Sains Malaysiana 51(4)(2022): 943-957

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2022-5104-01

 

Growth Rate, Mortality Rate and Life Cycle of Rafflesia azlanii and R. cantleyi in Belum-Temenggor Forest Complex, Perak, Malaysia

(Kadar Pertumbuhan, Kadar Kematian dan Kitaran Hidup Rafflesia azlanii dan R. cantleyi di Kompleks Hutan Belum-Temenggor, Perak, Malaysia)

 

SYARIFAH HANIERA SHEIKH KAMAL¹, MOHD NAZIP SURATMAN^1,2,*, SHAMSUL KHAMIS³, AHMAD NAJMI NIK HASSAN⁴ & MOHD SYAIFUL MOHAMMAD^4,5

 

¹Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

³Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

⁴Pulau Banding Foundation, Level 11, Tower 1, Mercu Mustapha Kamal, Jalan PJU 8/1, Damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

⁵School of Biological Sciences, University of Science Malaysia, 11800 Gelugor, Pulau Pinang

Malaysia

 

Received: 8 July 2021/Accepted: 11 September 2021

 

Abstract

The life cycle of Rafflesia is very complex because it involves the invisible and visible parts of its growth. The invisible part refers to its penetration, inoculation of the seeds into the host’s tissue and seed formation whereas the visible part is the floral structure that is exposed to the external environments. Currently, there is little information on the life cycle of Rafflesia, therefore knowledge regarding its life cycle is crucial for a successful monitoring of the species as part of conservation efforts. The objectives of this study were to analyse the growth of flower buds at various developmental stages and mortality rates of Rafflesia azlanii and R. cantleyi, and to observe the life cycle of the two species. The growth rate of R. azlanii and R. cantleyi were recorded monthly for five months beginning from an emergence of buds to full bloom in the study sites of Belum-Temenggor Forest Complex, Perak. The buds were measured and vertically photographed for every observation and categorized into eight stages. R. azlanii buds grew at the mean rate of 0.20 cm/day and R. cantleyiwas at 0.26 cm/day. This suggests that R. azlanii exhibited a slower growth rate than R. cantleyi. In addition, the mortality rate of R. azlanii (28%) was lower than R. cantleyi (45%). The high mortality rate could be due to two factors; an exposure of the plants to direct sunlight and damage caused by pests. Meanwhile, the life cycle for the visible stage for R. azlanii was 14 months and R. cantleyiwas 11 months. The information gathered from this study is useful for field monitoring and observation of the plants for conservation purposes.

 

Keywords: Bud growth rate; life cycle; mortality; Rafflesia azlanii; Rafflesia cantleyi

 

Abstrak

Kitaran hidup Rafflesia sangat kompleks kerana melibatkan bahagian pertumbuhan yang tidak kelihatan. Bahagian yang tidak kelihatan merujuk kepada penembusan, inokulasi benih ke dalam tisu inang dan pembentukan benih manakala bahagian kelihatan adalah struktur bunga yang terdedah ke persekitaran luaran. Pada masa ini, terdapat sedikit maklumat mengenai kitaran hidup Rafflesia, oleh itu pengetahuan mengenai kitaran hidupnya sangat penting untuk pemantauan spesies dan sebahagian daripada usaha pemuliharaan. Objektif kajian ini adalah untuk menganalisis pertumbuhan bunga pada pelbagai tahap perkembangan dan kadar kematian Rafflesia azlanii dan R. cantleyi dan mencerap kitaran hidup untuk kedua-dua spesies tersebut. Kadar pertumbuhan R. azlanii dan R. cantleyi direkodkan setiap bulan selama lima bulan bermula daripada kemunculan knob hingga bunga mekar di lokasi kajian Kompleks Hutan Belum-Temenggor, Perak. Tunas diukur dan difotograf secara menegak untuk setiap pemerhatian, dan ia dikategorikan kepada lapan tahap. Tunas untuk R. azlanii telah tumbuh pada kadar 0.20 cm/hari dan R. cantleyi pula pada 0.26 cm/hari. Ini menunjukkan bahawa R. azlanii mempunyai kadar pertumbuhan yang lebih perlahan daripada R. cantleyi. Kadar kematian R. azlanii (28%) adalah lebih rendah daripada R. cantleyi (45%). Kadar kematian yang tinggi mungkin disebabkan oleh dua faktor; pendedahan tumbuhan kepada cahaya matahari secara langsung dan kerosakan oleh serangga perosak. Sementara itu, kitaran hidup untuk tahap yang dapat dilihat untuk R. azlanii adalah 14 bulan dan R. cantleyi adalah 11 bulan. Maklumat yang dikumpulkan daripada kajian ini berguna untuk pemantauan dan pemerhatian di hutan untuk tujuan pemuliharaan tumbuhan ini.

 

Kata kunci: Kadar pertumbuhan tunas; kematian; kitaran hidup; Rafflesia azlanii; Rafflesia cantleyi

 

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^*Corresponding author; email: nazip@uitm.edu.my