Species Composition and Structure of Forests in the Muara Kendawangan Nature Reserve, West-Kalimantan, Indonesia

Indonesia’s forests are globally known for their high species diversity but many regions remain little known and so are floristic compositions of many conservation areas. This study investigated the tree communities in the heath, peat swamp, dryland dipterocarp and seasonal peat swamp forests at the Muara Kendawangan Nature Reserve, West Kalimantan. We established a plot size of (50mx60 m) in each forest type, thus the total area sampled was 1.2 ha. We enumerated trees with stem diameter ≥7cm on dryland dipterocarp and swamp forests as well as individuals with stem diameter ≥2 cm in heath forest. In the plot of 1.2 ha, we recorded 1.416 trees, representing 87 spesies, 57 genera and 28 families. Floristically the entire sampled forets consisted of Schima wallichii-Shorea balangeran association and Baeckea frutescens-Rhodomyrtus tomentsa association. The Schima wallichii-Shorea balangeran association consists of Rhodamnia cinerea-Diospyros hermaphroditica subassociation, Baccaurea lanceolata-Calophyllum inophyllum subassociation and Syzygium fusticuliferum-Adinandra dumosa subassociation. The forest communities investigated along the habitat gradient have low species richness. Further intensive studies in the above forest types as well as in the other community types present in the Muara Kendawangan Nature Reserve are necessary to provide data for better management of the reserve.