NATIVE SPECIES FOR DEGRADED PEAT SWAMP FOREST REHABILITATION

It is known that over exploitation and repeated fire caused peat swamp forest degradation. Great effort on degraded peat forest rehabilitation has been taken to minimize forest degradation. The study aimed to understand the best tree species for degraded peat swamp forest rehabilitation. The study was conducted on degraded and burnt peat swamp forest of Tumbang Nusa Forest Research area, Central Kalimantan. The study was designed in a completely randomized design, using four native species, viz. Shorea balangeran, Dyera poyphylla, Calophyllum bifflorum, and Callophyllum inophyllum. The seedlings were planted in planting space of 5 m x 2.5 m. After eight months planting, S. balangeran had the highest seedlings survival. Environmental factors, such as ground water table and precipitation, in the demo-plot are presented.Key words: reforestation, degraded peatland, peat fire, Central Kalimanta

Trees and Regeneration in Rubber Agroforests and Other Forest-derived Vegetation in Jambi (Sumatra, Indonesia)

The rubber agroforests (RAF) of Indonesia provide a dynamic interface between natural processes of forest regeneration and human's management targeting the harvesting of latex with minimum investment of time and financial resources. The composition and species richness of higher plants across an intensification gradient from forest to monocultures of tree crops have been investigated in six land use types (viz. secondary forest, RAF, rubber monoculture, oil palm plantation, cassava field and Imperata grassland) in Bungo, Jambi Province, Indonesia. We emphasize comparison of four different strata (understory, seedling, sapling and tree) of vegetation between forest and RAF, with specific interest in plant dependence on ectomycorrhiza fungi. Species richness and species accumulation curves for seedling and sapling stages were similar between forest and RAF, but in the tree stratum (trees > 10 cm dbh) selective thinning by farmers was evident in a reduction of species diversity and an increase in the proportion of trees with edible parts. Very few trees dependent on ectomycorrhiza fungi were encountered in the RAF. However, the relative distribution of early and late successional species as evident from the wood density distribution showed no difference between RAF and forest

Flooding tolerance of four tropical peatland tree species in a nursery trial

In order to facilitate hydrological restoration, initiatives have been conducted to promote tree growth in degraded and rewetted peatlands in Indonesia. For these initiatives to be successful, tree seedlings need to be able to survive flooding episodes, with or without shade. We investigated the survival rates and the formation of adventitious roots in the case of four tree species exposed to combinations of different shading and water levels under controlled conditions in a nursery, with artificial rainwater and with peat soil as the medium. The research focused on the following questions (i) whether trees can grow on flooded peat soils; and (ii) which plant traits allow plants to cope with inundation, with or without shade. The four tree species compared (Shorea balangeran, Cratoxylum arborescens, Nephelium lappaceum and Durio zibethinus) include two natural pioneer and two farmer-preferred fruit trees. The experiment used a split-split plot design with 48 treatment combinations and at least 13 tree-level replicates. The study found that S. balangeran and C. arborescens had relatively high survival rates and tolerated saturated condition for 13 weeks, while N. lappaceum and D. zibethinus required non-saturated peat conditions. S. balangeran and C. arborescens developed adventitious roots to adapt to the inundated conditions. D. zibethinus, S. balangeran and N. lappaceum grew best under moderate (30%) shading levels, while C. arborescent grew best in full sunlight

DIVERSITY OF BIRDS ACROSS LAND USE AND HABITAT GRADIENTS IN FORESTS, RUBBER AGROFORESTS AND RUBBER PLANTATIONS OF NORTH SUMATRA

Birds play a pivotal role in ecosystems, but in disturbed areas their role may be limited due to changes in their habitat. In Simalungun and Asahan districts, North Sumatra, bird communities were studied in a range of habitats: natural forest, rubber agroforests (RAF), rubber monoculture plantations (RMP) and emplacement areas. The birds were observed using descriptive survey methods by implementing a quick biodiversity survey, with data collected along a 1km transect. In total, 142 species of birds from 42 families were found in the four habitats. Natural forests held the highest diversity of bird species, followed by rubber agroforests, emplacement areas and rubber plantations, with a Shannon-Wiener index of 4.5, 3.6, 3.6 and 3, respectively. Regarding the IUCN red list species, 12 bird species of near-threatened status and 2 species of vulnerable status were recorded. Based on CITES categories, one species was listed in the Appendix criteria I, 12 species were classified in Appendix II and 26 bird species were protected under Indonesian regulations. Changes in the structure and composition of vegetation in disturbed forests and cleared land determined the richness of bird species. The different tree compositions in the three habitats of the rubber estate plantations and surrounding areas influenced the number of bird species, their diversity and species composition

