Diversity of Woody Plants as Feed for Sumatran Elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) in Harapan Forest
DOI:
10.29303/jbt.v26i4.13378Published:
2026-11-02Downloads
Abstract
Harapan Forest is a lowland tropical forest ecosystem in Sumatra that provides habitat and food resources for Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus). This study aimed to inventory woody plant species used as elephant feed and to assess their diversity in Harapan Forest. The study was conducted using 15 grids measuring 3 × 3 km, selected by systematic sampling, with one 50 × 50 m vegetation plot purposively established within each grid. Field observations recorded plant species and plant parts consumed by elephants, while secondary records from Harapan Forest were used to complement the inventory. Species diversity was evaluated using the Shannon-Wiener index. Direct field observations recorded five woody plant species consumed by elephants: Macaranga triloba, Acacia mangium, Peronema canescens, Scaphium macropodum, and Artocarpus elasticus. The broader Harapan Forest dataset contained 37 forage plant species belonging to 16 families, with Lauraceae contributing the largest number of species (six). The Shannon-Wiener diversity index was 2.908, indicating moderate diversity. The results indicate that woody forage resources are diverse, but their direct occurrence in sampling plots was influenced by the distribution of elephant home ranges, which was more concentrated in the western and southern parts of Harapan Forest.
Keywords:
Harapan Forest Sumatran elephant Plant diversity Woody forageReferences
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