Effects of water properties and soil texture on the growth of a mangrove palm; Nypa fruticans on carey Island, Malaysia
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2017
Abstract
Nypa fructicans is a major species of mangrove palm on Carey Island, Malaysia. The main objective of this study is to determine the effects of water properties on the growth of Nypa fruticans. Plant growth measurements and water analyses were carried out in six plots for 16 months. The life stages of Nypa fruticans were divided into seedlings, juveniles, adults and matures, based on the number of leaves. Leaf production of juvenile and mature trees showed negative correlation with salinity. Leaf production of seedlings was affected negatively only by heavy metal of Arsenic (As). Calcium (Ca) in the water had a strong positive effect on the new leaf production of juveniles and on the spear elongation of matures, and Iron (Fe) had a negative effect on the leaf elongation of adults. Similarly, spear elongation of juvenile trees was positively correlated to nitrate (NO3-). Silty clay texture provides the best condition for the growth of Nypa fruticans. The growth of Nypa fruticans was most significantly affected by water parameters in the early life stages.
Keywords
Heavy metals, Anions, Macronutrients, Mangrove, Nipah
Divisions
InstituteofBiologicalSciences
Funders
RP001M-13SUS
Publication Title
Pakistan Journal of Botany
Volume
49
Issue
1
Publisher
Pakistan Botanical Society