Biodiversity of SAGO (Metroxylon spp.) and Its Understory in Maluku, Indonesia

Sago (Metroxylon spp.) is an important agricultural commodity in Maluku. The area of sago plantations in Indonesia is 1,25 million hectares. To conserve Maluku’s diverse sago, urgent action is needed for identification and selection of high-yielding varieties. This study was aimed to investigate the diversity of sago palms and the weed surrounding sago groves in Maluku. The research was carried out in six sago areas from September 2015 to October 2016. The sago plant identification was carried out throughout the growth phases of sago, i.e. seedlings, saplings, weaning, trunk growth, and ripening. Vegetation observation was done in a radius of 100 m2 surrounding sago clumps. The identification results are tabulated in a pivot table and vegetation analysis data includes density, frequency, dominance and important value index. The result shows that ‘Tuni’, ‘Molat’, and ‘Ihur’ sago varieties dominated sago palm areas in Ceram and Ambon Islands, Maluku. There were significant morphological variability among the verietes of sago, especially in stem height, midrib width, leaf midrib color, number of thorns, flower stalk length, and the contrasting carbohydrate contents. The weed within the sago palm study sites exhibited significant diversity, encompassing 15 plant families and 20 distinct species. The dominant understory plant families were Araceae, Thelypteridaceae, and Athyriaceae. The Araceae family was represented by species such as wild taro and broadleaf plants, while Thelypteridaceae and Athyriaceae were predominantly composed of ferns. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will provide valuable insights for developing effective strategies for the sustainable conservation and utilization of sago resources in the Maluku region.