ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research is funded by UNESCO/MAB Young Scientist Award grant number SC/EES/AP/565.19, particularly from the Austrian MAB Committee as part of the International Year of Biodiversity. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the Man and Biosphere-LIPI (Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia) which was led by Prof. Endang Sukara (President of the MAB National Committee) and at present is substituted by Prof. Dr. Bambang Prasetya, Dr. Yohanes Purwanto (MAB National Committee) for endorsing this research, and Sri Handayani, S.Si. (MAB National Staff), also especially to the Mount Gede Pangrango National Park for allowing to work at Selabintana and Cisarua Resort, and the Carbon team members: Ahmad Jaeni, Dimas Ardiyanto, Eko Susanto, Mukhlis Soleh, Pak Rustandi and Pak Upah. Dr. Didik Widyatmoko, M.Sc., the director of Cibodas Botanic Garden for his encouragement and constructive remarks, Wiguna Rahman, S.P., Zaenal Mutaqien, S.Si. and Indriani Ekasari, M.P. my best colleagues for their discussions. Prof. Kurniatun Hairiah and Subekti Rahayu, M.Si. of World Agroforestry Center, M. Imam Surya, M.Si. of Scoula Superiore Sant’ Anna Italy also Utami Dyah Syafitri, M.Si. of Universiteit Antwerpen Belgium for intensive discussion, Mahendra Primajati, S.Si. of the Burung Indonesia for assisting with the map and Dr. Endah Sulistyawati of School of Life Sciences and Technology - Institut Teknologi Bandung for the great passion and inspiration. i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES iii LIST OF FIGURES iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY vi 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Objectives 3 2.0 METHODS 4 2.1 St udy site 4 2.2 Measurement of carbon stock and estimating the biomass 6 2.3 Plant diversity 8 2.4 Relationship between carbon stock and plant diversity 9 2.5 Carbon value 9 2.6 Ecosystem service 9 3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 10 3.1 Estimation carbon stock and biomass 10 3.2 Plant diversity as the carbon stock performance and its conservation value 15 3.3 Relationship between carbon stock and plant diversity 32 3.4 Carbon stock and plant diversity as basis of an ecosystem services model 41 4.0 CONCLUSION 44 REFERENCES 45 APPENDICES 49 ii LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1. Average carbon stocks for various biomes 1 Table 2. The main ecological zone of Mount Gede Pangrango National Park 4 Table 3. All ometric models used to convert measures of vegetation to AGB 6 Table 4. Th e average carbon stock in observation plot at 3 zones of MGPNP 11 Table 5. Th e average contribution of carbon stock from trees on 4 allometric equations 13 Table 6. Eco logical index of 30 species with highest importance value on study site 16 Table 7. C lass and category of tree density 18 Table 8. Rela tive value of ecological index component on Mount Gede Pangrango National Park 22 Table 9. Ca rbon stock, ecology indexes and formation at the subalpine zone 32 Table 10. Ca rbon stock, ecology indexes and formation at the montane zone 34 Table 11. Ca rbon stock, ecology indexes and formation at the submontane zone 35 Table 12. Bra y-Curtis Index 36 Table 13. H ighest ten species in carbon stock value on 4 allometric equations 37 Table 14. Th e approach of interval value test for carbon stock on the model of cubic polynomial regression 40 Table 15. Est imation of carbon stock on the nature forest MGPNP 41 iii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. An egg of well-being 3 Figure 2. Study site map on Mount Gede Pangrango National Park 5 Figure 3. Sampling plot for carbon measurement made with length direction in line with elevation line with the assumption representing vegetation gradation on each elevation 6 Figure 4. Est imation of carbon stock and biomass on several elevations, AGB is aboveground biomass that consist of trees, understorey, litter and necromass 10 Figure 5. Th e value of trees proximity based on the elevation zone. 11 Figure 6. Ca rbon stock is stored in two classes of tree sizes on different elevations 12 Figure 7. Co ntribution of tree component, understorey, litter and necromass for carbon stock on different elevations 14 Figure 8. Co mposition and abundance of plant species on 3 ecology zones MGPNP 17 Figure 9. Th e relationship between species density rank and its abundance 18 Figure 10. Co mposition and abundance of plant species on subalpine zone 19 Figure 11. Co mposition and abundance of plant species on montane zone 20 MGPNP Figure 12. Co mposition and abundance of plant species on submontane zone of MGPNP 21 Figure 13. Th e relationship of basal area, density and importance