Dynamics of post-fire vegetation succession and implications for peatland restoration in Berbak National Park, Jambi

Abstract

Peat swamp forests play a vital role as carbon sinks, water regulators, and habitats for diverse plant and animal species. However, these ecosystems are highly vulnerable to fire and require long recovery periods. This study analyzed post-fire vegetation succession dynamics and their implications for peatland restoration in Berbak National Park, Jambi. Vegetation observations were conducted across three land-cover types: ex-logging secondary forest as a reference site (SF), a 27-year post-fire site (B27), and a 9-year post-fire site (B9). The analysis included the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’), Margalef richness index (R), evenness index (E), and Simpson dominance index (C), as well as the Jaccard Similarity Index and PCA-based K-Means clustering. The results showed that vegetation succession does not proceed linearly. B9 had the lowest seedling abundance (0.75 individuals per 4 m²), compared with SF (15.45) and B27 (7.70), but the highest sapling abundance (13.35 individuals per 25 m²). Macaranga pruinosa dominated B9 saplings, with 163 individuals and an Importance Value Index (IVI) of 83.69%, but its dominance did not persist at the pole stage, where abundance was only 1.00 individual per 100 m². This discontinuity between the sapling and pole stages suggests a potential regeneration bottleneck. B27 showed characteristics consistent with a heterogeneous transitional community, while SF showed a pattern consistent with a pioneer legacy effect, with Macaranga pruinosa dominating at the tree stage (IVI = 145.88%). Peatland restoration must be conducted adaptively based on site conditions, regeneration constraints, and key dominant species.