Ecological Observations in a Tropical Karst Terrain, West Malaysia. I. Variations in Topography, Soils and Vegetation

Thirteen rectangular plots, representative of limestone terrain in the Malay peninsula, were established to the west of the Main Range. The characteristics of the meso-relief, soils and vegetation cover were determined in each. The results demonstrate the wide range of environments which may be encountered in a tropical karst terrain, with differences in topographic situation and rock purity accounting for much of the observed variability. The karst outcrops contrast strikingly with adjacent rain-forested slopes on non-carbonate lithologies in having a steeper and more irregular ground surface, and a thinner and less continuous soil cover. Despite these differences, the basal area of trees on limestone slopes of up to 450 is similar to that of the rain forests, and only on steeper slopes and rocky hilltops do edaphic conditions significantly limit tree growth. The capacity of the shallow karst soils to support tree stands with basal areas of over 30m2/ha is attributed to their relatively high level of base saturation and to the base-rich parent material.