RING-BARKING AND ROOT DEBARKING OF DIPTEROCARP SAPLINGS BY TERMITES IN AN ENRICHMENT PLANTING SITE IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

KIRTON, L. G. & CHENG, S. 2007. Ring-barking and root debarking of dipterocarp saplings by termites in an enrichment planting site in Malaysia. This paper reports ring-barking and root debarking of saplings for the first time in South-East Asia from Peninsular Malaysia, specifically on transplanted dipterocarp saplings (Shorea spp.) used in enrichment planting in a logged-over lowland dipterocarp forest. Above- and below-ground symptoms of attack are described. Attack could occur on living and otherwise healthy plants, indicating that it was not necessarily secondary to other mortality factors. A number of termite species from the genera Schedorhinotermes, Odontotermes, Procapritermes, Pericapritermes and Nasutitermes were found on or near the tap-roots of the saplings, the most commonly encountered being species of Odontotermes. The nature of damage is very similar to damage caused by termites to young plantation-grown eucalypts in India, Africa and Brazil. The wide range of termite species found, which do not normally attack wellestablished saplings or trees, and the predominance of Odontotermes, also parallel the phenomenon in other regions, particularly India. Possible reasons why this form of termite damage has not been reported previously from South-East Asia and specifically from Malaysia in plantation forestry are discussed. The occurrence of this phenomenon in the understorey of a closed-canopy native forest is significant, as it throws doubt on the hypothesis that the problem arises from a lack of alternative food sources for the termites during the establishment period of young forest plantations.