The Mangrove Landscape and Zonation following Soil Properties and Water Inundation Distribution in Segara Anakan Cilacap

The mangrove zoning and landscape express the correlation between mangrove vegetation (density, biodiversity and species distribution) with environment factors like as water inundation, seatide, and soil properties. The research was conducted in Segara Anakan Lagoon to analysis community structure and mangrove landscape based on species distribution, biodiversity, environment factors, and mangrove zoning. The results showed that (a) Segara Anakan Lagoon had 4 mangrove zone's were dominated by Sonneratia alba, Rhizophora mucronata, Avicennia marina, Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora styllosa, and Nypa frutican; (b) the structure of ecosystem was showed by trend of mangrove ecosystem with equation y = 35.34x2 923.85x + 12817 with x = time (year) and y = mangrove area (ha), mangrove density between 1333367 ind ha-1 (West Segara Anakan) and 899–567 ind ha-1 (East Segara Anakan), dominated species were Nypa frutican, Rhizophora stylosa, Rhizophora apiculata, and Aegiceras corniculatum and mangrove biodiversity between 2,572,65 (moderate); (c) structure of environment factor showed single and semi double-type tides, water debit between 0.360.73 m s-1; water depth between 0.20–23.7 m and water inundation between 480cm; soil texture was clay and loam, soil nitrate of 1.5 mg 100 g-1, soil phosphate of 1.5 mg 100 g-1, C organic of 1.31%, soil pH of 6–7, and soil salinity of 6.5–10 ppt.

Soil Organic Carbon in Forest and Other Land Use Types at Bengkulu City, Indonesia

Conversion of natural forest into agricultural land uses has decreased soil organic carbon (SOC) and increased carbon emission into the atmosphere, but proper management of agricultural land can sequester carbon from the atmosphere and increase the SOC. This study was conducted to estimate the SOC content and storage in a forest, agroforestry land, oil palm plantation, and agricultural experimental field and to analyze the correlation between the SOC and other soil characteristics at Bengkulu City, Indonesia. Soil were sampled from the following depths: 0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, and 20–30 cm. The biomass of litter and ground cover was also sampled. This study found that the forest had the highest average SOC content from the three depths, and 0–30 cm depth SOC storage, while the agroforestry system had the lowest of both SOC content and storage. The 0–10 cm depth had the highest SOC content and storage, while the 20–30 cm depth had the lowest of both variables. The SOC was positively correlated with litter biomass, field capacity, exchangeable potassium, cation exchange capacity, and negatively correlated with bulk density and exchangeable calcium, but not correlated with total nitrogen and available phosphorus. High litter biomass input is the key to the maintenance of high SOC.

Morphological Responses of a Light-Demanding Alstonia scholaris and a Shade-Tolerant Eusideroxylon zwageri to the Air Humidity and Light Intensity

The response of tropical trees to the change of light intensity has been reported to be varied among different species. Some reports argued that the growth was increasing parallel to the increasing of light intensity, but other reports mentioned that the sensitivity to the light intensity was depending on the species. Another environmental factor that has been scientifically proven to affect tree growth is humidity. While humidity itself also directly affected by the light intensity in the forest ecosystems. Therefore, it is possible that the growth pattern of trees under different light intensities is also affected by air humidity under the canopy. This research aimed to study the growth response of a light-demanding Alstonia scholaris and a shade-tolerant Eusideroxylon zwageri to the different levels of air humidity and light intensity. The experiment was conducted in Jambi, Indonesia from April to November 2019. The experiment was carried out using split plot design with factorial treatments. The main plot was the air humidity with three levels and the sub plots was light intensity with five levels. Four replicates were applied. In general, the A. scholaris tends to be more sensitive to the humidity and light intensity compared to E. zwageri. In particular, A. scholaris tends to be more sensitive to the light intensity while, E, zwageri is more sensitive to the humidity. However, there is also strong indication that the effects of light intensity to the growth, especially for A. scholaris, was affected by the humidity level.

The Moisture Content and Absorption Levels of Carbon Dioxide in Binuang Bini (Octomeles sumatrana Miq) Trees For Climate Change Management

Binuang bini (Octomeles sumatrana Miq) is a fast-growing tree with numerous economic benefits, such as the provision of wood for carpentry purposes, building boards, water management, and absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2). Therefore, this tree species has great potential and needs to be included in Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)+'s mitigation program to tackle climate change. In its development, REDD+ has made it possible to carry out carbon trading in the world. Therefore, countries capable of performing protective functions and carry out reforestation, afforestation, and restoration, have the opportunity to be involved in world carbon trading. This study aims to determine the moisture content and carbon absorption rate of Binuang bini trees as a first step to regulate the allometric equation using destructive and laboratory analysis. The results show that the water content in the roots, leaves, as well as the base, middle, and tip of the stem were: 73.69%, 68.39%, 65.59%, 61.22%, and 66.26%, respectively. Furthermore, the sample test results indicate a very close relationship between carbon concentration and absorbance in the O. sumatrana tree with a simple linear regression equation: Y = 0.002X + 0.0593 with R2 = 0.9896. Therefore, this regression equation can be used to calculate the carbon concentration sample for the O. sumatrana tree fraction. The carbon content in 3 tree samples with a breast height diameter of 9.24 cm, 10.08 cm, and 11.68 cm was 2,585 kg. 2,913 kg, and 4,654 kg, respectively. In addition, the carbon sequestration for each tree diameter per year is 1.581 kg year-1, 1,782 kg year-1and 2,847 kg year-1, respectively.

