Forest tree dynamics from the first four years of permanent plot in Mount Papandayan, Indonesia: mortality, recruitment, and growth

Abstract

A permanent plot is a powerful tool to study the vegetation’s dynamics and regeneration in the forest ecosystem. This study presents the first four-year tree vegetation monitoring in a one-hectare permanent plot established in a mixed forest of Mount Papandayan (MP) Nature Reserve, Indonesia. Besides studying the structure and floristic tree community composition in the plot, this study aims to study the changes and in mortality and growth of the tree community after four years of plot establishment. A one-hectare permanent plot was established in 2010 and all trees inside the plot with a diameter over 5 cm were tagged and measured in 2011 and 2015. There were 1,820 trees from 33 species and 20 families recorded during the first monitoring in 2011. Four years later, there were more trees recorded (1,845 trees) with an average growth rate of 1.17 cm. The mortality rate (2.8%) was lower than the recruitment rate (4.2%) and there were no changes in the domination of Distylium stellare. The results of this study will help to provide the preliminary data on actual in situ tree mortality and growth, which will help to develop a more complete tree species selection criteria for MP restoration.