Upper North UN6 to UN1 from April to December 2004. Nutrient removal in pilot scale tank systems, simulating a constructed wetland and planted with examples of common species at Putrajaya, the Common Reed Phragmites karka and Tube Sedge Lepironia articulata, and the capacity of these species to retain nutrients in above and below-ground plant biomass and substrate is reported. The uptake of nutrients by the Common Reed and Tube Sedge from the pilot tank system was 42.1% TKN; 28.9% P and 17.4% TKN; 26.1% P, respectively. The nutrient uptake efficiency of the Common Reed was higher in above-ground than in below-ground tissue. The results have implications for plant species selection in the design of constructed wetlands in Malaysia and for optimizing the performance of these systems.
The common industrial starches are typically derived from cereals (corn, wheat, rice, sorghum), tubers (potato, sweet potato), roots (cassava), and legumes (mung bean, green pea). Sago (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) starch is perhaps the only example of commercial starch derived from another source, the stem of palm (sago palm). Sago palm has the ability to thrive in the harsh swampy peat environment of certain areas. It is estimated that there are about 2 million ha of natural sago palm forests and about 0.14 million ha of planted sago palm at present, out of a total swamp area of about 20 million ha in Asia and the Pacific Region, most of which are under- or nonutilized. Growing in a suitable environment with organized farming practices, sago palm could have a yield potential of up to 25 tons of starch per hectare per year. Sago starch yield per unit area could be about 3 to 4 times higher than that of rice, corn, or wheat, and about 17 times higher than that of cassava. Compared to the common industrial starches, however, sago starch has been somewhat neglected and relatively less attention has been devoted to the sago palm and its starch. Nevertheless, a number of studies have been published covering various aspects of sago starch such as molecular structure, physicochemical and functional properties, chemical/physical modifications, and quality issues. This article is intended to piece together the accumulated knowledge and highlight some pertinent information related to sago palm and sago starch studies.
Tropical peat swamp forests are important and endangered ecosystems, although little is known of their microbial diversity and ecology. We used molecular and enzymatic techniques to examine patterns in prokaryotic community structure and overall microbial activity at 0-, 10-, 20-, and 50-cm depths in sediments in a peat swamp forest in Malaysia. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles of amplified 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene fragments showed that different depths harbored different bacterial assemblages and that Archaea appeared to be limited to the deeper samples. Cloning and sequencing of longer 16S rRNA gene fragments suggested reduced microbial diversity in the deeper samples compared to the surface. Bacterial clone libraries were largely dominated by ribotypes affiliated with the Acidobacteria, which accounted for at least 27-54% of the sequences obtained. All of the sequenced representatives from the archaeal clone libraries were Crenarchaeota. Activities of microbial extracellular enzymes involved in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling declined appreciably with depth, the only exception being peroxidase. These results show that tropical peat swamp forests are unusual systems with microbial assemblages dominated by members of the Acidobacteria and Crenarchaeota. Microbial communities show clear changes with depth, and most microbial activity is likely confined to populations in the upper few centimeters, the site of new leaf litter fall, rather than the deeper, older, peat layers.
This study aims to compare the performance of planted and unplanted constructed wetlands with gravel- and raw rice husk-based media for phenol and nitrogen removal. Four laboratory-scale horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetland units, two of which planted with cattail (Typha latifolia) were operated outdoors. The units were operated at a nominal hydraulic retention time of 7 days and fed with domestic wastewater spiked with phenol concentration at 300 mg/L for 74 days and then at 500 mg/L for 198 days. The results show that planted wetland units performed better than the unplanted ones in the removal and mineralization of phenol. This was explained by the creation of more micro-aerobic zones in the root zone of the wetland plants which allow a faster rate of phenol biodegradation, and the phenol uptake by plants. The better performance of the rice husk-based planted wetland compared to that of the gravel-based planted wetland in phenol removal could be explained by the observation that more rhizomes were established in the rice husk-based wetland unit thus creating more micro-aerobic zones for phenol degradation. The role of rice husk as an adsorbent in phenol removal was considered not of importance.
