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The United Nation’s Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030 aims to halt ecosystem degradation to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. In Malaysia, the concept of sustainable forest management (SFM) has been practiced since 1901. In this study, we evaluated the genetic diversity of the native dipterocarp timber tree Shorea acuminata in a rehabilitated area at Kenaboi Forest Reserve (Kenaboi FR). The rehabilitated area was formerly a degraded forest managed with the taungya restoration system for 50 years. All trees with diameter at breast height (DBH) of 5 cm and over were measured, tagged and identified in a one-hectare study plot. A total of 132 inner bark samples were collected for DNA extraction. Four SSR markers (Sle280, Sle392, Sle475 and Sle566) and two EST-SSR markers (SleE07 and SleE16) were used to analyse 95 good-quality DNA samples. Genetic diversity parameters including maternal contribution were determined for 75 samples. The genetic diversity of big trees (He = 0.656 ± 0.19) and small trees (He = 0.652 ± 0.17) were high and both were in genetic equilibrium, with Fis values of the big trees being 0.035 and small trees being 0.164. Clustering analysis based on Jaccard’s similarity values (at 95% confidence level) confirmed that big trees in the Kenaboi FR rehabilitated area had originated from genetically diverse seed trees of the Sungai Menyala Forest Reserve which were used as the planting stock for the taungya restoration system. Maternal contribution showed that the allele contribution of the small trees came from the planted S. acuminata trees within the study area. The high genetic diversity of small trees in this study provides strong evidence that the existing big trees would be suitable for a genetically diverse seed collection to rehabilitate other degraded forests. Sustainable forest management must emphasise genetic diversity in order to ensure the resilience of rehabilitated forest ecosystems.

This study demonstrated that the cambial activities of three selected Shorea species with different stem diameters growing in a tropical rainforest in Malaysia responded differently to climatic factors. We investigated the cambial activities in Shorea leprosula, Shorea acuminata, and Shorea parvifolia trees with different stem diameters at breast height growing in a natural lowland dipterocarp rainforest in Malaysia. We collected and analyzed samples from the main trunks of selected trees in monthly intervals from March 2013 to April 2014. The cambium of the three Shorea species showed periods of active and less active growth in the humid forest. Selected trees with different stem diameters of the same and different species showed variation in rhythms of cambial activity (changes in the numbers of cambial and enlarging cell layers) at site with similar growing conditions. Monthly mean relative humidity and monthly mean vapour pressure deficit were important factors influencing the number of cambial cells of S. acuminata with larger stem diameter, and those of S. parvifolia with different stem diameters. Active cambium were detected in months with high relative humidity and low vapour pressure deficit in those trees. Total monthly precipitation had significant positive correlation with the cambial cells activities of S. parvifolia with different stem diameters, but no correlation with those of the other two species. The cambium of S. leprosula with smaller and larger stem diameters were found active throughout the year. We concluded that the three Shorea species examined with different stem diameters have different growth strategies and thus react differently to climatic factors.

Zulfahmi, Siregar IZ, Siregar UJ (2010) Chloroplast DNA variation of Shorea acuminata Dyer in Sumatra assessed by microsatellite markers. Biodiversitas 11: 107-111. Shorea acuminata Dyer is member of the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is ecologically and commercially important in the Indonesian region. In the present study, chloroplast microsatellites (cpSSRs) were used to study the distribution of chloroplast DNA haplotypes and to assess the variation within and among populations of S. acuminata from Riau and Jambi provinces eastern part of Sumatra. Based on chloroplast microsatellite analysis, six haplotypes were observed for S. acuminata,namely haplotype P, Q, R, S, T, and U, respectively. The high haplotype variation was detected in Bukit Barisan National Park (TNBT) population (five haplotypes); it may be due to TNBT population status as national parks (conservation area) under government protection. The value of genetic differentiation measured for S. acuminata was Gst = 0.150. The Gst values in this study is lower than the mean Gst value estimated in angiosperms plant for maternally inherited. Information on the status of genetic variation of the species in this study could be used as scientific consideration in formulating appropriate strategies for conservation and sustainable utilization ofgenetic resources.Key words: Dipterocarpaceae, Shorea acuminata, chloroplast microsatellites, genetic variation

