Projects

Project 1
Comparison of Ants Species Composition between Leaf Litter Underneath Dipterocarpus globosus and Ficus fistulosa
Eka Fatmawati Tihurua and Marcelinus A.S.A

Abstract
Ants (Formicidae) are one group of insects that have high diversity. Ants play an important role in the tropical rainforest as decomposers of leaf litter. We collected leaf litter underneath Dipterocarpus globosus and Ficus fistulosa in CTFS plot in Lambir National Park, Sarawak. There was a difference in ants species composition between leaf litter underneath Dipterocarpus globosus and Ficus fistulosa

Keywords : ants, Dipterocarpus globosus, Ficus fistulosa, leaf litter.
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Project 2
Marine Invertebrate Diversity Along a Reef Gradient at Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park
Toh Kok Ben, Subekti Sulistyawati, Ruchira Somaweera, Megan Bartlett, Ian McFadden, Eka Fatmawati Tihurua
Abstract
We compared diversity of marine invertebrates along mid-reef, reef crest and reef slope regions in the coral reef at Tunku Abdul Rahman marine sanctuary at Gaya Island in Sabah, Malaysia. 12 plots were placed in 4 replications in each marine zonation. The most diversity in marine invertebrates was found in the reef crest area, possibly because this region contained the most coral cover, providing the most invertebrate microhabitats.
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Project 3
Butterfly Colorisation Preference in Canopy Height
Dewi Suprobowati and Eka Fatmawati Tihurua
Abstract
Maliau Basin, known as Sabah’s Lost World, is one of the richest mixed dipterocarp forests in terms of overall biodiversity. A previous study found a total of 33 butterflies in this area. Canopy as a part of tropical forest habitat support many lifehood include butterflies. We held direct observation of butterflies colorization preference on vertical distribution at the canopy level (understorey and upperstorey). Our first analysis showed that abundance of light color butterflies significantly corelated with uppercanopy, while dark color buterflies had no significant correlation. But the second analysis show there are no significant differences in canopy preference and either with the abundance of light and dark color butterflies. The second result showed no significant different in color preference. However there still high tendency for light butterflies to have vertical distribution in uppercanopy level, since the highest number of abundance was occur in the uppercanopy parts.
Key words: butterflies, colorisation, canopy
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