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Saat ini keberadaan kayu jenis meranti merah, kulim dan mersawa sebagai bahan baku pembuat jalur di Kabupaten Kuansing Provinsi Riau semakin langka, sedangkan kebutuhan kayu sebagai bahan pembuat jalur semakin tinggi. Oleh sebab itu diperlukan pemilihan jenis kayu alternatif yang memiliki persamaan sifat kuat dan awet dengan kayu jenis meranti merah, kulim, dan mersawa agar dapat memenuhi spesifikasi pembuatan jalur . Penelitian ini bertujuan mempelajari efektivitas pengawetan kayu balam dengan teknik infus dan bandage terhadap rayap kayu kering. Balam ( Macaranga conifera Muell. Agr.) dipilih sebagai kayu alternatif untuk membuat jalur karena saat ini masih banyak ditemukan namun belum banyak dipakai untuk pembuatan jalur . Hasil pengamatan di lapangan menunjukkan bahwa jalur yang disimpan di darat mendapatkan serangan rayap kayu kering, sehingga diperlukan pengawetan jalur agar tidak terserang organisme perusak kayu (OPK) khususnya rayap kayu kering. Pengawetan pohon berdiri dengan senyawa boron komplek dengan teknik infus dan bandage dipilih untuk meningkatkan kelas keawetan kayu balam. Pengujian ketahanan kayu terhadap serangan rayap kayu kering dilakukan sesuai metode SNI 7207-2014. Data diolah dengan menggunakan rancangan faktorial acak lengkap. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa pengawetan dengan teknik infus dan bandage berbeda nyata terhadap pengurangan berat dan mortalitas rayap. Pengamatan derajat serangan secara visual pada kontrol dan teknik infus yaitu 40 (tahan) yang nilainya lebih rendah dibandingkan teknik bandage 70 (sedang). Mortalitas pada teknik infus lebih tertinggi yaitu 90,67% dibandingkan kontrol 86,08% dan bandage 61,75%. Teknik pengawetan dengan teknik infus menunjukkan kandungan boron yang lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan teknik bandage .

Investigating beneficial chemical compounds of plant extracts is one of the ways to prevent biodiversity loss. This study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of indigenous plant extracts from Toba , North Sumatra, and Mt. Merapi National Park regions against Escherichia coli , Bacillus subtilis , Salmone l la typ h i , Staphylococcus aureus , Candida albicans , and Candida tropicalis by calculating the zone of microbial growth inhibition. Among the plant extracts, T 5 that identified as Toona sinensis showed the highest microbial inhibit ion to the growth of C. albicans , B. subtilis , S. typhi, and E. coli with the diameter growth of approximately 2.00, 1.80, 1.33, and 1.33 cm, respectively. Based on those results, T. sinensis was then subsequently fractionated using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol , respectively. The resulted fractions also were evaluated for antimicrobial bioassay. A ll fractions have shown activity in inhibiting the growth of the microbes at 1% concentration. However, each fraction show ed growth inhibition against certain microbe s . The n-hexane fraction show ed the greatest inhibitory activity for E. coli and S. typhi ; ethyl acetate fraction for B. subtilis and C. albicans ; and methanol fraction for E. coli and S. typhi . The results revealed that T. sinensis plant extract has great potential as an antimicrobial agent . Further investigation is needed to observe the mode of anti microbial action of fractionated crude extracts of T . Sinensis . The exploring potency of Indonesian biodiversity opened up a new way for the utilization of plants for economic development and conservation . Keywords: antimicrobial plants, indigenous knowledge, Toba-North Sumatra, Mt. Merapi

The potential of high-quality wood for various purposes over the past decade is very difficult to obtain. This is due to the high rate of doforestation and forest degradation, especially in Riau Province. Examples of the use of high-quality wood, especially in Riau Province, is as material for creating 'pathways' in the context of preserving track culture in the Kuantan Singingi Regency. The purpose of this study is to determine the physical properties of red balam wood and bintangur that grow in Riau before and after the preservation process, and determine the strength class of red balam wood and bintangur that grows in Riau. The research was carried out on the starur trees and red balam with a diameter of 34-38 cm, tree height 18-22 m. The tree sample comes from the Rumbio customary forest and the Minas Tahura KPHP Riau Province. Examination of physical properties using British standards in 1957. The results showed that based on specific gravity, the red balam wood and bintangur before preserved and included as strong class II. The average moisture content of each wood is 14-30%. The largest wood shrinkage development in each wood occurs at the base of the wood.

