VEGETATION STRUCTURE, DIVERSITY, AND STAND DYNAMICS IN AN ESG-MANAGED SUMATRAN SWAMP FOREST PATCH: IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION
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ARTICLE HIGLIGHTS
- Small peat swamp forest patch retained high plant diversity across life stages
- Surveys recorded 231 plant species, including many threatened tree species
- Species abundances were relatively even, with little dominance in regeneration
- Permanent plot monitoring showed more new recruits than deaths over four years
- Basal area gains after canopy gaps suggest active recovery in managed forest patch
ABSTRACT
Habitat fragmentation driven by agricultural expansion and urbanization, accelerated biodiversity loss across tropical landscapes. Small forest patches within production and concession matrices function as important refugia and stepping-stones for plant survival. In Indonesia, the conservation relevance of such patches is linked to corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments, where natural resource-based company should comply to ecological sustainability. This study evaluated vegetation structure, species diversity, and stand dynamics in a corporate-managed peat swamp forest patch. Vegetation surveys were conducted using systematic nested plots, while stand dynamics were assessed using a 1-ha permanent measurement plot monitored in 4 years. Analyses included the Importance Value Index (IVI), Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H′), species turnover, and basal area change over time. A total of 231 plant species representing 138 genera and 67 families were recorded, including 17 species categorized by the IUCN red list. Species diversity was high and relatively even across all growth stages, indicating the absence of strong dominance. Permanent plot revealed positive turnover with emergence generally exceeding mortality, and net basal area gains during the periods, suggesting active regeneration associated with canopy gap dynamics. Overall, these findings demonstrate that small peat swamp forest patches can retain high biodiversity and dynamic stand recovery, supporting their integration into landscape-scale conservation planning and ESG-oriented forest management in Sumatra.
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