Analytical Hierarchy Process-Based Selection of Native Trees for Land Restoration and Carbon Sequestration in Indonesia

Ecological restoration of forests is an effective strategy for improving ecosystem quality while reducing atmospheric carbon levels. This study aims to identify priority native tree species for land restoration and carbon sequestration in Indonesia using the Analytical Hierarchy Process. Species were assessed based on three primary criteria: 1) propagation ability (growth potential, seedling growth uniformity, and seedling growth rate), 2) growth performance (survivability, height, and diameter increment), and 3) carbon sequestration capacity (carbon storage and carbon absorption). Species prioritization was conducted using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), integrating expert judgment for weighting with quantitative evaluation of species performance. Results from six experts indicated that growth performance had the highest relative weight (38.00%), followed by propagation ability (32.97%), and carbon sequestration capacity (29.03%). The consistency ratio (CR) of 6.98% indicated acceptable reliability. Within the growth category, survivability contributed most to the weight (70.52%), whereas carbon storage was the dominant factor in the carbon sequestration (87.50%). Pairwise comparisons of species alternatives showed perfect consistency ratio (CR = 0.00). Based on the composite AHP score, five species emerged as the most suitable for restoration and carbon sequestration initiatives: Terminalia bellirica (0.141), Pterospermum javanicum (0.112), Litsea garciae (0.095), Anisoptera marginata (0.095), and Diospyros frutescens (0.072).