We investigated the effects of lignins as diet components on the physiological activities of a lower termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. Artificial diets composed of polysaccharides with and without purified lignins (milled-wood lignins) from Japanese cedar (softwood), Japanese beech (hardwood), and rice (grass), were fed to C. formosanus workers. The survival and body mass of the workers as well as the presence of three symbiotic protists in the hindguts of the workers were then periodically examined. The survival rates of workers fed on diets containing lignins were, regardless of the lignocellulose diet sources, significantly higher than those of workers fed on only polysaccharides. In addition, it was clearly observed that all the tested lignins have positive effects on the maintenance of two major protists in the hindguts of C. formosanus workers, i.e., Pseudotrichonympha grassii and Holomastigotoides hartmanni. Overall, our data suggest that the presence of lignin is crucial to maintaining the physiological activities of C. formosanus workers during their lignocellulose decomposition. Our data also suggested that some components, possibly minerals and/or non-structural carbohydrates, in grass lignocellulose negatively affect the survival of C. formosanus workers as well as the present rate of the symbiotic protists in their hindguts.

We investigated the physiological responses of a lower termite, Coptotermes formosanus, fed on various lignocelluloses and purified lignins (milled-wood lignins, MWLs) from Japanese cedar (softwood), Japanese beech (hardwood), and rice (grass). Termite survival, body mass, and the changes of the symbiotic protists in the hindgut of workers were observed for 4 weeks. The survival, body mass and presence of both Pseudotrichonympha grassii and Holomastigotoides hartmanni in the hindgut of workers fed on rice lignocellulose at the 4th week of observation were significantly lower than those of the workers fed on Japanese cedar and Japanese beech lignocellulose samples, whereas there was no significant difference in Spirotrichonympha leidyi among all the diets. The three purified MWLs, regardless of their structural differences, did not show any significant differences for the termites’ survival or body mass or the survival of all the three protists. The three MWL diets resulted in significantly lower termite survival compared to starvation, although these diets showed no significant effects on body mass or the protist profiles. Overall, lignins are hardly utilized as a nutrient source by C. formosanus workers and are even rather detrimental to termites when fed on solely.

Simple Summary The fact that termites attack healthy living trees is little known, being overshadowed by termite attacks in urban settings. Nonetheless, termites do attack living trees, especially on plantations, and this issue needs greater visibility. Here, we investigate termite attacks on fast-growing teakwood, Tectona grandis L.f., and the development of termite communities over time on experimental plantation landscapes located in Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia. Teakwood is a valuable and popular material in the wood industry that has various uses. Our results indicated that termite communities become more complex over time, as demonstrated by the increasing number of species and occupied areas. At the same time, damage observed on tree trunks was limited to bark and was related to the activities of termites that consume fresh biomass, like fungus-growing termites (functional group IIf). In addition, landscapes with overgrown weeds and shrubs were observed to have more damage on tree trunks than did groomed landscapes. Managing understory vegetation might suppress termite attacks on fast-growing teakwood, although we also observed that termite attacks on trunks were inevitable if termites that belong to functional group IIf have managed to occupy large areas. Abstract We conducted surveys of termite assemblages and tree trunks damaged by termites in teakwood (Tectona grandis L.f.) plantations. The surveys were conducted in five-, six-, and nine-year-old plantations. We used a standardized belt-transect to collect termites and build tree inventories. Data of collected termites at the genus and functional-group levels and termites’ diversity between plantations were compared with their attack rate. The results showed that four genera of soil recycler termites belonging to groups IIf and III were present across the plantations. Distribution analysis suggested that termite communities might develop from a stochastic distribution to a nonrandom co-occurrence distribution over time. Diversity analysis showed an increased nestedness-resultant diversity contribution to the total dissimilarity over time. Observed attacks on tree trunks were superficial and limited to the outer bark, with group IIf as the main contributor. Furthermore, the level of damage done by termites to tree trunks was positively correlated with increases in the group IIf occupancy area and overgrown understory vegetation. Plantation management by maintaining an adequate understory might suppress termite attacks on fast-growing teakwood, although in the case of our study, termite attacks are inevitable when termites from group IIf were already present.

