Supriyanto and U.S. Irawan

SEAMEO BIOTROP, Bogor, Indonesia

Abstract

Frequent forest fires, shifting cultivation, illegal logging, and over-extraction of timber resources, have destroyed most of Indonesia’s natural forests. It is important to replant the degraded forest using high-quality seedlings. Enrichment planting is the cheapest way to plant the degraded areas, without disturbing the soil structure, and biodiversity composition. The recommended species are generally from commercial timber species; among them are Shorea leprosula, Shorea selanica, Shorea johorensis, etc. Fast growing tree species of Gmelina arborea, Pinus merkusii, and Duabanga moluccana, are also recommended for planting in heavy degraded forest areas. The general objective of the study was to provide a strategy to improve the forest productivity of degraded forests. Specific objective of this research was toprovide the technology of restoration of degraded forest using mycorrhizal seedlings in order to improve the forest productivity. Field experiment was conducted at Pasirmayang forest, Jambi Province; and Silviculture Laboratory, SEAMEO-BIOTROP, Bogor. Enrichment planting trials were conducted in Pasirmayang Educational Forest. The growth of mycorrhizal seedlings of Shorea javanica and Shorea selanica was better than non-inoculated seedlings. Natural invasion of Accaccia mangium seedlings disturbed the growth of Dipterocarps seedlings.

Introduction

Recently forest fire, shifting cultivation, illegal logging, and over-extraction of timber resources have destroyed most of Indonesian natural forest. Indonesian forestry statistics (MOF 1995) noted that the total area of degraded forest in the year of 1993/1994 reached the number of 43 632 460 ha, resulted from shifting cultivation (2 453 000 ha), grazing (77 000 ha), natural disasters (105 000 ha), forest fire (40 897 460 ha), and pest and diseases (100 000 ha). The rate of forest degradation increases from 1.6 M hectares before 1997 to 3.2 M hectares after 1997. These respective phenomena are also occurred in natural forest at Pasirmayang, Jambi Province. Illegal logging mostly causes forest destruction in Pasirmayang. It is important to replant the degraded forest using high-quality seedlings. Enrichment planting is the cheapest way to plant the degraded areas, without disturbing the soil structure, and biodiversity composition. In fact, enrichment planting has been also implemented in Indonesian Selective Cutting and Replanting System to enrich the species diversity. The recommended species are generally from commercial timber species; among them are Shorea leprosula, Shorea selanica, Shorea johorensis, etc. Fast growing tree species of Gmelina arborea, Pinus merkusii, and Duabanga moluccana, are also recommended for planting in heavy degraded forest areas.

The seedlings planted in the disturbed forest should be prepared in nursery. Mycorrhizal seedlings are suggested to be planted because of their capability in adapting to new environmental condition. Restoration of degraded forest is also expected to improve the forest productivity. The general objective of the study was to provide a strategy to improve the forest productivity of degraded forests. Specific objective of this research was toprovide the technology of restoration of degraded forest using mycorrhizal seedlings in order to improve the forest productivity…

Sources: 8th Round-Table Conference on Dipterocarps

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