The seasonal variation of spider assemblages in botanical garden was investigated. The spiders were manually collected by diurnal and nocturnal session between two seasons. A total of 19 families from 65 genera and 96 species were recorded. Richness-estimator indicates the inventory were 67% complete within the botanical garden. The capture rate for web-weavers were higher compared with non-web weavers. The comparison value showed the species composition and abundance were similar between seasons. Spider abundance was not affected between wet and dry season in tropical countries.
Drought and pests are primary abiotic and biotic factors proposed as selective filters acting on species distributions along rainfall gradients in tropical forests and may contribute importantly to species distributional limits, performance, and diversity gradients. Recent research demonstrates linkages between species distributions along rainfall gradients and physiological drought tolerance; corresponding experimental examinations of the contribution of pest pressure to distributional limits and potential interactions between drought and herbivory are limited. This study aims to quantitate differential performance and herbivory as a function of species range limits across a climatic and floristic transition in Southeast Asia. Khao Chong Botanical Garden, Thailand and Pasoh Forest Reserve, Malaysia straddle the Kangar-Pattani Line. A reciprocal transplantation across a seasonality gradient was established using two groups of species ("widespread" taxa whose distributions include seasonally dry forests and "aseasonal" taxa whose distributions are limited to aseasonal forests). Growth, biomass allocation, survival, and herbivory were monitored for 19 months. Systematic differences in performance were a function of species distribution in relation to rainfall seasonality. In aseasonal Pasoh, aseasonal species had both greater growth and survivorship than widespread species. These differences were not a function of differential herbivory as widespread and aseasonal species experienced similar damage in the aseasonal forest. In seasonally dry Khao Chong, widespread species showed higher survivorship than aseasonal species, but these differences were only apparent during drought. We link this differential performance to physiological mechanisms as well as differential tolerance of biotic pressure during drought stress. Systematic decreases in seedling survival in aseasonal taxa during drought corresponded with previously documented physiological differences and may be exacerbated by herbivore damage. These results have important implications for tropical diversity and community composition in light of predicted increases in the frequency and severity of drought in hyperdiverse tropical forests.
Urbanisation increases the level of imperviousness in a catchment, and more runoff is converted from rainfall in urban areas. To mitigate this adverse situation, dispensed green infrastructure presents the best solution for delivering results in reducing stormwater impact. Green roofs and rain gardens are extensively studied and widely available in the literature, but this is not the case for green walls, which more often than not, are treated as ornaments. Thus, this study developed a computer-aided stormwater model that incorporates a green wall to investigate its effectiveness as an urban drainage system. The effectiveness of employing a green wall as a stormwater component is tested using USEPA SWMM 5.1 and the embedded bioretention cell interface. Four simulation models according to different conditions and precipitation input are tested, compared and discussed. The conditions include investigation of different soil types, average recurrence interval (ARI) and storm duration with design and observed rainfall. The results reveal that synthesis precipitation data, used in Scenario 1, 2 and 3, decreased runoff by more than half, at 55% on condition of one-year ARI and 5 minutes of storm duration. Meanwhile, Scenario 4 also shows a repetition of runoff reduction by half after the integration of the green wall using the observed rainfall data. Thus, it is verified that a green wall can be effectively used as an urban drainage system in reducing surface runoff.
An inventory of orchid species diversity was carried out in cloud forest of Genting Highlands, which is one of the most developed highland areas in Peninsular Malaysia. Since 1967, construction of roads and hotel complexes has had a serious impact on its physical environment and vegetation. Habitat destructions together with climate change might have caused some orchid species to be extirpated locally or extinct. The cloud forest of Genting Highlands consists of four major peaks, Gunung Ulu Kali, Gunung Chin Chin, Gunung Lari Tembakau and Gunung Mengkuang. However, not much study on orchid diversity was conducted in these areas, therefore, this study is timely and essential to evaluate the current orchid diversity after a gap of three decades. Combined findings from the current study, previous published works and specimens deposited in local herbaria, including those at the Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Forest Researh Institute of Malaysia and Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Singapore Botanic Gardens, an updated list of orchid species found in the cloud forests of Genting Highlands is presented. A total of 134 orchid taxa were recorded, comprised of 51 genera, 132 species, 1 subspecies and 2 varieties, of which 46 are new records to Genting Highlands. Hymenorchis javanica, a species previously reported as endemic to West Jawa was recently discovered in Gunung Ulu Kali. Thirty-three species discovered during this study are currently classified as endemic to Peninsular Malaysia, of which 20 are endemic to Pahang, Perak and Selangor and a very narrowly endemic species; Corybas villosus to Gunung Ulu Kali. Through our observations, most of the orchid species in Gunung Ulu Kali are very susceptible to disappearance due to loss of habitat and local climate change. An assessment of conservation status according to IUCN criterion revealed that 47 orchid taxa from Gunung Ulu Kali were threatened with extinction. Conservation actions were suggested to conserve the orchid diversity in the cloud forest areas of Genting Highlands.
Urbanization requires the conversion of natural land cover to cover with human-constructed elements and is considered a major threat to biodiversity. Bee populations, globally, are under threat; however, the effect of rapid urban expansion in Southeast Asia on bee diversity has not been investigated. Given the pressing issues of bee conservation and urbanization in Southeast Asia, coupled with complex factors surrounding human-bee coexistence, we investigated bee diversity and human perceptions of bees in four megacities. We sampled bees and conducted questionnaires at three different site types in each megacity: a botanical garden, central business district, and peripheral suburban areas. Overall, the mean species richness and abundance of bees were significantly higher in peripheral suburban areas than central business districts; however, there were no significant differences in the mean species richness and abundance between botanical gardens and peripheral suburban areas or botanical gardens and central business districts. Urban residents were unlikely to have seen bees but agreed that bees have a right to exist in their natural environment. Residents who did notice and interact with bees, even though being stung, were more likely to have positive opinions towards the presence of bees in cities.
