Analysis of vegetation diversity at urban forest Balai Wilayah Sungai (BWS) II Medan

Abstract

The urban forest is part of the public green open space (RTH) formed from tree vegetation that affects temperature and humidity and reduces wind speed to provide comfort for residents in the vicinity. One of the urban forests in Medan is the Balai Wilayah Sungai (BWS) II Medan. Therefore, vegetation density has an influence on temperature and which affects the quality of urban forests. This study aimed to identify the structure and composition of the BWS II Medan urban forest vegetation. The vegetation analysis method used in this study is a combination method between the path method and the plotline method. The vegetation data that has been obtained is then processed to obtain the Important Value Index (IVI) and the Plant Species Diversity Index (H’). The results showed that the woody plants found in the urban forest of BWS II Medan were 20 species with the composition of seedlings of four species (26 individuals), saplings of twelve species (49 individuals), poles of eleven species (39 individuals) and trees of ten species (141 individuals). The species that dominates at the tree level is Trembesi (Samanea saman), with an IVI value of 118.16%. Meanwhile, the dominant plant species at the seedling, sapling, and pole levels were Mahoni (Swietenia mahagoni), with IVI values of 78.67%, 55.73%, and 103.62, respectively. Therefore, the level of diversity in the BWS II Medan Urban Forest for saplings is classified as moderate, while seedlings, poles, and trees are classified as low.