Inventory of Vegetation and Assessment of Carbon Storage Capacity towards a Low Carbon Campus: a Case Study of Universiti Tun Husein Onn Malaysia, Johor Malaysia

Carbon dioxide, a vital greenhouse gas plays a key role in Earth's carbon cycle, a concentration above ambient temperature results in global warming. High CO2 emission in Universiti Tun Husein Onn Malaysia is due to an increase in a number of automobiles and other greenhouse gases released from building facilities and nearby industries. A study was carried out on 22 common trees planted within the campus on the estimated amount of CO2 sequestered. Estimation of carbon storage of trees was obtained through the assessments of standing biomass as well measurement of their photosynthetic capacity. Results indicated that Spathodea campanulata has the highest CO2 absorption (14.40 µmol/ m-2/s-1) followed by Acacia mangium (14.03 µmol/m-2/s-1), and Cananga odorata with (12.80 µmol m-2 s-1). Alstonia scholaris has the highest aboveground standing biomass accumulation of 106.94 kg, followed by Samanea saman (20.83 kg), and Acacia mangium (19.43 kg). The total biomass accumulated of all the tree species is 200.03 kg. Therefore, species of trees in Universiti Tun Husein Onn Malaysia main campus have the potential to absorb a significant amount of CO2 from the atmosphere thereby contributing to mitigating-the localized effects of global warming

Ecology And Taxonomy of Mangifera Species (Anacardiaceae) in the 50-HA Plot of Pasoh Forest Reserve, Peninsular Malaysia

The study was conducted at the 50-ha plot of Pasoh Forest Reserve, Negeri Sembilan, Peninsular Malaysia to assess the ecological distribution of Mangifera and to solve some taxonomic problems on doubtful species by clearly circumscribing the limits among taxa by using morphological, anatomical and DNA sequences evidences. Thirteen Mangifera taxa were recorded to a total population of 1,202 stems. Mangifera quadrifida is the most abundant with 275 stems, followed by M foetida with 208 stems. The least is M swintonioides with only two trees, both more than 10 cm dbh. Mangifera quadrifida var. longipetiolata has 16 trees all less than 10 cm dbh. The common mango, M indica has only 80 stems. Mangifera griffithii has the most number of trees with dbh exceeding 10 cm, thereby giving the highest estimates in terms of basal area (0. 045 m²ha⁻¹), volume (0. 63 m³ha⁻¹), and above ground biomass (0. 51 tha⁻¹). A total of 163 dead trees were recorded since the initial survey in 1985. High mortality (85%) was found to be trees of less than 10 cm dbh. Mortality of seedlings was primarily caused by burrowing and nest building by wild pigs, while death of big trees was caused by termite attack. Taxonomic review of the genus was carried out exploiting morphological and anatomical characters. However, due to unavailability of reproductive characters throughout the entire course of the study, investigation was carried out making use of vegetative characters alone. Given all the morphological and anatomical evidences, the genus can be divided into two subgenera viz. Limus and Mangifera. This subdivision is further supported by examining the molecular phylogeny of 13 Mangifera taxa using nucleotide sequences of the intergenic spacer region between trnL-trnF of the chloroplast DNA. In the phylogenetic study, two major clades were formed from the monophyletic tree. It is noted that M subsessilifolia, a species incertae was in a clade with M lagenifera and M superba of the subgenus Limus. The second clade on the other hand was composed of species belonging to the subgenus Mangifera except for M foetida, which was classified under subgenus Limus. However, M macrocarpa of subgenus Limus formed a singleton as did M gracilipes of subgenus Mangifera. The divergence of the genus Mangifera is apparent from the heterogeneous feature of the subgenera. Further analysis of other molecular markers from different genes or genomes and consideration of other species of wild mangoes are necessary to infer a stronger phylogenetic analysis of this taxon

Inventory of Vegetation and Assessment of Carbon Storage Capacity towards a Low Carbon Campus: a Case Study of Universiti Tun Husein Onn Malaysia, Johor Malaysia

Carbon dioxide, a vital greenhouse gas plays a key role in Earth's carbon cycle, a concentration above ambient temperature results in global warming. High CO2 emission in Universiti Tun Husein Onn Malaysia is due to an increase in a number of automobiles and other greenhouse gases released from building facilities and nearby industries. A study was carried out on 22 common trees planted within the campus on the estimated amount of CO2 sequestered. Estimation of carbon storage of trees was obtained through the assessments of standing biomass as well measurement of their photosynthetic capacity. Results indicated that Spathodea campanulata has the highest CO2 absorption (14.40 µmol/ m-2/s-1) followed by Acacia mangium (14.03 µmol/m-2/s-1), and Cananga odorata with (12.80 µmol m-2 s-1). Alstonia scholaris has the highest aboveground standing biomass accumulation of 106.94 kg, followed by Samanea saman (20.83 kg), and Acacia mangium (19.43 kg). The total biomass accumulated of all the tree species is 200.03 kg. Therefore, species of trees in Universiti Tun Husein Onn Malaysia main campus have the potential to absorb a significant amount of CO2 from the atmosphere thereby contributing to mitigating-the localized effects of global warming

