Medicinal plants research in Asia continues to receive significant national and international attention, particularly concerning its multiple roles in poverty alleviation and health care support. However, scientific information on the institutional arrangements, the potentials of different medicinal plants production systems, and the utilization methods, remain highly fragmented. This incomprehensive information base shades the development of a comprehensive research agenda to improve the current body of knowledge, at least in the context of Asia. To address this impasse and propose future research perspectives, we systematically reviewed 247 journal articles, 15 institutional reports, and 28 book chapters. From the reviews, five key lessons are drawn: (i) Asian medicinal plant production systems demonstrate some dynamics, characterized by a gradual but continuous shift from wild gathering to cultivation, (ii) sub-regional variations exist with regards to the appreciation of medicinal plants potentials for traditional healing, modern healthcare and livelihoods support, (iii) knowledge on the effect of multi-scale institutional arrangements (formal and informal) on medicinal plant management practices is fragmented, (iv) very few studies dwell on the challenges of medicinal plants commercialization, particularly with regards to the role of middlemen, boom–bust cycle, raw material readiness, and product quality, and (v) law enforcement, benefit and knowledge sharing, and research and development should be prioritized to serve the interest of medicinal plants production actors. To further extend the body of knowledge on medicinal plants in Asia, we advance the need for empirical investigations on the performance of medicinal plants production systems and their contribution to livelihoods in diverse institutional contexts.

Hiperdominansi jenis dan biomassa adalah suatu konsep yang menjelaskan pentingnya sebagian kecil jenis dan biomassa relatif terhadap rata-rata biomassa pohon pada suatu kawasan hutan. Pemahaman pada konsep ini berimplikasi pada upaya monitoring kawasan hutan khususnya bagi spesies penyumbang biomassa terbesar dan membantu pemahaman pada proses restorasi ekologinya. Analisis hiperdominansi jenis dan kontribusi pohon besar (DBH>50 cm) terhadap biomassa pohon telah dilakukan di kawasan hutan Taman Nasional Gunung Gede Pangrango (TNGGP). Sejumlah 26 plot pengamatan telah dibuat pada 26 level ketinggian yang berbeda (1013-3010 m dpl) dan dikelompokkan menjadi tiga zona yaitu zona submontana, montana, dan subalpine. Pohon-pohon yang terdapat dalam plot pengamatan kemudian dikelompokkan menjadi 3 kelompok diameter yaitu pohon kecil (5-30 cm), pohon sedang (30-50 cm), dan pohon besar (>50 cm). Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa hiperdominansi jenis terjadi di hutan TNGGP. Empat jenis pohon dari 114 jenis yang teridentifikasi yaitu Schima wallichii, Altingia excelsa, Vaccinium varingiaefolium, dan Castanopsis acuminatissima merepresentasikan 56,96% dari total biomassa pohon yang ada di plot TNGGP. Lebih lanjut, pohon kecil dan besar diketahui sebagai penyumbang biomassa yang sangat signifikan dibandingkan pohon sedang. Pada level plot penelitian, pohon dengan DBH>50 cm yang berjumlah 192 individu (atau 13%) dari 1471 individu pohon mampu merepresentasikan 61,4% dari total biomassanya. Namun demikian, pada level kawasan hutan, pohon kecil dan pohon besar memiliki kontribusi yang sama signifikannya terhadap biomassa per hektarnya yaitu masing-masing sebesar 40,9% dan 38,77%. Hasil-hasil tersebut menunjukkan bahwa hanya sedikit jenis pohon saja mampu merepresentasikan sebagian besar dari total biomassa pohon. Pohon-pohon kecil dan besar diketahui memainkan peranan yang penting dalam biomassa di hutan TNGGP.Hyperdominance of Tree Species and Biomass in Mount Gede Pangrango National Park, IndonesiaAbstractThe hyperdominance of tree species and biomass is a concept explaining the importance of a small portion of species and biomass relative to the average of biomass in a forested area. Understanding this concept has important implication on forest monitoring, especially to monitor the most significant species that show high contributes on biomass and its ecological restoration. Hyperdominance analysis of tree species and large trees (DBH > 50 cm) contribution to tree biomass were investigated in tropical mountain forest of Mount Gede Pangrango National Park (TNGGP). A total of 26 sample plots were installed in 26 different altitude between 1013 and 3010 m asl and grouped into three zones i.e. submontane, montane, and subalpine zones. Trees within plot were identified, measured, and grouped into three groups i.e. small (DBH 5-30 cm), medium (DBH 30-50 cm), and large trees (DBH>50 cm). The result showed that there were hyperdominant in TNGGP. Four species from 114 identified tree species i.e. Schima wallichii, Altingia excelsa, Vaccinium varingiaefolium, and Castanopsis acuminatissima represented 56.96% of the total biomass in the plot level. Furthermore, only 13% of trees from 1471 trees responsible for 61.4% of the total tree biomass in the plot level. However, small and large trees have similar significant contribution to the average biomass in the forest level i.e. 40.9% and 38.77%, respectively. These results suggest that only few species represent a huge amount of biomass. Both small and large trees play important role in the forest biomass of TNGGP.

Trees are one of the main important structures in forest vegetation. Other than timber and non-timber product, trees also indirectly provide ecosystem services. Until now, information on tree species richness and its relation to the elevation gradient in Mount Gede-Pangrango National Park (MGPNP) is not exist. The objectives of this research were to estimate the trees species richness and describe the relation between tree diversity to the elevation gradient in this area. A total of 26 plots (size: 20 m x 100 m each) from 1,013 m-3,010 m asl were laid down and classified into three zones i.e. sub montane (1,000 m-1,500 m asl), montane (1,500 m-2,400 m asl) and subalpine zone (>2,400 m asl). The results showed that tree species richness on this mountain taken from 1,479 enumerated trees was 127 species. Species richness of each zone were 79, 70 and 33 species for sub montane, montane and sub alpine zone respectively. The sub montane zone hold the highest tree species richness. A significant effect of elevation gradient to tree diversity indices was identified. The individual number was positively correlated, while species richness, Shannon-Wiener index and Evenness index were negatively correlated with elevation gradient.

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