FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

ECOLOGY (SBV3013)

SEMESTER 2 2019 / 2020

FINAL ASSESSMENT

NAME STUDENT ID GROUP

NUR AINA AISYAH BINTI MAT RADZI D20171078140 B

TO BE SUBMITTED TO

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DR. HUSNI BIN IBRAHIM

TASK 1

1. Interaction between species is crucial for individual to survive in the environment.

In ecology there are many types of interaction that benefited to them.

As a journalist with ecology background, you have been assigned by your chief editor
to write an article explaining how these interactions may benefit to one individual that
perform them. Use a local examples on every interactions that you have mentioned so
that people would be more understand on your technical article. Use your own photo/s
(not from internet) to support your article writing.
 By Aina Aisyah
Sultan Idris University Education

REAL LIFE
SYMBIOSIS INTERACTIONS
A JOURNEY OF SELF DISCOVERY

You think you are alone in this world? Well of course not! If you see a bit deeper, you find many
organisms has been living together. None of the organisms in this planet can survive on their own. This
connection between ourselves and other living things is called symbiosis. The word symbiosis comes
from two Greek words that mean "with" and "living." It describes a close relationship between two
organisms from different species. When we talk about symbiosis component, it always about the five
interactions that exist which are competition, predation, mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.

I hope that the terms does not sound unfamiliar
to you because I did think we did learn those
terms in school but alas with everything else we
need to keep up maybe we do forget about it
especially we never really see the interactions in
our daily life. But does it really? Years ago, I
definitely just thought these interactions just
occur to certain animals in certain part of the
world. You see, I think the interactions only exist
from example given by the books.I remember
saying confidently about how the relationship
between clownfish and sea anemone considered
as mutualism but when the teacher ask me what
about other things or example that I knew, I
become numb because I did not know everything
else other than from the books. From that I did
some observations. After a while I realized that
those interactions is right in front of me it just
I always dismissed it as it is only just the
normal occurance in my daily life. So maybe
you just need the realization that not all the
things that you need to know come from text
books but it also from your real life. So here is
just some of the observations that I have made
for very example of these symbiosis
interactions in life that we missed.
This examples are from my experiences but I
hope from these example you can see there
are a lot that we can discover. I am fortunate
to see many examples as I did live in rural
area which is in a village. The example is
taken from most part from Kampung Pulau
Gajah, Kampung Gajah, Perak. The
surroundings area is palm oil plantations and
rivers.
Competition ( - / - ) is an interaction occur when the closely related species fight for limited resources,
there is a competition between the species. This fight for resources can occur between diverse groups of
the population. Competition can occur even when there is an unlimited supply of resources. I like to point
out this interaction can form into two which are intraspecies and interspecies competition. Intraspecies
competition is an interaction in population ecology, whereby members of the same species compete for
limited resources. By contrast, interspecific competition occurs when members of different
species compete for a shared resource. For this I found the most example for this interactions from my
surroundings.

Group monkeys in human establishments

If you can see from the picture above (although maybe not quite clearly) is a group of monkeys. These
monkeys always come to the homes in the village scavenging for any available food. Most villagers here
including myself plant many fruit trees but recent years we never get to have the fruits because the
monkeys always plundering them first. The monkeys lived in a very large group and I can see the
competition of them for the foods between them.
The next competition that come across is between my cats.

My cats having a fight

The cats that I sheltered also have competition interactions between them. Maybe they did not fight for the
foods like the monkey did, as they are considered as pet and providing them with foods is my obligation as
a pet owner but the cats always compete among themselves especially the males. Most of the times the
males did not really get along as they are very territorial. They did not like the smell of other cats. One
things for sure I see that the male cat always fight for dominance and for the females. See here you have it,
one of the simplest competition interaction.

