<![CDATA[The rubber  agroforests  (RAF) of Indonesia provide  a dynamic interface  between natural  processes  of forest  regeneration and  humanâs management  targeting  the harvesting  of latex with  minimum investment  of time  and financial  resources.  The composition  and species richness  of higher  plants across an intensification gradient from forest to monocultures of tree crops have been investigated  in six land use types (viz. secondary forest, RAF, rubber monoculture, oil palm plantation, cassava field and Imperata grassland)  in Bungo,  Jambi  Province,  Indonesia.  We emphasize  comparison of four different  strata (understory, seedling,  sapling  and tree) of vegetation  between forest and RAF,  with  specific interest  in plant  dependence on ectomycorrhiza fungi. Species richness  and species accumulation curves for seedling and sapling  stages were similar  between forest and RAF,  but in the tree stratum  (trees > 10 cm dbh) selective thinning by farmers was evident in a reduction  of species diversity and an increase in the proportion of trees with edible parts. Very few trees dependent on ectomycorrhiza fungi were encountered in the RAF. However, the relative distribution of early and late successional species as evident from the wood density distribution showed no difference between RAF and forest.]]>
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