Species Diversity of Zingiberaceae in the Central Java's Main Producer of Medicinal Plants

Abstract

An information on accuracy of species identification, population stock, species distribution and estimation of scarcity and abudance is needed for conservation. The objective of this study is to determine teh species diversity of Zingiberaceae in the Central Java's main producer of medicinal plants, i.e, Semarang City Semarang Regency, Boyolali, Sukoharjo, Karanganyar and Wonogiri. The research had been carried out in April until August 2010 using survey and quadrate/plot method. All founded species was counted into total individual in each 5 x 5 m2plots. The parameters used in this study are density, frequency, relative dominance, importance value, and diversity index. The result shows that there are 17 species of Zingiberaceae, i.e.Alpinia galanga, Amomum cardamomum, Curcuma aeruginosa, Curcuma longa, Curcuma heyneana, Curcuma mangga, Curcuma petiolata, Curcuma soloensis, Curcuma xanthorrhiza, Costus speciosus, Kaempferia galanga, Kaempferia pandurata, Kaempferia rotunda, Zingiber amaricans, Zingiber aromaticum, Zingiber cassumunar, Curcuma domesticas has the highets importance value in Sukoharjo, then follows by Semarang Regency and Wonogiri. The highest diversity index was found in Semarang City