Upload
phamque
View
214
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
HUTAN REFORESTATION EFFORTS HUTAN REFORESTATION EFFORTS HUTAN REFORESTATION EFFORTS HUTAN REFORESTATION EFFORTS
IN KINABATANGAN IN KINABATANGAN IN KINABATANGAN IN KINABATANGAN ––––2010201020102010
Report authored by Marc Ancrenaz
Data contributed by Hamidin Braim, Asmidah Kassim, Zaiton Salleh, Dariana, Norina Braim
Kota Kinabalu, 01.02.2011
1
Content
Executive summary p. 2
Project background p. 2
Project goals and objectives p. 3
Project activities p. 4
• The team p. 4
• The sites p. 5
• Monitoring tree growth and survival rate p. 7
• Community tree nurseries p. 10
• Education and awareness p. 10
2011 Proposed activities and outcomes p. 12
2
Project background
Forest degradation and fragmentation is a major threat to the long-term maintenance of
biodiversity in the Kinabatangan floodplain. More than 80% of the original forests have been
converted to oil palm plantations over the past three decades. Today, less than 50,000 ha of
non-contiguous patches of natural and degraded habitat is left along the Kinabatangan River
(Map 1). In addition, forest regeneration processes are hampered by past events of forest fires
(man-made as well as natural) and logging activities; These aggressions have resulted in soil
compaction, destruction of the original seed bank and shortage of mother trees.
In January 2008, Hutan established the “KOCP Forest Restoration Unit”. This Unit works to
recreate forest linkages with the general aim of reconnecting isolated patches of natural
habitat. In turn, these corridors will provide shelter, food and dispersal paths for orang-utans
and many other animal species.
Map 1: Map of the forests left in the Kinabatangan floodplain (the pink
areas are predominantly oil palm plantations)
3
Project goals and objectives
The overarching goal of the Reforestation Project is to recreate a functional forest ecosystem
along the Kinabatangan River. With this goal, we are pursuing several objectives:
• Establish physical linkages between patches of forest key to wildlife
• Increase fruit productivity in the Kinabatangan forests for orang-utans and other
species belonging to the fruit-eater guilds
• Determine tree species that are suitable for future reforestation program in
Kinabatangan
• Provide recommendations that will be useful to undertake similar reforestation
projects in other areas throughout Sabah
• Provide employment and financial incentives to members of the local communities
for protecting and managing their natural resources
• Improve local capacity in project development and management, reforestation
techniques, and seedling production
• Raise local awareness about the importance and value of the forest
4
Project activities
THE TEAM
In 2010, the team was made up with four women working full-time for KOCP, all hired from
the village of Sukau:
• Norina Braim
• Zaiton Salleh
• Asmidah Kassim
• Dariana
To increase participation and entend the reach of the program, KOCP created a one-month
paid internship position open to women from Sukau and surrounding villages. The interns
work with the Reforestation Unit and learn the basics of tree planting and seedling care. In
2010, seven women participated in the program: Rathna Bingsin; Dayang Elahan; Saldiah
Sawang; Hamsiah Merhaban; Misliha Usop; Fatimah Adari and Masni Etin.
5
THE SITES
In 2010, the team was in charge of four different planting sites with a total surface area of
15.5 acres. Three sites close to the village of Sukau are used for awareness building (see
below) and experimental research (study on tree mortality and tree growth). Reforestation at a
new site begun this year, a half hour downriver from Sukau. Part of the Sanctuary, this site of
9.4 acres had previously been encroached upon by VK Plantation, an oil palm estate. The
bare grassland site was cleared by the team and planted with seedlings.
Preparation of the planting site at VK Plantation
The process of site preparation consist first of mapping the area and clearing it of tall grasses
and bushes that prevent seedling growth. Then seedlings are planted in a grid pattern, with 3
meters between each plant. Selection of seedling species depends on site quality, sunlight
availability and water availability.
