Efforts to Improve Ecotourism Management for Bekantan Conservation From Visitors\u27 Perspectives: a Case Study in Balikpapan East Kalimantan

The two fragmented mangrove forests, located in Graha Indah (HMGI) and Margomulyo (HMM) Balikpapan (East Kalimantan), are important habitats for Bekantan, an endemic and endangered animal species in Indonesian Borneo. The local government has put some conservation efforts by promoting those locations as the tourist destinations but they are not optimally well managed. This research aims to determine the visitors\u27 profiles, perceptions, and potential ticket funding by using questionnaires. Visitors\u27 ticket funding preference was obtained using the Willingness to Pay (WTP) method and analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Visitors\u27 profiles and perceptions were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the visitors\u27 WTP in HMM and HMGI were Rp9.258 and Rp13.980, respectively, strongly influenced by income, type of jobs, and visiting frequency in HMGI. Meanwhile, HMM visitors were dominated by students (63%), with 11-20 years old by age (58%). On the other hand, the visitors\u27 occupation in HMGI was more varied i.e. private sectors (27%), students (27%) and civil servants (24%), with 21-30 years old by age (35%). Most of the visitors were from the city of Balikpapan that reached, 76% and 62% in HMM and HMGI, respectively. Potential funding from visitors cannot be estimated due to the lack of accurate data on the annual number of visitors. Internet and social media are potential methods to promote ecotourism in both places as well as promoting mangrove and bekantan conservation

Aspek Ekologi Nyamplung (Calophyllum Inophyllum L.) Di Hutan Pantai Tanah Merah, Taman Hutan Raya Bukit Soeharto

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh informasi tentang beberapa aspek ekologi pohon nyamplung (Calophyllum inophyllum L.). Penelitian dilakukan di hutan pantai Tanah Merah, Taman Hutan Rakyat Bukit Soeharto, Kalimantan Timur pada bulan Juni 2009. Pembuatan petak-petak cuplikan ditetapkan secara sengaja (purposive sampling) yang masing-masing berukuran 20 x 20 m, dengan luas keseluruhan 0,44 ha. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pada tegakan ini, selain pada tingkat pohon (INP= 90,11% ), nyamplung juga mendominasi pada tingkat tiang (INP= 140,06%) dan semai (INP= 85,85%). Sedangkan pada tingkat pancang didominasi oleh Dillenia suffruticosa (Griff.) Martelli (INP= 135,98%). Pohon nyam-plung memiliki asosiasi terkuat dengan Pouteria obovata (R. Brown) Baehni, hal ini ditunjukkan dengan nilai indeks Ochiai, Dice, dan Jaccard yang mendekati satu. Berkaitan dengan kondisi lingkungan fisik, suhu udara pada tegakan nyamplung berkisar 25,4-31,70C, kelembaban udara 75-97% dan curah hujan rata-rata 2.000-2.500 mm/tahun, sedangkan komposisi tanahnya sebagian besar didominasi oleh tekstur pasir dengan pH 6,1-7,3

Keragaman Morfologi, Ekologi, Pohon Induk, dan Konservasi Ulin (Eusideroxylon Zwageri Teijsm. Et Binnend.) di Kalimantan

Di Indonesia pohon ulin (Eusideroxylon swageri Teijsm. et Binnend.) secara alami hanya terdapat di Sumatera dan Kalimantan. Sampai saat ini penebangan pohon ulin secara tidak terkendali masih saja berlangsung, yang apabila dibiarkan akan mengakibatkan kepunahan, di lain pihak masih banyak hal yang perlu dikaji dan diteliti. Penelitian ini ditujukan untuk mendapatkan informasi tentang aspek keragaman morfologi, ekologi, pohon induk, dan konservasi ulin di Kalimantan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ulin memiliki keragaman morfologi yang sangat tinggi, baik berdasarkan sifat-sifat vegetatif maupun sifat generatif (terutama pada bentuk dan ukuran buah atau biji). Dari aspek ekologi, ulin tumbuh baik pada hutan tropis basah, pada tanah-tanah yang tidak tergenang air hingga pada ketinggian 500(-625) m dpl, pada daerah datar dekat sungai dan anak-anak sungai, daerah bergelombang hingga punggung bukit. Dari segi tanah, tempat tumbuh tersebut umumnya berpasir dengan pH dan unsur kimia makro (N,P,K) yang rendah. Potensi ulin sebagai pohon induk di alam tergolong rendah, yakni berkisar antara 22,11% hingga 32,30% dari populasi yang ada. Dalam hubungannya dengan konservasi, upaya yang bersifat in-situ maupun ex-situ sudah dilakukan, namun pengawasan dan pengamanan terhadap kawasan-kawasan konservasi yang bersifat in-situ harus lebih ditingkatkan

