A Study on Diversity and Distribution of Figs (Ficus, Moraceae) in Bogor City, West Java, Indonesia

Ficus (Moraceae) is a keystone resource species in the tropical region, and it contributes significantly to Bogor City's vegetation composition. Ficus spp. provide habitat for urban animals and contribute to providing environmental services for the community. Minimum data distribution and increasing land-use change possibly decrease Ficus diversity in Bogor City. This study aimed to analyse the diversity and distribution of Ficus spp. in Bogor City. The research was conducted by dividing Bogor City into 128 plots sized 1 x 1 km. Relative abundance and distribution analysis used QGIS version 3.10.2-A Coruña. A total of 37 species of Ficus spp. from six subgenera were found in Bogor. The highest distribution is mainly located around the Bogor Botanic Gardens and the Ahmad Yani City Forest in a tree and hemiepiphyte. Ficus benjamina and Ficus septica were the most common species found and spread throughout Bogor City. The significant land-use change in Bogor City has resulted in Ficus spp. generally spread in the northern and central parts. In contrast, in the southern part, they are relatively low. Some Ficus can also be bioindicators because they have growing habitats that tend to be specific and spread in certain areas. The presence of the Bogor Botanic Gardens has an important role in increasing the diversity of Ficus spp. in Bogor City.

Pemodelan Habitat Potensial Tumbuhan Lebah Apis dorsata di Membalong, Belitung

The forest becomes a habitat for honey bees to carry capacity for the supply of feed sources. Apis dorsata requires the availability of plants for supplying nectar and pollen. Traditional system in Belitung uses rafters for the efficiency of honey harvesting. Studies about preference habitats for bee forage become important to perform conservation of the honey bees. Therefore, the objective of this study was to (1) identify the composition, structure distribution patterns and vegetation profiles, (2) identify the area of the appropriate habitat model and environmental variables that influence the carrying capacity to provide bee forage of A. dorsata. Purposive sampling was used to analyze vegetation structure, distribution patterns, and vegetation profiles. The determination of the distribution of species is obtained from the Morishita index. We used MaxEnt for species distribution modeling to predict the potential plant habitat of bee plants. Our results showed that five most highest-importance plants. Myrtaceae is a family with dominant compositions and INP such as Melaleuca cajuputi, Tristaniopsis obovata, and Eugenia leptantha. The structure of other families such as Theaceae (Schima wallichii), and Clusiaceae (Calophyllum pulcherrimum), are the species that have the highest importance. The pattern of distribution of bee forage is clumped. The canopy cover around the honeycomb area tends to be relatively open. Based on the modeling habitat, categories with very appropriate for the presence of bee forage not spread throughout Membalong Regency with a percentage of the area (4.86%) and in the buffer zone (10.53%), environmental variables that influence the distribution are temperature seasonality, maximum temperature warmest month, slope, precipitation on warmest quarter and soil ph.   Keywords: habitat modeling, rafter, spatial distribution, vegetation analysis, vegetation profile

The Increase of Sumatran Tiger’s Prey Following Eradication of Melastoma malabatrichum in Way Kambas National Park, Indonesia

The invasion of the planter's rhododendron (Melastoma malabatrichum) in Way Kambas National Park caused the loss of the sumatran tiger preys feeding ground, therefore efforts were made to eradicate the plant. This study aimed to compare the presence of sumatran tiger preys between M. malabatrichum-invaded location and eradicated location. Eradication was carried out by removing M. malabatrichum on a plot measuring 80 x 60 m2. To record the animal visit, the camera traps were placed at the eradicated and invaded location of M. malabatrichum for comparison. The results showed that the M. malabatrichum eradicated location was more frequently visited by sumatran tiger preys. At the M. malabatrichum eradicated location, camera traps recorded 19 species of wild boar having the highest encounter rate (55.23) followed by sambar deer (33.24), and long-tailed macaque (17.43). Meanwhile, at the M. malabatrichum invaded location, camera traps recorded 13 species with wild boar having the highest encounter rate (30.56), followed by sambar deer (14.75), and long-tailed macaque (14.48). Thus, the eradication of M. malabatrichum had a good impact on increasing the number of sumatran tiger preys due to the availability of feed after being free from M. malabatrichum invasion

Vegetation Density, Root Architecture Model, and Hydrodynamic Simulation Rhizophora Apiculata Bl. in Bone Bay, South Sulawesi

Mangrove is the only ecosistem that grows and develops in the coastal area. This study was conducted to analyze the mangrove forest vegetation to create a simulation of the root sistem of Rhizophora apiculata Bl. related to its ability in the process of hydrodynamic fluid of seawater in the Lompo village, District Awangpone, Bone Regency, South Sulawesi. Criteria that used as a model reference had minimum age approximately five years and minimum height of about 2 m. The variables that measure were height, diameter, and length of the roots. The parameters of the simulation are the average speed of sea level, the dynamic pressure of seawater, as well as drag coefficient of Gulf of Bone. Based on this research, vegetation area with highest density located at second kilometer, medium density located at first kilometer, and the lowest density located at third kilometer. The average velocity of seawater, the lowest is in the natural cropping pattern of highest density, meanwhile the highest is in the parallel cropping pattern of lowest density. Dynamic pressure, the lowest is in the natural cropping pattern of highest density, meanwhile the highest is in the parallel cropping pattern of lowest density. The drag coefficient, the highest is in the natural cropping pattern of highest density, meanwhile the lowest is in the parallel cropping pattern of lowest density

