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.