Evaluation of roadside green belt trees damaged by mistletoes parasite plant in Medan Merdeka Road, Central Jakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

This research was conducted to evaluate tree species attacked by mistletoes, the damage scale and eventually propose maintenance of host tree. Research was undertaken during February - August 2016 to observe all trees in Medan Merdeka Road in Central Jakarta. Research results showed only one species of mistletoes of Dendrophthoe pentandra L. was found. Total number of trees in the research site was 557 trees that consisted of 19 species, however only four species were attacked by mistletoes. The highest number of trees attacked by mistletoes was Swietenia mahogani (L.) Jacq (268 trees), followed by Bauhinia purpurea L. (21 trees), and Cordia sebestana L. (5 trees) and Pterocarpus indicus Willd (1 tree). The damage scale of Swietenia mahogani consisted of 26 trees of severely worse, 14 trees of worse, 29 trees of moderate, 71 trees of light, and 128 trees of very light damage. The damage scale of Pterocapus indicus was one tree of very light damage. The damage scale of Bauhinia purpurea was 19 trees of very light and two trees of light damage. In Cordia sabesteana there were two trees of very light damage and three trees of light damage. Type of maintenance ranged from light pruning for trees of light damage to heavy pruning for trees of severely worse damage.