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Using miniature plots to assess the effects of soils on the productivity of tropical plantation forests: a case study from Sabah, Malaysia

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Abstract

Fast-growth plantation forestry is relatively new in many Southeast Asian countries, and there is a clear need for monitoring and assessment of plantation forest soils in this region. In this study, we used miniature plots to estimate and explain site productivity for three widely planted hardwood tree species: Acacia mangium, Falcataria moluccana and Eucalyptus pellita. Miniature plots investigate forest productivity by carrying out very small-scale, short-term experimental studies and treating the results as analogous to what would occur in an operational-scale forest stand over a normal rotation. Miniature plots were established in three separate compartments of a tropical forest plantation in southeastern Sabah, Malaysia. Plots included the three species of interest, each with a fertilised and unfertilised subplot. Assessments were made of site and soil factors including soil profile properties and laboratory analysis of soil carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus (total and available) and pH. Tree growth was measured for nine months to estimate site productivity. Results suggest the need for research focusing on the role of soil carbon, carbon:nitrogen ratio, available phosphate and possibly soil pH in tropical plantation productivity, as well as the potential for large increases in productivity with high rates of fertiliser. In addition, there were differences in the fertiliser response between species, suggesting that F. moluccana in particular might respond more strongly than A. mangium to high application rates of fertiliser. The results also suggest that miniature plots have considerable potential for monitoring and investigating site productivity in fast-growth tree plantations in Southeast Asia.

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Availability of data and material

Availability of data is subject to approval from Sabah Softwoods Sdn Bhd (SSB) and the Borneo Forestry Co-operative.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Mr Mohd Hattah Ja’afar (SSB) and Mr David Boden (Borneo Forestry Co-operative) for their support in carrying out this study. Dr Noreen Majalap (Sabah Forest Research Centre) provided advice and support with the soil nutrient analyses. Dr Mike Watt of Scion Research provided advice on miniature plots in the early stages of this project.

Funding

This research was carried out in forests owned by Sabah Softwoods Sdn Bhd (SSB) and used staff and resources provided by SSB. It was undertaken as part of the research programme of the Borneo Forestry Co-operative.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Forestry|Te Kura Ngahere, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand

    Lisa Nguyen & Mark Bloomberg

  2. Acacia Forest Industries Sdn Bhd, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

    Agustan Alwi

  3. Sabah Softwoods Bhd, KM8,Jalan Sin San, P.O. Box 60966, 91019, Tawau, Malaysia

    Yani Japarudin

  4. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand

    Elena Moltchanova

Authors
  1. Lisa Nguyen
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  2. Agustan Alwi
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  3. Yani Japarudin
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  4. Elena Moltchanova
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  5. Mark Bloomberg
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Contributions

Conceptualization: Mark Bloomberg. Methodology: Mark Bloomberg, Agustan Alwi, Elena Moltchanova. Investigation, data curation and formal analysis: All authors contributed to aspects of field measurement, data acquisition, and data analysis. Writing -original draft preparation: Lisa Nguyen, Mark Bloomberg. Writing: all authors contributed to the writing and editing of the paper. Funding acquisition, project administration and resources: Yani Japarudin, Agustan Alwi.

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Correspondence to Mark Bloomberg.

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Nguyen, L., Alwi, A., Japarudin, Y. et al. Using miniature plots to assess the effects of soils on the productivity of tropical plantation forests: a case study from Sabah, Malaysia. New Forests 53, 353–369 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-021-09860-3

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