Structure and Composition of Understory Plant Assemblages of Six Land Use Types in The Lore Lindu National Park, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

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.