producing flour/starch), jelutong (Dyera polyphylla, producing latex), and gemor
(Nothophoebe coriacea and Nothophoebe umbelliflora, that produce bark used as
insect repellent). Time required for production varies from 4 years (gelam) to 6 years
( jelutung, tengkawang, and gemor [6–10 years]), 8–12 years (gaharu), and
10–12 years (sago).
According to Giesen and Janssen (2017), a further 11 species are of commercial
interest, but require performance tests on peat as little is known except that the
species do naturally grow in peatland; these species include manggis or mangosteen
(Garcinia mangostana); rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), jambu air (Syzygium
aqueum), tengkawang or illipe nuts (Shorea stenoptera, Shorea pinanga, Shorea
seminis, Shorea macrophylla), kemiri or candlenut (Aleurites moluccana); kasai or
matoa (Pometia pinnata); salam or daun salam (Syzygium polyanthum); and
ketapang (Terminalia catappa). For the remaining 58 species (out of the 81), there
are many uncertainties; market studies, ecological studies, and performance trials are
all required.
One of the key proven NTFP species is jelutung (Dyera polyphylla [Dyera lowii])
and a plantation was established with Dyera polyphylla on deep peat soil at Sungai
Aur in Jambi, Sumatra, by a commercial company and between 1991–2004, a total
of 2000 ha had been planted and latex was actively being tapped (Muuss 1996;
Giesen 2015b). However, the plantation was in deeply drained peatland and most
was destroyed in a series of devastating fires, especially in 1997, and the area was
subsequently abandoned after 2004. The company’s jelutung nursery remained and
continued to produce seedlings as there was local interest and in 2007 local communities had started planting jelutung on a small scale. Unfortunately, this endeavor
was never combined with hydrological restoration and these village-based plantations were unsuccessful, most succumbed to the El Niño fires of 2015 (Giesen
2015b).
Between 2010 and 2015 ICRAF and the Jambi Forestry Department carried out
the Reducing Emissions from All Land Uses (REALU) program in degraded
peatland areas of Tanjung Jabung Timur district in Jambi, Sumatra. This program
focused on peatland species such as Dyera polyphylla, Garcinia parvifolia,
Nothophoebe coriacea, and Payena leeri, but also non-peatland adaptive species
such as Liberica coffee, oil palm, and betel nut. Studies by ICRAF showed that the
return to labor of jelutung is higher than oil palm on peatland, namely USD16.46 per
person per day for jelutung versus USD16.06 for oil palm. However, net profitability
(USD/ha/yr) is lower for jelutung than oil palm or mixed systems with coffee-betel
nut, namely USD5,700–5800 compared to USD3,600 (Sofiyuddin et al. 2012).
However, all these trials were commenced in drained peatlands and were not
combined with rewetting program. In an evaluation of impacts on hydrology and
emissions, Tata (2019) concluded that the program could not be regarded as
paludiculture as high groundwater tables and low GHG emissions were not
achieved. Similar conclusions were also reached on the evaluation of replanting
programs at Tumbang Nusa, Pulang Pisau District in Central Kalimantan where
jelutung was intercropped with belangiran/kahoi (Shorea balangeran, a timber tree)
and rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), but again, without water control structures
and raising of ground water levels (Tata 2019).
14 Tropical Peatland Restoration in Indonesia by Replanting with Useful Indigenous. . .
429
(Nothophoebe coriacea and Nothophoebe umbelliflora, that produce bark used as
insect repellent). Time required for production varies from 4 years (gelam) to 6 years
( jelutung, tengkawang, and gemor [6–10 years]), 8–12 years (gaharu), and
10–12 years (sago).
According to Giesen and Janssen (2017), a further 11 species are of commercial
interest, but require performance tests on peat as little is known except that the
species do naturally grow in peatland; these species include manggis or mangosteen
(Garcinia mangostana); rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), jambu air (Syzygium
aqueum), tengkawang or illipe nuts (Shorea stenoptera, Shorea pinanga, Shorea
seminis, Shorea macrophylla), kemiri or candlenut (Aleurites moluccana); kasai or
matoa (Pometia pinnata); salam or daun salam (Syzygium polyanthum); and
ketapang (Terminalia catappa). For the remaining 58 species (out of the 81), there
are many uncertainties; market studies, ecological studies, and performance trials are
all required.
One of the key proven NTFP species is jelutung (Dyera polyphylla [Dyera lowii])
and a plantation was established with Dyera polyphylla on deep peat soil at Sungai
Aur in Jambi, Sumatra, by a commercial company and between 1991–2004, a total
of 2000 ha had been planted and latex was actively being tapped (Muuss 1996;
Giesen 2015b). However, the plantation was in deeply drained peatland and most
was destroyed in a series of devastating fires, especially in 1997, and the area was
subsequently abandoned after 2004. The company’s jelutung nursery remained and
continued to produce seedlings as there was local interest and in 2007 local communities had started planting jelutung on a small scale. Unfortunately, this endeavor
was never combined with hydrological restoration and these village-based plantations were unsuccessful, most succumbed to the El Niño fires of 2015 (Giesen
2015b).
Between 2010 and 2015 ICRAF and the Jambi Forestry Department carried out
the Reducing Emissions from All Land Uses (REALU) program in degraded
peatland areas of Tanjung Jabung Timur district in Jambi, Sumatra. This program
focused on peatland species such as Dyera polyphylla, Garcinia parvifolia,
Nothophoebe coriacea, and Payena leeri, but also non-peatland adaptive species
such as Liberica coffee, oil palm, and betel nut. Studies by ICRAF showed that the
return to labor of jelutung is higher than oil palm on peatland, namely USD16.46 per
person per day for jelutung versus USD16.06 for oil palm. However, net profitability
(USD/ha/yr) is lower for jelutung than oil palm or mixed systems with coffee-betel
nut, namely USD5,700–5800 compared to USD3,600 (Sofiyuddin et al. 2012).
However, all these trials were commenced in drained peatlands and were not
combined with rewetting program. In an evaluation of impacts on hydrology and
emissions, Tata (2019) concluded that the program could not be regarded as
paludiculture as high groundwater tables and low GHG emissions were not
achieved. Similar conclusions were also reached on the evaluation of replanting
programs at Tumbang Nusa, Pulang Pisau District in Central Kalimantan where
jelutung was intercropped with belangiran/kahoi (Shorea balangeran, a timber tree)
and rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), but again, without water control structures
and raising of ground water levels (Tata 2019).
14 Tropical Peatland Restoration in Indonesia by Replanting with Useful Indigenous. . .
429