Community Differentiation and Ecological Influencing Factors along Environmental Gradients: Evidence from 1200 km Belt Transect across Inner Mongolia Grassland, China

In this work, we conducted a 1200 km belt transect for field survey in typical and meadow steppes across Inner Mongolia Plateau in 2018. The field investigation, laboratory soil analysis, and quantitative ecology methods were utilized to explore the differentiation characteristics of the plant community, and their relationships with ecological factors. The results showed that a total of 140 vascular plants within 108 quadrats mainly comprised of Asteraceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae, and Fabaceae. Two-way Indicator Species Analysis (TWINSPAN) revealed eight vegetation typologies: I: Stipa sareptana var. krylovii + Dysphania aristata, II: Stipa grandis + Leymus chinensis, III: Stipa sareptana var. krylovii + Leymus chinensis, IV: Stipa grandis + Cleistogenes squarrosa, V: Stipa grandis + Carex duriuscula, VI: Stipa baicalensis + Leymus chinensis, VII: Carex pediformis + Stipa baicalensis, VIII: Leymus chinensis + Elymus dahuricus. Detrend Correspondence Analysis (DCA) confirmed the above eight vegetation typologies and indicated a relatively small variation. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that the spatial differentiation characteristics in the typical steppe were chiefly driven by precipitation, while the influencing factor in the meadow steppe was soil nutrients, followed by temperature and precipitation. The contrast between typical and meadow steppes revealed that the spatial distribution of typical steppe was influenced by precipitation, while the contribution of heat and water in the meadow steppe was equal. The conclusion revealed that the temperature and precipitation conditions coupled with soil nutrients shaped the spatial differentiation characteristics of temperate steppe vegetation in the Inner Mongolia grassland. Therefore, this study advanced our knowledge of the spatial patterns of temperate steppe along longitude and latitude gradients, providing scientific and theoretical guidance for the biodiversity conservation and sustainable ecosystem management of the Inner Mongolia grassland.

Coral diseases of mushroom coral (Fungiidae) in Pari Island, Kepulauan Seribu, Jakarta

Coral disease is one of the causes of the decline in the condition of coral reef ecosystems. This study aims to measure coral health based on the abundance and prevalence of coral health categories. The research was conducted in the Pari Island Cluster, Seribu Islands at four stations. The Belt Transect method with 2 × 100 meters was used to calculate coral health and a 30 m Line Intercept Transect (LIT) with three replications to determine substrate cover. The condition of coral reefs can be categorized as moderate to good based on this percentage value. The study results found five genera from the Fungiidae, namely Fungia, Ctenactis, Herpolitha, Heliofungia, and Sandalolitha. The most commonly found genus is the genus Fungia. The health condition of Fungiidae corals in Pari Island is divided into two categories, namely 35% healthy and 65% unhealthy, consisting of changes in tissue color - white (coral bleaching), changes in tissue color - not white (yellow band disease), and compromised health (damage by sedimentation). Yellow band disease is only found in the genus ˆ and is not found in other genera.

Pola Sebaran Teripang di Perairan Desa Penaga dan Desa Berakit Kabupaten Bintan

Tujuan penelitian adalah mengetahui kepadatan, pola sebaran dan struktur komunitas teripang di Perairan Desa Penaga Dan Desa Berakit Kabupaten Bintan Kepulauan Riau. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode Purposive Sampling. Penenentuan area dengan metode Belt Transect dan penangkapan menggunakan metode Swept Area. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Teripang yang ditemukan diperairan Desa Penaga dan berakit terdapat 7 jenis yaitu H.impatiens, H.vagabunda, H. scabra, A.miliaris, H.atra, H.coluber, Phyllophorus sp. Kepadatan jenis tertinggi di perairan Desa Penaga berada pada spesies Phyllophorus sp. dengan nilai kepadan yakni 714 ind/ha sedangkan pada perairan Desa Berakit H.coluber dengan nilai kepadan yakni 647 ind/ha. Kondisis perairan di Desa Penaga dan Desa Berakit masih memenuhi baku mutu sehingga mendukung kehidupan Teripang. Nilai indeks Keanekaragaman pada Desa Penaga diperoleh nilai 0.99, sedangkan di Desa Berakit indeks keanekaragaman diperoleh nilai 1.57. Keseragaman Teripang di perairan Desa Penaga diperoleh nilai 0.71 dan Desa Berakit diperoleh nilai 0.97. Dominansi Desa Penaga diperoleh nilai 0.299 dan Desa Berakit diperoleh nilai 0.218. menunjukkan tidak ada spesies yang mendominansi. pola sebaran Desa Penaga dengan nilai 1.714 dan Desa Berakit dengan nilai 1.145, kedua lokasi memiliki pola sebaran mengelompok.