Site established at VK Plantation
6
Previous tree planting experiments conducted by Hutan showed that, if left unattended, the
vast majority of seedlings will suffocate and die from entanglement by climbing weeds and
grasses. Regular site maintenance is necessary to prevent seedling’s death. During the first
year, regular weeding is conducted on a monthly basis. When the seedlings reach a minimum
height of 1 to 1.5 meters, weeding can be undertaken at longer time-intervals. Regular
maintenance is needed for a period of about three years. Additional causes of mortality
include wildlife depredation. Seedlings are regularly trampled by elephants or uprooted by
wild boars. Deers also eat young buds resulting in delayed tree growth. Protecting the
planting sites with electrical fences has been found to be the best option to mitigate these
conflicts. These fences are erected for the first two to three years of reforestation before being
removed. Last but not least, the leaves of seedlings can be eaten by invertebrates such as
caterpillars, snails, and insects, delaying plant growth, potentially causing seedling mortality.
Even so, tree planting efforts by KOCP do not use pesticides or chemicals to control these
attacks. For each site, our target is to achieve a minimum of 80% survival rate from the initial
seedling population after a three-year period.
Overall, the costs for efficient forest rehabilitation in Kinabatangan is much higher than
the mere cost of purchasing and planting the seedlings. Indeed, a significant part of the
budget is spent on the maintenance of the planting sites for a minimum of 2-3 years.
These costs include worker’s salaries, boats and petrol to access to the plots, electric
fences, field equipment, etc. The economic benefits to local community members
participating in forest restoration activities can be significant.
Site maintenance includes regular weeding against creepers and
maintenance of electrical fence against large mammals
7
MONITORING TREE GROWTH AND SURVIVAL RATE
In 2010, the team planted more than 4,000 new seedlings in the different experimental plots.
All species used for our experiments are native to the Kinabatangan floodplain. Seeds and
seedlings are collected from nearby forests by local people and purchased by the project.
Only species that are commonly found in the forest are purchased by KOCP to not put
additional pressure on already rare tree species. To date, we have used a total of 22 different
tree species in our experimental plots.
Every month, the team estimates the species specific survival rate in all plots, and monitors
the diameter and linear growth for a subset of seedlings. Major results are summarised in
Table 1.
Scientific Name Local name OU
Food
Soil conditions
Growth rate Wet SI Dry
Octomeles sumatrana Benuang -
Fast Anisophylla disticha Payung-payung -
Mallotus muticus Melotus +
Neonauclea Bangkal ++
Colona serratifolia Colona +
Microcos sp. Kerodong +++
Medium Eugenia sp. Obah ++
Ficus sp. Ficus – Kayu ara +++
Dracontomelon dao Sengkuang +++
Sandoricum koetjape +++
Slow
Alstonia sp.
Aquilaria malaccensis Gaharu -
Pterospermum sp. Bayur +
Vitex pinnata Kulimpapa +
Dillenia sp. Simpor +
Durio sp. Durian +++
Excoecaria indica
Dimocarpus longan Mata kucing +++
Nephelium mutabile Longan +++
Diospyros sp. Kayu malam +++
Vatica sp. Rasak -
Legend: OU Food: Orang-utan food (-: no; +; Occasional; ++: regular; +++: major) / Soil conditions: Wet:
water present more than six months per year; SI=Semi-inundated (water between 3 and 6 months per year);
Dry (water less than three months per year)
Table 1: Growth rate, tolerance to water-level conditions and potential
as orang-utan food sources for 22 species of trees included in the KOCP
experiment (green boxes indicate good survival rates)
8
Our experiments showed that most tree species that provide important sources of food for
orang-utan have a medium or slow growth rate (averaging less than 15 cm height per month:
see Table 2). They also do not cope well with wet soil conditions and prefer drier areas. In
addition, these seedlings are not very robust and they die relatively easily, increasing the need
for heavy maintenance. For example, strong winds can break stems, resulting in the seedling
death or delayed growth.
