HERBAL SPECIES DIVERSITY IN PUTROE ALOEH TOURISM AREA, JEUMPA DISTRICT, SOUTHWEST ACEH REGENCY

The presence of vegetation in an area will positively impact the balance of the ecosystem on a broader scale. Herbs play an important role in maintaining vegetation conditions and cycling of plant growth in an area. The study aimed to determine the composition of vegetation, important values , and diversity index (Ĥ) of herbs in the Putroe Aloeh Tourism Area, Jeumpa District, and Southwest Aceh Regency. The method used is the observation method with the subjective determination of stations and plots using the quadratic method. Research stations as many as seven include; the downstreams left side of the river, the downstream right side of the river, the left middle side of the river, the middle right side, of the river the upstream left side of the river, the upstream right side of the river, and the surrounding forest. Each station is placed in 10 square plots measuring 2 x 2 m. Parameters observed include; absolute density (KM) of species, absolute frequency (FM) of species, and absolute dominance (DM) of species. Data analysis included the Important Value (IV) of species’ Important Value (IV) y Index (Ĥ). Based on the research results, it is known that there are 50 herb species consisting of 26 families. The dominating family is Asteraceae (20%). The species with the highest category of importance value was Selaginella doederleinii (IV = 48.48), while the species with the lowest category were Emilia sonchifolia and Cyperus strigosus (IV = 0.16). The diversity index of herbaceous species at the study site was medium (Ĥ= 2.43).


Data analysis
The research data begins by

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The research results obtained 50 herb species consisting of 26 families.
Vegetation composition, important value, and species diversity index at the study site are presented in A plant community's high or low diversity index depends on the number of species and individuals of each type (species richness).Species diversity can be used to express community structure [17].Diversity index data for all stations is presented in Table 3. as a result, the availability of nutrients for herb growth is reduced, so that their growth will also be stunted.Then, the intensity of sunlight in this place is also low because the shade is tightly closed by the big trees around the forest, so the photosynthesis and reproduction process could improve.This is under the statement that the greater the level of shade (the lower the intensity of light received by the plants), the lower the air temperature and the higher the air humidity [18].

SUGGESTION
We hope this research can be developed further by conducting further research on the analysis of other herbaceous vegetation on different vegetation so that data can be obtained at various locations and compared.
Indonesia is located in the tropics because its forests are tropical forest types.Tropical forests are strongly influenced by climatic and edaphic factors that affect the growth and composition of various species of community plants.Putroe Aloeh is one of popular tourism area in Southwest Aceh District that have not been investigate the diversity of herbs.The characteristic of a community in an environment is diversity.The entire plant community in ecology is called vegetation [1].Vegetation is classified based on dominant species or life forms, physical habitats, or functions with broader characteristics.Vegetation is the whole plant that lives together in a place [2].The presence of vegetation in an area has positively impacted the balance of the ecosystem on a wider a broader scale.The diversity of vegetation forms the strata of trees, shrubs, herbs, mosses, etc.One way to preserve the ecosystem is to maintain the condition of the vegetation, one of which is herbaceous vegetation [3].Herbaceous vegetation is one of the vegetation that makes up the forest which is much smaller in size when compared to shrubs or trees.Herbaceous vegetation also functions as a wealth of germplasm; for example, the preservation of wild animals as ecosystem components are influenced by the presence and diversity of undergrowth as a place to live and a source of food [4].Herbaceous plants have a crucial role in an area, herbs; protect the soil from rain falling onto the soil surface, improve the composition or structure of the earth with the ground's help of its roots, have strong competitiveness and high adaptation to the surrounding plants so they can grow in an empty place.Herbs also essential to the annual nutrient cycle, namely, the herb litter that is returned to the soil contains high levels of nutrients, which play a role in adding soil organic matter so that it can prevent erosion [5].Vegetation analysis requires species data to determine the important value of the constituent communities of a place.Through vegetation analysis, quantitative information is obtained about the structure and composition of a plant community [6].Information about herbaceous species at the study site has never been disclosed or recorded.Therefore, it is necessary to do research.METHOD This research was conducted in the Putroe Aloeh Tourism Area, Jeumpa District, and Southwest Aceh District.This research was conducted from February 2022 to August 2022.The tools and materials used included; a tape measure, wooden stakes, a camera, a hygrometer, a soil meter, a plastic bag, 70% alcohol, a set of plant collection tools, an observation sheet, label paper, raffia rope, scissors, and stationery.Station Determination The determination of the research stations was carried out using a purposive sampling technique so that the selected stations representing the riverbanks and surrounding forest were determined based on the characteristics of the environmental baseline for each station based on height, near/far from water sources, and light intensity.There are 7 (seven) research stations, including; the downstreams left side of the river, the downstream right side of the river, the left middle side of the river, the middle right side, of the river the upstream left side of the river, the upstream right side of the river, and the surrounding forest.Sampling Plot placement was carried out using the quadratic method at each observation station sampled by 10 square plots so that a total of 70 (seventy) samples were sampled with a square size of 2m x 2m.70 (seventy) square size of 2m x 2m Sample Identification The herbs found in each plot were recorded with the species names the taxonomists gave, then the number names are unknown are taken as samples, then preserved using 70% alcohol, and put in plastic bags for further identification using the Flora identification book for Schools in Indonesia [7] and identification applications (PlantNet and Google Lens).
data were then analyzed to determine the importance of the species using the formula [9] as follows: IV = KR + FR + DR Information: IV = Important Value KR = Relative Density FR = Relative Frequency DR = Relative Dominance.For the meaning of IV to be interpreted, it is necessary to determine the categories, namely High (T), Moderate (S), and Low (R), with a description of the formula [10] as follows: IV = To determine variations in species composition or diversity index, the Shannon-Wiener index (Ĥ) equation is used [11] Ĥ = -∑ (pi) (ln.pi) Information: Ĥ = Diversity index ni = The number of important values of the 1st species N = Total of the important values of all species in the community pi = ni/N, the ratio between the important values of each type with the total important values of all types.ln = natural logarithm (natural number) So that the meaning of the Shannon-Whiener species diversity index (Ĥ) can be interpreted, criteria are used [10].Where if the value of Ĥ ≤ 1 category is very low if Ĥ ≥ 1-2 categories are low if Ĥ ≥ 2-3 categories are moderate, if Ĥ ≥ 3-4 categories are high, and if Ĥ ≥ 4 categories are very high.
Research results in the Putroe Aloeh Tourism Area, Jeumpa District, and Southwest Aceh District found 50 herb species from 26 families.The importance value of the highest species category was Selaginella doederleinii (IV = 48.48),while the species with the lowest category of IV were Emilia sonchifolia and Cyperus strigosus (IV = 0.16).The level of diversity of herbaceous species is in the moderate category (Ĥ= 2.43).

Table 1 Table 1 .
Species Composition, Importance Value and Diversity Index