Implementation of Plant Selection Based-On Plant Growth on Revegetation of Peatland in South Kalimantan

Abstract

Tropical peatland is remaining to play a critical geographic, political, and economic role in globalization. Revegetation maintains a vegetation cover on peat and able to increase humidity and decreasing fire risks. The selection of adaptable plants that growing on peatland are the main factors of revegetation accomplishment. The location of the research was in the peat forest of Pulantani village, Haur Gading District, Hulu Sungai Utara Regency, South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia and carried out for 12 months. The plants used are Dyera costulata, Hevea brasiliensis, Melaleuca cajuputi, and Shorea balangeran. Revegetation species were analyzed by calculating percent of plant life and plant growth. Characteristics of revegetation area of the peat forests cover with pure stands of trees and poles of Combretocarpus rotundatus species. Percent of plant life during seed distribution activities are varies between the four species. S.balangeran has the highest percentage of life with a value of 97%, H.brasiliensis has 96%, M.cajuputi has 88% and D.costulata has 77%. There was a decrease in percent growth over time after planting with S.balangeran has the highest percentage compared to other types. Percent growth of S.balangeran is 100% at the beginning of planting (t0), 96.7% after 1 month of planting (t1), 93.4% after 3 months of planting (t2), 84.40% after 8 months of planting (t3) and decreased up to 55% after 12 months of planting (t4). Although the phenomenon that occurs is that no tree species achieves 75% growth success , S.balangeran is highly recommended as a selected species in the revegetation of peatlands.