Diversity and distribution of family arecaceae at the Gunung Stong State Park (GSSP), Kelantan

The study was conducted in Gunung Stong State Park, Dabong Kelantan. The objectives are to determine the diversity of Arecaceae family at Gunung Stong State Park (GSSP) and to map the distribution of Arecaceae at GSSP. The results shows that a total of 69 individuals from the family Arecaceae were collected along the nature trails from the elevation 100 to 1900 m above sea level. From a total of 69 individuals, 13 species and 11 genera were successfully identified. The diversity value of Arecaceae is 2.316 by using the Shannon Wiener Index and 0.2891 by using Simpson Index value. These values show that the diverse data the Shannon-Wiener Index value is higher because it accounts more for species richness and evenness, giving more weight to rare species. The Simpson Index value is lower because it emphasizes the dominance of common species. This information will be useful a beaseline data in managing Gunung Stong State Park, Dabong, Kelantan. This finding shows that it is important to conserve valuable trees of the Arecaceae family for future sustainability.