Predation ( + / - ) is an interaction where one species hunt another species as predator. This interaction is
a very important one as it ensures that there is stability in the ecosystem. The two main populations
interacting in predation are the predators and the prey. Without the predators, the prey population will go
out of control. The species diversity in a community is also maintained by the predators. They reduce the
intensity of the competition between prey species. The prey species have also evolved several mechanisms
to lessen the impact of predation. One of the predation that I can give is between the spiders and small
insects.
 The spider and its webs

The spiders as predator will traps its prey using its webs and when the prey fell and stuck to the web, the
cannot let go and will be wrapped up and devour by the spiders. The next one see is from the praying
mantis that come to my house. The praying mantis is quite large for insects and it always hunts down its
preys. The praying mantis hunting skill is so subtle as it will wait for its preys come near it without making
any movement and when the right moment come, it will snatch the preys and devour it.

Praying mantis waiting for its prey

Mutualism ( + / + ) is the best interaction that we got so far as this interaction benefits both parties and
species in this interactions. When the two different population species interact in such a manner that it is
beneficial to each other, then this form of interaction is called mutualism. For this type of interaction, I
think the relationship between flowering plants and pollinators. Plants need some agents for pollination
and seed dispersal. And these agents are the animals. Animals, in turn, are rewarded with the nectar or
the fruits of the plants. This leads to co-evolution of the species. The example that I can found from my
surrounding is between the bee and the flowering plant in my house.

And for me I do think I did have the mutualisme interaction between me and the plants that I plant. The
plants have been giving me fruits and my sources of healthy vegetables and fibre and in return I tend and
take care of them. I think I have benefiting from the plants and in return the plant has turn me into its own
pollinators.

The small farm in my house

The next one is commensalism ( + / 0 ). In this kind of integration, one species population benefits from
the other species population. But the other species population does not benefit nor is it harmed in any
way. For this example I did not really have any idea what example I can get from my surroundings. But
then I stumbled upon a small group of ants. I think I have very complicated feelings about them. You see I
did not really think the presence of ants bother me and I did not necessarily killed them off using aerosol
although they are considered as pests. The ants has been living in my house as long as I remember. To be
honest I do not really see the benefit it got directly to me but I think the ants has been benefit off me. They
got to build their colony and hunts foods from the human leftovers and the insects in the area. So yeah I do
think me and the ants has commensalism interaction. We technically can consider them the ants as pets we
never really want but always end up with.

Group of ants surrounding the dead millipede in my house

The final interaction I want to share is parasitism ( + / 0 ). This is an interaction of populations where a
parasitic mode of nutrition is clearly seen, with one species being completely dependent on the other host
species for all its meals/ nutrient requirements. You can say this is the most toxic interaction -- as only one
party benefit from the interaction and definitely harmful to the next party. There are a lot of parasitism
interaction but I found the most disturbing is from mosquitoes.

A mosquito on my shirt
Mosquitoes has been a notorious species of insects. They suck the blood to continue its breeding cycle
and sometimes pass on one of dangerous virus and bacteria. They have been responsible for many flu and
fever and their bites is very uncomfortable. Always get a tiny bump and cause inflammatory reaction after
the mosquitoes suck the blood out of me. So yeah, I consider my relationship between me and mosquito as
parasitism interaction because I did not have benefit from this interaction and it cause me uncomfortable
when they have been around.

So there you have it, the examples of these interaction from your own house. Who ever thinks that these
interactions actually happening closely and we are the part of these interaction.We may think it is not
really that important that this happens but I think in a long run we can see the beautiful world we live in, it
just happened we did not really pay close intention to it!
 REPORT

MANGROVE FOREST ECOSYSTEM IN MANJUNG, SITIAWAN

PERAK

NUR AINAASYAH BINT MAT RADZI

UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONEMENT AND WATER

INTRODUCTION

Mangrove forests are a rare ecosystem typically found along sheltered coasts where

they abundantly grow in saline soil and brackish water subject to frequent fresh and

saltwater floods (WWF Malaysia). Mangrove forests are an ecosystem of incredible

biological diversity comprising hundreds of algae, mollusk, crustacean, fish, insect,

reptile, bird, and mammal species. Saltwater crocodiles, pelicans, egrets, spoonbills,

flying foxes and monkeys are all residents of mangroves, just to name a few.

