Biodiversity patterns in Acacia plantations and natural forest remnants in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo
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Abstract. Md-Isa SF, Lim SP, Besar NA, Wong WVC, Phua MH. 2026. Biodiversity patterns in Acacia plantations and natural forest remnants in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Asian J For 10 (1): r100110. https://doi.org/10.13057/asianjfor/r100110. Evaluating biodiversity patterns in tropical plantations is crucial for balancing production and conservation goals. This study assessed plant biodiversity across six forest types within an Acacia hybrid plantation landscape in Sook, Keningau, Sabah, Malaysia. Twenty-nine circular plots were established in Acacia stands of different ages (13, 15, and 17 years) and adjacent natural forests (secondary, riparian, and heath). A total of 42 tree species from 24 families were recorded across all forest types, of which 39 species were native; tree-based analyses comprised 34 species from 21 families. Species diversity varied markedly among forest types, with secondary and riparian forests exhibiting the highest diversity (Shannon-Wiener H′ up to 2.547; Simpson 1-D up to 0.904), while younger Acacia stands showed the lowest values. Among plantations, the 17-year-old stand supported higher native tree species richness (mean ± SD: 4.50±2.38 species per plot) than the 13- and 15-year-old stands. Differences in native tree richness among forest types were statistically significant (Kruskal-Wallis, p=0.002). Beta diversity partitioning between Acacia plantations and natural forests showed turnover values from 0.68 to 1.00 and nestedness values from 0.078 to 0.118. Acacia mangium and A. hybrid were identified as indicator species of plantations. In contrast, the natural forests contained diagnostic native taxa, including Koordersiodendron pinnatum (classified as Vulnerable under the IUCN Red List). These findings highlight the critical role of remnant natural forests as biodiversity reservoirs and the positive influence of stand age on native species recovery in plantation landscapes. Maintaining remnant patches and extending rotation cycles can enhance biodiversity outcomes in Acacia production forests.
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