Studi Pendahuluan Struktur Vegetasi Hutan Gambut di Pulau Padang, Propinsi Riau

Abstract

Pulau Padang forest vegetation is a typical peatswamp forest on ombrogenous peat, that is the most common peat in eastern coaat of Sumktcan. The peat is characterized by very acid d r a m watu and poorness in nutrients (o&gotm~). The surface of the peatswamp is abnest bsy~sdth e raech of flood-wata and tides, except for a thin faye of q o v efo rmt moMd t h e ~ ~ ~Thaate. a re no rmtrisats entering the system from the mineral soil below the paat, and the oaly ntrtricnttr input comes from the nutrient-poor nin. Because of this conditions, thue is a decreaae toward the Mlrre of the peat areas in the ammounts of mined nutrients in the soil. This trend of inf- seems to be reflected by the : (1) decreasing canopy height; (2) decreasing total biomass pa unit area; (3) increasing leaf thickness as an adaptatien to poor soil; (4) decreasing species diversity and (5) abundance of poor-nutrients indicator sptcics, especially Ncpmthes spp. This paper describe the vegetation structure and the composition of peatswamp forest in Pulau hdang, Riau, including mixed peatswamp forest, Bintangor (CPllophyUum spp.) forest and shrub vegetation. Interesting is the dominance of Gdophyllum spp. and some othu manbas of the Family Clusiaceoe (Guttifnae) which is rarely reported as dominant species in pertswrmp forest formation, however, Anderson (1976) has cver reported the dominance of Wophyllum ntusum in the peatmvamp forest in Sebangau, Kalimantan Ten@.