value to carbon stock on the elevation of 2802 m asl 23 Figure 14. Th e relationship of basal area, density and importance value to carbon stock on the elevation of 2601 m asl 24 Figure 15. Th e relationship of basal area, density and importance value to carbon stock on the elevation of 2329 m asl 25 Figure 16. Th e relationship of basal area, density and importance value to carbon stock on the elevation of 2075 m asl 26 iv Page Figure 17. Th e relationship of basal area, density and importance value to carbon stock on the elevation of 1851 m asl 27 Figure 18. Th e relationship of basal area, density and importance value to carbon stock on the elevation of 1710 m asl 28 Figure 19. Th e relationship of basal area, density and importance value to carbon stock on the elevation of 1355 m asl 29 Figure 20. Th e relationship between basal area, density and importance value to carbon stock on the elevation of 1271 m asl 30 Figure 21. Th e relationship between basal area, density and importance value to carbon stock on the elevation of 1079 m asl 31 Figure 22. Ca rbon stock of plant species at the observation plot on Mount Gede Pangrango National Park 38 Figure 23. Mo del of cubic polynomial regression for correlation between Shannon Index and carbon stock on 4 allometric equations 39 Figure 24. Eco system services model on Mount Gede Pangrango National Park based on carbon stock and plant diversity 42 v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Mount Gede Pangrango National Park (MGPNP) is a wet-climate mount ecosystem that is rich for its plant diversity and has a significant contribution in storing carbon stock in its biomass and in time, it should be an ecosystem service. The purpose of this research is (1) to obtain information and data of carbon stock in relation to the plant diversity on nature forest ecosystem of Mount Gede Pangrango National Park as the core zone of Cibodas Biosphere Reserve (2) to formulate ecosystem services model on the wet climate mountains in West Java based on the strong linkage between carbon stock and plant diversity, and (3) to support scientific data in welcoming REDD/REDD plus, thus the result will directly contribute to the multistakeholder in Cibodas Biosphere Reserve for participating in reserving the main site. The method of measurement consists of (1) dividing Mount Gede Pangrango National Park in its each unique ecosystem as follows: (a) submontane zone (1000-1500 m asl), (b) montane zone (1500-2400 m asl), and (c) subalpine zone (2400-3019 m asl); (2) measuring the carbon stock above and below ground by using World Agroforestry Center (2007) as a guide; (3) estimating the biomass of branched trees by applying the equation of Dry Weight/DW as follows: (a) DW = 0,118 D2,53(Brown, 1997), (b) DW = 0,11 ρ D2,62 (Ketterings et al., 2001), (c) AGB est= ρ x exp(-1,499 + 2,148ln(D) + 0,207(ln(D))2-0,0281(ln(D))3) (Chave et al., 2005), (d) Ln (TAGB) = c + αln(DBH) (Basuki et al., 2009). The estimation of the biomass of non-branched trees uses DW = π ρ HD2/40 (Hairiah et al., 2001); (4) calculating plant diversity by using quantitative parameter, including index of importance value, index of diversity and index of similarity; (5) analyzing the relationship between carbon stock and plant diversity by using excel program on Mac OS X Version 10.5.8 and model test of polynomial regression on the confidence level of 95%; and (6) calculating of carbon value based on the ecological zone ability in supporting carbon. The average result of carbon stock measurement (aboveground carbon stock) on 9 sites using four allometric equations in tons C per hectare is 399.717 (Brown/Br), 354.648 (Ketterings/Kt), 449.688 (Chave/Cv) and 325.724 (Basuki/Bs). The estimated biomass is assumed that its 46% is stored carbon stock which is as much as 868.950 (Br), 770.974 (Kt), 977.583 (Cv) and 708.095 (Bs). The highest carbon stock is found on 2329 m asl (montane zone), except Bs allometric on 2601 m asl (subalpine zone), and the lowest one is found on 1355 m asl (Br) and 1079 m asl (Kt, Cv, Bs). The average of highest carbon stock based on zone is on the subalpine zone, that is 409.751 (Kt), 553.858 (Cv), vi 411.661(Bs) except Br (463.466) on the montane zone. It is presumably caused by contribution of Vaccinium varingiaefolium, which is multistem as well as dominant species on the subalpine zone. The maximum proximity value from the big trees to the small ones happens on the subalpine zone, that is 280 individuals ha-1 of the big tree (2601 m asl) and 2950 individuals ha-1 (2802 m asl). Meanwhile the approximate average of contribution on the aboveground carbon stock from the big trees 42.697-51.963% and from the small trees 29.664-35.892%.