LAJU DEKOMPOSISI SERASAH DAUN TUMBUHAN KAYU BESI (Metrosideros petiolata Koord.) DI KAWASAN HUTAN LINDUNG NANGA-NANGA PAPALIA KOTA KENDARI SULAWESI TENGGARA - Muhsin Muhsin; Sitti Wirdhana Ahmad Bakkaraeng; Putra Prabowo (BioWallacea : Jurnal Penelitian Biologi (Journal of Biological Research), 2017)
ABSTRAK Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui laju dekomposisi serasah daun tumbuhan kayu besi  (Metrosideros petiolata Koord.) di Kawasan Hutan Lindung Nanga-Nanga Papalia Kota Kendari, Provinsi Sulawesi Tenggara. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah serasah daun dari jenis pohon Kayu Besi (Metrosideros petiolata Koord.) yang terdapat dalam plot pengamatan. Pengamatan bahan yang digunakan adalah serasah daun dari jenis kayu besi (Metrosideros petiolata Koord.) yang terdapat pada kantong serasah. Metode penelitian dengan memasukkan 20 gram serasah daun yang telah kering dan dimasukkan kedalam kantung berukuran 25 x 30 cm yang terbuat dari jaring nilon  sebanyak 64 kantong pada masing-masing presentase penutupan tajuk yang berbeda yaitu 75-100%, 50-75%, 25-50%, dan 0-25%. Pada masing-masing presentase penutupan tajuk diletakkan sebanyak 16 kantung sampel, kemudian ditanam kedalam tanah dengan kedalaman ± 10 cm. Selanjutnya diambil kembali sebanyak 4 kantong serasah pada masing-masing presentase penutupan tajuk pada bulan pertama sampai bulan ke 4. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat perbedaan laju penghancuran serasah daun pada presentase penutupan tajuk 75-100% sebesar 7,01 gram/bulan, 50-75%, 6,41 gram/bulan, 25-50%, 6,70 gram/bulan, dan 0-25% yaitu 5,78 gram/bulan. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa ada kecendrungan semakin tinggi pertumbuhan penutupan tajuk maka semakin tinggi laju penghancuran serasah. Kata kunci : Dekomposisi serasah, Tutupan tajuk, kayu besi (Metrosideros petiolata Koord.) ABSTRACT This research aims to determine the decomposition rate of ironwood leaf  (tulis latinnya) litter in Nanga-Nanga papalia protected forest area, Kendari city, Southeast Sulawesi. The population in this research was the leaf litter from ironwood trees (tulis latinnya) in the plot of observation. Besides that, the observation material was the leaf litter from ironwood (tulis latinnya) in the litter bag. The research method was done by putting 20 grams of dry litter into the bag of 25×30  cm which made by nylon net as much as 64 bags for each percentage of different canopy closures, that were 75-100%, 50-75%, 25-50%, and 0-25%. In each percentage of different canopy closure was put as much as 16 sample bags and planted in the soil with ± 10 cm depth. After that, it were taken back as much as 4 sample bags for each percentage of different canopy closure in the first month until the fourth month. The results showed that there were the difference of destruction rate of leaf litter in the percentage of canopy closure 75-100% as much as 7,01 grams/month, 50-75% was 6,41 grams/month, 25-50% was 6,70 grams/month and 0-25% was 5,78 grams/month. It were showed that there was a tendency for the higher growth of canopy closure, the higher the rate of litter destruction.Keywords: Litter destruction rate, percentage of canopy closure, Ironwood (Metrosideros petiolata Koord.)