Vegetation Analysis of the Area Surrounding a Wild Nest of Stingless Bees (<em>Tetragonula laeviceps</em>, Smith 1857) in Sumedang Regency, West Java

Abstract

Indonesia is a mega biodiversity country that has a very abundant diversity of plants. Plant diversity is inseparable from the role of insects that help to pollinate them. One such insect is the stingless bee (Tetragonula laeviceps). Tetragonula laeviceps is a bee that has a relatively small-to-medium body size and does not have a sting. Sumedang Regency is one of the regencies in the province of West Java; most of the Sumedang area consists of mountains and has protected forest areas with high biodiversity. The purpose of this study is to determine the biodiversity index of the vegetation around the Tetragonula laeviceps wild hives based on the composition and structure of the vegetation around the Tetragonula laeviceps bee hives. Data collection is carried out using the method of inventory and systematic checkered lines, with a total plot of 320. The results of the study show that the vegetation is composed of 229 plant species from 75 families. The most dominant vegetation type with the highest value of KR, FR, DR, and INP in all plant categories is the Aren tree species (Arenga pinnata). The Shannon–Wiener diversity index in this tree category is 3,186, the pole category is 3,107, the sapling category is 3,418, the seedling category is 3,657, and the understory plants category is 3,409, with all of the plant categories included in the high-diversity category.