Skip to content
Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

The Herbaceous Species Tropical Savanna of West Timor Indonesia: Structure and Composition Pattern

Mangadas Lumban Gaol, I. Wayan Mudita

Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology · pp. 57–76 · Published 11 Jul 2022

10.9734/ajee/2022/v18i330319

Abstract

Aims: This research was conducted to investigate the current structure and composition pattern of savanna of West Timor. Study Design: Fourteen (14) stands (100 x 100 m) and 280 plots (1m x 1m) representing area of savanna were selected by purposive sampling. Place and Duration of Study: The research was conducted in area of savanna in the District of Kupang West Timor Indonesia between April to November 2021. Methodology: All ground herbs in each plot were identified to species level. Density, dominance, and Importance Value Index (IVI) for each species present were calculated. All species were categorized according to their habit as grass and non-grass and according to the economic value. Index Similarity between stand was calculated to investigate similarity of flora composition between stands by using Coefficient Sørensen (Ss). Results: Of 14 stands and 280 plots investigated, 58 herbaceous species member of 23 families were identified, consisting of 27.12% grass and 72.88% non-grass species Based on plant density, dominance, and IVI, the most dominant grass species were Setarias phacelata (Schumach.) Stapf & C.E. Hubb. ex M.B. Moss, Bothriochloa pertusa (L.) A. Camus, Panicum repens L, and Zoysia matrella (L.) Merr. The most dominant non-grass species were Cyperus rotundus L., Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lamk, and Mimosa pudica. The distribution of plant shows that most species present were species with low density where few species were within the category of abundant. Index of Similarity between 14 stands was very low, where about 57.14% of stands were dissimilar. Therefore, plant composition among stands varied.  Of 16 grass species present, about 25.00% were considered medical plants, 18.75% as ornamental plants, 18.75% as plants used to make various tools, 12.5% as source of human food, and 31.25% as plants for erosion control. Of all non-grass species, about 59.52% were considered useful as medical plants; 19.04% as food sources, 16.67 as ornamental plants, and 4.76% as animal fodder sources. Conclusion: Based on this result it can be concluded that herbaceous species savanna of West Timor has a high diversity and economic potential that have not been used due to the lack of information. Therefore, the tropical savanna of West Timor needs to be managed sustainably to maintain its diversity and ecosystem health.

Herbaceous grass density dominance importance value index

References (75)

