J. Bio. & Env. Sci.

2020

Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES)

ISSN: 2220-6663 (Print) 2222-3045 (Online)
Vol. 16, No. 3, p. 44-47, 2020
http://www.innspub.net

RESEARCH PAPER OPEN ACCESS

A preliminary checklist of mangrove plants and associate

species in Sungai Kong Kong, Selat Medana, Johor, Malaysia

Ahmad Mukhlis Mohd Amin1, Rozilawati Shahari*1, Siti Zaleha Kassim2,

Che Nurul Aini Che Amri1, Zuhairi Ahmad2

1
Department of Plant Science, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia,
Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
2
Department of Marine Science, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia,
Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia

Article published on March 30, 2020

Key words: Checklist, Mangrove, Associate, Sungai Kong Kong

Abstract
This paper attempts to provide a preliminary checklist of mangrove species in Sungai Kong Kong, Selat
Medana, Johor. The results presented were taken from the sampling at Sungai Kong Kong. After being
pressed, dried and mounted on herbarium sheet, the specimens were made into herbarium voucher. Of
the 26 species, Rhizophora apiculata and R. mucronata are the dominant species in the mangrove forest
of Sungai Kong Kong. This indicates that the mangrove forest of Sungai Kong Kong can potentially
become an ecotourism site and should be conserved.
*Corresponding Author: Rozilawati Shahari  [email protected]

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 J. Bio. & Env. Sci. 2020

132,000 hectares in Sarawak and 341,377 hectares in

Sabah, accounting for about 82% of the total cover in
Introduction Malaysia. The remaining 18% of the mangrove cover
Mangrove is a term used to refer to types of woody is located on the peninsula, which is approximately
vegetation occurring in the brackish and marine 104,181 hectares, most of which are located on its
environment and restricted to the coastal area (Shin western coast (Chong, 2006).
Shin et al., 2015). Mangroves are found mainly in
Perak, Kedah and Johor, while smaller mangrove Unfortunately, Malaysia's mangrove cover has been
areas are found in Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan reduced from nearly 670,000 hectares in 1980 to about
(Faridah-Hanum et al., 2014). Mangroves are known 570,000 hectares by the year 2000 (Denise, 2015),
to be a unique species. They have many adaptations indicating that our current mangrove cover is at an
to survive in the saline environment, such as having alarming rate in 2018. The main reason for this decrease
pneumatophores and viviparous seeds that will was due to human factors such as over-exploitation of
germinate early while still on the tree. Srikanth et al. resources that cause habitat destruction (Given, 1994). If
(2016) stated that mangrove species, when this uncontrolled activity does not stop, it will cause
waterlogged, have roots with a higher portion of gas future disasters such as soil erosion, floods, loss of
space and are capable of excluding salt or can tolerate habitat, loss of economic resources that will sustain local
high concentrations of salt in tissues. communities livelihoods.

Mangrove is very important and plays a key role in

An active conservation effort must therefore be made
many aspects. Some of the role of mangroves is to
to prevent such disasters from occurring. Mangrove
protect the shoreline from waves and storm surges
forest has the potential to become an ecotourism site.
(Koh et al., 2018). It also helps trap sediment and
There are many recreational activities that can be
stabilise the soil. In addition, mangroves act as
carried out in mangroves, including nature
nurseries for marine life, thus supporting the
photography, bird watching, wildlife observation,
ecosystem’s food web by protecting young from
nature education, recreational fishing and boating
predators (Hutchison et al., 2014). This, in turn, will
(Chong, 2006). Ecotourism and leisure activities have
also help to sustain the economic activities of
been stated to have attracted entrepreneurs in places
communities living in coastal areas, mainly
such as Langkawi Island, Kuala Selangor, Matang,
dependent on fisheries. In addition, it is also able to
Lumut and Kuantan (Faridah-Hanum et al., 2014).
supply the communities with wood and non-timber
This can help provide additional income for the local
products. More importantly, mangroves are helping
community and, at the same time, educate local
to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. This
people and tourists about the importance of
indicates that mangroves play a crucial role in climate
regulation (Denise, 2015). mangrove protection.

