Diversity of Broadleaf Undergrowth Plants in the Pananjung Pangandaran Nature Reserve Area, West Java

¹ Pasundan University, Biology Education, 40116 Bandung, Indonesia
² Swansea University, Biological Sciences, SA2 8PP Swansea, United Kingdom

^* Corresponding author: yusuf.ibrahim@unpas.ac.id

Abstract

The Pananjung Pangandaran Nature Reserve in West Java, designed as a dual-purpose tourist destination and nature sanctuary, faces a notable threat to the diversity of its wide leafy plant undergrowth within the Pangandaran forest due to human activities. This study employs a descriptive qualitative approach and a belt transect research design, utilizing purposive sampling for sample selection, to evaluate the undergrowth diversity in the reserve. Observations reveal 14 undergrowth species, spanning herbaceous plants, shrubs, and saplings, totalling 1677 individuals across 11 families and 13 genera. The calculated diversity index (H') is 1.846, indicating a moderate level of undergrowth diversity. The importance value index (IVI) determines the significance of undergrowth plants, with Elaeocarpus sp. exhibiting the highest value at 97.85% and Kleinhovia hospita L. the lowest at 1.060%. In summary, the development of Pananjung Pangandaran Nature Reserve as a tourist park and sanctuary holds the potential to diminish the diversity of wide leafy plant undergrowth. This study identifies 14 undergrowth species with moderate diversity, emphasizing the need for meticulous planning and conservation measures to counteract the adverse effects of human activities on the area's natural diversity.