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Science, Marine and Environment

LIVERWORT (MARCHANTIOPHYTA) FLORA OF SETIU WETLANDS, III

Annur Sara Hisham , Lee Gaik Ee
1*
1
1
Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030
Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.
*Corresponding author: gaik.ee@umt.edu.my

Liverworts in Malaysia have been studied since 200 years ago in which the first collected
specimen was made by Lehmann & Lindenberg in 1834. Although there are
approximately 800 species of liverworts occur in Malaysia, only two species have been
reported from Terengganu. Hence, this study was carried out in Setiu Wetlands
STUDENT RESEARCH DAY 2021 species collected in Setiu Wetlands and to construct an identification key to the genera STUDENT RESEARCH DAY 2021
ecosystem including BRIS, peat swamp forest and freshwater swamp forest in order to
update the checklist of liverworts of Setiu Wetlands. This study aims to identify liverwort

v
of all the liverwort species collected in the study area. In this study, a total of five species
in five genera and two families have been identified viz. Acrolejeunea sp., Cheilolejeunea
sp., Lopholejeunea sp., Cololejeunea sp. and Riccardia sp. The genus Acrolejeunea was
the only genus found at BRIS-type ecosystem while there were two and three genera
recorded in freshwater swamp forest and peat swamp forest, respectively. The genera
found in the latter two forests were Acrolejeunea sp., Lopholejeunea sp., Cheilolejeunea
sp., Cololejeunea sp., and Riccardia sp. Peat swamp forest had the highest number of
liverwort species while BRIS ecosystem had the lowest number of species. The species
richness of liverworts in Setiu Wetlands was low compared to other lowland forests in
Terengganu due to seasonal-flooding and high salinity which are unfavorable condition
for liverworts.

Keyword: Liverwort, BRIS, swamp forest, Setiu Wetlands, species richness.

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