Performance of 45 native tree species on degraded lands in Singapore

Abstract

The performance of 45 native tree species, which encompassed a range of early successional to primary forest species, was evaluated in a reforestation planting trial on degraded lands in Singapore. Growth data was obtained from 1640 saplings planted between 1999 and 2004 on seven reforestation plots. Survival rates were greater than 90% across most species. Growth rates of planted saplings were significantly affected by species, site and interaction between species and site. A number of primary forest species performed well in this study. In comparison, many of the secondary forest species had slow to medium growth rates. Of the 45 species tested, 19 had diameter growth exceeding 1 cm year-1 while seven had growth rates below 0.5 cm year-1. This study showed that many primary forest species can grow well in open conditions of deforested sites. The results also emphasized the importance of site-species matching and the region-specific nature of species performance. The approach of interplanting fast-growing native species with primary forest species was shown to be a viable forest restoration method. Continued monitoring will reveal more information on the long-term performance of these planted saplings and native forest development in the restored forests.