Reforestation, not just to make the earth green!

Indonesia is one of the countries that has the largest tropical forest in the world.  According to the Directorate of Forestry Planning and Environmental Management (PKTL) KLHK, The area of ​​forested land throughout mainland Indonesia is 94,1 million Ha or 50,1 % of total land based on monitoring up to year 2019. Unfortunately, This area continues to shrink due to the increasing rate of deforestation. Based on monitoring results 2018-2019, deforestation that occurred amounted to 462,4 thousand Ha. This figure has increased compared to the previous year (2017-2018) that is, as big as 439,4 thousand Ha. Therefore, Efforts to preserve forests need to be increased, one of which is through reforestation. Reforestation is the activity of re-greening former logged forest areas and empty lands within forest areas.

Benefits of reforestation

Benefits that can be obtained through reforestation efforts in restoring or improving forest function, that is :

1. Prevents soil erosion which can be caused by wind and successive rainwater, and reduce the risk of landslides
2. Maintains soil structure so that it is not damaged and increases soil fertility
3. Maintaining biodiversity in the area remains sustainable
4. Improving the quality of humans and other living creatures by absorbing pollution and dust in the air
5. Prevent global warming by capturing carbon dioxide from the air
6. Preserving natural resources that already exist in the forest and can be used to increase productivity.

Not just planting!

The many benefits that can be obtained from forests increase public awareness of the importance of preserving forests. This is marked by the rise of reforestation or planting which is not only carried out by government institutions, but also carried out by environmental activists, nature lovers, academy or universities to promote and implement wildlife conservation curriculum, as well as the local community. However, this awareness is still not balanced with knowledge of the correct planting steps. Moreover, most of the planting activities are carried out close to each other, some are even carried out within conservation areas. This could actually be a new threat to existing biodiversity, one of them appeared Invasive alien Species (IAS) or foreign species that are not native to the local area and dominate or cover or even displace and eliminate native/local species. Alien species usually have fast growth and reproduction properties, high spreading ability, Wide tolerance to environmental conditions, the ability to live on a variety of food types so that it can easily compete with native species.

Examples of cases of foreign species occur in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park and Baluran National Park. In Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park there are Mantangan plants (Busyness sp.) who invaded forest areas. This plant is a climbing type with a growth rate of approx 2-3 cm/day. Its rapid growth resulted in the closure of the routes normally used by tigers, Elephants and Rhinos. Therefore, These animals migrate to the northern region, which is an area of ​​plantations and residential areas. As a result, the number of conflicts with humans and animals increases. The same thing also happens in the savanna of Baluran National Park which is the habitat of the Banteng. On this land, foreign plants appeared Acacia nilotica which covers 7.500 Ha savannah. Its rapid growth causes the grass which is the Banteng's natural food to decrease. As a result, the area of ​​savanna land has decreased, The presence of this foreign species also influenced the decline in the Banteng population.

Things that need to be considered when carrying out reforestation

So that the reforestation carried out can be optimal and does not become a threat to the survival of local plants and animals, So the things you need to pay attention to are: :

1. Planting location, Before planting, we must know the conservation function of the land we are going to plant, the land area, as well as the level of damage and conditions around the location.
2. Data collection on native plant species, The list of plant types that we will plant must be adjusted to data on native plants in the planting area to prevent this from happening Introduce Alien Species or foreign species that dominate and can actually cause the extinction of native plant species. The disappearance of native plants can be a threat to animals in the area due to the availability of natural food, nesting tree, as well as a reduced home range.
3. Nursery, The seeds to be planted should come from plant seeds in the area.
4. Monitoring and care are important things to do so that the planted seeds can grow optimally. other than that, By taking care of the planted seeds, planting success can be increased. Monitoring and maintenance includes several activities, namely regular watering, weeding or cleaning weeds that interfere with seedling growth, applying fertilizer, as well as patchwork or replacement of dead seeds with new seeds. This is most often forgotten when planting, The planted seeds are simply left behind and die because they cannot adapt.

Mari us maintain the biodiversity that we have by planting properly, not just planting.

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