Analytical and statistical approaches to study the impacts of shoreline change towards mangroves at Kukup Island National Park, Johor

Shoreline and mangroves form a dynamic ecosystem to coastal area. They support and supply various foods and protections to ensure the sustainability of coastal ecosystem around the world. Despite these, information that exclusively emphasize on the interaction of shoreline change and mangroves on an island is still lacking, making assessment and observation towards coastal areas on island less significant. Hence, this study is significant to provide a first view of the interaction and the relationship and response of shorelines change towards mangrove physical characteristics. GIS, remote sensing as well as statistical analysis such as DSAS and linear regression were applied to support the study that consisted of three main stages which involve data collection, data processing and comparison of mangroves physical characteristics towards the changes in shoreline positions. Finding revealed that during the time span of 2005-2011, shoreline near to Sg Ular has experienced more erosion, resulted in the shoreline shifting that was ranged between -0.02 m/y and -1.52 m/y. Further analysis of shoreline change and mangroves physical characteristic unveiled that a significant relationship of mangrove characteristics and shoreline changes rates occurred at Sg Ular. It was found that mangroves communities along the shoreline of Sg Ular was negatively influenced by the shoreline change, possibly due to mild erosion along the shoreline towards the river mouth of Sg Ular

Variations of riparian vegetation along the river corridors of Sg. Johor

Riparian vegetation has been recognized for its remarkable environmental and management implications. Occurred within the dynamic tract of river systems, riparian vegetation is a complex character that often exposed to the changes of river water and river beds. Their spatial extent is strongly controlled by inundation and flood disturbance, which result in the riparian vegetation migration to the point of destruction, if the competition for the area and other sources are lacking. This paper presents the findings of collected riparian vegetation information along Sg. Johor at the upstream and downstream of Kota Tinggi. Using Point-Centre-Quarter Method, the vegetation’s species, density, basal area, diameter at breast height and relative composition were recorded, identified and classified. Vitex pubescens and Drypetes spp. dominantly occurred along the upstream and downstream of this river, respectively. Species like Gymnacranthera bancana, Endospermum Malaccense, and Aquilaria Malaccensis are also found inhabit along Sg. Johor bank. Classified as woody vegetation, these vegetations are equipped with buttress roots that enable them to increase soil strength. This paper also suggests that proper study of riparian vegetation along river banks could promote a better understanding of the function of each species, to ensure the sustainability of riparian vegetation as part of river system engineer

Pollen sources foraged by domesticated stingless bee (Heterotrigona itama) reared in gelam forests of Terengganu, Malaysia

Melittopalynological analysis is one of the principal tools used to reveal significant floral sources to bees. Gelam (Melaleuca spp.) forest provides habitat for bees and provision for high quality honey. However, the forests are declining due to anthropogenic activities which directly reduced the availability of botanical sources on which bees rely for survival. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the pollen sources preferred by domesticated stingless bees (Heterotrigona itama) reared in fragmented Gelam forests from two meliponiaries in Terengganu. The palynological analysis was carried out on pollen load foraged by the stingless bees. Thirty seven pollen types belonging to 13 plant families were collected from the pollen loads of 251 stingless bee foragers. Tiliagraphs with CONISS and rank abundance curves were used to illustrate the pollen grains preferred by H. itama. Results clearly showed that Melastoma malabathricum and Cyperus aromaticus were the most frequently visited and vital pollen sources for H. itama in the Gelam forests. Interestingly, Gelam (Melaleuca cajuputi) pollen is one of the floral sources, suggesting that Gelam is one of the preferred pollen and nectar sources for stingless bees. This study discovered a causal link between the fragmentation of Gelam forests and the low abundance of Melaleuca cajuputi pollen foraged by H. itama. Information on this dynamic is critically important for maintaining the health of bee colonies as well as for the conservation efforts of Gelam forests in Terengganu, Malaysia

Integrating and utilizing AHP and GIS for landfill site selection

Landfill site selection is a complex task that needs to be done by decision maker. There are many criteria that need to be considered before choosing the landfill. This includes economic, social, geological and environmental criteria. AHP is a technique for analyzing and supporting decisions in which multiple and competing objectives are involved and multiple alternatives are available. By using Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), the process of landfill site selection had become easier. In this method, the problem need to be divided into hierarchy before the pair wise comparison and made it prioritize accordingly. Then, the judgment will be synthesized and finally, the evaluation and consistency of judgment were checked. As a result, lists of criterion were arranged according to its priority, which is more dominant to economic aspect and less dominant to social aspect. This is on account of social matters can be solved alternatively by different systems. This landfill site selection process involved lots of spatial data and strenuous in handling it. Thus, by using GIS, it can give significant helps to solve this issue because of its potential in handling large volume of spatial data that needs to be evaluates and processed. This particular research used Johor Bahru, Johor for case study area