Mosquitoes are known for their bites which caused discomfort and its role as vector for various dangerous diseases that has been the bane of humanity since antiquity. One of them is Culex quinquefasciatus which facilitates the spread of arbovirus and nematodes that caused debilitating impact for human life. To eliminate mosquito, the study for evaluating plant-based mosquito larvicidal extract of Cerbera odollam extract against C. quinquefasciatus was conducted. Twenty-five second instar of C. quinquefasciatus were subjected to the crude and fractionated extracts of C. odollam, and the larval mortality was observed at 24, and 48 h of exposure. The results showed that the crude extracts of leaves, rinds, and stem bark exhibited low larvicidal activities. Interestingly, crude extract of the seed kernel exhibited high larvicidal activity. We found that the fractionated extract derived from the seed kernel extract using ethyl acetate and n-hexane exhibited high larvicidal activities, suggesting that C. odollam extract could be promoted as a material for larval control.

Termite species diversity and assemblage structures differ in ecosystems and habitats. Termite distribution is also highly influenced by temperature, humidity and altitude. Greater species richness and greater density have been reported in humid forests than in arid or semiarid environments. However, termites biodiversity is known to be strongly affected by anthropogenic alteration, wich affect their functional assemblage structure. The humus-feeders were as the most sensitively affected, while the wood-feeders were the most resilient group among others. Therefore, the functional structures of termite communities in changing habitats and ecosystems are important subject to discuss in order to capture more understanding on termite and ecosystem relationship.

The wood-rot fungus is one of the most destructive organisms for wood, wood products and building structures besides termites and beetles. Until today, wood-root fungi are still difficult to control, so it is necessary to search for new natural ingredients to be developed as wood preservatives. The purpose of this study was to screen some plant extracts from the area surrounding Lake Toba as anti-wood-rot fungi. This study evaluated antifungal properties of 6 different plant extracts dissolved in methanol against 9 species of wood-rot fungi. The activity was determined using the method of Mohareb [1] by growing the fungi on PDA supplemented with the plant extracts. Parameters observed included diameter of fungal growth and inhibition percentage of fungal growth by plant extracts. Extracts of Tithonia diversifolia, Chromolaena odorata, Saurauia bracteosa dan Azadirachta indica displayed extraordinary activity in inhibiting the growth of wood rot, up to 100%, therefore these plant extracts have the potential to be further investigated as wood rot control agent.

Cryptotermes, one of the major drywood termite genera in Indonesia, is a cryptic species that isolates their presence inside a wood piece. Due to its cryptic lifecycle hidden away inside wood, monitoring its presence and also identifying the corresponding species has been a difficult process. One of the Cryptotermes species, native to Java island, Indonesia, is Cryptotermes dudleyi. In this preliminary study, we used C. dudleyi as a species model to find out whether fecal pellet physical characteristics can be used as a stable species marker to assist in non-destructive monitoring surveillance. The characteristics used were maximum diameter, diagonal width of maximum diameter, and 2D surface area and area perimeter. The study used fecal pellets from orphaned and mature colonies and three different dietaries (grass, hardwood, and softwood) to check whether the characteristic value of fecal pellets is narrow over various influences. The results showed that each characteristic tends to have unique mean and also its unique value range which depends on their collection site condition. Due to unique means and value range, the species marker become not so accurate and not robust enough as consequences in accommodating these unique means and value range. On the other hand, employing completely new clustering based on like-like axiom on individual fecal pellets may results in robust species marker as long as adequate data comparison from other species fecal pellets to validate the species marker is available.

Termites represent one of the most efficient lignocellulose decomposers on earth. The mechanism by which termites overcome the recalcitrant lignin barrier to gain access to embedded polysaccharides for assimilation and energy remains largely unknown. In the present study, softwood, hardwood, and grass lignocellulose diets were fed to Coptotermes formosanus workers, and structural differences between the original lignocellulose diets and the resulting feces were examined by solution-state multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques as well as by complementary wet-chemical methods. Overall, our data support the view that lignin polymers are partially decomposed during their passage through the termite gut digestive system, although polysaccharide decomposition clearly dominates the overall lignocellulose deconstruction process and the majority of lignin polymers remain intact in the digestive residues. High-resolution NMR structural data suggested preferential removal of syringyl aromatic units in hardwood lignins, but non-acylated guaiacyl units as well as tricin end-units in grass lignins. In addition, our data suggest that termites and/or their gut symbionts may favor degradation of C–C-bonded β–5 and resinol-type β–β lignin inter-monomeric units over degradation of ether-bonded β–O–4 units, which is in contrast to what has been observed in typical lignin biodegradation undertaken by wood-decaying fungi.

