Structure and composition of understory plant assemblages of six land use types in the Lore Lindu National Park, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Dede Setiadi,Ramadhanil Ramadhanil,Sri Soetarmi Tjitrosoedirdjo

doi:10.3329/bjpt.v15i1.911

Dede Setiadi, Ramadhanil Ramadhanil + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v15i1.911

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Abstract

In the present study the diversity and species composition of understory plants are examined in the submontane forest of Lore Lindu National Park, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia by comparing three rain forest types and three types of plantations of cacao differing in use intensity. The results showed that 376 understory plant species consisting of 140 species of tree seedlings, 162 herbs and shrubs, 29 terrestrial ferns and 45 climbers were collected in all land use types. The mean species numbers of herbs did not differ among three forest types but was significantly higher in cacao plantation with high use intensity, being about three times higher than in undisturbed rain forest and lightly disturbed rain forest. Urticaceae, Araceae, Hypoxidaceae and Acanthaceae were predominant in the forests, whereas Asteraceae and Poaceae in the cacao plantations. The number of species of ferns and climbers did not differ between forests and plantations. The study also recorded several invasive plant species at the cacao plantations such as Piper aduncum L., Bidens pilosa L., Ageratum conyzoides L., Sclerea purpuriens Steud and Paspalum conjugatum Berg.Keywords: Cacao plantation, Primary forest, Structure and Composition, Understory plant assemblagesDOI: 10.3329/bjpt.v15i1.911 Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 15(1): 1-12, 2008 (June)

Highlights

Tropical rain forests are among the most species rich places on earth (Jacobs 1988).Many studies demonstrated high tree diversity of tropical rain forests (Proctor et al.1983, Kochummen et al 1990, Phillips et al 1994, Wright et al 1997, Hamann et al 1999, Kessler et al 2005), especially economically important trees (Whitmore 1990)
This study, makes an attempt to address the question how the floristic composition, diversity, richness and density of understorey plant communities differ between three rain forest types and three cacao plantations types with different use intensity in submontane forest of Lore Lindu National Park, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia
The study area was located in the surroundings of Toro, a village at the western margin of Lore Lindu National Park about 100 km south of Palu, the Capital of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Summary

Introduction

Tropical rain forests are among the most species rich places on earth (Jacobs 1988). Many studies demonstrated high tree diversity of tropical rain forests (Proctor et al.1983, Kochummen et al 1990, Phillips et al 1994, Wright et al 1997, Hamann et al 1999, Kessler et al 2005), especially economically important trees (Whitmore 1990). Understory plant species assemblages play a fundamental role in diversity, structure, and functional aspects of tropical forests (Svenning 2000). They may show different patterns of diversity than tree species due to different responses to light level, nutrient availability, and temperature (Laska 1997, Svenning 2000, Siebert 2002). This study, makes an attempt to address the question how the floristic composition, diversity, richness and density of understorey plant communities differ between three rain forest types and three cacao plantations types with different use intensity in submontane forest of Lore Lindu National Park, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Materials and Methods

Land use types D-F

Results and Discussion

11.41 Remaining families