Five hundred plant species in gunung Halimun Salak ... - CIFOR

While conducting field work in West Java we discovered a dearth of up-to-date
information on naturally occurring species, especially with references to the most
common Sundanese vernacular names used by local residents. Gunung Halimun Salak
National Park in West Java, Indonesia, is located between 106o12΄58˝ and 106o45΄50˝
east and 06o32΄14˝ and 06o55΄12˝ south. More than 700 species of flowering plants
belonging to natural forest, covering 390 genera and 119 families, have been identified
in the park. We conducted fieldwork in this area from 2007 to 2009 to implement a
project called ‘Sustainable Utilisation of Diverse Forest Environmental Benefits’. During
fieldwork we recorded biophysical aspects including vegetation measurement.
Due to the lack of information available through a species checklist, we decided to
produce such a list in collaboration with park rangers, local residents and botanists.
We structured this guide to give rapid information about forest composition in the
area while highlighting the Sundanese vernacular names to make the book accessible
for local residents. We researched supporting data from earlier research, historical
species checklists, experts and botanical reference materials available on the Web. We
focused on including 500 species, most of which are commonly used in this area, such
as commercial timber trees, fruits trees and medicinal plants. Each species described
includes the Sundanese name, the scientific name, the family, other vernacular
names and geographic distribution. We have for the most part also included brief
descriptions of their use. As 2010 is the Year of Biodiversity, we hope this guide will
give both experts and park visitors a deeper understanding of the abundant variety of
species in Gunung Halimun Salak National Park.
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Center for International Forestry Research
CIFOR advances human wellbeing, environmental conservation and equity
by conducting research to inform policies and practices that affect forests in
developing countries. CIFOR is one of 15 centres within the Consultative Group
on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). CIFOR’s headquarters are in
Bogor, Indonesia. It also has offices in Asia, Africa and South America.