DIVERSITY OF TREE SPECIES POTENTIAL FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES IN INDONESIA

Abstract

Few people are aware that Indonesia has a large number and diversity of tree species with documented medicinal benefits other than timber. This information is very useful for conservation and sustainable use, especially in terms of bioprospecting. We conducted a desk study using several databases (including POWO, BGCI, MPNS, and IUCN) and some primer resources (including data from ethnobotanical studies) to set an initial database and inventory of the tree species potential for medicinal purposes in Indonesia. This study aims to reveal information regarding the diversity of tree species in Indonesia with medicinal uses to support the planning of conservation and sustainable use. It has been discovered that Indonesia has 1737 tree species with medicinal records, divided into 128 families and 608 genera. Only 138 species of all are introduced. Most species belong to families of the Fabaceae (163 species), Euphorbiaceae (117 species), and Moraceae (79 species), whilst the three most genera are Ficus (61 species), Diospyros and Macaranga with each 30 species, respectively. More than 60% of species have been evaluated by the IUCN Redlist, but only 7% are included in the threatened list, with one species being extinct in the wild/EW, 38 species being critically endangered/CR, 38 species being endangered/EN, and 38 species being vulnerable/VU (68 species). Moreover, only 50% of tree species have been conserved in ex situ areas. In conclusion, there is diversity of potential tree species for medicinal purposes in Indonesia that have not been explored to their full potential, particularly for advancement toward bioprospecting and the broader health of people. Given that the threat of species extinction continues, it is necessary to conduct conservation for sustainable use.