Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country in the world, with 17,000 islands of varying sizes and elevations, from lowlands to very high mountains, stretching more than 5000 km eastward from Sabang in Aceh to Merauke in Papua. Although occupying only 1.3% of the world’s land area, Indonesia possesses the third-largest rainforest and the second-highest level of biodiversity, with very high species diversity and endemism. However, during the last two decades, Indonesia has been known as a country with a high level of deforestation, a producer of smoke from burning forests and land, and a producer of carbon emissions. The aim of this paper is to review the environmental history and the long process of Indonesian forest management towards achieving environmental sustainability and community welfare. To do this, we analyze the milestones of Indonesian forest management history, present and future challenges, and provide strategic recommendations toward a viable Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) system. Our review showed that the history of forestry management in Indonesia has evolved through a long process, especially related to contestation over the control of natural resources and supporting policies and regulations. During the process, many efforts have been applied to reduce the deforestation rate, such as a moratorium on permitting primary natural forest and peat land, land rehabilitation and soil conservation, environmental protection, and other significant regulations. Therefore, these efforts should be maintained and improved continuously in the future due to their significant positive impacts on a variety of forest areas toward the achievement of viable SFM. Finally, we conclude that the Indonesian government has struggled to formulate sustainable forest management policies that balance economic, ecological, and social needs, among others, through developing and implementing social forestry instruments, developing and implementing human resource capacity, increasing community literacy, strengthening forest governance by eliminating ambiguity and overlapping regulations, simplification of bureaucracy, revitalization of traditional wisdom, and fair law enforcement.

Nutrient resorption (NR) is a critical ecological process in forest ecosystems. However, there is a lack of knowledge about this process in the peatlands of Indonesia, and this may be seen as a research gap. In the present study, NR in young trees of three native species (Macaranga pruinosa, Cratoxylum arborescens, and Macaranga gigantea) and one exotic species (Acacia crassicarpa) in a drained tropical peatland was investigated. This study was conducted at an experimental plot in Pelalawan-Riau, Indonesia. Nutrient resorption efficiency (RE) and proficiency (RP) were calculated and correlated with soil properties, foliar nutrients, and growth variables. Our results revealed that M. pruinosa exhibited an RE value for phosphorus (PRE) that was 64% higher than that for the second-ranked native species but still significantly (84%) lower than that for A. crassicarpa. RE values for nitrogen (NRE) and potassium (KRE) did not differ significantly among species, ranging from 39 to 42% and 41 to 56%, respectively, for native species, with figures of 45% and 66%, respectively, for A. crassicarpa. Finally, PRE exhibited strong and significant correlations with PRP and tree growth, a finding that indicated that the uptake and conservation of P nutrients are essential for the fitness of the three native species. Overall, the results of the present study may be seen as beneficial for species selection and the management of nutrients by those engaged in restoration of tropical peatland forests.

Saninten (Castanopsis argentea (Blume) A.DC.) is a protected plant that grows in the Mount Gede Pangrango National Park (MGPNP) area in West Java. Its population is limited, and as a valuable biological resource, Castanopsis has traditionally been utilized by indigenous communities, particularly those residing in proximity to the forest. However, the expansion and development of tourism pose a potential threat to the ecosystems of C. argentea and other endemic plant species, as well as to the wildlife that depend on these habitats. Comprehensive data on biodiversity, species composition, forest structure, and carbon stock status are crucial for assessing the potential impact of future tourism development. Our investigation was conducted from November 2023 to March 2024 in a three-hectare utilization zone within the confines of the national park. The findings documented a total of 36 species across 23 distinct plant families, with the families Fagaceae, Moraceae, and Myrtaceae exhibiting the highest levels of dominance. The regeneration of stands at the study site predominantly comprised arboreal species with the most substantial carbon stocks, including C. acuminatissima (Blume) A.DC. (Riung anak), C. argentea (Saninten), and Litsea sp. (Huru). C. argentea supplies several functions within this ecosystem that are interconnected with other components. With aboveground carbon stocks reaching 560.47 tons C/ha, the forest demonstrates high sequestration potential, reinforcing the need to conserve mature stands for both biodiversity and climate benefits. Therefore, in the future, the conservation of C. argentea will benefit the maintenance of the ecosystem’s attractiveness without adversely affecting the social and cultural structures of the local population.