Inventory and Assessment of Carbon Storage Capacity of species of Palms in Universiti Tun Husein Onn Malaysia, Main Campus, Batu Pahat, Johor Malaysia

Carbon dioxide constitutes about 0.04% of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Its concentration in the atmosphere influences the climate pattern of the world. The unceasing rise above the ambient level leads to global warming. The increase in CO2 release in UTHM (238.8964 ha), was due to the increasing number of more vehicles, and from other greenhouse gases release from structures, facilities and discharges from neighboring industries calls for attention. A study was conducted on eleven most common species of palms for their capacity to sequester a considerable amount of CO2. The Estimate of carbon storage of the palms plants was obtained by the assessments of the above standing biomass and their photosynthetic capacity. Results show that R. regia has the highest CO2 absorption capacity (10.61 µmol m-2 s-1) followed by O. tigillarium  (7.26 µmol m-2 s-1), and W. bifurcata (6.83µmol m-2 s-1). E. guineensis has the highest aboveground biomass accumulation (0.09kg), followed by R. regia (0.05 kg). E. guineensis has the maximum biomass accumulation (15.13 kg), followed by L. chinensis (12.68 kg), then C. renda sp and R. regia with (8.54kg/8.43) on species abundance.  The total standing biomass captured by all the palms species is 69.32kg (0.069 tons) of carbon. Hence, species of palms plants in UTHM have the capacities to absorb sufficient quantity of CO2 from the atmosphere thus contributing to the reducing-the effects of world-wide warming and climate alteratio

Assessment and potential of carbon storage capacity of species of herbaceous plants in Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Main Campus, Batu Pahat, Johor Malaysia

Carbon dioxide CO2 is an important trace gas in earth's atmosphere. It is a greenhouse gas that plays a vital role in regulating the earth's surface temperature through the greenhouse effect. Increase beyond the ambient concentration leads to global warming. Increase in CO2 discharge in UTHM (238.9 ha), due to increase in a number of vehicles; other greenhouse gases released from building amenities and dis-charges from neighbouring industries appeals for attention. Study was conducted on seven common species of herbaceous plants for their capacity in sequestering CO2. Estimation of carbon storage of herbaceous plants was obtained by the assessments of the aboveground standing biomass and their photosynthetic capacity. Musa sp has the highest CO2 absorption of 12.2µmol m-2 s -1 , followed by Heliconia. psittacorum (10.63µmol m-2 s -1 ). Euphorbia tithymaloides and Costus spicatus has the lowest absorption with 3.63 and 3.76 µmol m-2 s -1 respectively. Calathea lutea and Hymenocallis latifolia shared the highest biomass accumulation of 0.04 kg. These were followed by E. tithymaloides and Alpinia purpurata with 0.02 kg. The least biomass of 0.01 kg was accumulated by H. psittacorum and C. spicatus. The total standing biomass captured by all the species of herbaceous plants is 0.13 kg. Therefore, species of herbaceous plants in UTHM have the potentials to absorb an adequate amount of CO2 from the atmosphere thereby contributing to reducing-the effects of localized global warming

Influence of Light Intensity on the Photosynthesis and Phenolic Contents of Mangifera Indica

Light is an important environmental factor that have an influence on a plants photosynthesis and production of secondary metabolites like phenolic compounds and flavonoid. Mangifera indica from the family Anacardiaceae is known to have bioactivity due to its phenolic and flavonoid contents. The objective of the study is to determine the influence of light on the photosynthesis and phenolic contents of M. indica. Photosynthesis of the plant was measured using a portable photosynthesis system referred to as LICOR- 6400. Photosynthetic pigments as well as phenolic and flavonoid contents were quantified using a UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The outcome derived from the study shows that sun exposed leaves of the studied plant were having the maximum photosynthesis, saturation and compensation points (P < 0.05).  Moreover, sun exposed leaves were having higher carotenoid, phenolic and flavonoid contents but lower chlorophyll contents. This leads to a conclusion that sun leaves of M. indica contribute the highest photosynthesis and phenolic contents to the plant

Effect of light intensity on the photosynthesis and stomatal density of selected plant species of Gunung Ledang, Johor