Shorea acuminata Dyer, Shorea curtisii Dyer ex King, Shorea leprosula Miq., and Shorea parvifolia Dyer are dominant tree species in the tropical rainforest of Peninsular Malaysia, which experienced several climatic changes during Pleistocene. To investigate the current population structure and demographic history of these species, we analyzed levels and patterns of nucleotide polymorphism of the nuclear gene region PgiC. We also used sequence data of the GapC gene region obtained in our previous study. Negative Tajima’s D values observed in both investigated gene regions for S. curtisii, S. leprosula, and S. parvifolia implied that all three species have experienced population expansion events. Little to moderate levels of population differentiation in S. acuminata and S. curtisii suggested recent divergence of the investigated populations after postglacial colonization of the Peninsular Malaysia. In addition, some haplotypes were similar or identical to haplotypes of the other species. The existence of such haplotypes could be partially explained by interspecific hybridization. Indeed, we found some putative hybrid individuals. Interspecific hybridization among closely related species might have contributed to the polymorphism of the investigated species.

Very little is known about the levels and patterns of DNA polymorphism in populations of tropical trees. In this study, we investigated population genetic structure of the four following Shorea species: Shorea acuminata, S. curtisii, S. leprosula and S. parvifolia from peninsular Malaysia using DNA sequences of Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase nuclear gene (GapC). The average nucleotide diversities of the investigated species for silent sites (πsil= 0.0027) were lower than those reported for herbaceous plants, and similar or somewhat lower than those of other woody species. These low levels of nucleotide diversities may be caused by small effective population size of Shorea species. We found that some individuals harbored atypical haplotypes consisting of sequences from two different species. The segmented architecture of these haplotypes suggests past inter-specific gene exchange and fertility of the hybrids. As demonstrated in this study analysis of DNA sequences provides genetic evidence for the occurrence of inter-specific hybridization and gives important insights into its evolutionary effects.

Hopeanolin (1) was isolated from the acetone extract of the twigs of Shorea acuminata (Dipterocarpaceae), together with four resveratrol oligomers namely (-)-laevifonol, (-)-� -viniferin, (-)-vaticanol B and (-)-hopeaphenol. The structures of these compounds were established based on spectroscopic evidence, including UV, IR, NMR and mass spectra. Compound 1 showed the potent ability to protect � -carotene bleaching by linoleic acid and also to scavenge DPPH radicals with IC50s 0.18 and 6.58 mM respectively. The presence of compound 1 and the other four resveratrol oligomers in this species have great chemotaxonomic significance on the relationship between Shorea and other genera of Dipterocarpaceae especially Hopea.

Uninoculated dipterocarp seedlings raised in normal field soil in nurseries were always found to have mycorrhizas after a few months. This study set out to determine whether dipterocarp seedlings could continue to grow and develop in the absence of mycorrhizas and also to determine possible sources of mycorrhizal infection of dipterocarp seedlings raised under laboratory conditions using Shorea acuminata as a typical example. Seedlings were planted in capped or uncapped perspex boxes containing sterile or non-sterile field soil and watered daily with sterile water or tap water. Seedling growth and development of mycorrhizas were monitored at monthly intervals for up to seven months. Seedlings grown in sterile soil remained uninfected after seven months while infection was found in some of the seedlings grown in normal soil regardless of whether they had been watered with tap water or sterile water. This showed that field soil (i.e. under grass) far from the forest contained suitable inoculum for forest tree seedlings. Tap water and the air were not important sources of infection. However, mycorrhizal infection was very uneven indicating that the inoculum was probably very unevenly distributed in the soil or that the inoculum density was rather low. Seedlings grown in sterile soil showed better growth than those grown in normal soil and infection of roots by parasitic fungi in the latter was also observed. Key words: Mycorrhizas/Plant pathology/lnfections/Shorea acuminata/Seedlings.