Tropical peat swamp forest (PSF) is a unique wetland ecosystem with distinct vegetation types. Due to the waterlogged environment, the stand characteristics in this ecosystem are different from those of other inland forests. This paper highlights stand characteristics of a PSF based on our investigation of a 1 ha ecological plot established in a Virgin Jungle Reserve (VJR) at Compartment 100, Pekan Forest Reserve, Pahang, Malaysia. This site is considered a Gonystylus bancanus-rich area. From the inventory, we recorded a total of 49 tree species from 38 genera and 25 families among all trees of ≥ 10 cm in diameter at breast height. Calophyllum ferrugineum var. ferrugineum was the most abundant species, followed by G. bancanus. The forest appeared healthy, as all tree characteristics (crown shape, log grade and climber infestation) generally fell within Classes 1 and 2 (good and moderate categories), with the exception of crown illumination which majority of the trees were rated as class 3 (received less sunlight). The latter finding indicates that most of the trees living under the canopy received minimal illumination. In terms of total tree biomass, we estimated that about 414.6 tonnes exist in this 1 ha area; this tree biomass is higher than in some PSF areas of Sumatra, Indonesia.
A total of 33 isolates of Fusarium sp. were isolated from soil samples collected from a mangrove forest in an area in Kampung Pantai Acheh, Balik Pulau, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. The isolates were isolated using soil dilution, direct isolation and debris isolation techniques. The debris isolation technique yielded the most isolates, with a total of 22 Fusarium isolates. Based on identification using morphological characteristics, three Fusarium species were identified: F. solani, F. oxysporum and F. verticillioides. F. solani (91%) was the most common species recovered from the mangrove soil samples, followed by F. oxysporum (6%) and F. verticillioides (3%).
A comparison study was conducted to determine the bird species composition, relative abundance, species diversity and feeding guilds based on point count (PC) and mist netting (MN) at the Paya Indah Wetland Reserve (PIWR), Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 13872 bird observations belonging to 100 species and 38 families were recorded using the PC method over 15 consecutive months, and a total of 1478 bird individuals belonging to 65 species and 33 families were captured using the MN method over 1260 netting hours. The results showed that Treron vernans (1723 observations; 12.42%) was the most abundant bird species using the PC method, whereas Pycnonotus goiavier (378 individuals; 25.64%) was the most abundant bird species using the MN method. The Ardeidae (9 species; 23.68%) was the most dominant family using the PC method, but the Rallidae (6 species; 18.18%) was the most dominant family using the MN method. The PC method produced higher species diversity (Shannon's N1 = 31.22) and richness (Margalef's R1 = 10.42) than MN, whereas the MN method produced higher species evenness (McIntosh's E = 0.86) than the PC method. Frugivore/insectivore comprised of bulbuls, orioles, pigeons and starlings was the most dominant feeding guild in both methods (PC = 27.81% and MN = 32.88%). In contrast, carnivore was the rarest feeding guild in both methods (i.e. PC = 0.17% and MN = 0.20%). These findings indicate that the PC method is more efficient and produces better results than the MN method.
The Bio-ecological Drainage System, or BIOECODS, is an urban drainage system located at the Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia. It consists of a constructed wetland as a part of the urban drainage system to carry storm water in a closed system. In this closed system, the constructed wetland was designed particularly for further treatment of storm water. For the purpose of studying the water balance of the constructed wetland, data collection was carried out for two years (2007 and 2009). The results show that the constructed wetland has a consistent volume of water storage compared to the outflow for both years with correlation coefficients (R(2)) of 0.99 in 2007 and 0.86 in 2009.
A comparison study was conducted to determine the bird species composition, relative abundance, species diversity and feeding guilds based on point count (PC) and mist netting (MN) at the Paya Indah Wetland Reserve (PIWR), Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 13872 bird observations belonging to 100 species and 38 families were recorded using the PC method over 15 consecutive months, and a total of 1478 bird individuals
belonging to 65 species and 33 families were captured using the MN method over 1260 netting hours. The results showed that Treron vernans (1723 observations; 12.42%) was the most abundant bird species using the PC method, whereas Pycnonotus goiavier (378 individuals; 25.64%) was the most abundant bird species using the MN method. The Ardeidae (9 species; 23.68%) was the most dominant family using the PC method, but the Rallidae (6 species; 18.18%) was the most dominant family using the MN method. The PC method produced higher species diversity (Shannon’s N1 = 31.22) and richness (Margalef’s R1 = 10.42) than MN, whereas the MN method produced higher species evenness (McIntosh’s E = 0.86) than the PC method. Frugivore/insectivore comprised of bulbuls, orioles, pigeons and starlings was the most dominant feeding guild in both methods (PC = 27.81% and MN = 32.88%). In contrast, carnivore was the rarest feeding guild in both methods (i.e. PC = 0.17% and MN = 0.20%). These findings indicate that the PC method is more efficient and produces better results than the MN method.