IDENTIFIKASI SPONS BERDASARKAN TUTUPAN KARANG DI PERAIRAN SOMBU TAMAN NASIONAL WAKATOBI

Spons merupakan hewan multiseluler paling primitif yang hidup diberbagai tipe perairan mulai dari tawar, payau, dan laut. Biota ini hidup di dasar perairan dan biasanya menempel pada substrat keras seperti batu atau karang dan berkompetisi dengan organisme penempel lainnya untuk memperoleh ruang dan makanan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui keanekaragaman dan kepadatan spons berdasarkan tutupan karang. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan pada bulan Desember 2020 – Juli 2021, di Perairan Sombu Taman Nasional Wakatobi. Pengambilan data spons dilakukan dengan menggunakan metode belt transect dengan panjang line transect 50 m dengan lebar 4 m pada kedalaman 3 m (reef flat) dan 7 m (reef slope) pada masing-masing stasiun. Data diambil bersama dengan tutupan karang menggunakan metode line intercept transect (LIT) dengan panjang line transect 50 m pada kedalaman yang sama dengan data spons. Hasil penelitian didapatkan bahwa keanekagaraman hayati spons yang ditemukan dilokasi penelitian yaitu sebanyak 2 kelas, 19 famili dan 23 genus. Yakni keanekaragaman jenis spons tertinggi yaitu pada stasiun I sebesar 20 genus, serta kepadatan spons tertinggi sebesar 0,18 individu/m2 terdapat pada genus Spheciospongia sp., kepadatan spons tertinggi berdasarkan stasiun terdapat pada stasiun I zona reef slope yaitu dengan nilai 0,32 individu/m². Persentase tutupan karang pada stasiun I dan II masuk dalam kondisi baik, sedangkan pada stasiun III masuk dalam kondisi sedang. Keanekaragaman dan kepadatan spons dipengaruhi adanya keberadaan terumbu karang, sehingga keberadaan tutupan karang yang tinggi menyebabkan melimpahnya pertumbuhan spons.Kata Kunci : Keanekaragaman, Kepadatan, Spons, Terumbu Karang

Biodiversity of megabenthos and coral reef condition in Tuan Island, Aceh Besar

The existence of megabenthos has an important role in maintaining sustainability of coral reef ecosystems and in the food web process. Megabenthos is also often used as an indicator of the health condition of coral reefs. The purpose of study was to analyze the biodiversity of megabenthos associated with coral reef in Tuan Island. This research was conducted in July -September, 2020. There were four research stations determined by purposes method based on four wind directions. Megabenthos data collection carried out by benthos belt transect method and coral reef data collected by using the Line Intercept Transect (LIT) method. The results were found 8 species of megabenthos target, namely spiny starfish (Acanthaster planci), blue starfish (Linckia laevigata), sea urchins (Diadema setosum), sea cucumbers (Holothuria atra), clams (Tridacna squamosa), Drupella snails (Drupella sp.), lola clams (Tronchus niloticus) and lobster (Panulirus versicolor). Totally, there were 190 individuals of megabenthos with the abundance ranged from 0.18 to 0.52 individuals/m2. Diadema setosum had the highest abundance with the value 0.9 individuals/m2 followed by Drupulella sp. (0.3 individuals/m2). The highest diversity index was station 4 followed by station 3, 2, and 1 with the value of 2.21, 0.85, 0.64, and 0.41, respectively. The diversity index was categorized as low and medium. The average of evenness and dominance indices were 0.04 and 0.62, both was medium category. The highest percentage of coral cover was at station 1 followed by station 3, 4, and 2, the coral cover value were 50.44%, 29.20%, 18.14%, and 9.29%, respectively. The correlation (r) between the percentage of coral reef cover and megabenthos abundance has a positive correlation, but the level of correlation was low (0.215 %). The density of megabenthos on Tuan Island did not have a major influence on coral reef cover where the determination value (R2) was 0.0462 which indicated that the megabenthos abundance was influenced by the percentage of coral reef cover only 4.62%.