Floristic Composition and Soil Characteristics in Muara Kaman Sedulang Nature Reserve, East Kalimantan

Muara Kaman Sedulang Nature Reserve in East Kalimantan has been damaged due to anthropogenic activities and natural fires. The study aims to explore the floristic composition and soil characteristics in the rehabilitation and protection block to provide plant species information for the restoration activity. Vegetation data were collected in each block with a purposive random sampling method, in a total of 0,36 ha plot sample in rehabilitation block and 0,32 ha in protection block. Soil characteristics samples for physical and chemical measurement were collected in each plot with a composite technique at the soil surface (0 – 30 cm). There are 15 species recorded in rehabilitation block and 30 species in the protection block. The diameter distribution indicated that there are differences in the regeneration process after periods of destruction on each block. The diversity index in the rehabilitation block is low, while in the protection block is low to middle. Mallotus sumatranus is a dominant species in the rehabilitation block, whereas in the protection block is Lagerstroemia speciosa. Lepisanthes alata always presents in all research plots indicated suitability for all type of habitat in the area. Soil type is Endoaquepts Dystrudepts with silt clay loam texture and acid soil

Community Perceptions of Impacts of Ecotourism and Its Implications on Ecotourism Development in the Balikpapan Bay, East Kalimantan

Understanding local community perceptions towards ecotourism is important since community has a crucial role in determining sustainable ecotourism. This research aimed to identify community perceptions towards impacts of ecotourism as well as to analyse the relationships between perception and ecotourism responsible behaviour. Other goal of this study was to analyse the relationship between ecotourism responsible behaviour and social factors. Data was collected in 4 villages adjacent to the Balikpapan bay, namely Maridan, Telemow, Binuang, and Mentawir. We used the quota technique to sample respondents. For each village, we took 40 respondents randomly. Data was then analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, and Kruskal Wallis test. We found that community around the Balikpapan Bay thought that ecotourism was able to bring positive impacts for village and community. A Kruskal Wallis test revealed that there was no significant difference regarding perceptions among 4 villages. We found that there was a correlation between ecotourism responsible behaviour and gender. Implications of community's perceptions to ecotourism development around the Balikpapan bay were then discussed

A Chronicle of Indonesia’s Forest Management: A Long Step towards Environmental Sustainability and Community Welfare

Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country in the world, with 17,000 islands of varying sizes and elevations, from lowlands to very high mountains, stretching more than 5000 km eastward from Sabang in Aceh to Merauke in Papua. Although occupying only 1.3% of the world’s land area, Indonesia possesses the third-largest rainforest and the second-highest level of biodiversity, with very high species diversity and endemism. However, during the last two decades, Indonesia has been known as a country with a high level of deforestation, a producer of smoke from burning forests and land, and a producer of carbon emissions. The aim of this paper is to review the environmental history and the long process of Indonesian forest management towards achieving environmental sustainability and community welfare. To do this, we analyze the milestones of Indonesian forest management history, present and future challenges, and provide strategic recommendations toward a viable Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) system. Our review showed that the history of forestry management in Indonesia has evolved through a long process, especially related to contestation over the control of natural resources and supporting policies and regulations. During the process, many efforts have been applied to reduce the deforestation rate, such as a moratorium on permitting primary natural forest and peat land, land rehabilitation and soil conservation, environmental protection, and other significant regulations. Therefore, these efforts should be maintained and improved continuously in the future due to their significant positive impacts on a variety of forest areas toward the achievement of viable SFM. Finally, we conclude that the Indonesian government has struggled to formulate sustainable forest management policies that balance economic, ecological, and social needs, among others, through developing and implementing social forestry instruments, developing and implementing human resource capacity, increasing community literacy, strengthening forest governance by eliminating ambiguity and overlapping regulations, simplification of bureaucracy, revitalization of traditional wisdom, and fair law enforcement