Shifting Cultivation, Palm Oil Plantation and Indirect Deforestation: A Study on Dusun Tonggong, Parindu, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

ABSTRACT

Palm oil may use land that should be used by the local people for their food needs, causing them to shift elsewhere to grow food leading to deforestation in other areas. We called the phenomenon of disappearing forest covers due to indirect land-use change as indirect deforestation. To prevent indirect deforestation in Dusun Tonggong, we need to understand the interaction between the farming system and external factors in the study area. We used geospatial analysis to obtain information about past land changes and Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) to predict possible land changes in the future. From the simulation results, if the community of Dusun Tonggong implements plantation practices by combining shifting cultivation and palm oil, the share of secondary forest disappearing in this scenario is relatively large, but it is the scenario that best accommodates conservation and economic needs. However, the total loss of the secondary forest in Dusun Tonggong due to uncontrolled indirect deforestation will lead to a lack of land to grow plants that support people’s daily needs. Therefore, an alternative solution is needed to reduce indirect deforestation in this region by changing the management system from an individual system to a communal system and an alternative by developing a palm oil agroforestry system.

KEYWORDS:

• Indirect deforestation
• shifting cultivation
• palm oil plantation
• geospatial analysis
• agent-based modeling

Acknowledgments

The author wish to thank several individuals and institutions that provided access, data, and help during this research. Our greatest thank you to PTPN XIII, Plantation Agency of West Kalimantan Province, Dusun Tonggong Community, Mr. Aji Hendra Gunawan, Mr. Rifqi Aziz, Mr. Ibnu Mas’ud, Mr. Iqbal, Mr.Abi, Mr.Budhi Gunawan MA., PhD, Prof. Johan Iskandar M.Sc., Ph.D., Prof. Dr. Erry Noviar of Institute of Ecology of Univeristas Padjajaran, Mr. Parikesit MSc. Ph.D of Center for Environment and Sustainability Science of Universitas Padjajaran, and Dr. Susanti Withaningsih of Center for Environment and Sustainability Science of Universitas Padjajaran.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).