This study aims to assess the sustainability of an agroforestry system integrating Schima wallichii (puspa) and Amomum cardamomum (cardamom) within the Gunung Walat Educational Forest—IPB University Educational Forest (HPGW), Indonesia, by applying the RAP-AFS (Rapid Appraisal Technique for Evaluating Agroforestry Sustainability) approach. The assessment was conducted across four key dimensions: ecological, economic, social, and institutional. The findings suggest that the overall sustainability of the agroforestry system in HPGW is moderately good, with a sustainability index value of 55.94. The social and ecological dimensions performed particularly well, scoring 67.51 and 61.43, respectively. The economic dimension achieved an index score of 55.45, although price fluctuations and reliance on middlemen continue to pose challenges. Meanwhile, the institutional dimension showed the lowest performance, with an index value of 39.37, underscoring the need to enhance institutional support, capacity building, and extension services to strengthen sustainability. In light of these findings, it is recommended to prioritize strengthening institutional frameworks, stabilizing market prices, and expanding soil conservation practices, alongside promoting greater social participation, to ensure the long-term sustainability of the agroforestry system in this region.

Urban green open spaces play a critical role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing biodiversity in rapidly urbanizing tropical megacities. This study aims to characterize vegetation structure and species diversity, as well as quantify above-ground carbon stocks in Taman Bendera Pusaka, South Jakarta, Indonesia. The results are expected to inform evaluations of urban parks’ contribution as nature-based solutions. A complete tree census was conducted between August and September 2025, recording diameter at breast height, height, and species identity for all individuals. Above-ground biomass (AGB) for woody trees was estimated using a widely applied pantropical allometric model developed for humid tropical forests, while separate generalized equations were applied respectively to the palms and bamboos groups to account for their distinct morphological characteristics. The estimated biomass values were subsequently converted into carbon stocks and CO₂ equivalents. Biodiversity was evaluated using Margalef richness, Shannon–Wiener diversity, and Pielou’s evenness indices. A total of 2459 individuals were recorded. Langsat Park had the highest species richness (S = 79) with diversity (H′ = 3.38; E = 0.77), and Leuser (S = 78) with highest diversity (H′ = 3.44; E = 0.79), whereas Ayodya Parks showed the lowest structures and diversity values (S = 33; H′ = 2.18; E = 0.68). Total AGB reached 5873.63 Mg, with a mean carbon density of 444.64 Mg C ha⁻¹ or 1631.82 Mg CO₂ ha⁻¹. Carbon storage was largely driven by a few dominant ornamental palms, particularly Roystonea regia, although native canopy trees contributed to structural stability. These findings show that even relatively small tropical urban parks can serve as significant localized carbon storage while sustaining urban biodiversity, underscoring the value of structurally diverse, native-enriched planting strategies for resilient urban forest management.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) support plant establishment and soil recovery in degraded lands, yet their long-term associations with vegetation in restored quarries remain poorly understood. This study quantified AMF spore density and genus-level occurrence in pioneer-plant rhizospheres at a cement quarry revegetated more than two decades earlier. AMF infective potential was assessed using Pueraria javanica trap cultures. Relationships among AMF attributes, vegetation strata, rhizosphere flavonoids, and soil chemical properties were evaluated using mixed-effects, correlation, and multivariate analyses. Trap-culture colonization was high across tree-, shrub-, and herb-associated inocula, with no significant difference among vegetation strata. Spore density differed significantly among strata and was highest in herbaceous rhizospheres, including Imperata cylindrica, Cymbopogon citratus, and Themeda gigantea; Eupatorium odoratum also supported high density among shrubs. Available phosphorus was the only soil property that remained significantly associated with spore density after accounting for vegetation stratum and plant species. Exchangeable potassium and soil organic carbon were positively correlated with spore density but did not remain significantly associated in the adjusted models. Total flavonoids differed strongly among vegetation strata but were not significantly associated with field AMF spore density after adjustment for vegetation stratum and plant species and were not correlated with trap-culture colonization or genus richness. Glomus sensu lato was the most frequently detected taxon. Trap-culture colonization of 70–90% and the positive association between available phosphorus and field spore density suggest that AMF propagule metrics may serve as candidate indicators of belowground condition in long-term tropical quarry restoration.