What Can Native Trees Provide in Revegetating Tropical Degraded Land? An Experience of Man-Made Dipterocarp Forest in Indonesia

The benefits of revegetation provided by the successful growth of planted vegetations. This paper described a successful initiative on the revegetation of tropical degraded land using native trees. More than 250 hectares of intact landscape in Gunung Dahu, West Java—Indonesia have been successfully revegetated using 32 Dipterocarp species. The success of this 20-years-old revegetated landscape was revealed by timber volume, natural regeneration, soil characteristics, ectomycorrhiza occurrence, and ecotourism potential. The results showed that the average diameter and height were varied from 12–43 cm and 10–23 m; diameter mean annual increment were at 0.6–2.1 cm year−1; standing stock per hectares were at 10–220.84 m3 ha−1. The variations might be caused by different planted species, spacing distance, and planting technique. The natural regeneration success was observed by the offspring’s occurrence from six Shorea species and supported by mycorrhiza fruiting bodies predominantly by the genus Rusula. Planted trees also improved the availability of organic materials to the soils, as described by the good total soil porosity (51.06–52.32%) and infiltration rate (120–15,533 mm hour−1) at the site. The landscape also provided springs with continuous water supply and allowed tourists to experience the serenity of the tropical forest. Hence, revegetation using a native tree is prospective and proven to deliver a wider benefit in the ecological, economic, and social aspect.