Introduction: Prevalence of physical inactivity in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya on 2015 was 32.5% compared to 2011 with 56.5%, as reported in National Health Morbidity Survey. The public do not use the facilities as much as they should, although various facilities have been provided in Putrajaya and was selected as garden city concept town. The objective of this study was to determine the perceived barriers (personal, environmental, total barriers) of physical activity among Komuniti Sihat Pembina Negara (KOSPEN) community in Putrajaya. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted using adopted self-administered Perceived Barriers questionnaires to assess the per-ceived barriers of physical activity with socio-demographics, economic and personal characteristic. An Independent t-test was used to test the association between independent variables with perceived barriers of physical activity. Re-sults: There were significant association between personal barriers with marital status (p
Policymakers and recreation site managers use changes in fee structure, either introducing park entrance fees or increasing existing ones, to generate revenues, improve services, and reduce damages associated with visitor’s overuse. The sudden increase in park usage fee, however, can make the park inaccessible to certain segments of visitors. Understanding park users' response to changes in fees and its implication on park use equity is, thus, important to achieving a park's full potential in a socially and environmentally responsible way. This information is crucial especially for developing countries, where the issue has received relatively less attention and underfunded. This paper contributes to the literature on park access fees by empirically assessing park use equity between and among international and local visitors visiting Putrajaya Botanical Garden, Malaysia and developing an approach for determining predictors and mean willingness to pay values for park entrance. Results of our survey-based approach show a positive willingness to pay values for park entrance and fee increases. Our results also show that it is possible to raise revenue without exacerbating existing park use differences.
The lack of understanding of Islamic principles in the design of public spaces has led to
the weakness of the function, aesthetic value and the identity of urban places. The study
seeks to identify the characteristics and elements of the Islamic urban space in
Putrajaya base on publics and expert perception and preference. A questionnaire
survey was conducted with approximately 500 civilians to analyse the public perception
of Putra Square and Astaka Moroco. A photo base interview was carried out with
approximately 100 professionals in the built environment field to evaluate the quality
of Astaka Moroco in comparison to Islamic gardens in the Middle East based on their
perception. The results indicate that the style of the Dataran Putra is the most preferred
by the public compared to the Astaka Morocco. The professionals inform that Astaka
Morocco is not comparable to the quality of Islamic gardens in the Middle East either
in terms of function or aesthetic value due to the lack of understanding of the Islamic gardens elements and principles. In addition, the public liked the Islamic garden style
that reflects the local identity and the functions as public spaces instead of just as an
exhibit or a model. The findings can be a good guide in designing the Islamic public
spaces which are favoured by the public.
The industrialized world has entered a new era of widespread automation, and although this may create long-term gains in economic productivity and wealth accumulation, many professions are expected to disappear during the ensuing shift, leading to potentially significant disruptions in labor markets and associated socioeconomic difficulties. Food production, like many other industrial sectors, has also undergone a century of mechanization, having moved toward increasingly large-scale monoculture production-especially in developed economies-with higher yields but detrimental environmental impacts on a global scale. Certain characteristics of the food sector and its products cast doubts on whether future automation will influence it in the same ways as in other sectors. We conceptualize a model of future food production within the socioeconomic conditions created by widespread automation. We ideate that despite immediate shocks to the economy, in the long run higher productivity can free up human activity to be channeled toward more interactive, skill-intensive food production systems, where communal efforts can reduce industrial reliance, diversify farming, and reconnect people to the biosphere-a realization of human well-being that resembles the classical philosophical ideal of Eudaimonia. We explore food production concepts, such as communal gardens and polyculture, and the economic conditions and institutions needed to underwrite them [e.g., a universal basic income (UBI)]. However, arguments can be raised as to why social-ecological systems would benefit from more labor-intensive food production. In this paper we: (1) discuss the current state of the food system and the need to reform it in light of its environmental and social impacts; (2) present automation as a lever that could move society toward more sustainable food production; (3) highlight the beneficial attributes of a Eudaimonian model; and (4) discuss the potential challenges to its implementation. Our purpose is to highlight a possible outcome that future research will need to refine and expand based on evidence and successful case studies. The ultimate aim is to promote a food system that can provide food security while staying within the safe operating space of planetary boundaries, produce more nutritious diets, enhance social capital, and reconnect communities with the biosphere.
As the population increases, energy demands continue to rise rapidly. In order to satisfy this increasing energy demand, biogas offers a potential alternative. Biogas is economically viable to be produced through anaerobic digestion (AD) from various biomass feedstocks that are readily available in Malaysia, such as food waste (FW), palm oil mill effluent (POME), garden waste (GW), landfill, sewage sludge (SS) and animal manure. This paper aims to determine the potential feedstocks for biogas production via AD based on their characteristics, methane yield, kinetic studies and economic analysis. POME and FW show the highest methane yield with biogas yields up to 0.50 L/g VS while the lowest is 0.12 L/g VS by landfill leachate. Kinetic study shows that modified Gompertz model fits most of the feedstock with R 2 up to 1 indicating that this model can be used for estimating treatment efficiencies of full-scale reactors and performing scale-up analysis. The economic analysis shows that POME has the shortest payback period (PBP), highest internal rate of return (IRR) and net present value (NPV). However, it has already been well explored, with 93% of biogas plants in Malaysia using POME as feedstock. The FW generation rate in Malaysia is approximately 15,000 tonnes per day, at the same time FW as the second place shows potential to have a PBP of 5.4 years and 13.3% IRR, which is close to the results achieved with POME. This makes FW suitable to be used as the feedstock for biogas production.