Keanekaragaman Dan Dominansi Pohon Penyusun Hutan Lindung Di Pulau Marsegu Kabupaten Seram Bagian Barat

Maluku is known as an archipelago and has high biodiversity. One of the many islands in Maluku that has biological natural resources is Marsegu Island in the West Seram district. Marsegu Island has a very high diversity of marine resources, various types of birds and various vegetation diversity of trees. The diversity of trees in vegetation shows a variety of compositions, both variations in shape, structure or morphology, color, number, and other characteristics of plants in an area. Tree vegetation is the main constituent of forest areas and has an important function in water management, germplasm reserves, life support, development resources and sources of foreign exchange. This study aims to determine the diversity and dominance of protected forest trees on Marsegu Island, West Seram district. The method used in this research is the belt transect method. Furthermore, the tree species were identified based on the identification book. Data were analyzed using the diversity index formula from Shannon-Wienner and Simpson dominance index. The results of research conducted in the eastern and western parts of Marsegu Island found 22 species of trees as the protected forest on Marsegu Island. The Diversity Index at both stations is in the medium category with the results obtained that the east station is 2.2652 while the west station is 2.3761 and is in a stable condition, while the Dominance Index at both stations is low with the results obtained that the eastern station is 0.1618 while the west 0.1135 and no species dominates.

Kepadatan Bulu Babi (Diadema setosum) Pada Ekosistem Terumbu Karang Di Karang Kering Perairan Bedukang Kabupaten Bangka

Perairan Bedukang memiliki tutupan ekosistem Terumbu Karang kering Bedukang 35,9%. Terumbu karang berfungsi sebagai tempat memijah, mencari makan, daerah asuhan bagi biota laut, dan sebagai sumber plasma nutfah. Kehadiran Diadema setosum pada ekosistem terumbu karang dapat mempengaruhi keseimbangan ekologi di ekosistem terumbu karang suatu perairan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memberikan data kepadatan Diadema setosum pada ekosistem terumbu karang dan memberikan informasi keterkaitan antara kepadatan Diadema setosum dengan karakteristik habitat pada ekosistem terumbu karang di perairan Bedukang Kecamatan Riau Silip Kabupaten Bangka. Penelitian dilakukan pada bulan Maret 2019 di Karang Kering Perairan Bedukang. Metode Belt Transect digunakan untuk pengambilan data Diadema setosum dan Line Intercept Transect untuk pengambilan data terumbu karang. Hasil penelitian didapatkan nilai kepadatan rata-rata Diadema setosum sebanyak 3.708 ind/ha. Persentase tutupan terumbu karang di perairan Bedukang dalam keadaan baik dengan nilai 59,61%. Keterkaitan antara kepadatan Diadema setosum dengan bentuk pertumbuhan karang atau lifeform karang Acropora Branching (ACB), Acropora Digitate (ACD), Coral Submassive (CS), Turf Algae (TA), dan Other (OT).

IDENTIFIKASI ANEMON DI DAERAH TERUMBU KARANG PERAIRAN KASWARI, TAMAN NASIONAL WAKATOBI

Anemon merupakan salah satu hewan laut dari filum Cnidaria atau Coelenterata yang sering dimanfaatkan sebagai penghias akuarium dan sumber makanan bagi masyarakat pesisir Wakatobi. Berdasarkan literature, anemon telah berhasil di identifikasi sebanyak 12 jenis tersebar di seluruh dunia, 10 jenis diantaranya terdapat di Indonesia. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui keanekaragaman dan kelimpahan anemon pada daerah terumbu karang di perairan Desa Kasuari, Wakatobi. Pengumpulan data dilaksanakan selama 2 bulan yaitu Februari – Maret 2020. Metode pengumpulan data menggunakan metode belt transect yaitu dengan luas 200m² dengan 3 kali ulangan untuk mewakili area reef flat dan reef slope. Jenis anemon yang ditemukan di perairan Desa Kaswari yaitu Heteractis crispa dan Heteractis malu. Kelimpahan anemon di perairan Desa Kaswari pada stasiun Reef Flat adalah 0,045 individu/m² sedangkan pada stasiun Reef Slope adalah 0,065 individu/m². Hasil Uji-T diperoleh nilai t-hitung (-2.000) ≤ t-tabel (2.776). Artinya bahwa tidak terdapat perbedaan yang nyata antara nilai rata-rata individu anemon pada daerah reef flat dan reef slope meskipun berada pada zona terumbu karang yang berbeda.Kata Kunci: Kelimpahan anemon, Terumbu karang, Kaswari.