Tree Species Average Height Growth Average Diameter Growth
Octomeles sumatrana 35-45 cm 1.6-2.7 cm
Dracontomelon dao 17-19 cm 0.4-0.8 cm
Diospyros sp. 9-16 cm 0.4-0.5 cm
Microccos sp. 10-15 cm 0.6-0.7 cm
Sandoricum sp. 12-14 cm 0.8-0/9 cm
Mytragena speciosa 13-17 cm 0.4-0.6 cm
Table 2: Average monthly diameter and linear growth of several tree
species used by KOCP for reforestation experiments
On the other hand, some light-demanding pioneer tree species
grow very fast especially in the wettest areas, conditions that are
often encountered at our planting sites. Some of these trees (e.g.
Octomeles sumatrana) can reach a height of more than 15
meters in less than 3 years. They over-compete creepers and
grasses in a mere few months. Therefore, these species require
less maintenance than slow-growing species. Their fast growth
also means that they provide shade rapidly, reducing the amount
of sunlight available on the ground. These micro-environmental
conditions minimize the growth of light-demanding creepers
and grasses that hamper the growth and survival of slow-
growing seedlings. However these tree species do not contribute
significantly to the diet of orang-utans and of the fruit-eater
community.
Results of our experiments are essential for designing efficient replanting strategies to
be undertaken in 2011 and subsequent years (see below).
9
Regular monitoring of the seedlings at the KOCP Experimental plots
Partial view of the VK site at the end of 2010
10
COMMUNITY TREE NURSERIES
All seedlings used for KOCP reforestation programs are sourced from two tree nurseries that
are operated by the villagers of Abai (village located downriver: Map 1) and Sukau. This
approach seeks to maximize the economic benefits generated by reforestation activities for
local communities. Payung-payung and Melotus seedlings are purchased from Abai, while
the other species are originating from the “Sukau Tree Nursery”.
The “Sukau Tree Nursery” was initiated in early 2009 by Hamidin Braim, given an initial
loan of RM15,000 by KOCP as seed-money. For the last two years, the Nursery has
purchased more than 20,000 seedlings from fifteen different villagers in Sukau. Over a two-
year period, about 15,000 seedlings have been purchased by various buyers: KOCP (7,000
seedlings); Sabah Forestry Department (7,000 seedlings); other clients (Red Ape Encounters;
WOX; etc). More than 5,000 seedlings are currently available at the Nursery. We expect that
the Sukau Tree Nursery will be able to completely reimburse the KOCP loan in 2011.
Seedlings available at the “Sukau Tree Nursery”
EDUCATION AND AWARENESS
Throughout the year, the Reforestation Team welcomes international travellers through the
“Red Ape Encouters” project, as well as youth and students from local and international
schools. In 2010, more than 250 people from Malysia and overseas were briefed by the
KOCP Reforestation Unit about the value and the challenges of recreating natural forest.
Each participant was offered the opportunity to plant a young tree in our educational plots. In
addition, the reforestation efforts were highlighted during the “Environmental Education
Race” (EERace) organised by the “Sabah Environmental Education Network”, and also
during the “Environmental Day” organised by KOCP and the Sabah Wildlife Department in
June. Last but not least, members of the Tree Planting Unit take regularly part to the various
education programs organised by the “Hutan Education and Awareness Program” and the
Sabah Wildlife Department in the primary schools of Kinabatangan.
11
Briefing and tree planting by a group of foreign tourists
Tree planting activities organized during the EERace
Education activities with school children highlighting reforestation
needs during a HEAP program
12
Research undertaken by KOCP and Cardiff University found that the majority of the isolated
orang-utan sub-populations found in Lower Kinabatangan are facing a high risk of extinction
unless contiguous corridors of forests are recreated urgently. Results of this study were
published in 2010 in an international peer-reviewed scientific journal (“Endangered Species
Research”). These findings were also highlighted in several local and national newspapers to
increase awareness of the general public in Sabah and nationally about the needs to recreate
forest corridors in Kinabatangan.
The expertise and knowledge gained by KOCP about tree planting as well as areas in
Kinabatangan in dire need of rehabilitation was shared with local partners (i.e. WWF-
Malaysia, Sabah Forestry Department SFD, Sabah Wildlife Department SWD) during a
series of meetings. The output of these meetings was the development of a document: “Forest
Restoration and Habitat Management Strategy for the Kinabatangan Corridor of Life”
produced by WWF. This document is expected to be presented to the State Cabinet in 2011.
