Abstract:
The spear frond development of this palm is continuous throughout the year but
different at the population and individual level. The main objectives are to determine
the life stages of spear frond of Nypa fruticans and to determine the distribution of
Nypa fruticans spear frond at Tok Haji Island, Setiu, Terengganu. This study only
based on one species at different life stages because different life stages of tree will
yield different products. This study was conducted at Tok Haji Island, Setiu,
Terengganu. The sampling starts on June and followed by monthly observation until
December 2011. During the first sampling, the selected individual of spear frond was
tagged and the stage was identified. The height also was measured and recorded.
Observation on the tagged spear fronds were done on the next month and continued
until December. Six transects and 25 rectangular plots were located in major stands of
Nypa fruticans at the island. Along the lines, 1 Om x 1 Om plot was placed for every 3m
distance. In each plots, three random individual either stage 1, 2, 3 or 4 was selected
in 3m distance from each other. In the followed months, the observation was done to
record the development of the tagged spear frond. From the sampling, Nypa fruticans
spear frond was distinguish divided into four dynamic life stages which are stage 1,
stage 2, stage 3 and stage 4. For the first sampling, the highest percentage for the
distribution of the spear frond at the island is from stage 1 (68%) and followed by
stage 3 (18.67%), stage 2 (9.33%) and the lowest percentage is from stage 4 (4%).
The spear frond height for each stage was determined based on its mean, variance,
standard deviation and standard deviation error. The time frame for the spear frond to
develop also can determine by mean duration for each stage. The longest mean duration (month) for spear frond to develop taken by stage 1(2.49±0.25) followed by stage 3 (2.01±0.17), stage 4 (1.55±0.26) and shortest is by stage 2 (0.92±0.08).