Phenotypic and Genetic Diversity Evaluation of Sengon (Falcataria moluccana (Miq.) Barneby & JW Grimes) from Solomon Provenance on Progeny Trial in Cirangsad Experimental Forest, West Java

Initial evaluation of phenotypic variability and genetic diversity was conducted on the progeny test of 2 years-old sengon from Solomon provenance, which derived from nine families of mother tree and were then planted in 4 blocks in the Cirangsad Experimental Forest. Phenotypic assessment on eight traits was conducted on 36 trees using a scoring system, while genetic diversity of 15 selected individuals which represented high and low-score phenotypic traits was analyzed using 5 selected RAPD primers. The result on phenotypic assessment showed that family 3 (57.25 points) has the highest average score of phenotypic quality and family 4 has the lowest average score (7.50 points). Furthermore, genetic analysis showed that the low-scoring sengon population had a greater mean genetic diversity (He = 0.2535) than the high-score population (He = 0.2345). The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed a significant genetic differences (p-value < 0.001) among high and low-score populations and the dendrogram of genetic distance revealed clustering of individuals having similar superior phenotypic against those having non-superior, indicating the selection based on phenotypes in this study had succeeded in pooling the good quantitative alleles in the selected population. This evaluation results can be used as a reference in determining the best families to produce superior sengon (from Solomon provenance) offspring in the future that have desired adaptability, productivity, and diversity.

Life Cycle Assessment of Wood Pellet Product at Korintiga Hutani company, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Climate change has forced human being to adapt in fulfilling their energy needs sustainably. In Indonesia, forestry activities has been considered as an emission rather than carbon sink. This study aims to analyze the inputs, outputs, and potential environmental impacts of wood pellet production in a forest company using life cycle assessment (LCA). The wood pellet is made from Eucalyptus pellita plantation. Analysis was made for 1 planting cycle or 6 years, and allometric equations were used to estimate the ability of industrial timber plantation forest to absorb CO2. Production of wood pellet starting from plantation requires inputs as follows: diesel fuel, electricity, NPK and other fertilizers, pesticides, and electrical energy. Those inputs produced emissions, of which the largest was N2O of 551.2927 kg, followed by NH3 of 7.5275 kg generated from NPK fertilizer. Another was PO43- amounted at 0.1792–0.2229 kg from liquid fertilizers and pesticides. Potential acidification came from 13.3675 kg SO2 eq, and eutrophication of 0.4021 kg PO43- eq. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emission was 678.0270 kg CO2 eq from the plantation activities, especially from diesel-based energy consumption, while wood pellet mills only released 0.1053 kg CO2 eq of GHG emissions. Thus, total emissions from 6 years' time of wood pellet production are much lower compared to the average CO2 absorbed by the plantation forest, of which annually is 36.34–67.69 ton ha-1year-1.

The Possibility of COVID-19 Pandemic in Eliminating Burning Activities: A Case Study at Ogan Komering Ilir Regency, South Sumatera

Forest and land fires occur almost every year in South Sumatera Province, including at Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) Regency, mainly due to uncontrolled burning activities. This region has the largest peatland responsible for the adverse haze impacts. The advent of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in early 2020 has triggered massive consequences across the global communities, including Indonesia. Therefore, large-scale regulations on social restrictions were enacted. The purpose of this study is to analyze the variations in hotspots as forest and land fire indicators before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in OKI as well as to determine the rainfall effects. Daily Terra/Aqua MODIS satellite feeds and rainfall data between January 2018 and December 2020 served as the research materials. Subsequently, the paired t-test and correlation assessment were used to examine the hotspot variations in both datasets, respectively. The results showed significant statistical differences before and during the pandemic. Consequently, social restrictions were assumed to instigate the decline in burning activities. Furthermore, the rainfall demonstrated a vulnerable correlation to the hotspots, indicating that human factor was more pronounced as a fire trigger.

A Model of Religious Moral Approach for Peatland Ecosystem Restoration in Indonesia

Efforts to conserve peatlands and prevent forest fires are inseparable from human awareness and behavior. This study aims to find a model for a religious, moral approach by the clerics in supporting the implementation of peatland restoration. The study was carried out in designated Muslim locations with trained clerics. The farmers surveyed also have experienced by the Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) programs: i.e., physical support, such as a canal dam program and demonstration plot of agriculture without burning (PLTB). The methods used combine quantitative surveys with a Likert scale to explore attitudes, subjective norms, perception, intention, and their impact on behavior. The results obtained show that the community religious leaders can be an important trigger in encouraging the movement. In the model, visible subjective norm (SN) variables contribute directly to intention by 23%. Perceived behavior control (PBC) directly has a positive and significant effect on intention 53% (p-value). This means the individual, in making a decision and intention to participate, is a factor that has a broad impact on the community and gives a positive value of 53% (good enough) on the intention. The individuals' decisions to participate in peatland conservation are prompted by perception of having a wide impact on the community.

Customary Forest Managements and Its Challenges in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia: An Implication of Constitutional Court Decision 2012

Customary forests have not been adequately recognized in state forest management in Indonesia for a long time. However, in the last decades, several fundamental policy changes occurred, and the roles of local communities significantly recognized in forest management. The forest tenure reforms for customary communities are actively addressed after the Constitutional Court Decision (CCD) Number 35 in 2012. The objectives of this study are (1) to determine the changes in customary forest management in response to the CCD and (2) to discuss policy challenges after the CCD in East Nusa Tenggara Province. This study employed qualitative descriptive analysis methods. The result showed the different responses of customary communities related to the institutional development towards CCD. The lack of local regulations regarding customary peoples' rights still need to be solved. Besides, the claims of customary communities for customary forests overlapping with state conservation areas and other customary forests can make the problem more complicated.