EFFECTS OF ALTITUDE AND MICROCLIMATE ON THE DISTRIBUTION FERNS IN AND URBAN AREAS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11113/jt.v77.6876Keywords:
Fern species, ecological indicator agent, urban microclimate, climate changesAbstract
The aim of the research is to explore the potential of fern species as natural ecological indicator agent to forecast microclimate changes in the urban area. Ferns which also known as pteridophyte are not only valuable in term of its ethno-botanical uses such as food and medicine but also useful in ecological values. Other than that it can be used to treat unhealthy environment such as absorbing methane gas, fertilizing land and treating heavy metal such as arsenic as well as can be used as a potential ecological indicator agent for microclimate changes. In this research, observation and measurement were made at two different environments which are natural environments; Gunung Jerai, Kedah and Lata Jarum, Pahang and manmade setting environments; Hospital Serdang, Serdang and Secret Garden, Kuala Lumpur. Interestingly results from two case studies of natural environments indicated that the distribution and abundance of fern species strongly influenced by differences in altitude. Twelve fern species were found at different elevations at Gunung Jerai, Kedah whereas 20 fern species were found at Lata Jarum, Pahang. Among the species found at Gunung Jerai were Selaginella willdenowii, Arcypteris irregularis, Adiantum caudatum, Pityrogramma calomelanos, Histiopteris stipulacea, Athyrium cordifolium, Osmund wachellii, and Cyathea contaminans. Whereas the species found at Lata Jarum are Dicranopteris linearis, Phymatodes scolopendria, Antrophyum callifolium, Arcypteris irregularis, Phymatodes crustachea, Selaginella willdenowi, Angiopteris evecta and Aglaomorpha heraclea. Another factor that influences the occurrences of the fern species is microclimate particularly atmospheric factor. Results observed from both case studies showed that light intensity, relative humidity and temperature also influenced the distribution of fern species. Therefore fern species are excellent ecological indicator which can be used as phytoindicator for unhealthy environment such as harsh environment or to predict microclimate changes at urban area.
References
Arnfield, A. J. 1990b. Canyon Geometry, The Urban Fabric and Nocturnal Cooling: A Simulation Approach. Physical Geography. 11: 220-239.
Asimakopoulos, D. N., V. D. Asimakopoulos, N. Chrisomallidou, Klitsikas, N., Mangold, D., Michel, P., Santamouris, M. Tsangrassoulis. 2001. A Energy and Climate in the Urban Built Environment. James & James (Science Publisher) Ltd. United Kingdom.
Barring, L., J. O. Mattsson, S. Lindqvist. 1985. Canyon Geometry, Street Temperatures and Urban Heat Island in Malm¨o, Sweden. Journal of Climatology. 5: 433-444.
Bjorkman, O. 1981. Responses to Different Quantum Flux Densities. In: Lange O, Nobel P, Osmond C, Ziegler H (eds). Physiological Plant Ecology 1, Responses to the Physical Environment. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York. 57-107.
Beukema, H., F. Stolle, M. Van Noordwijk., H. De Foresta. 1997. Biodiversity in Rubber Agroforests. Paper presented at the Smallholder Rubber Agroforestry Project Workshop in Bogor, Indonesia. ICRAF Southeast Asian Regional Research Programme, Bogor.
Bhattarai, K. R., and O. R. Vetaas. 2003. Variation in Plant Species Richness of Different Life Forms Along a Subtropical Elevation Gradient In The Himalayas, East Nepal. Global Ecology and Biogeography. 12: 327-340.
Colwell, R. K., C. Rahbek, and N. J. Gotelli. 2004. The Mid-Domain Effect and Species Richness Patterns: What Have We Learned So Far? American Naturalist. 163: E1-E23.
Hemp, A. 2002 Ecology of the Pteridophytes on the Southern Slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro I. Altitudional Distribution. Plant Ecology. 159: 211-239.
Huner, N. P. A., Ivanov, A. G., Wilson, K. E., Miskiewicz, E., Krol, M., and Öquist, G. 2002. Energy Sensing and Photostasis in Photoautotrophs. In: Storey KB, Storey JM (eds). Sensing Signaling and Cell Adaptation. Elsevier, Amsterdam. 243-255.
Hunsaker, C. T., and D. E. Carpenter. 1990. Ecological Indicators for the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program. EPA/600/3-90/060, Office of Research and Development, US EPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA.
Johnson, G. T., T. R. Oke, T. J. Lyons, D. G. Steyn, I. D. Watson, J. A. Voogt. 1991. Simulation of Surface Urban Heat Islands Under ‘Ideal’ Conditions at Night. Part 1: Theory and Tests Against Field Data. Boundary-Layer Meteorology. 56: 275-294.
