Diversity of fig trees in a tropical urban residential area of Sentul City, Bogor, West Java

Abstract

Fig (Ficus spp.) trees have been known as keystone species in the tropics and provide food sources for various species. The study aimed to reveal the diversity of fig trees in a tropical urban residential area of Sentul City, Bogor, West Java, as a part of a bigger study on the wildlife-fig relationship. A purposively selected sample (270 ha of housing, boulevard) and all Ficus were censused. Data on species diversity, height, diameter, and fruiting stage were taken. There were 389 Ficus trees, belonging to 10 species, namely F. benjamina, F. binnendykii, F. caulocarpa, F. elastica, F. kurzii, F. lyrata, F. maclellandii, F. macrocarpa, F. septica, and F. variegata, of which two species (F. lyrata and F. maclellandii) were non-native species. Ficus were planted as a border, roadsides, shading trees, or ornament. Based on the number of individuals, the most common species was F. benjamina (63.75%), followed by F. kurzii (14.4%) and F. lyrata (9.5%). As the F. benjamina can grow big, only about half (56.4%) were in full tree condition, while the rest were pruned (15.5%), trimmed (14.7%), or cut off (13.4%). This study showed that the diversity of fig trees in residential areas of Sentul City, Bogor is affected by the area's management.