Abstract:
The study was carried out in the Giam Siak Kecil-Bukit Batu Biosphere Reserve, which covers a
total area of 698,663 ha. Land conversion and poor management had resulted in a loss of almost
300,000 ha of natural peat swamp forest during 1998 to 2002. Illegal logging activities and natural
disturbances occurred continuously. Forest and land fires occurred annually, especially in the dry
season. Villagers converted the remaining natural peat swamp forest into jungle rubber gardens
and oil palm plantations. Fragile and very unique ecosystem, continuously converted natural sites,
large degraded peat swamp forests, poor natural regeneration performance are some of these
factors that will influence efforts to promote sustainable management of peat swamp forest
ecosystem in this Biosphere. Therefore integrated study combined human aspect assessment and
ecology are important to be done. The objective of study was (1) to re-establish typical tree species
of peat swamp forest, (2) to determine a mechanism or direction in order to local people and wider
stakeholders involvement, and (3) to strengthen an efforts to promote sustainable management
model of peat swamp forest in Riau’s Biosphere Reserve landscape. Restoration experiment was
done in two different levels of forest and peatland degradation in the Bukit Batu conservation
areas of Temiang Village and Tanjung Leban Village. Natural regeneration is an option for a faster
recovery of forest vegetation after any disturbance. In the case of typical canopy species that could
hardly undergo natural regeneration, some form of human-assisted regeneration is needed.
Restoration targets the areas that could hardly undergo natural regeneration and would need
human intervention such as planting. In general, survival rate of seedlings decrease after ten month
planted. We planted tree species which have both economic values (i.e. timber and non-timber
forest products) and ecosystem services values such as Dyera lowii, Tetramerista glabra,
Callophylum lowii, Palaquium sumatranum, Palaquium burckii, and Cratoxylon arborescens.
More than their potential to generate income from carbon storage and other ecosystem services.
Preliminary results show that the greatest performance of trees planted is Cratoxylon arborescens
followed Tetramerista glabra. Given the high cost in restoring ecosystem, financing is crucial and
a way forward is to optimize and promote various sources; domestics (e.g., Village Conservation
Model, Biovillage and GERHAN= The Indonesian Movement of Forest and Land Rehabilitation
mechanism) and even international (e.g. REDD+) and CSR schemes. All support should help
establish a management model that the local community could do and support continuously.