Vegetation Density, Root Architecture Model, and Hydrodynamic Simulation Rhizophora apiculata Bl. in Bone Bay, South Sulawesi

Mangrove is the only ecosistem that grows and develops in the coastal area. This study was conducted to analyze the mangrove forest vegetation to create a simulation of the root sistem of Rhizophora apiculata Bl. related to its ability in the process of hydrodynamic fluid of seawater in the Lompo village, District Awangpone, Bone Regency, South Sulawesi. Criteria that used as a model reference had minimum age approximately five years and minimum height of about 2 m. The variables that measure were height, diameter, and length of the roots. The parameters of the simulation are the average speed of sea level, the dynamic pressure of seawater, as well as drag coefficient of Gulf of Bone. Based on this research, vegetation area with highest density located at second kilometer, medium density located at first kilometer, and the lowest density located at third kilometer. The average velocity of seawater, the lowest is in the natural cropping pattern of highest density, meanwhile the highest is in the parallel cropping pattern of lowest density. Dynamic pressure, the lowest is in the natural cropping pattern of highest density, meanwhile the highest is in the parallel cropping pattern of lowest density. The drag coefficient, the highest is in the natural cropping pattern of highest density, meanwhile the lowest is in the parallel cropping pattern of lowest density. Keywords: drag coefficient, hydrodynamics, mangrove, Rhizophora apiculata Bl., simulatio

Litter Decomposition Rate of Karst Ecosystem at Gunung Cibodas, Ciampea Bogor Indonesia

The study aims to know the productivity of litter and litter decomposition rate in karst ecosystem. This study was conducted on three altitude of 200 meter above sea level (masl), 250 masl and 300 masl in karst ecosystem at Gunung Cibodas, Ciampea, Bogor. Litter productivity measurement performed using litter-trap method and litter-bag method was used to know the rate of decomposition. Litter productivity measurement results showed that the highest total of litter productivity measurement results was on altitude of 200 masl (90.452 tons/ha/year) and the lowest was on altitude of 300 masl (25.440 tons/ha/year). The litter productivity of leaves (81.425 ton/ha/year) showed the highest result than twigs (16.839 ton/ha/year), as well as flowers and fruits (27.839 ton/ha/year). The rate of decomposition was influenced by rainfall. The decomposition rate and the decrease of litter dry weight on altitude of 250 masl was faster than on the altitude of 200 masl and 300 masl. The dry weight was positively correlated to the rate of decomposition. The lower of dry weight would affect the rate of decomposition become slower. The average of litter C/N ratio were ranged from 28.024%--28.716% and categorized as moderate (>25). The finding indicate that the rate of decomposition in karst ecosystem at Gunung Cibodas was slow and based on C/N ratio of litter showed the mineralization process was also slow

Soil Seed Bank of Two Karst Ecosystems in Bogor, Indonesia: Similarity with the Aboveground Vegeta-tion and Its Restoration Potential

Karst ecosystem in Bogor is currently threatened by mining activities. Restoration of the disturbed karst areas is urgently required. Seed banks are considered as an important potential seed sources for restoration. This study was conducted to quantify the composition and species diversity of the aboveground vegetation and the seed bank. The study determined the correspondence between the seed bank with the aboveground vegetation in relation with ecosystem restoration. Twenty 6 m × 6 m vegetation plots were established. A total of sixty soil samples were taken from the study sites. The seed bank was studied using germination experiment. All plant species in the vegetation plots and seedlings growing from all soil samples were identified and the number was counted to determine the composition, index of diversity, and index of similarity. There were 80 species from 41 families found in the seed bank in Mt. Nyungcung, dominated by Clidemia hirta (Melastomataceae), whereas 50 species from 29 families found in Mt. Kapur with Cecropia peltata (Urticaceae) dominated the site. Diversity index of Mt. Nyungcung and Mt. Kapur seed banks were 2.09 ± 0.21 and 1.78 ± 0.47 respectively. The similarity index between seed bank and the aboveground vegetation in the two study sites were 32.86% and 27.66% respectively. Mt. Nyungcung seed bank was more diverse than Mt. Kapur. The similarity between the seed bank with the aboveground vegetation in the two study sites were low. Further assessment is needed to determine the role of the seed bank of Mt. Nyungcung and Mt. Kapur in the restoration of the ecosystems

The Role of Student Engagement in the Success of Study of Scholarship Awardee Students of Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia

This study aims to analyze the effect of student characteristics, internal factors and external factors on student engagement and the success of scholarship awardee’s study in Bogor Agricultural University. The theory used in this study is that the success study of the scholarship awardee is affected by the student characteristics, internal and external factors and that the student engagement has a role in mediating between the influencing factors and the success of the study. This study was conducted using a survey design of 345 scholarship awardee as respondents using the instrument to measure the internal and external factors as well as student engagement. A Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was constructed to analyze the effect between variables. Exogenous latent variables in this study include student characteristics, internal factors and external factors, whereas endogenous variables include student engagement and success of study. Student engagement is also the intervening variables that mediate between the success factors and the student success studies. The results of the study proved that the student characteristics and the internal factors affected the student engagement and the success of study. In this study, it was found that external factors affected on student engagement and did not affect on the success of the study. The result also show that the student engagement affected significantly on the success of study of the Bogor Agricultural University’s scholarship awardee. The results of this study have various implications for the practice of higher education implementation, especially to improve the student engagement and the success of student’s study