The status and distribution of Mimosa pigra L., a semi-aquatic invasive species in Peninsular Malaysia, were continuously assessed between 2004 and 2007. This assessment investigated its population stand density and related weed management activities. In total, 106 sites of 6 main habitat types i.e., construction site (CS), dam/ reservoir (DM), forest reserve (FR), plantation (PL), river bank/waterway (RB) and roadside (RD) were assessed, and 55 sites were recorded with M. pigra populations. A CS is the most likely habitat to be infested with M. pigra (16 out of 18 assessed sites have this weed), whereas none of the FR visited were found to harbour M. pigra. In terms of population stand density, 41 populations were in the low range of stand density (individual plant of ≤5 m(-2)), compared to only 9 populations in the high range of stand density (individual plant of >10 m(-2)). In general, the current impact of M. pigra infestation on natural habitats is relatively low, as its distribution is only confined to disturbed areas. However, continuous monitoring of this weed species is highly recommended, especially in the riparian zone and wetland habitats.
The herpetofauna of Beris Valley, Kedah, Malaysia, was studied using a rapid assessment survey during a scientific expedition organised by the School of Biological Sciences at the Universiti Sains Malaysia, from 14-17 August 2009. All amphibians and reptiles were observed and captured during the four-day survey along the ditches, roads, dam areas, swamps, forest trails and streams. The results showed that 14 species of amphibians from 9 genera and 5 families inhabit the area, and 7 species of lizards, 5 species of snakes and 2 species of freshwater turtles were also present in the area. Fejervarya limnocharis and Microhyla butleri seemed to be the most common amphibians, while Hemidactylus frenatus and Varanus salvator were the most common reptiles in the area. This report constitutes a preliminary checklist and first record of amphibians and reptiles in Beris Valley, Kedah. The number of specimens was less than expected because of the very short survey period, but we hope to record more species in future studies.
Bioaccumulation of lead and Copper in Avicennia marina and Rhizophora apiculata was studied. Samples of leaves, barks and roots were collected from Balok mangrove forest, Pahang. Pb and Cu accumulation was higher in Avicennia marina root tissue compared to bark and leaf but lower than surrounding sediment level. The average concentration of Pb in A. marina leaf, bark, root and sediment was observed to be 5.39 ppm, 3.63 ppm, 18.21 ppm and 23.13 ppm, and average Cu concentration was 4.13 ppm, 4.27 ppm, 4.81 ppm and 12.33 ppm, respectively. R. apiculata also showed higher concentration of Pb and Cu in root tissue compared to bark and leaf tissues but lower than surrounding sediment. The average concentration of Pb in R. apiculata leaf, bark, root and sediment was observed to be 4.30 ppm, 2.97 ppm, 22.45 ppm and 31.23 ppm, respectively. The average Cu concentration was 2.93 ppm, 4.71 ppm, 4.81 ppm and 15.52 ppm, respectively. Results of concentration factors (CF) showed that the accumulation of Pb and Cu was higher in A. marina than in R. apiculata.
This paper reports on a new record of the itch moth from the family Lymantriidae, Toxoproctis hemibathes (Swinhoe), for Peninsular Malaysia. The islands of Sumatera and Borneo are known to be within the geographical range of Lymantriidae, their habitat preference being the wetland and coastal forests. Our study showed that this species can also erupt in large numbers in specific locations in the southern parts of Peninsular Malaysia and thus, our finding is considered a new record for T. hemibathes (Swinhoe). This specimens were collected using portable ultra violet (UV) light trap during a population outbreak of this species in the Labis District of Johore.
Nipa (Nypa fruticans) is one of the most widely distributed and useful palm in the mangrove forests in the South, Southeast Asia and Oceania. Its distribution area is known to be larger in ancient time than at present, as evidenced by its fossils found in North America, South America, Egypt and Europe. Nipa has a wide diversity of use. Traditionally it is used as roof materials, cigarette wrapper, medicine and its sap is fermented to alcohol. Recently, research on nipa has focused on its potential use as a biofuel crop because it has several advantages compared with other biofuel-alcohol crops. For example it has high alcohol content, no competition with other crop for agricultural land and no bagasse disposal problem. In spite of such usefulness, scientific reports on biology of nipa are limited. Information on genetic diversity, cytogenetics and chemical composition are lacking for nipa plant. On the other hand, morphological characters of nipa have been described in many reports. This paper attempted to provide a general review of the nipa plant based on available literatures.