Distribution of Wild Plants Utilized as Traditional Medicine by the Community in Nyungcung Village, West Java

Abstract

The community of Nyungcung Village utilizes natural resources for their daily needs. The aim of this study is to determine the distribution of wild plants utilized by the people of Nyungcung Village. The research was conducted in Nyungcung Village, Bogor Regency, West Java. The types of data collected include the name of the species, its benefits, and the location where the plants are gathered. Data collection (species names and benefits) was done through interviews, while the location data was obtained by following respondents during the collection of medicinal plants. Respondents were selected using snowball sampling technique. The research results show that a total of 49 species of wild plants are used as medicine. Medicinal plants utilized by the people of  Nyungcung Village are obtained from various locations, namely primary forests (3 species), secondary forests (14 species), gardens (27 species), roadside (40 species), home gardens (7 species), and rice fields (6 species). The highest utilization of medicinal plants is found at an altitude of 700–800 meters above sea level (masl). This is because at this altitude, the habitat type is cultivated land in the form of community gardens. The least utilized medicinal plants are found in primary forests (900–1000 masl). The most frequently utilized species of medicinal plants are found on slopes with a gradient of 0–8% (46 species), while the least utilized are found on slopes with a gradient of  25-45% (3 species).

Keywords : wild plants, distribution, medicinal plants