Diversity and abundance of edible plants as non-timber forest products in Kerinci Seblat National Park, Rejang Lebong Regency, Bengkulu Province

Abstract

Abstract Besides timber, forests also have another potential, both vegetable and non-timber forest products (NTFPs), which can be a potential food source. Forests make an essential contribution to food security and nutrition. Kerinci Seblat National Park is a conservation forest with high biodiversity, including edible plants. However, its type and abundance have been unknown. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine edible plants’ diversity, abundance, and spatial distribution in the utilization zone of Kerinci Seblat National Park. The research was conducted with purposive sampling in four utilization zones using the nested plots method, namely 20mx20m plots (tree level), 10mx10m (pole level), 5mx5m (sapling level), and 2mx2m (seedling level). From the 80 plots, we found 21 species of edible plants belonging to 18 families. Fifteen plant species were obtained from different families of each species. The remaining six species come from 3 families: Arecaceae, Zingiberaceae, and Moraceae, each having two plant species. The highest species abundance value is Etlingera coccenia, while the other 20 species have low values. Most of the edible plants’ spatial distribution patterns were clumped (52%); the rest were in random and uniform ways, 29% and 19%, respectively.