Species composition and diversity of tree seedling and sapling at different altitudes of R.E.A.C.H biodiversity centre, Cameron Highlands, Pahang

Regional Environmental Awareness Cameron Highland (R.E.A.C.H.) Biodiversity Centre Area is located at the ridge of Gunung Brinchang with the elevation of 1800 meters above sea level, and this area is considered as secondary forest due to the reforestation in 2004 as the forest was illegally cleared in 2000. This area is maintained as an education and research area alongside with the future regeneration purpose. The research was carried out by establishing nested quadrat method of 20 >< 20 meter, where l0 >< 10 meter with 25 inner subplots are taken as study area on three different elevations, each with 100m alt different. During the research carried out, a total of 17 families, 28 genera, 45 species, and 556 individuals of tree seedlings and sapling were found on different altitudes in the overall study area of 0.03 hectare. The most abundant family recorded were Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, Theaceae, and Fagaceae. This study also discuss the Shannon Diversity Index (H’), Shannon Evenness Index (EH), Sorensen Similarity Index (CS), Abundance Parameter and dominant species based on the Important Value Index (IVi). The H’ value of tree seedlings and saplings are 2.25 and 2.36 respectively, where the EH value for both seedlings and saplings were 0.41. In this study, the diversity of tree seedlings and saplings species found on lower elevation are higher, followed by middle elevation and upper elevation, where the upper elevation has the lowest diversity. Therefore, Rhododendron wrayi has the highest value of IVI 32.28% and 25.77% for seedlings and saplings respectively, making this species the dominant species found based on the overall study area. During this research, two threatened species were recorded (Lithocarpus hendersonianus and Melicope lunu-ankenda), also three endemic species to Cameron Highlands were recorded (Lithocarpus hendersonianus, Knema rigidifolia and Syzygium cameronum).