  1. 1 Aims and Methods of Vegetation Ecology [DOI]
  2. 2 Induced root-secreted phenolic compounds as a belowground plant defense [DOI]
  3. 3 A taxonomic distinctness index and its statistical properties [DOI]
  4. 4 A further biodiversity index applicable to species lists: variation in taxonomic distinctness [DOI]
  5. 5 The role of grasslands in food security and climate change [DOI]
  6. 6 Growing‐Season Microclimatic Gradients from Clearcut Edges into Old‐Growth Douglas‐Fir Forests [DOI]
  7. 7 Abundance‐Based Similarity Indices and Their Estimation When There Are Unseen Species in Samples [DOI]
  8. 8 Classification of natural communities [DOI]
  9. 9 Vegetation Dynamics of the Forest Edge -- Trends in Space and Successional Time [DOI]
  10. 10 Tree Seedlings on Logs in Picea‐Tsuga Forests of Oregon and Washington [DOI]
  11. 11 Small Mammals in Managed, Naturally Young, and Old‐Growth Forests [DOI]
  12. 12 The Ecology of Nusa Tenggara and Maluku [DOI]
  13. 13 Geographical Variation in Fertility, Phenology, and Composition of the Understory of Neotropical Forests [DOI]
  14. 14 Plant invaders: The threat to natural ecosystems [DOI]
  15. 15 A Two‐Stage Probabilistic Approach to Multiple‐Community Similarity Indices [DOI]
  16. 16 Changes in soil nutrients, vegetation structure and herbaceous biomass in response to grazing in a semi-arid savanna of Ethiopia [DOI]
  17. 17 A catalogue of the vascular plants of the Caatinga Phytogeographical Domain: a synthesis of floristic and phytosociological surveys [DOI]
  18. 18 Local knowledge about fodder plants in the semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil [DOI]
  19. 19 The Behavioral Ecology of the Komodo Monitor [DOI]
  20. 20 Possible Ecological Mechanisms for Loss of Vernal‐Herb Diversity in Logged Eastern Deciduous Forests [DOI]
  21. 21 Rainfall and Soil Fertility as Factors Limiting Forest Species Distributions in Ghana [DOI]
  22. 22 Diversity, regeneration status and socio-economic importance of the vegetation in the islands of Lake Ziway, south-central Ethiopia [DOI]
  23. 23 Hepatoprotective studies on Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lam. [DOI]
  24. 24 Species richness and density of ground herbs within a plot of lowland rainforest in north-west Borneo [DOI]
  25. 25 Forest age and management effects on epiphytic bryophyte communities in Adirondack northern hardwood forests, New York, U.S.A. [DOI]
  26. 26 NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND NITRATE CONTENT IN EDIBLE WILD SPECIES USED IN SOUTHERN ITALY [DOI]
  27. 27 Life-form spectra of Brazilian cerrado sites [DOI]
  28. 28 Grazing depletes forb species diversity in the mesic grasslands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa [DOI]
  29. 29 Conservation of fragmented grasslands as part of the urban green infrastructure: how important are species diversity, functional diversity and landscape functionality? [DOI]
  30. 30 Systematics, biogeography and diversification of the Indo‐Australian genus Delias Hübner (Lepidoptera: Pieridae): phylogenetic evidence supports an ‘out‐of‐Australia’ origin [DOI]
  31. 31 Structure and composition of the ground-herb community in a terra-firme Central Amazonian forest [DOI]
  32. 32 Protein supplementation reduces non‐grass foraging by a primary grazer [DOI]
  33. 33 Impact of Community Conservation Management on Herbaceous Layer and Soil Nutrients in a Kenyan Semi‐Arid Savannah [DOI]
  34. 34 Rural Livelihoods and Burning Practices in Savanna Landscapes of Nusa Tenggara Timur, Eastern Indonesia [DOI]
  35. 35 The agroclimatic maps of Kalimantan, Maluku, Irian Jaya and Bali, West and East Nusa Tenggara.
  36. 36 Uplift rate of coral reef terraces in the area of Kupang, West Timor: Preliminary results [DOI]
  37. 37 Peruvians’ sleep duration: analysis of a population-based survey on adolescents and adults [DOI]
  38. 38 Remote sensing of fire regimes in semi-arid Nusa Tenggara Timur, eastern Indonesia: current patterns, future prospects [DOI]
  39. 39 Late Cenozoic palaeobathymetry and geohistory analysis of Central West Timor, eastern Indonesia [DOI]
  40. 40 Biodiversity and tropical savanna properties: a global view.
  41. 41 Responses of savanna lawn and bunch grasses to water limitation [DOI]
  42. 42 Herbaceous Species Diversity in Kanawa Forest Reserve (KFR) in Gombe State, Nigeria [DOI]
  43. 43 Comparative Analysis Of Diversity And Similarity Indices With Special Relevance To Vegetations Around Sewage Drains [DOI]
  44. 44 Brazilian savannah 'will disappear by 2030' [DOI]
  45. 45 Holocene uplift in West Timor [DOI]
  46. 46 Performance of grasses in levelled and slopy sand stone mine spoils.
  47. 47 Savannas, barrens, and rock outcrop plant communities of North America [DOI]
  48. 48 Human impact, plant communities, diversity and regeneration in Budongo Forest Reserve, Northwestern Uganda
  49. 49 Learning from television in young children [DOI]
  50. 50 How Should Beta-Diversity Inform Biodiversity Conservation? [DOI]
  51. 51 Quantitative Plant Ecology. [DOI]
  52. 52 Plant Systematics: A Phylogenetic Approach [DOI]
  53. 53 Measuring biological diversity [DOI]
  54. 54 Historical Factors Affecting the Number and Distribution of Vascular Plant Species in the Woodlands of Central Lincolnshire [DOI]
  55. 55 The Braun-Blanquet Approach [DOI]
  56. 56 Terrestrial primary production and phytomass
  57. 57 Ecosystem services from southern African woodlands and their future under global change [DOI]
  58. 58 The effects of vegetation on runoff and soil loss: Multidimensional structure analysis and scale characteristics [DOI]
  59. 59 Grassland Ecology [DOI]
  60. 60 Are cattle surrogate wildlife? Savanna plant community composition explained by total herbivory more than herbivore type [DOI]
  61. 61 Reforestation or conservation? The attributes of old growth grasslands in South Africa [DOI]
  62. 62 Ethnobotanical studies of fodder grass resources for ruminant animals, based on the traditional knowledge of indigenous communities in Central Punjab Pakistan [DOI]
  63. 63 Prioritizing fodder species based on traditional knowledge: a case study of mithun (Bos frontalis) in Dulongjiang area, Yunnan Province, Southwest China [DOI]
  64. 64 Lophatherum gracile Brongn. attenuates neutrophilic inflammation through inhibition of JNK and calcium [DOI]
  65. 65 Herbivory by Insects in Australian Tropical Savannas: A Review [DOI]
  66. 66 Microsite Differences and Temporal Change in Plant Communities of Treefall Pits and Mounds in an Old-Growth Forest [DOI]
  67. 67 ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF PLANT COMMUNITIES ALONG THE EDAPHIC AND TOPOGRAPHIC GRADIENTS OF BIHA VALLEY, DISTRICT SWAT, PAKISTAN [DOI]
  68. 68 The Study of Plant Communities: An Introduction to Plant Ecology. [DOI]
  69. 69 Short communication: The dissimilarity in plant species composition of savanna ecosystem along the elevation gradient on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia [DOI]
  70. 70 Non-woody life-form contribution to vascular plant species richness in a tropical American forest [DOI]
  71. 71 Assessment of Herbaceous Species Diversity in Lede and Galumji, Wawa-Zange Forest Reserve, Gombe State, Nigeria [DOI]
  72. 72 Timor's fauna influence of scale, history and land-use on faunal patterning [DOI]
  73. 73 Similarity and difference of species among various plant communities across grassland vegetation of north-eastern Uttar Pradesh
  74. 74 Planting spaces of Setaria sphacelata.
  75. 75 Ecology of Savanna Ecosystems in Indonesia

Cited by 2

Ruderal flora as ethnoecological capital for urban conservation policy in Kupang City, Indonesia

M. L. Gaol, I. A. Dewi, I. W. Mudita · Asian Journal of Ethnobiology · 2026

Showing 1 of 2 known citations — external sources report more than can currently be individually listed.

Article metrics

Real usage data collected on this platform.

6

Page views

0

PDF downloads

1

Outbound clicks

2

Citations

Views over time

Views by country

Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".

Traffic sources

Referring site, by host.

Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.