Mangrove is a type of forest found in tropical intertidal zones, along the coast and

mudflats. Mangrove forest has a very unique ecosystem; its vegetation are well

adapted to highly saline waters and soils due to its capability to expel salt from the

water. Any group of plants that thrive in the coastal saline and brackish water is

classified as the mangrove forest. Mangroves can be found worldwide, but the largest

species diversity is in South East Asia.

The trees’ intricate network of roots provides a shelter for many oceanic and

freshwater species, and the forest is a food source for many types of organisms as well.

While certain species spend their entire life span in this ecosystem, numerous fish

species use the shelter of the mangrove as a nursing ground before heading to the

open ocean, to the extent that one third of all marine species were born and raised in

mangrove forests around the world. As a result, the mangroves’ well being is central

to the health of many more ecosystems.According to Latiff and Faridah-Hanum,

(2014), the mangrove swamp forests are confined to sheltered coasts, islands, lagoons,

estuaries and rivers on muddy substrates, unlike other types of forests which are more

spatially widespread and can be found on varied soil types. This is an significant

habitat for diverse biodiversity as an ecosystem, including fish, shells and microbes

and a variety of different species of plants. This also plays an important role as a
hydrological regulator in flood control, buffering against freshwater intrusion and

waves, and is of great social-economic significance. According to WWF Malaysia, a

mangrove forest is a very dynamic and highly productive ecosystem, in spite of its

smelly reputation. Not only does it perform several ecological roles, which are crucial

for its surrounding ecosystems, it is also a valuable tool for coastal communities.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

For this report I would like to state about the mangrove forest in Manjung, Sitiawan,

Perak Darul Ridzuan. Mangrove forest is abundance here in Manjung. The coastline

of Southern Manjung is made up of different wetlands consisting of rivers, mangrove

islands, mudflats, estuaries and fringes of mangrove forest along the coast. It is an

important ecosystem for fisheries as the majority of the local community (nearly half

of them are in the fishing industry) are involved in the harvesting of fish, shrimp and

shellfish, as well as in aquaculture industry. The mudflat and adjacent mangrove areas

are attracting many species of migratory shorebirds and water birds where some

species are residents.

METHODOLOGY

Activity one

Observation

1. The mangrove ecosystem is observed.

2. First, the plants that can be seen in the mangrove system are listed down.

Activity Two

Quadrat Sampling

1. The Plot was measured with size if 5 m X 5 m.

2. The Plot was subdivided into 25 sub-plots, each measuring is 1 m X 1 m.

3. Plant life form found within the selected plot was identified and the number of

individuals of each life form of plants species was determined.

4. After making the quadrat, the number of species and type of species in each

subquadrat were observed and recorded.

5. The type of dispersion in th quadrat was identified from the graph.

6. The density of population was calculated.

RESULTS

Activity One

List of Mangrove Plants

Species Scientific Name Common name

A Avicennia marina Api- api Batu

B Avicennia officinalis Api- api Ludat

C Sonneratio caseolans Barembang

D Rhizophora opiculata Bakau Minyak

E Rhizophora mucronata Bakau Kurap

F Bruguiera cylindrical Berus Putih

G Bruguiera parviflora Lengadai

Identification of mangrove plants family species according to the zone

Table 1 show respectively plant species

Costal Zone Midde Zone Inland Zone

High tide

Low tide

Avicennia / Sonnertia sp. Rhizophora sp. Bruguiera sp.

Table 2 show the characteristics of each plant in each zone

Activity Two

Species G =1 Species F = 2 Species G = 1

Species G = 1

Species D = 1 Species D = 1

Species E = 1

Species D = 1 Species E = 2 Species D = 2

5m

Species A = 1 Species A = 1 Species B = 1

Species B = 2 Species C = 2

Species A = 2 Species A =2 Species A = 2 Species A = 1 Species A = 1

Species B = 2 Species C = 1 Species B = 1 Species B = 2 1m

Species C = 2

1m

5m

Table 3 show the quadrat sampling results

DENSITY

Total species in all quadrat / Total size of area (m)

36 species / (5 m x 5 m)