Kessler, M. 2000. Elevational Gradients in Species Richness and Endemism of Selected Plant Groups in the Central Bolivian Andes. Plant Ecology. 149: 181-193.
Kessler, M. 2001a. Pteridophyte Species Richness in Andean Forests In Bolivia. Biodiversity and Conservation. 10: 1473-1495.
Kessler, M. 2001b. Patterns of Diversity and Range Size of Selected Plant Groups Along an Elevational Transect in the Bolivian Andes. Biodiversity and Conservation. 10: 1897-1921.
Kitayama, K. 1992. An Altitudional Transect Study of the Vegetation of Mount Kinabalu, Borneo. Vegetation. 102: 149-171.
Korner, C. 2000. Why are There Global Gradients in Species Richness? Mountains Might Hold the Answer. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 15: 513-514.
Lambers, H., F. S. Chapin, T. Pons. 1998. Plant Physiological Ecology. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Landsberg, H. E. 1970. Man-made Climatic Changes. Science. 170: 1265-1274.
Large, M. F. and J. E. Braggins. 2004. Tree Ferns. Timber Press, Inc. USA.
Md. Nor, S. 2001. Elevational Diversity Patterns of Small Mammals on Mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Global Ecology and Biogeography. 10: 41-62.
Oke, T. R. 1981. Canyon Geometry and the Nocturnal Heat Island: Comparison Of Scale Model and Field Observations. Journal of Climatology. 1: 237-254.
Oke, T. R., G. T. Johnson, D. G. Steyn, I. D. Watson. 1991. Simulation of Surface Urban Heat Islands Under ‘Ideal’ Conditions at Night. Part 2: Diagnosis of Causation. Boundary-Layer Meteorology. 56: 339-358.
Ogawa, H. 2007. Impact of Climate Change on Public Health: Reducing the Threats and Harnessing the Opportunities of Climate. Proceedings of South-East Asia Regional Conference on Climate Change. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Page, C. N. 1979. The Diversity of Ferns: An Ecological Perspective. The Experimental Biology of Ferns (ed. by A.F. Dyer). Academic Press, London. 9-56.
Ruokolainen, K., A. Linna, and H. Tuomisto. 1997. Use of Melastomataceae and Pteridophytes for Revealing Phyto-Geographic Patterns in Amazonian Rain Forest. Trop. Ecol. 13: 243-256.
Santamouris, M., N. Papanikolaou, I. Livada, I. Koronakis, C. Georgakis, A. Argiriou, and D. N. Asimakopoulus. 1999. Impact of Urban Climate on the Energy Consumption of Buildings. Solar Energy. In Press.
Saldana, A. O., C. Hernandez, R. E. Coopman, L. A. Bravo, L. J. Corcuera. 2010. Differences in Light Usage Among Three Fern Species of Genus Blechnum of Contrasting Ecological Breadth in a Forest Light Gradient. Ecol Res. 25: 273-281.
Smith, A. R. 1972. Comparison of Fern and Flowering Plant Distribution with Some Evolutionary Interpretation For Ferns. Biotropica. 4: 4-9.
Stoll, M. J., A. J. Brazel. 1992. Surface–air Temperature Relationships in the Urban Environment of Phoenix, Arizona. Physical Geography. 13: 160-179.
Swaid, H. 1993. Numerical Investigation Into the Influence of Geometry and Construction Materials on Urban Street Climate. Physical Geography. 14: 342–358.
Valladares, F. and R. W. Pearcy. 1997. Interactions Between Water Stress, Sun-Shade Acclimation, Heat Tolerance and Photoinhibition in the Sclerophyll Heteromeles arbutifolia. Plant Cell Environ. 20: 25-36.
Vormisto, J., O. L. Phillips, K. Ruokolainen, H. Tuomisto, and R. Vasquez. 2000. A Comparison Of Fine-Scale Distribution Patterns Of Four Plant Groups in Amazon Rainforest, Ecography. 23: 349-359.
Walters, R. G. 2005. Towards an Understanding of Photosynthetic 460 Acclimation. J Exp Bot. 56: 435-447.
Walters, M. and C. Field. 1987. Photosynthetic Light Acclimation in Two Rainforest Piper Species with Different Ecological Amplitudes. Oecolog. 72: 449-456.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright of articles that appear in Jurnal Teknologi belongs exclusively to Penerbit Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (Penerbit UTM Press). This copyright covers the rights to reproduce the article, including reprints, electronic reproductions, or any other reproductions of similar nature.
