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The forest conversion into oil palm plantations in Belitung impacts the plant source for pollen and nectar to support the honey bee Apis dorsata. This study aimed to identify the plants used by A. dorsata as pollen sources in honey and bee bread in honey bee nests and to analyze the vegetation composition and structure surrounding the sunggau (artificial nesting site) in Belitung Regency. Honey from A. dorsata was collected from bee nests in sunggau on Kampak Island and Tanjung Rusa. The pollen grains from 20 ml honey were acetolysed and counted until 1,200 grains for each honey sample. In Kampak Island, we found eight pollen types in honey dominated by Rhizophora mucronate mangrove pollen and eleven pollen types in bee bread dominated by Melaleuca cajuputi. The pollen type in honey in Tanjung Rusa was similar to those in Kampak Island, and nine pollen types were found in the bee bread dominated by Elaeis guineensis. The vegetation analysis revealed that mangrove and heath forests in Kampak Island were dominated by Lumnitzera littorea and Melaleuca cajuputi, respectively. The results of this study confirm the bees' notable use of the mangrove ecosystem, which adds conservation value, especially in supporting bee management efforts in Belitung. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park is an area that has the largest karst ecosystem in Indonesia. Karst is prone to damage and difficult to reuse, so it requires conservation efforts. One of the plant species that can maintain this sustainability is Ficus which acts as key species in karst ecosystems. However, at this time the species is experiencing disturbances, one of which is due to the experience of invasive plants that can threaten the existence of Ficus because the weeds can colonize habitats and are dominant which can change species diversity. This study aimed to analyze the diversity and distribution of Ficus, compare species composition, and analyze environmental factors that affect Ficus spp. in Pattunuang Resort and Bantimurung Resort. Vegetation analysis method with nesting plots placed by purposive sampling and supported with environmental and soil data measurements to determine the factors that indicate the habitat preference of Ficus. We found 18 plant species of Ficus spp. in total. At Resort Pattunuang we found 14 Ficus species with the highest abundance being Ficus sundaica (27.55%), while we recorded 15 Ficus species at Resort Bantimurung with the highest abundance being Ficus ampelas (29.23%). Ficus species were uniformly distributed with a relatively high ratio of species composition in both resorts. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the presence of Ficus in Pattunuang Resort is influenced by wind speed, soil temperature, air temperature, soil moisture, soil pH, and air humidity. In Bantimurung Resort, the existence of Ficus is influenced by wind speed, soil temperature, soil moisture, and air humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The red list of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) reported Castanopsis argentea as an endangered species. Studies about autecology on its natural habitat become important to perform species conservation. This study aimed to analyze the population structure, distribution pattern, and environmental factors that influence the presence of C. argentea in the Telaga Warna Nature Reserve. Data was collected in September 2020 by making 21 plots with a single plot. The purposive sampling method was used based on C. argentea representatives to determine plot location. Measurement of environmental factors, including soil sampling was carried out on each plot. Population structure was analyzed based on plant density, and Morisita index determined the distribution pattern. Environmental data were analyzed using PCA with Minitab 19 programs. Our field observation showed that C. argentea seedling has the highest density (1071 ind/ha) and decreased in the mature phase. C. argentea was found to have a clumped distribution pattern with an Id value of 1.03. PCA analysis showed differences in environmental factors that were thought to influence the presence of C. argentea individuals in four growth phases. The highest population structure of C. argentea was found in the growth phase of seedlings and saplings at an altitude of 1400 m asl. The spread population distribution of C. argentea was clumped. The influences of environmental variables on the existence of C. argentea were Mg, Ca, CEC, pH, and soil moisture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea plantations can provide microclimate conditions for many epiphytic species, including orchids, but information on their diversity is not yet available. Epiphytic orchid diversity study has been carried out at the Nirmala Tea Plantation, Bogor, West Java. The main objective of this study was to reveal the diversity of epiphytic orchids in the Nirmala Tea Plantation. The data were obtained by vegetation analysis using the purposive sampling method by making 54 plots sized 5 x 5m2 at two different altitudes, 1050 and 1500 masl. The quantitative data were analyzed by calculating the critical value and morisita indices. The correlation between epiphytic orchid and microclimate variables was processed using Spearman bivariate correlation, performed using Canonical Correspondence Analysis. A total of 15 epiphytic orchids were found at an altitude of 1050 m asl and 10 species of epiphytic orchids at an altitude of 1500 m asl. Seven species, Agrostophyllum longifolium Rchb.f., Appendicula reflexa Blume, Bulbophyllum sp.2, Dendrochilum sp., Eria sp.1, Flickingeria sp, Pholidota carnea Lindl, were found at both altitudes. The diversity of epiphytic orchids is affected by altitude, light intensity, and wind speed. The distribution pattern of epiphytic orchids in Nirmala Tea Plantation is clumped. The results of this study report the diversity of orchids grown in tea plantations for the first time. This information is helpful for the cultivation and conservation of orchid diversity in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Pulasan (Nephelium ramboutan-ake) is a species of Sapindaceae which has hermaphrodite and staminate flowers on different trees. Morphological flower structures and pollination types of the pulasan fruit tree have not previously been reported thoroughly. This study was undertaken to observe the reproductive structure of flowers, and to examine its correlation with pulasan pollination type. A total of 67 hermaphrodite and 14 male trees of pulasan were observed. Some hermaphrodite inflorescences were covered using cloth bags for between four and six weeks to calculate number of fruit, and to determine their pollination system. The number of individual flowers per inflorescence on male pulasan trees was higher than for hermaphrodite ones. Panicles and spikes were found on both types of pulasan inflorescence. Flowers having four sepals was the commonest structure in both flower types. However, five stamens were commonly found in hermaphrodite flowers, while male flowers often had six. In general, stigma were curved in shape, with modification in some flowers. Anther of hermaphrodite pulasan flowers naturally never open, although their pollen is viable, so there is a mechanical barrier for self-pollination. It was concluded that pulasan tends to be an allogamous plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]