Effect of Planting Media on the Growth of Shorea Pinanga Scheff. Seedlings

Shoreapinanga Scheff. is a major tropical plant species which has an important economic value not only for timber, but also as illipe nut (called tengkawang in local name) production. This species is suggested for land rehabilitation and forest conservation. In rehabilitation action, S. pi11a11ga is usually planted on the poor and degraded area. Application of chemical fertilizer and compost is used to increase the survival and growth of the seedlings. Excessive chemical fertilizer input to soil, however, may cause negative effect on soil, plant and environment. Conversely, compost may improve soil porosity, soil aggregate, water absorption and soil fertility. The objective of the study was to examine effect of planting media on growth of S. pinanga seedlings. Complete randomized design has been arranged with 5 treatments, e.g. soil mixed with husk (at the proportion of 1:1), soil mixed with acacia compost (1:1), soil mixed with charcoal of rice husk (1:1) and soil mixed with humic acid (1:1). Another treatment was soil alone used as control. The result showed that growth of both stem height and diameter, and index of seedling quality were affected significantly by planting media. The mixture of soil and acacia compost (1 :1) was the best planting media for the growth of S. pinanga seedlings, which resulted in the growth of height (24.19 cm) and stem diameter (0.246 cm). Meanwhile, soil mixed with rice husk charcoal (1:1) gave the best result to the index of seedling quality (ISQ = 1.34) and total dry weight (TOW= 15.93 g)

TREES AND REGENERATION IN RUBBER AGROFORESTS AND OTHER FOREST-DERIVED VEGETATION IN JAMBI (SUMATRA, INDONESIA)

The rubber agroforests (RAF) of Indonesia provide a dynamic interface between natural processes of forest regeneration and human’s management targeting the harvesting of latex with minimum investment of time and financial resources. The composition and species richness of higher plants across an intensification gradient from forest to monocultures of tree crops have been investigated in six land use types (viz. secondary forest, RAF, rubber monoculture, oil palm plantation, cassava field and Imperata grassland) in Bungo, Jambi Province, Indonesia. We emphasize comparison of four different strata (understory, seedling, sapling and tree) of vegetation between forest and RAF, with specific interest in plant dependence on ectomycorrhiza fungi. Species richness and species accumulation curves for seedling and sapling stages were similar between forest and RAF, but in the tree stratum (trees > 10 cm dbh) selective thinning by farmers was evident in a reduction of species diversity and an increase in the proportion of trees with edible parts. Very few trees dependent on ectomycorrhiza fungi were encountered in the RAF. However, the relative distribution of early and late successional species as evident from the wood density distribution showed no difference between RAF and forest

Pengaruh Lebar Jauh Bersih Terhadap Pertumbuhan Jenis Meranti Merah Penghasil Tengkawang (Shorea Stenoptera Dan Shorea Mecistopteryx) Di Hutan Penelitian Haurbentes, Bogor

Shorea stenoptera dan shorea mecistopteryx merupakan jenis yang populer dalam dunia perdagangan sebgai kayu tropis yang mempunyai kualitas baik dan juga dapat menghasilkan buah tengkawang. Penelitian yang dilakukan di Hutan Penelitian Haurbentes bertujuan untuk mencari pengaruh serbagai lebar jalur bersih terhadap pertumbuhan dan daya hidup jenis pohon penghasil tengkawang S.stenoptera dan S. mecitopteryx.Penelitian berdasarkan rancangan Split Plot, dengan dua jenis shores sebagai petakutama dan jalur bersih sebagai anak petak.Tiap perlakuan diulang dua kali, dengan lima perlakuan lebar jalur bersih dan jarak tanam 3mx4m. Hasilpenelitian menunjukan rata-rata persen tumbuh untuk S. stenoptera 68,31% dan S. mecistopteryx 41,34%. Tinggi untuk S. stenoptera berkisar 122,68cm-148,54cm dan berdiameter1,38cm -1,77cm sedangkan S.mecitopteryx tinggi sekitar 117,61cm-157,28cm dan diameter ,23cm-1,73cm.Perlakuan lebar jalur bersih dua meter berpengaruh sangat nyata terhadap pertumbuhan diameter S. stnoptera dan S.mecistopteryx . Kesuburan tanah diareal penanaman rendash Totalpopulasi fungsi dan bakteri masing-masing adalah 0,81 x 10 CFU/gr tanah dan 10,03 x 10 CFU/gr tanah.Prestasi kerja dari mulai penyiapan lahan,penanaman dan Pemeliharaan memerlukan 82 HOK/ha