Light intensity influences the photosynthesis and stomatal density in plants. In this study, it was hypothesized that if the transpiration rate of a plant is low, then the stomatal density might be high. The objective of this research is to investigate the effect of varying light intensity on the photosynthetic capacity and stomatal density of Mikania micrantha, Tridax procumbens, Clidemia hirta and Centella asiatica plant species of Gunung Ledang, Johor, Malaysia. Sun-exposed and shaded species were selected for the study. Gas exchange characteristics including stomatal conductance to water vapour (gsw), transpiration rate and intracellular CO2 (Ci) were measured using LI-6400 portable photosynthesis system while net assimilation rate (Anet), light saturation point (LSP), light compensation point (LCP), and apparent quantum yield (Aqy) were calculated from the photosynthetic light response curve. Stomatal density was determined using nail polish impression method and examined using a stereo microscope. The result of this study shows that high light intensity influences the net assimilation rate and stomatal density of the studied plants. As the light intensity increases, Amax, LSP, LCP and stomatal density of the plants increases. There is a significant difference between the light response characteristics and stomatal density of the sun-exposed and shaded species (P < 0.05). A statistically significant negative correlation (P < 0.05) was achieved among stomatal density and transpiration rate. As stomatal density increases, the transpiration rate decreases. The result leads to a conclusion that Mikania micrantha can efficiently utilise the amount of light available more than Tridax procumbens, Clidemia hirta and Centella asiatica and grow abundantly as dominant species in an introduced environment

Occurrence of Volatile Organic Compounds and Extrafloral Nectaries in Tropical Rainforest Species in Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia

Plants synthesize numerous classes of secondary metabolites that are crucial in plant defense. Two of the common but non-ubiquitous defenses are the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and production of extrafloral nectaries (EFN). This study investigates the occurrence of emission of VOC and production of EFN in forest species in Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia. From the 165 species screened, 131 species were found to emit VOC while 41 species were EFN-bearing plants. There are 34 species that are both emitting VOC and producing EFN, while 97 species were found to be emitting VOC with no EFN observed. On the other hand, there are 7 species that were EFN bearing but non-VOC emitter, while 27 species were neither emitting VOC nor producing EFN. All 12 dipterocarp species were observed to emit VOC, of these 3 are non-EFN bearing. VOC emissions were further classified into isoprene (C5) and monoterpene (C10) compounds. There are 46 species that were detected to emit both isoprene and monoterpenes, while there are more exclusive monoterpene emitters (62 species) than isoprene-only emitters (23 species). This study showcased the ability of plants to produce a wide array of secondary metabolites as plant defense making them successfully adapt to the complexities of tropical rainforest ecosystem

MALAYSIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS' POTENTIAL FOR BREAST CANCER THERAPY

Objective: This review focused on Malaysian medicinal plants that have been evaluated and pose potentials to treat breast cancer.Methods: Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Biomed, ResearchGate, academia.edu, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, and Ingenta databases were searched for this review and studies reported between January 1st, 2010 and June 30th, 2016.Results: A total of 105 plants species representing 54 different families and 79 genera were reviewed. 97% of the plants were tested using MCF-7 and MDA-231 breast cancer cell lines and exhibited most significant in vitro anticancer activity, and 3% were tested using another type of breast cancer cell lines. Most of the bioactive compounds of the medicinal plants that exhibited good activity (IC50 values &lt;120 μg/mL) are a group of phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and saponins. Induction of apoptosis was found to be the significant cell death pathway.Conclusion: This article reviews the available literature concerning research on anti-breast cancer plants. Furthermore, identification and characterization of active components and toxicology evaluation also need to be studied in details and also point out their clinical trials

Occurrence of volatile organic compounds and extrafloral nectaries in tropical rainforest species in Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia

Plants synthesize numerous classes of secondary metabolites that are crucial in plant defense. Two of the common but non-ubiquitous defenses are the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and production of extrafloral nectaries (EFN). This study investigates the occurrence of emission of VOC and production of EFN in forest species in Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia. From the 165 species screened, 131 species were found to emit VOC while 41 species were EFN-bearing plants. There are 34 species that are both emitting VOC and producing EFN, while 97 species were found to be emitting VOC with no EFN observed. On the other hand, there are 7 species that were EFN bearing but non-VOC emitter, while 27 species were neither emitting VOC nor producing EFN. All 12 dipterocarp species were observed to emit VOC, of these 3 are non-EFN bearing. VOC emissions were further classified into isoprene (C5) and monoterpene (C10) compounds. There are 46 species that were detected to emit both isoprene and monoterpenes, while there are more exclusive monoterpene emitters (62 species) than isoprene-only emitters (23 species). This study showcased the ability of plants to produce a wide array of secondary metabolites as plant defense making them successfully adapt to the complexities of tropical rainforest ecosystem