Unproductive Imperata cylindrica grasslands cover more than 20 million ha in Indonesia. Urgent rehabilitation is needed to prevent the worsening of this ecological and economical disaster. An ecology-based strategy to accelerate the reforestation of grassland towards a dipterocarp-dominated plantation, in which natural regeneration occurs, was developed in combination with fire control measures. The first step in the implementation of this strategy, the establishment of a pioneer plantation, started in 1996. The results so far indicate that essential prerequisites for success are the selection of both pioneer and dipterocarp species and the application of appropriate fertilizers. Peronema canescens is a local pioneer species which is fire tolerant and economically attractive to local people. It therefore seems to be a suitable species for the first phase of grassland reforestation in Indonesia. Hardwood cuttings of P. canescens were collected from 12 locations in South and East Kalimantan and propagated on a large scale. Direct planting of unrooted branch cuttings in grassland is technically feasible. The species was interplanted in 1999 with Shorea leprosula. This kind of plantation may serve as a buffer between existing natural forests and villages with agricultural areas and may also diminish fire risk and thus decrease the establishment of new grasslands in those areas. An introduction of these multi-species plantations (farmers' forests) is proposed. Employing this ecology-based strategy, 30 ha of I cylindrica grasslands were reforested with a mixture of species during 1998 and 1999. Land tenure issues, poor infrastructure and transportation problems affected the execution of these activities. Feasibility studies and more integrated research in a comprehensive programme (experiments performed by concessionaires, mining companies and farmers, but supervised by researchers) are suggested, and collaboration between Asian institutions and projects in Indonesia is proposed.
Keyword(s)
afforestation, choice of species, fire control, forest plantations, grasslands, interplanting, mixtures, natural regeneration, pioneer species, planting stock, rehabilitation, shoot cuttings, tropical grasslands, weed control, weeds, wild relatives, Indonesia, Dipterocarpaceae, Imperata cylindrica, Lamiaceae, Shorea leprosula, Theales, Malvales, dicotyledons, angiosperms, Spermatophyta, plants, eukaryotes, Imperata, Poaceae, Cyperales, monocotyledons, Lamiales, Shorea, Verbenaceae, APEC countries, ASEAN Countries, Developing Countries, South East Asia, Asia, alang-alang, cogon grass, nursery plants, nursery stock, Peronema, Peronema canescens, planting materials, reafforestation, reforestation, Silviculture and Forest Management (KK110), Weeds and Noxious Plants (FF500), Environmental Pest Management (HH200), Erosion, Soil and Water Conservation (PP400), Plant Propagation (FF160)
