Microclimate preference and habitat of Begonia in Bedugul, Bali

A study on ecology of Begonia was conducted in two forest sites, a nature reserve and reboisation forest, in Bedugul, Bali. The objective of the study was to describe the Begonia species found in these forest sites, to gather information on microclimatic variables and to find the influences of these variables on the abundance of Begonia species. Three species were identified, B. multangula B. baliensis, and B. longifolia . There were two forms of B. longifolia , white and red. The multivariate analysis (PCA) showed that microclimatic variables measured were relatively similar among plots and hence, no particular microclimatic variable influenced Begonia species abundance. However, the multivariate analysis implied that B. Longifolia has a different microclimate preference between forms (white and red). B. Longifolia f. white was highly correlated to Axis 1 (99%) and B. Longifolia f. red was highly correlated to Axis 2 (92%) of the PCAgraph.The abundance of all species in the two forest siteswas similar (t-test, p=0.061). Biotropia Vol.19 No.2 Hal. 80-91 ISSN 0216-5023