Distribution Pattern and Mapping of Invasive Alien Species Bellucia pentamera in Conservation Area of PT. Tidar Kerinci Agung (TKA) Solok Selatan

Bellucia pentamera is one of the most dangerous invasive alien species for environment. This species had been invaded many forests in Indonesia. This species would invade more area due to deforestation. The objectives of this study were to know the mapping and distribution pattern of B. pentamera; to know the effects of distance from road and light intensity to distribution of B. pentamera. This study was conducted from March to August 2020 in Conservation Area of PT. TKA Solok Selatan using belt transect method by plotting 20x50 m2. Data was analyzed using Morishita Index and Linear Regression. Distribution pattern of B. pentamera in PT. TKA was clumped, showed by 1.17 of Morishita index. Seedlings and saplings of B. pentamera were dominant at the edge of conservation forest while trees were distributed from the middle to inside of the forest. Distance from road gave positively effects and significantly towards distribution of B. pentamera showing result 0.702 of R2 and 0.007 of p-Value. Light intensity did not give effects significantly towards distribution of B. pentamera showing result 0.0806 of R2 and 0.427 of p-Value.

Kerapatan Clathria reinwardti dan Spheciospongia inconstans di Reef Flat Pulau Barranglompo, Kepulauan Spermonde, Makassar

This study aims to determine the density of the sponges Clathria reinwardti and Spheciospongia inconstans in the reef flat of Barranglompo Island, Spermonde Archipelago, Makassar. The method used is belt transect using a roll meter as a reference for distance. The starting point of the roll meter ± 50 m from the shoreline is drawn perpendicularly to the end of the reef reef by 3 transects with a distance of ± 50m between the roll meters. At each 25m interval the observations were made using a belt transect size of 15m × 5m as the limit of the observation. In each quadrant transect, were done first is documenting of each sponge then count the number of species present in each quadrant. The results showed that the density of Clathria reinwardti at stations I and II were 0.13 and 0.14 m-2 respectively and were not significantly different, while those at stations III and IV were 0.25 and 0.31 m-2 respectively and not significantly different. Station I and II are significantly different from stations III and IV. The density of Spheciospongia inconstans at station I 0.02 m-2, station II 0.14 m-2, station III 0.67 m-2, and station IV 0.44 m-2. The sponge density of S. inconstans between stations was significantly different. The density of C. reinwardti at stations III and IV was higher and significantly different than stations I and II, while the highest density of S. inconstans was found at station III followed by station IV, station II, and station 1, and was significantly different among the four stations. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kerapatan spons Clathria reinwardti dan Spheciospongia inconstans di reef flat Pulau Barranglompo, Kepulauan Spermonde, Kota Makassar. Metode yang digunakan adalah belt transect dengan menggunakan roll meter sebagai acuan jarak. Titik awal roll meter ±50 m dari garis pantai secara tegak lurus ditarik sampai batas akhir reef reef sebanyak 3 transek dengan jarak ±50m antar roll meter. Pada setiap interval 25m pengamatan dilakukan menggunakan belt transect ukuran 15m × 5m sebagai batasan pengamatan. Pada setiap transek kuadran, pertama-tama yang dilakukan adalah mengambil gambar setiap spons kemudian menghitung jumlah jenis yang terdapat pada setiap kuadran. Hasil penelitian, kerapatan spons Clathria reinwardti di stasiun I dan II masing-masing 0.13 dan 0.14 m-2 dan tidak berbeda nyata, sedangkan di stasiun III dan IV masing-masing 0.25 dan 0.31 m-2 dan tidak berbeda nyata. Stasiun I dan II berbeda nyata dengan stasiun III dan IV. Kerapatan spons Spheciospongia inconstans pada stasiun I 0.02 m-2, stasiun II 0.14 m-2, stasiun III 0.67 m-2, dan stasiun IV 0.44 m-2. Kerapatan spons Spheciospongia inconstans antar stasiun berbeda nyata. Kerapatan Clathria reinwardti pada stasiun III dan IV lebih tinggi dan berbeda nyata daripada stasiun I dan II, sedangkan kerapatan Spheciospongia inconstans tertinggi didapatkan pada stasiun III disusul kemudian stasiun IV, stasiun II, dan stasiun 1, serta berbeda nyata di antara keempat stasiun tersebut.