= 1.44 species per m

Table 4 show the dispersion of the mangrove trees

Random Dispersion Pattern

DISCUSSION

There are 4 prominent species in this mangrove forest which are the Avicennia sp. ,

Sonneratio sp. , in the costal zone, Rhiszopohora sp. in the middle zone and there are

Brugueire sp. in the inland zone. There are 7 types of tree that we found in our

quadrat and have labelled the tree with an alphabet A to G. The species that have been

sampled are Avicennia marina (Api- api Batu) ,Avicennia officinalis (Api- api Ludat),

Sonneratio caseolans (Barembang), Rhizophora opiculata (Bakau Minyak),

Rhizophora mucronata (Bakau Kurap), Bruguiera cylindrical (Berus Putih), and

Bruguiera parviflora (Lengadai). All of them are native to the mangrove forest.

For the quadrat sampling method the sample is taken start at a costal zone reach until

5 meter during a low tide. Population size and density are the two important statistics

which used to describe and understand the populations. A population’s size refers to

the number of individuals it comprises. here is higher population of species A in the

quadrat which is one tree. Overall, it shows that species A have the larger population

and this species may be more stable than a smaller population. The density of total

species in our quadrat is 1.44 species per meter. Next, the dispersion pattern of our

quadrat shows a random dispersion because the individuals dispersed randomly with

no predictable pattern. From th result we can say that the ecosystem is I a good form

because the main key mangrove trees is quite abundance. The existence of the trees

like Avicennia marina (Api- api Batu) ,Avicennia officinalis (Api- api Ludat),

Sonneratio caseolans in the main costal zone in a greater dense than in the middle

zone and inland zone. Although in the sample there are not many species in for inland

zone it is because the quadrat sampling started from the costal zone where the

Avicennia sp. and Sonneratia sp. are like to be more abundance.Mangrove ecosystem

is one of the most valuable ecosystems in the world. From the population density awe
can say that the ecosystem is quite dynamic as the average of 1.44 species of tree per

metre can show that th eland is quite equipped.. But it should be maintain more as we

know the role of the mangrove ecosystem due to its significant role and richness to

provide resources to marine organisms and human, to protect the coastlines from

erosion and hurricane winds and to store carbon dioxide. Therefore, we need to take

actions and put much more efforts in conserving the mangroves. It is very important

to conserve the mangroves.

CONCLUSION

From the study, we can say that the ecosystem is dynamic with the existence and

abundance of the native mangrove trees. The trees are likely to be conserved as they

are in the right places which are the costal zone, middle zone and inland zone.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Encouragingly, more people are more likely should have display positive attitudes

towards our mangrove forest. Given the low awareness of the mangrove ecosystem it

is clear that education and outreach efforts are needed (Walsh and Morton 2009).

Therefore, educational materials and awareness programs targeting the public could

be beneficial in spreading information about the mangrove forest conservation. And

the introducing the newer tree through re-planting programme are very recommend to

save and nurture the mangrove even more.

REFERENCES

Latiff A., Faridah-Hanum I. (2014) Mangrove Ecosystem of Malaysia:

Status,Challenges and Management Strategies. In: Faridah-Hanum I., Latiff A.,

Hakeem K., Ozturk M. (eds) Mangrove Ecosystems of Asia. Springer, New York,

NY. Retrieved from

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4614-8582-7_1

Hutan Paya Laut ,Manjung Selatan Southern Manjung Mangrove,Kampung Nelayan

Fishing . Friends of Mangrove Lekir Sitiawan. Retrieved from

https://www.gec.org.my/view_file.cfm?fileid=3235

Walsh, A. L., and Morton, P. A. (2009). Methods to promote bat conservation,

outreach and education through science- and research-based activities. In Kunz T.

H., and Parsons S. (eds.), Ecological and be havioral methods for the study of

bats, 2nd ., The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, pp. 868–885.

WWF Malaysia. Mangrove Forests. Retrieved from

https://www.wwf.org.my/about_wwf/what_we_do/forests_main/the_malaysian_r

ainforest/types_of_forests/mangrove_forests/