economic activities (logging, poaching) due to poverty, unsustainable agricultural
development, and lack of government oversight in the field.
Given the long history of the use of fire (slash and burning) and ecological
changes described in previous passage, it seems that the peatland forest fire events
at the surrounding KMP would continue in the future and become a major threat to
the restoration project in addition to the agricultural expansion. In order to stop the
degradation and deforestation process of peatland ecosystems, protecting the
remaining pristine peat swamp forest, restoring the degraded peat swamp forest,
and developing a wise agricultural system should be implemented immediately.
13.4 Restoration Attempts
Restoration in the tropics is the most urgent priority owing to a continuous deforestation and forest degradation. Unfortunately, unlike timber or oil palm plantations,
restoration planting is less preferred as it is incapable to produce direct or tangible
profit (Lamb et al. 2005). In Indonesia, a current trend to directly engage various
stakeholders, including private sectors, on forest landscape restoration is a sign that
the urge on restoration is apparent (Graham et al. 2017; Page et al. 2009).
KMP takes part in this movement, undertaking restoration activities in deforested
and degraded peatlands that aims to complete in 60 years. The restoration activities,
however, are not only about tree planting as the benefit of restoration should be
beyond biodiversity and ecological function enhancement but they need to be
extended to livelihood improvement (Lamb et al. 2005). As ecosystem services
might be parallelly improved with enriched biodiversity (Rey et al. 2009), the impact
of restoration for the local community’s welfare is still questioned. In regard to this,
we have been endeavoring a restoration program that is designed to be adaptive,
given high heterogeneity of environmental conditions and dynamics, to address the
interrelationship between humans and nature.
13.4.1 Intensive Revegetation in Deforested Peatlands
Deforested areas that lie within KMP-PA were mostly resulted from frequent and
massive fires in the past. These areas were covered by ferns and shrubs, with
scattered pioneer species in low density. As the deforested areas are mostly located
around the canals, this drained peatland, exacerbated by high stock of flammable
biomass from shrubs and grasses, is exposed to high risk of fire in every dry season.
Thus, the deforested areas become KMP’s first priority to undertake intensive
revegetation. Moreover, reforestation is needed on this area as natural succession
might be prevented in the absence of aided planting (Page et al. 2009). A sample of
intensive reforestation activity plan is displayed in Fig. 13.5. The deforested area at
the surrounding Hantipan Canal becomes our first priority to undertake planting
394
T. Darusman et al.
development, and lack of government oversight in the field.
Given the long history of the use of fire (slash and burning) and ecological
changes described in previous passage, it seems that the peatland forest fire events
at the surrounding KMP would continue in the future and become a major threat to
the restoration project in addition to the agricultural expansion. In order to stop the
degradation and deforestation process of peatland ecosystems, protecting the
remaining pristine peat swamp forest, restoring the degraded peat swamp forest,
and developing a wise agricultural system should be implemented immediately.
13.4 Restoration Attempts
Restoration in the tropics is the most urgent priority owing to a continuous deforestation and forest degradation. Unfortunately, unlike timber or oil palm plantations,
restoration planting is less preferred as it is incapable to produce direct or tangible
profit (Lamb et al. 2005). In Indonesia, a current trend to directly engage various
stakeholders, including private sectors, on forest landscape restoration is a sign that
the urge on restoration is apparent (Graham et al. 2017; Page et al. 2009).
KMP takes part in this movement, undertaking restoration activities in deforested
and degraded peatlands that aims to complete in 60 years. The restoration activities,
however, are not only about tree planting as the benefit of restoration should be
beyond biodiversity and ecological function enhancement but they need to be
extended to livelihood improvement (Lamb et al. 2005). As ecosystem services
might be parallelly improved with enriched biodiversity (Rey et al. 2009), the impact
of restoration for the local community’s welfare is still questioned. In regard to this,
we have been endeavoring a restoration program that is designed to be adaptive,
given high heterogeneity of environmental conditions and dynamics, to address the
interrelationship between humans and nature.
13.4.1 Intensive Revegetation in Deforested Peatlands
Deforested areas that lie within KMP-PA were mostly resulted from frequent and
massive fires in the past. These areas were covered by ferns and shrubs, with
scattered pioneer species in low density. As the deforested areas are mostly located
around the canals, this drained peatland, exacerbated by high stock of flammable
biomass from shrubs and grasses, is exposed to high risk of fire in every dry season.
Thus, the deforested areas become KMP’s first priority to undertake intensive
revegetation. Moreover, reforestation is needed on this area as natural succession
might be prevented in the absence of aided planting (Page et al. 2009). A sample of
intensive reforestation activity plan is displayed in Fig. 13.5. The deforested area at
the surrounding Hantipan Canal becomes our first priority to undertake planting
394
T. Darusman et al.