Mangroves can be found mainly in Perak, Kedah and The mangrove forest of Sungai Kong Kong is located

Johor, while smaller mangrove areas can be found in along Selat Medana, near Kampung Kong Kong,

Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan (Faridah-Hanum about 30 km from Johor Bahru. However, the current

et al., 2014). According to Japar Sidik, Malaysia has ecotourism activity in Sungai Kongkong related to the
38 true mangroves, 57 non-exclusive and nine mangrove forest has not been so developed. This can
associated mangrove species (cited in Faridah- be due to a lack of information on the distribution of
Hanum et al., 2014). Giesen et al. (2006) reported mangrove plants in Sungai Kong Kong. There is by far
that there were 42 true mangroves. Most of the no known investigation into mangrove plants in
mangrove cover is located in East Malaysia with Sungai Kong Kong. The aim of this study is to provide

45 | Amin et al.
 J. Bio. & Env. Sci. 2020

a preliminary checklist of mangrove species found in most likely to be the Rhizophora-Bruguiera

Sungai Kong Kong. dominated coastal forest.
Materials and methods This is followed by other true mangrove species i.e.
Study area Ceriops tagal, Avicennia officinalis, A. alba,
The study was conducted in the mangrove area near Lumnitzera littorea, Sonneratia alba, Xylocarpus
Sungai Kong Kong. Sampling was conducted from granatum and Scyphiphora hydrophyllaceae found
July 2017 to May 2018. The mangrove forest of scattered in the mangrove forest. Apart from that,
Sungai Kong Kong covers an area of approximately mangrove associates species that consists of herbs,
38.9 hectares. shrubs and small trees i.e. Acanthus ebracteatus, A.
ilicifolius, Pluchea indica, Cassine viburnifolia,
Sampling method Hibiscus tiliaceus, Melanthera biflora, Oxyceros
The sampling was done using random sampling method longiflorus, Premna serratifolia, Flagellaria indica,
along the mangrove forest. A total of 3 samples per and Allophylus cobbe were found along the side of the
species of plant were collected. The samples were mangrove forest, including the fern species,
pressed, dried and mounted on herbarium sheet to be Acrostichum aureum and A. speciosum that can also
prepared into herbarium voucher. be found inside the forest. The total number of species
recorded at Sg. Kong Kong is slightly lower with 13 true
Data analysis mangroves and 13 mangrove associates compared to
The data collected included location as well as visual other studies conducted by Wan Juliana et al. (2010) in
observation with several parameters. This includes Mersing Mangrove Forest, Johor, which recorded 32
the vegetative and reproductive structures which was true mangrove taxa and 14 mangrove associates.
observed and recorded for species identification. However, with the small sampling area of Sg. Kong
Kong Mangrove Forest, which covers much less than
Results and discussion
approximately 38.9 hectares of total area, Sungai Kong
A total of 26 species from 20 genera and 14 families
Kong has a relatively high number of species.
have been identified. The families of true mangroves
and associated mangroves that were found to be
Conclusion
Acanthaceae, Rhizophoraceae, Combretaceae,
Twenty-six species of true mangrove and mangrove
Lythraceae, Meliaceae, Pteridaceae, Rubiaceae,
associates from 14 families and 20 genera have been
Arecaceae, Asteraceae, Celasteraceae, Malvaceae,
found in the mangrove forest of Sungai Kong Kong. This
Lamiaceae, Flagellariaceae and Sapindaceae. The
diversity of mangrove species in Sungai Kong Kong
most dominant family, depending on the number of
shows how important it is to be protected and thus
species collected in Sungai Kong Kong mangrove
shows its potential to develop into an ecotourism site.
forest belongs to the Rhizophoraceae family (3
genera, 6 species), Acanthaceae (2 genera, 4 species), Acknowledgement
Rubiaceae (3 genera, 3 species), Asteraceae (2 genera, This research was funded by Knowledge Transfer
2 species), and Pteridaceae (1 genus, 2 species). From Programed (KTP) Research Grant from Ministry of
the list of species, 13 species of true mangroves and 13 Higher Education (LL(R2)-ECC/2(UIAM-17)).
species of related mangroves have been recorded.
Sungai Kong Kong mangrove were generally References
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