To understand the effects of various dietary sources on the biological changes of a subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, the three lignocelluloses, i.e: softwood, hardwood, and grass with the different of samples shape/size (intact and powdered) were subjected to C. formosanus, and we analysed the biological changes of C. formosanus workers (survival, body mass and the presence of protists). The results showed that at the end of observation, the survival, body mass and presence of Pseudotrichonympha grassii and Holomastigotoides hartmanni in the guts when consumed wood diets were much higher than those of the termite workers when consumed rice culm straw diet, whereas the presence of Spirotrichonympha leidyi in the guts were similar for all the samples. We failed to detect significant difference between intact and powdered diets from each lignocellulose, suggesting that the difference of lignocellulose shape/size (intact and powdered) had no effect on the biological changes of a subterranean termite, C. formosanus.

Termite’s biodiversity is known to be strongly affected by disturbance, particularly in an urban area. The present study evaluated termite biodiversity and distribution in Batam Botanical Garden, an urban conservation area in Batam Island. In the surveyed area, termites could play a major beneficial role through the promotion of essential ecological processes in ecosystems, such as soil modification and rehabilitation; as well as their well-established role as pests for vegetation. Therefore, biodiversity evaluation of termite is very important to identify economically and ecologically important species. Termite survey had been conducted by a 100 × 2 m belt-transect. Transect area was divided into 20 sections (5 × 2 m), in which each section was surveyed for 30 minutes by two trained people. In total, 106 specimens (15 termite genera) were collected from three sampling sites: Plantation, Mangrove forest, and Forest.

Toba, North Sumatera is famous not only for its tourism destination but also for biodiversity. The aim of this research is to explore the potency of the local plant from Toba as bioinsecticide. Six local plant samples, which consists of genus Compositae, Meliaceae, Staphyleaceae, and Actinidiaceae, were obtained from the Toba region,. The macerated extracts were tested their insecticidal activity against Coptotermes gestroi and Spodoptera litura. Bioassay results showed that leaves extract of Ingul (Toona sinensis) at a concentration of 10% (w/v) had the highest mortality effect against Coptotermes gestroi on the tenth day of observation. Whereas, leaves extracts of Pirdot (Saurauia bracteosa), Ingul (Toona sinensis), and Haurese (Azadirachta indica) at the concentration of 1% (w/v) showed the best insecticidal effect with 80% mortality percentage respectively against Spodoptera litura in 4 hours of observation.

Ectoparasitic fungi grow on the body surface of termites, and they might effect on behavior, reproductive, and survival of host termites. There are two common species of ectoparasitic fungi found on termite:Laboulbeniopsis gallicaThaxt andAntennopsis gallicaBuchli and Heim. In this study, the distribution ofL. termitariusandA. gallicainReticulitermesspp. colonies in Japan was observed. Meanwhile, the infection rate and strength ofL. termitariusandA. gallicawere discussed with references to the effects of environmental factors at the collections sites. In a total of 63 colonies ofReticulitermesspp. were collected from seventeen locations (from Hokkaido Prefecture to Okinawa Prefecture) in Japan. Five hundred workers and twenty soldiers from each colony were examined individually to see the infection ofL.termitariusandA.gallica. The survey showed thatL.termitariusdistributed in whole Japan andA.gallicahad a little bit restricted distribution. The infection rate of workers ofReticulitermesspp. varied among all locations: 0.10 – 16.10% for L.termitariusand 0 – 66.40% for A.gallica.No infected soldiers were observed. The negative relationship between temperature and infection rate was speculated in both fungi. Rearing the colonies in the laboratory might result in the spreading of the fungi in the colonies. Both fungi grew on any body parts of the termites. The trials for isolation and cultivation ofLaboulbeniopsis termitariusand A.gallicawith eight media did not succeed under the laboratory conditions.