Sowang, a plant native to the cyclops mountains which is now endangered

The Xanthostemon plant group known to date is 45-50 types that are widespread in New Caledonia, Australia, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Philippines. Despite having a wide distribution, but in general, each type has a limited distribution. This causes most of these plants to be endemic. In Indonesia, there are five types, namely: Xanthostemon confertiflorus, Xanthostemon natunae, Xanthostemon petiolatus, Xanthostemon verus, and Xanthostemon novoguineensis. The latter type is the only Xanthostemon found only (endemic) Papua. Xanthostemon novoguineensis known as sowang or suwang by the local community. Sowang grows on the west side, south to east of the Cyclops mountains at altitude 15 – 450 m.dpl. Sowang trees can grow up to 40 m with a diameter of up to 80 cm. Uniquely besides being found in the form of stands, This plant is also found in the form of a bush.

The sowang population continues to decline

Sowang tree has the characteristics of hard wood and is resistant to attack by wood destroyers such as subterranean termites, wood borer in the sea, white rot fungus and brown rot fungus. These advantages make sowang wood in great demand in the market. Moreover, its growth habitat is around the foot of the Cyclops Mountains which is a free-use area, so that it is easier to access.

Excessive use without any conservation efforts causes the existence of sowang to be threatened with extinction. Currently, sowang is widely used to make charcoal. Charcoal from sowang wood has the best quality and can be used many times so it is in great demand in the fast-growing restaurant business in Jayapura City.. Characteristics of hard wood and resistant to wood destroying insects, making sowang wood widely used as a building construction material. other than that, This plant habitat is included in the Jayapura City development area, causing a high rate of deforestation in the area. The forest areas in this area have been largely converted into settlements. Apart from these factors, Low regeneration ability and limited distribution of sowang plants also cause the population to decline if overexploited.

Local wisdom preserves sowang

For indigenous peoples around the Cyclops mountains, Sowang plants have an important role in their traditional life. The traditional use of sowang wood by the community is related to ritual activities, traditional weapon making, household appliances, fence pole, house pole, and as firewood. People around Youtefa Teluk Bay, Lake Sentani, and some parts of the northern coast of the Cyclops mountains that live on the coast use sowang wood as pillars to support their houses because the quality of the wood is included in the category of wood that is resistant to wood borer in the sea.. The more soaked or exposed to water, Sowang wood is getting harder so that it can last for hundreds of years.

Although it is traditionally used, but the local indigenous people have their own local wisdom to preserve the sowang tree. According to Hari Suroto, a researcher from the Papua Archaeological Center, the community around Lake Sentani has customary rules in utilizing sowang wood to make houses. The location of sowang logging in the Cyclops mountains is not done arbitrarily, the community already has a traditional ecological zone that has been regulated by custom. The trees that are cut down are also really old ones so that the buildings don't collapse quickly. The main wood can also only be used as a house pole, cannot be for other functions. The wood used as the pillars of the house was not changed in shape, but adapted to the condition of the wood sowang. Various forms of carving like humans, mythological beast, as well as geometric motifs to decorate the pole.

This form of culture, of course, cannot be separated from the heritage of the ancestors. According to Suroto Day, Sowang wood has been known since prehistoric times. Since thousands of years ago, people around Lake Sentani have used the wood as poles and other tools. This is evident from the results of research on former prehistoric dwellings at the Ayauge site, Kampung Doyo lama, West Lake Sentani and Yomokho . site, shore of Lake Sentani.

The existence of conservation efforts in the form of restrictions on logging areas and utilization by local indigenous peoples helps to maintain the population of sowang trees in nature.

Source :

• Sri Wilujeng & Maikel Simbiak. 2015. Morphological Characterization of Xanthostemon novoguineensis Valeton (Myrtacea) from Papua. Proceedings of the National Seminar on the Indonesian Biodiversity Society. Volume 1, Number 3, June 2015.
• https://www.goodnewsfromindonesia.id/2021/05/03/kayu-sowang-digunakan-sejak-zaman-prasejarah-yang-terancam-punah
• https://beritapapua.id/kayu-sowang-kayu-endemik-dengan-kualitas-tinggi-asal-papua/
• https://www.mongabay.co.id/2021/04/19/sowang-kayu-endemik-papua-yang-digunakan-sejak-zaman-prasejarah/

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