Identification of Pteridophyte plant species on the southeast slope of Mount Merapi National Park, Kemalang, Central Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Fatin SK, Wijayanti S, Khoirunnisa S, Wela SMD, Sholiqin M, Setyawan AD. 2025. Identification of pteridophyte plant species on the southeast slope of Mount Merapi National Park, Kemalang, Central Java, Indonesia. Asian J Environ 1: 31-43. This study aimed to identify and analyze the diversity of Pteridophytes on the southeastern slope of Mount Merapi National Park, Central Java, Indonesia. Field surveys recorded a total of 31 species from 14 families and 2,075 individuals, demonstrating the importance of this volcanic montane area as a habitat for ferns. The most abundant family was Pteridaceae, with Deparia petersenii (Kunze) M.Kato  and Christella subpubescens (Blume) Holttum as the dominant species, while Platycerium bifurcatum (Cav.) C.Chr. and Elaphoglossum callifolium (Blume) J.Sm.were the rarest taxa. Terrestrial ferns were the most common growth form, comprising 22 species and 93.9% of individuals, which reflects the suitability of the local abiotic environment characterized by high soil moisture (72.5%), neutral soil pH (7.15), moderate temperature (22.29 °C), and mid-elevation (1,213.5 masl). Biodiversity indices indicated moderate diversity (H? = 2.77) and richness (Dmg = 3.93), but high evenness (E = 0.81), showing that despite the dominance of several colonizers, many species maintained stable populations. Conservation analysis revealed that only five species were categorized as Least Concern, while the majority were not yet evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. These results suggest that fern communities in Mount Merapi are structured by a few abundant generalists but rely on habitat heterogeneity to sustain rare specialists, highlighting the importance of conserving diverse microhabitats to maintain ecological resilience.