<![CDATA[Understory vegetation in tropical forests is shaped by interactions among canopy structure, microclimatic conditions, and soil edaphic properties. This preliminary study aimed to examine the relationships between understory vegetation and key environmental factors in a lowland tropical rainforest within the Khairun University Educational Forest, North Maluku - a critical but understudied secondary forest ecosystem in eastern Indonesia. Data were collected from ten observation plots through measurements of canopy structure, microclimatic variables, soil properties, and the composition and density of understory vegetation, including tree seedlings. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was applied to explore how environmental variables explained variation in understory species composition across plots. A total of 37 understory plant species belonging to 18 families were recorded, with the community dominated by tree seedlings and understory palms. Five species dominate the understory layer: Caryota mitis, Saribus rotundifolius, Donax canniformis, Polyalthia sp., and Ficus hispida. CCA suggested exploratory associations between understory composition and environmental gradients related to elevation, canopy cover, soil moisture, and soil pH. However, permutation tests and forward selection did not identify any environmental variable as statistically significant, likely reflecting the limited number of sampling plots. Overall, the study suggests that understory vegetation patterns in this educational forest are related to combined environmental gradients rather than a single dominant factor. As a preliminary study, these findings provide baseline ecological information for further research on understory regeneration in this educational forest.]]>
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