Modelling in-situ factors affecting bud’s growth of rafflesia kerrii meijer in lojing highlands, kelantan, peninsular malaysia

Abstract

Studies on the statistical approach to analyzing growth factors of bud’s growth in the genus Rafflesia have been lacking. This study quantified the effects of eight selected ecological factors hypothesized to be influencing bud’s growth (diameter and circumference) of Rafflesia kerrii Meijer. A non-experimental cross-sectional data collection was conducted between April and August 2018 by in-situ observation and measurements on eight ecological factors utilizing thirty-four sampled individual plants in Lojing Highlands, Kelantan, Peninsular Malaysia. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Heteroscedasticity-Consistent-Error (HCE) OLS regression models were employed to establish the statistical relationship between bud’s growth and its influencing factors. Host plant’s ecological ability, level of temperature, light shading, soil acidity, and interaction between plant survival condition and growth stage were found to be the significant and influential ecological factors to bud’s growth of Rafflesia kerrii. The results also showed that, model wise, HCE OLS models outperformed the OLS models in explaining the cause-and-effect relationship under study. Due to some limitations in sampling and data collection, further studies were recommended to corroborate this study using a larger sample covering a larger geographic area – possibly across different localities.