From: (Ashton, Peter) Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2014 15:17:51 +0000 Subject: [Mastwatch] Strangler fig densities in different forest types Status: O Strangler figs are most abundant on soils of high nutrient (nitrogen?) content, , along mesic river banks, and in semi-evergreen forests. In India, where they are grown for wood (!), they are established in chicken manure. I dont know of any specialist in kerangas though, I recall seeing F xylophylla there on several occasions. Peter ________________________________ From: mastwatch- [mastwatch-] on behalf of Sepilok2010 . [] Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2014 12:28 AM To: Subject: [Mastwatch] Strangler fig densities in different forest types Hi All, On a non-masting topic. Does anyone have any info on strangler fig densities in Kerangas forests? I have a final year project student fig densities within Sepilok FR and we have yet to encounter stranglers (free standing figs are also low). Thanks Colin Maycock Uni Malaysia Sabah -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From: (Cam Webb) Date: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 16:29:53 +0800 Subject: [Mastwatch] Shorea albida Status: O [Reposting to list for Christopher Philipson (not a list subscriber)] ---- Subject: Re: [Mastwatch] Shorea albida From: Christopher Philipson Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2014 13:02:39 +0200 ---- Hi all, Yes, it's great to hear so many people interested in these questions! I think what I know as Dryobalanops beccarii - (See paper below for published sapling growth rates) - I am also seeing D. beccariana as a synonym. At Danum we have seen evidence for Parashorea flowering every year (as Colin said also mentioned), and certainly Kapur flowering very regularly. One big question is how the changes in ENSO cycles (whatever they may be) will alter the dynamics of flowering - particularly for the more drought sensitive species. Could they end up being triggered too easily or regularly - and end up with insufficient stores to set fruit? Cheers Chris Recent publications: Christopher D. Philipson, Philippe Saner, Toby R. Marthews, Reuben Nilus, Glen Reynolds, Lindsay A. Turnbull, Andy Hector (2012) Light-based regeneration niches: evidence from 21 dipterocarp species using size-specific RGRs. Biotropica.doi:10.1111/j.1744-7429.2011.00833.x Ecology: Plant growth rates and seed size: a re-evaluation http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/11-0261.1 Dr. Christopher Philipson Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Winterthuerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich Tel: 00 41 44 635 61 29 Fax: 00 41 44 635 57 11 On 31 Mar 2014, at 18:06, Chuck Cannon wrote: > Hi folks, > > this is great! I hope everyone is enjoying this. > > There was a broad-leaved Dryobalanops species in the Sungai Matan area that was mixed with the local D. beccariana (forgive me if I am wrong about the species name, just lazy to look it up). the other one was certainly a different tree. > > I wonder what the climate would have been like 20,000 years ago on these soils? I don't think they would have existed extensively on the shelf, would they? How quickly soils could develop to any depth is a big question -- depends on many factors, I would think. > > It probably would have been wet enough for rainforest but certainly cooler and the long-term patterns like the ENSO cycle would have been different. I've seen simulations say they would have been stronger and some that say they would have been weaker. Take your pick. This would have been closer to the predominant climate through the last glacial cycle than current conditions. > > Chuck > > > On Mon, Mar 31, :47 AM, Ashton, Peter wrote: > Chuck et al., > > Kapur are well known to flower out of mast seasons, as well as in them.Tim Whitmore (see his 1984 book) attributed the gregarious tendency of all kapur species to 'reproductive pressure', though they have other attributes which give them advantage. > > The absence of Dr. lanceolata on the west side of Gng Palung is due, surely, to the predominance of granite-derived sandy soils there (alluvial bench excepted) . Kapur paji is confined to yellow-red clay loams in my experience. In fact, It is rare to find two kapur species in mixture: Even in Lambir, Dr aromatica, on deep yellow sands, and Dr lanceolata hardly mix there. Every species seems to have a unique edaphic range. > > Peter > > ________________________________________ > From: Chuck Cannon [] > Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2014 3:37 PM > To: Burslem, Dr David F. R. P. (School of Biological Sciences); Ashton, Peter; Ferry Slik; > Subject: Re: [Mastwatch] Shorea albida > > I've always had a feeling that Dryobalanops was gregarious and they > attempt to fruit more frequently than other Dipts, perhaps locally > creating the benefits of synchronous fruiting? The populations north of > Gunung Palung flowered and fruited (with varying success) completely > outside of any general fruiting. Does anyone think that kapur behaves > differently than other dipts? > > I've always been curious about the fact that kapur is so abundant north > of the Matan River (which forms the northern border of Gunung Palung NP) > and on the eastern side of the Palung mountain range, while it is > virtually absent on the western side, where the research site is > located. Chance of history and limited dispersal? > > Chuck > > > > -- > ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* > Charles Cannon > Associate Professor, Texas Tech University > Senior Visiting Professor, Center for Integrative Conservation (XTBG) > > for contact info, see:ecologicalevolution.org > > _______________________________________________ > Mastwatch mailing list > > http://lists.phylodiversity.net/listinfo.cgi/mastwatch-phylodiversity.net From: (Cam Webb) Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2014 09:21:58 +0700 Subject: [Mastwatch] Shorea albida Status: O [Posting message for list from Ian Baillie] Hi Peter and All My apologies for my slow response. I have read the correspondence with interest. My contribution is dated, as I last met dat some 30+ years ago. There must be more stations and much longer data runs now. My speculation then as to why droughts are more frequent along the coasts (if this is indeed confirmed by fuller modern data) was roughly: 1 There was not much coast-inland difference during