Invasive Acacia mangium Leaf Litter Modifies Soil Chemical properties of a Bornean tropical heath forest : a soil incubation study

This study investigated the effects of Acacia mangium Willd. leaf litter on soil chemical properties of a tropical heath forest in Borneo using a controlled soil incubation experiment. The litter of exotic A. mangium and selected native heath forest species (Buchanania arborescens Blume., Calophyllum inophyllum L., Dillenia suffruticosa Griff. and Ploiarium alternifolium Vahl.) were incubated with heath forest soils collected under natural conditions and nine different treatments of heath forest soils (soils without leaf litter, soils treated with single species leaf litter, and soils treated with native leaf litter with and without A. mangium leaf litter). We quantified mass litter loss (%), and soil concentration

اتجاهات المستهلكين الجزائريين نحو التسوق عبر الانترنت: دراسة ميدانية

The main purpose of this article is to examine the attitudes of Algerian consumers toward online shopping, and whether these attitudes vary by demographics. Data were collected via an online questionnaire within Algeria between January and March 2014. The sample consists of (530) Algerian Internet users (aged 18 and over). The results showed that most Algerian consumers do not intend to buy goods and services online, despite the increasing number of Internet users. And lastly, the study suggests that there is no significant difference in consumer attitudes among demographics, with the exception of occupation, where the results showed that students and merchants are more likely to adopt online shopping

اتجاهات المستهلكين الجزائريين نحو التسوق عبر الانترنت: دراسة ميدانية

The main purpose of this article is to examine the attitudes of Algerian consumers toward online shopping, and whether these attitudes vary by demographics. Data were collected via an online questionnaire within Algeria between January and March 2014. The sample consists of (530) Algerian Internet users (aged 18 and over). The results showed that most Algerian consumers do not intend to buy goods and services online, despite the increasing number of Internet users. And lastly, the study suggests that there is no significant difference in consumer attitudes among demographics, with the exception of occupation, where the results showed that students and merchants are more likely to adopt online shopping

How Not to Overwater a Rheophyte

Many herbaceous plants native to Malesian perhumid tropical forests are difficult to cultivate long term in traditional (peat, coir and bark) compost mixes. As a result, many appear to be underrepresented in ex situ living plant collections. Under the leaf-litter, lowland rainforest soils are typically surprisingly low in organic content (< 2%) and many of the smaller forest-floor-dwelling plants exist mainly on steep slopes of bare mineral soils with limited leaf-litter cover. By adopting purely inorganic compost media and placing pots in trays of water the wet mineral soils of their natural habitats are replicated and the plants can be cultivated long term with notable ease. The use of wholly inorganic media reduces the incidence of root rot to such an extent that it is suggested that they should be used more often for the cultivation of slow-growing taxa from other regions which are often considered to be ‘difficult’

Host selectivity and distribution of Cassytha filiformis in the coastal Bornean Heath Forests

We investigated the host range of L. in the heath forests using six 50-metre transects. Sixteen shrubs and tree species were infected by vines, including two exotic species. This paper also examined the density and vigour of when infecting the two most preferred and common hosts, the heath native (Griff. ex Hook. f. and Thomson) Martelli, and the invasive Willd. The results suggested that has higher vigour when infecting native hosts than in exotic albeit being not statistically significant. The long thread-like stems of parasite were present at relatively high density when infecting , regardless of the host conditions. We also assessed the functionality of the haustoria on both and using histological methods. It was found that can establish a true haustorial endophytic connection with studied hosts. Under controlled conditions, pose as a possible candidate for a biological control agent of to curtail the fast spreading of this introduced species in tropical Borneo

ASSESSMENT OF SEEDLING ABUNDANCE, SURVIVAL AND GROWTH OF TWO DIPTEROCARP SPECIES IN PEAT SWAMP FORESTS OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

