Vegetation Composition and Diversity of Medicinal Plants in PT. Arara Abadi’s Arboretum the Province of Riau

Abstract

One of potency natural resources in PT. Arara Abadi’s Arboretum is medicinal plants. A study on vegetation composition and diversity of medicinal plants in the area of PT. Arara Abadi’s Arboretum was conducted during October-November 2009. The data that were collected during the study consisted of primary and secondary data. The primary data consisted of medicinal plants species that were collected through vegetation analysis. The secondary data were general condition of study location consisted of wide and geographically location, climate, hydrological data, flora and fauna. The vegetation analysis used combination of strip and quadrate sampling techniques. The sampling plots were (20 x 50) of meter square width that consisted of 4 strips. The sampling plot was allocated systematically at every 100 m far from each strip. Line is again divided into (20 x 20) of meter plots for trees, (10 x 10) of meter for the pole, (5 x 5) of meter for the stake, and (2 x 2) for seedlings. The result of the vegetation composition in PT. Arara Abadi’s arboretum consisted of 102 species from 47 families. Based on Important Value Index (IVI) the tree level was dominated by Meranti (Shorea smithiana) (48.06 %), the sapling level was dominated by Meranti (Shorea smithiana) (41.43%), the pole level was dominated by Medang (Litsea odoreifera) (34.68%), the seedling level was dominated by Kelat (Syzygium) (20.60%). The biodiversity of plants species that have potency as medicinal plants were 38 species from 25 families, those were 37% from the total plants species found in PT. Arara Abadi’s Arboretum.