Heavy metals in emergent trees and pioneers from tropical forest with special reference to forest fires and local pollution sources in Sarawak, Malaysia

Published Date
21 February 2002, Vol.285(1):107–115, doi:10.1016/S0048-9697(01)00899-3

Author

G. Breulmann ^a,

B. Markert ^b

V. Weckert ^b

U. Herpin ^c

R. Yoneda ^d

K. Ogino ^e

• aAsia Pacific Network for Global Change Research, IHD Centre Bldg. 5F, 1-5-1 Wakinohama Kaigan Dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe 651-0073, Japan
• bInternational Graduate School (IHI) Zittau, Markt 23, 02763 Zittau, Germany
• cUniversidade de Sao Paulo, CENA, Avendida Centenario 303, Bairro Sao Dimas, 13416.000, Piracicaba/SP, Brazil
• dCollege of Agriculture, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8566, Japan
• eSchool of Environmental Sciences, The University of Shiga Prefecture, 2500 Hassaka, Hikone, Shiga 522-8533, Japan

Received 7 June 2000. Accepted 20 May 2001. Available online 31 January 2002

Abstract

Leaf samples of tropical trees, i.e. Dryobalanops lanceolata (Kapur paji), Dipterocarpaceae and Macaranga spp. (Mahang), Euphorbiaceae were analyzed for 21 chemical elements. The pioneer Macaranga spp. exhibited higher concentrations for the majority of elements compared to the emergent species of Dryobalanops lanceolata, which was attributed to the higher physiological activity of the fast growing pioneer species compared to emergent trees. Lead showed rather high concentrations in several samples from the Bakam re-forestation site. This is suggested to be caused by emissions through brick manufacturing and related activities in the vicinity. A comparison of Dryobalanops lanceolata samples collected in 1993, 1995 and 1997 in the Lambir Hills National Park revealed that certain heavy metals, i.e. Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Ti showed higher values in 1997 compared to the previous years, which could indicate an atmospheric input from the haze caused by the extensive forest fires raging in Borneo and other parts of Southeast Asia.

Keywords

Tropical forest

Heavy metals

Forest fires

Pioneer trees

Emergent trees

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• * 
  Corresponding author

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