Dryobalanops rappa Becc. and Shorea albida Sym. are Bornean endemics of high conservation value and increasingly threatened by anthropogenic disturbances. In-situ study of seedling abundance and growth performance of these Dipterocarp species was conducted in two selected peat swamp forests of Brunei Darussalam, following a mast fruiting event in March–May 2014. Within six 6 x 6 m plots at each forest site, D. rappa seedlings at the Anduki peat swamp forest and S. albida seedlings at the Badas peat swamp forest were measured for abundance at the initial census in September 2014, as well as survival and relative growth rates (RGR) after a period of 5 months, with the final census in February 2015. We found significantly higher seedling abundance for D. rappa (1885 ± 208) than S. albida (160 ± 71). Significantly higher percentage survival was recorded for D. rappa seedlings (90.8 ± 2.2%) in comparison to S. albida seedlings (81.7 ± 2.2%). S. albida seedlings (0.24 ± 0.02 mm mm-1 month-1) showed significantly greater RGR in stem diameter than D. rappa seedlings (0.18 ± 0.02 mm mm-1 month-1), however, there were no significant differences in the RGRs based on seedling height, leaf number and biomass between D. rappa and S. albida seedlings. In terms of seedling abundance and percentage survival, D. rappa seedlings appeared to be more successful in regeneration and may potentially be used for rehabilitation of degraded tropical peat swamps and other forest types. Our results suggested that greater conservation efforts of peat swamps must be made to protect the Bornean endemic plant species, in particular S. albida

Enhancing Germination and Early Growth of Curly Lettuce Using Fermented Liquid Extract of Padina australis Hauck

Fermented seaweed liquid extract serves as an affordable and eco-friendly nutrient supplement, biostimulant, or biofertilizer, effectively promoting crop growth and supporting sustainable agricultural practices. This study evaluates the effects of the fermented liquid extract of Padina australis (FLEP) at various concentrations (0, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 100%) on lettuce germination and early growth. Germination parameters were assessed over 14 days under controlled conditions, followed by consecutive greenhouse experiments that examined the impact of foliar FLEP spray on two-week-old seedlings over 21 days, measuring early growth parameters and foliar nutrient concentrations. All data were statistically analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance at a 5% significance level. Results revealed that the FLEP significantly improved the seedling vigor index and length at concentrations ranging from 2 to 20%. The relative growth rate (RGR) for height exhibited significant increases at the 2% and 5% FLEP concentrations, while RGR for leaves, shoot dry biomass, and leaf area demonstrated significant improvements at FLEP concentrations of 2 to 20%. Foliar P content, and not foliar N, was significantly affected by the FLEP treatments, with P levels typically increasing with higher FLEP concentrations. These findings suggest that applying FLEP, particularly at low concentrations (2% and 5%) as a foliar spray significantly enhances lettuce germination and growth. Furthermore, this study highlights the potential of the FLEP as a novel foliar biofertilizer

Differential Impacts of Acacia Invasion on Nutrient Fluxes in Two Distinct Bornean Lowland Tropical Rain Forests

Funding Information: The research was funded by the Brunei Research Council [Grant No. UBD/BRC/11] and Universiti Brunei Darussalam [Grant Nos. UBD/RSCH/1.4/FICBF(b)/2018/005 and UBD/PNC2/2/RG/1(204)]). S.M.J. was supported by a University Graduate Scholarship (UGS) from Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Acknowledgments The authors thank Brunei Forestry Department for our Use and collection permits (permit no. [99]/JPH/UND/17 PT.1), the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood for providing rainfall data, the Environmental and Life Sciences Programme technical staff, and Muhammad Abdul Hakeem bin Julaihi, Adrian Lee Rahman Suhaili, Yujin Roh, Joshua Andrew Gander, Siti Hadijah Haji Haji, Siti Faten Su’aidah Haji Saman, Dk Nur Amal Nazira Pg. Zaman for field assistance.Peer reviewedPublisher PD