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The role of Squirrels (Sciuridae) and Treeshrews (Scandentia) as
Seed Dispersal Agents in Kenyir Forest Area and Sekayu
Recreational Forest, Terengganu
James Lee Jia Wei
Supervisor: Dr. Nor Zalipah Binti Mohamed
Bachelor of Applied Science
(Biodiversity Conservation and Management)
School of Marine and Environmental Sciences
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
It is important to identify the actual role of squirrels and treeshrews as seed
dispersal agent because they also have the potential to be seed predators.
Therefore this study was conducted at Kenyir and Sekayu forest to determine
their role and to identify the tree species which seeds are dispersed by them.
Sampling was done include trapping and collection of fruit samples. Seed
germination test was conducted to determine the seed viability of both ingested
seed and seeds from fruit samples (uningested). Seventeen faecal samples with
seeds were collected from the 31 captures consisting of Tupaia glis, Lariscus
insignis and Callosciurus notatus. Seven types of seeds were succesfully
identified from faecal samples. The germination of ingested seeds might take
more than twenty days that we conducted but the role of squirrels and
treeshrews as seed dispersal agent was determined as they helped to transfer
seeds away from the parent plants.
1694 | UMT UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH DAY 2018