Turgo is the closest village to Mount Merapi and a disaster-prone area. This research aims to study the social, economic, and cultural characteristics of Turgo society and understand the rules and values prevailing in the usage of natural resources and the environment. The research was conducted in Turgo, Purwobinangun, Pakem, Sleman, DIY (Yogyakarta Special Province). The research was conducted qualitatively and quantitatively, data retrieval was done by in-depth interviews and identifying the diversity of cultivated plants and husbandry animals. Respondents included village officials, community leaders and the society that were determined by random sampling as many as 20 families. Data were analysed descriptively, and the analysis of the biological environment quality used Soerjani’s criteria in Fandeli, et al. (2006). The results of the analysis of the biological environment quality show that the diversity of flora and beneficial flora in Turgo are excellent. Farming is done on the basis of the local environment wisdom by combining woody plants, crops and livestock with traditional agro-forestry system (Thaman in Sarjono, 2003). Turgo society lives in harmony, applies the subsistence agriculture, upholds traditions, spiritual and cultural life, conserves biodiversity and preserves the environment, so that these keep the balance among ecological, socio-economic and cultural spiritual aspects that is the characteristics of eco-village by Arifin, et al. (2009)