the monsoonal periods of widespread prolonged cyclonic rainfall 2 In the inter-monsoonsal periods, rainfall was mainly as intense localised convectional storms, which originated from spatially varaiable intense warming and development of cells of unstable up-wafting air 3 These convectional storms developed less on the coast because the potentially unstable cells were bled off by sea breezes in the later part of the day. 4 Therefore the there is lower frequency of drought-relieving connectional rainfall near coasts . But I never developed this any further so it remains speculative I look forward to hearing how this discussion progresses. Regards Ian > From: "Ashton, Peter" > Date: Tuesday, 25 March 2014 10:58 > Subject: RE: [Mastwatch] Shorea albida > > Hi ewverybody, > > > > All interesting, including Colin (Maycock?) at Danum who says there has been > little drought up there to date, - out of kilter with Sunda further west as > so often. But there is another potentially intriguing aspect of this issue > which UBD sleuths can get on to, and for which I have brought Ian Baillie in > as he has had an interest in the coastal climate of NW Borneo: Primary > seringawan forest should evapotranspire roughly as much vapour as the sea > surface, so where is the climatic coastline, on the true sea front > back of swamps where extensive? Of course coastal development, and > conversion to oil palm down the coast, wil laffect this. But, if the > climatic coastline back of the swamp, that might explain why > swamps times from inland forests. > > > > And Joe (it is always good to hear from you!), what has happened to what was > left of Andulau, by far the most important forest for conservation from a > tree species endemism perspective (and probably a lot more, such as soil > fauna and flora, and arthropods, besides)? > > > > Peter From: (Cam Webb) Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2014 12:14:26 +0700 Subject: [Mastwatch] West Kalimantan mast Status: O Hi All, I have some news to add from the Gunung Palung National Park area of West Kal. We?ve just finished a big durian harvest here, and Endro Setiawan says there are now ripe fruits of a few generally masting species in the local market in the east of the park (at Pangkalan Jihing): tampoi, kapul (the former white-fleshed, the latter yellow-fleshed, one of which is probably _Baccaurea macrocarpa_), and teratong (a forest _Durio_). However, he also says there are immature fruits of _Shorea laevis_, _S. crassa_ and several other _Shorea_ in the forest. Additionally, Sarah Jasse, who is managing a research Cabang Panti research station in the park, said yesterday that the phenology sheets coming in from the research assistants are loaded with ?B?(uds) and ?F?(lowers). So I guess these is a big mast brewing here too. I?ll send more info when I get into the forest myself next week. Best, Cam From: (Sepilok2010 .) Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2014 08:02:34 +0800 Subject: [Mastwatch] Shorea albida Status: O Hi All, Just came back from field trips to Kawang Forest Reserve (close to KK) and Sepilok. We have flowering in both areas, however, not fully convinced that it is as big as the 2010 flowering event. In 2010 we had roughly 60% of the canopy Dipterocarps flowering within our 160 ha plot, plus most of the non-dipts also. One of the most noticable things from 2010 was that we had lots of Apis dorsata migrating into to Sepilok FR - and we couldn't climb in certain areas of the forest due to the presence of nests. At the moment the Apis dorsata in Sepilok appear to be largely absent/reduce numbers compared to 2010, we also have a range of early flowering Dipterocarps showing no moment. The forests are also very dry and with the strong el nino predicted for later this year - we could be seeing a lot of flower/fruit abortion. Colin Maycock School of International Tropical Forestry Universiti Malaysia Sabah -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From: (Ashton, Peter) Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 11:53:20 +0000 Subject: [Mastwatch] SM flowering in Pine Enrichment @ Sinharaja Status: O Hi Nimal (and Savi), I have taken the liberty of cc-ing your message and this reply to a bunch of field enthusiasts in Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra who are accumulating an ever more comprehensive network of dipterocarp phenological obesrvations. I suspect that you will enjoy joining: Your contributions will also prove of much interest to them. (Let me know if the link fails to get through to you). Individual dipterocarps have been recorded in arboreta and nurseries as flowering just a few years after germination. Appanah wrote an article observing that initial flowering starts among smaller individuals in logged forest. Your observations are consistent with that. On the other hand, early flowering is bad news for silviculturists, for Richard Primack observed that diameter growth almost ceased in plantation Dryobalanops in Sarawak. Mast reproducing dipterocarps gain in mean growth rates by intervals, it seems. Peter ________________________________ From: Nimal Gunatilleke [] Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2014 6:03 PM To: Ashton, Peter Subject: Fwd: SM flowing in Pine Enrichment @ Sinharaja ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Nimal Gunatilleke <<> Date: Sat, Apr 19, :54 PM Subject: SM flowing in Pine Enrichment @ Sinharaja To: < Dear Peter, This year beraliya spp. especially Shorea megistophylla & S. cordifolia flowered in the WZ but not a major mass flowering season. I was able to take a few pictures of SM flowering, for the first time I think, in the pine stand planted in 1991/92 by Mark, Sunil G & co. in Sinharaja - flowering after 22 years of vegetative growth!. I am sending a few pictures in case you wish to have them for anything. Best, NG -- Prof. I.A.U.N. Gunatilleke Department of Botany Faculty of Science University of Peradeniya Peradeniya 20400 SRI LANKA. TEL: +94 81 2394526; +94 81 2389130 (Office) +94 81 2388000 (Home); Mobile +94 777 792700 FAX: +94 81 2388018; +94 81 2389026 (Office) Email: <; < -- Prof. I.A.U.N. Gunatilleke Department of Botany Faculty of Science University of Peradeniya Peradeniya 20400 SRI LANKA. TEL: +94 81 2394526; +94 81 2389130 (Office) +94 81 2388000 (Home); Mobile +94 777 792700 FAX: +94 81 2388018; +94 81 2389026 (Office) Email: <; < -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: