on non-timber forest products (NTFP), whereby a permanent vegetation cover is
maintained (as trees are not felled) and both emissions and loss of peat remain low.
However, NTFP-based paludiculture is often labor intensive and may be less suited
for commercial companies unless access issues in rewetted peatland are addressed
(see Sect. 14.5). Secondly, there is wood-based paludiculture which involves the
indigenous peat swamp tree species. This can be viable not only for commercial
timber species but also for pulp and paper production.
According to Giesen (2013, 2015a), out of the 1467 plant species recorded in
Southeast Asian peat swamp forests, 534 species have a known use and 514 exist in
Indonesia. According to the Plant Resources of Southeast Asia program (PROSEA),
at least in recent times, the main uses are for medicine (221), timber (180 species),
and food (171), while a category of “other uses” includes 192 species; because some
species have multiple uses the numbers do not add up to 534. 155 species are used
for their timber only, and the total number of peat swamp species with a known
NTFP use is 379, 81 species of which have a “major economic use” (Giesen 2015a).
Section 14.3 describes NTFP species (including for food and medicine), while Sect.
14.4 describes species used for timber and pulp.
14.3 Non-Timber Forest Product Species
14.3.1 Food Species
In Indonesian peat swamp forests (PSF), 171 species have been recorded to be used
for food with the main types of use involving their products, namely fruits (84),
vegetables (47), spices (16), starch (15), edible oils and fats (14), nuts (7), and tea
(5); note that the numbers do not add up to 171, as some species have multiple uses.
For the full species lists, refer to Giesen (2013). Food species are described below—
most of these have not been utilized to date in paludiculture experiments.
Among the 84 fruit species, a considerable number are marketable, although often
only locally. Kopi gunung/belian landak (Anacolosa frutescens), for example, has
edible fruits, the pulp of which is eaten raw and the nut is eaten after being boiled
(Verheij and Coronel 1992), and a number of Baccaurea species (Baccaurea
bracteata, Baccaurea kunstleri, Baccaurea macrocarpa, Baccaurea macrophylla,
Baccaurea motleyana, and Baccaurea racemosa) known as rambai or tampoei are
popular in the local and regional markets. Indian plum or rukam (Flacourtia rukam)
is traded locally and is popular throughout South and Southeast Asia, while various
mangosteen species, including the true mangosteen or manggis (Garcinia
mangostana), but also species such as Garcinia bancana, Garcinia dioica, Garcinia
lateriflora (Garcinia javanica), Garcinia morella, Garcinia nigrolineata, and
Garcinia parvifolia are readily marketed. Wild mangoes, including Mangifera
caesia, Mangifera decandra, Mangifera foetida, Mangifera griffithii, Mangifera
havilandii, and Mangifera quadrifida are locally popular, while wild rambutan
species including true rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum and Nephelium maingayi)
414
W. Giesen
maintained (as trees are not felled) and both emissions and loss of peat remain low.
However, NTFP-based paludiculture is often labor intensive and may be less suited
for commercial companies unless access issues in rewetted peatland are addressed
(see Sect. 14.5). Secondly, there is wood-based paludiculture which involves the
indigenous peat swamp tree species. This can be viable not only for commercial
timber species but also for pulp and paper production.
According to Giesen (2013, 2015a), out of the 1467 plant species recorded in
Southeast Asian peat swamp forests, 534 species have a known use and 514 exist in
Indonesia. According to the Plant Resources of Southeast Asia program (PROSEA),
at least in recent times, the main uses are for medicine (221), timber (180 species),
and food (171), while a category of “other uses” includes 192 species; because some
species have multiple uses the numbers do not add up to 534. 155 species are used
for their timber only, and the total number of peat swamp species with a known
NTFP use is 379, 81 species of which have a “major economic use” (Giesen 2015a).
Section 14.3 describes NTFP species (including for food and medicine), while Sect.
14.4 describes species used for timber and pulp.
14.3 Non-Timber Forest Product Species
14.3.1 Food Species
In Indonesian peat swamp forests (PSF), 171 species have been recorded to be used
for food with the main types of use involving their products, namely fruits (84),
vegetables (47), spices (16), starch (15), edible oils and fats (14), nuts (7), and tea
(5); note that the numbers do not add up to 171, as some species have multiple uses.
For the full species lists, refer to Giesen (2013). Food species are described below—
most of these have not been utilized to date in paludiculture experiments.
Among the 84 fruit species, a considerable number are marketable, although often
only locally. Kopi gunung/belian landak (Anacolosa frutescens), for example, has
edible fruits, the pulp of which is eaten raw and the nut is eaten after being boiled
(Verheij and Coronel 1992), and a number of Baccaurea species (Baccaurea
bracteata, Baccaurea kunstleri, Baccaurea macrocarpa, Baccaurea macrophylla,
Baccaurea motleyana, and Baccaurea racemosa) known as rambai or tampoei are
popular in the local and regional markets. Indian plum or rukam (Flacourtia rukam)
is traded locally and is popular throughout South and Southeast Asia, while various
mangosteen species, including the true mangosteen or manggis (Garcinia
mangostana), but also species such as Garcinia bancana, Garcinia dioica, Garcinia
lateriflora (Garcinia javanica), Garcinia morella, Garcinia nigrolineata, and
Garcinia parvifolia are readily marketed. Wild mangoes, including Mangifera
caesia, Mangifera decandra, Mangifera foetida, Mangifera griffithii, Mangifera
havilandii, and Mangifera quadrifida are locally popular, while wild rambutan
species including true rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum and Nephelium maingayi)
414
W. Giesen