Wood Identification of the Meranti Tembaga from Sumatera: Comparison Wood Anatomy among Species and Population

Abstract

Red meranti wood group is listed in Decree of the Ministry of Forestry (Kepmenhut) No. 163/Kpts-II/2003 as a primary commercial wood. The wood is classified in strength class II-IV and durability class III-IV to propose light and heavy construction used. The superiority of this wood has led to exploitation, illegal logging, and illegal trade, especially from natural forests. It is important to identify the certainty of wood species to support law enforcement and the conservation strategies. In general, wood anatomy is the simple and reliable method in identifying wood species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the wood anatomy of the red meranti group based on visual, macroscopic, and microscopic structure to find the main characteristics that differentiate among species and population groups. The samples in this study were collected from five populations originally from Sumatra. The results found that visual and macroscopic structures showed no significant difference among species and populations. However, microscopic structure indicated differences among species based on quantitative characteristics. The largest ray width and height were observed in R. macroptera and R. parvifolia. Meanwhile, the microscopic structure of R. leprosula populations among Gunung Leuser National Park and Harapan Forest were clustered together based on parenchyma type.