2011 proposed activities and outcomes
The KOCP Tree Planting Program is supported by various KOCP’s partners, such as World
Women Work, World Land Trust, Zoo Victoria, Philadelphia Zoo, Shinng Hope, Fondation
Ensemble and many others. In 2011, we decided to expand the team and hired four new team
members in January. To reach more communities through this program, two women were
hired from Abai, while the other two were from Sukau.
13
In addition to maintaining the existing plots, the team aims to reforest an area of more than 56
acres (more than 20 ha) located in Lot 1 of the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (Map
2). This site borders the Kinabatangan River. It was cleared in the past by Malbumi
Plantations for oil palm conversion before the Sabah Wildlife Department reclaimed it for
conservation purposes a few years ago. Today, the site is completely bare and is in dire need
of being reforested to recreate a contiguous corridor along the River. We estimate that more
than 20,000 seedlings will be planted in this plot. In order to investigate the value of different
planting approaches, the team will divide this plot in three sections that will be submitted to
three different planting regimes: total weeding vs line-weeding in two plots planted
alternatively by lines of fast- and slow-growing trees; square planting (i.e. clutches of five
seedlings will be planted every ten meters and only these small squares will be regularly
weeded). Seedling survival rate, growth and manpower needs will be monitored over the next
couple of years. By monitoring the pros and cons of these three approaches, an optimal
approach for human and financial resource use can be determined for future restoration plots.
The final goal for the KOCP team is to plant a minimum of 100 ha every year. This goal can
be achieved by identifying methods requiring less seedling maintenance.
Map showing the location of the new Reforestation Plot opened by the
KOCP Restoration Unit in 2011
14
Partial views of the Malbumi planting site at the end of 2010
During the first part of 2011, KOCP also aims to produce a policy document presenting major
results of our experiments, and detailing effective strategies to incorporate both the needs of
wildlife (fruit-trees) and local communities involvement in large-scale reforestation exercises.
This document will be discussed with the Sabah Forestry Department and other partners
involved in similar projects in Sabah.
The needs for rehabilitating the Kinabatangan forests are tremendous. There is an urgent need
to identify innovative ways to generate financial resources to conduct these exercises. Over
the past couple of years, Hutan and Philadelphia Zoo have developed a project where funds
are sourced from the zoo visitors and allocated for reforestation in Kinabatangan (“Footprint
Initiative”). This successfull program could be replicated by other KOCP’s partners in the
future.
Last but not least, Nicky Abram (a PhD candidate registered at Dice University, UK, and
supervised by KOCP and Danau Girang Field Center) will produce a Carbon Map for
Kinabatangan. This information will become part of the tool kit currently being developed in
Sabah (by SFD, SWD, LEAP, Hutan, etc) investigating the possibilities of obtaining funding
from international initiatives linked to carbon credit, payments for ecosystem services,
REDD+, etc.
15
In 2010, KOCP activities were supported by the following partners:
Above 150,000 USD
Arcus Foundation
Above 50,000 USD
Chester Zoo (North England Zoological Society )
Above 20,000 USD
Abraham Foundation
BOS-NL
Columbus Zoo
Elephant Family
Fondation Ensemble
Houston Zoo
Philadelphia Zoo
Saint Louis Zoo
Shared Earth Foundation
Shining Hope
US Fish and Wildlife Services
WoodTiger Foundation
World Women Work
World Land Trust
Zoo Boise
Above 10,000 USD
Australian Orangutan Project
Hogle Zoo Utah
Mohamed bin Zhayed
Woodland Park Zoo
Zoo Parc de Beauval
Zoo la Palmyre
Above 5,000 USD
Borneo Conservation Trust Japan
Cheyenne Zoo
Cleveland Zoological Society
GCMK Foundation
Oregon Zoo
Wildlife Conservation Network
Above 1,000 USD
Phoenix Zoo
Kansas City Zoo
Tampa Keeper Association
Rasa Riya