IPB Held Conservation and Planting 100 Indonesia’s Rare Trees Action
Directorate of Collaboration and Alumni Affairs Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) collaborated with Alumni Association (HA) IPB), SEAMEO Biotrop also supported by Students Executive Board – Students Community (BEM-KM) IPB held biodiversity conservation activity of Indonesia’s rare trees. This activity which brought the theme “Save Rare Tree Towards Green Indonesia” was held at the yard area of Library building IPB Dramaga Campus, Bogor (28/9).
Other than having ecosystem diversity, Indonesia also has species diversity for mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, primates, fish and plants. For plants, Indonesia has exceptionally high diversity, for swamp ecosystem, rain forest, lowland, savanna grassland, mountain ecosystem and various other ecosystems.
For tree species in each ecosystem, Indonesia has various rare tree species and they are Indonesia endemic. Some of these rare species are only exist in Indonesia and some of them has been listed as protected species based on Ministry of Environment and Forestry Regulation Number P. 92/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/8/2018 about Revision of The Ministry LHK Regulation Number P.20/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/6/2018 about Protected Plants and Animal Species and included in IUCN’s protected species list.
Based on IUCN’s list for vulnerable, endangered, and even critically endangered list, there are many Indonesia’s endemic and rare trees included. Some of rare species are ebony (Diospyros celebica), ironwood (Eusideroxylon zwageri), sandalwood (Santalum album), merbau (Intsia bijuga), dammar pilau (Agathis borneensis), white dammar (Agathis labillardierei), resak jawa (Vatica javanica), kempas malaka (Koompassia malaccensis), saninten (Castanopsis argentea) and many other species widely distributed across Indonesia.
“At the start of this rare trees conservation movement, there are about 100 rare trees had been planted at IPB Campus. This rare trees conservation has objective in which the next generation will be able to witness that those rare trees may give all of us the better life and the better coolness. Next year, it is planned that HA IPB will plant more rare trees by encouraging Local Board (DPD) HA IPB across Indonesia,” said Head of Committee, Dr. Zulhamsyah Imran.
Meanwhile, Rector of IPB, Dr. Arif Satria, stated that we need to proclaim this action as a cultural movement to build the awareness and proud of biodiversity Indonesia has. “This planting movement need to be organized systematically, nee to be studied the further possibility of IPB graduate candidates obliged to plant one rare tree as a graduation requirement. Maybe before graduation they must plant a tree. If it is not followed with planting movements, considering the increasing number of logging nowadays, this can cause environmental crisis. IPB will try to formulate, will it be mandatory or voluntary requirement for IPB graduate candidates. Once there is photo that prove they already plant, then they will be allowed to obtain their diploma, for instance. This is important to build commitment,” said Rector of IPB.
Beside graduate candidates, Rector of IPB also appealed couples who are going to get marry to make rare tree as their dowry. This movement has been implemented in Kuningan, which implement environmentally friendly wedding. The wedding dowry has included trees dowry, so the environment sustainability can be preserved.
“Hopefully it also can be implemented in Bogor city and regency,” he conveyed.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of HA IPB, Ir. Fathan Kamil conveyed that until now many people in Indonesia has not known that Indonesia has many rare trees that need attention and conservation. Knowledge about the existence and benefits of these rare trees is still a few.
“Because of that, we need to give more attention and to actively participate in this attempt of rare tree conservation. HA IPB will always be eager and ready to hold hand together in movement to promote IPB, to promote agriculture, to conserve our land, flora, fauna which are the most considerable resource of this nation,” he conveyed.
The next was Director of SEAMEO Biotrop, Dr. Irdika Mansur said Indonesia’s natural resource is exceptional but it either has not been exploited or has been over exploited. So, what happened is many trees whose economical value has been depleted while many other has not been used yet. Not only that, according to him, Indonesian people likely to actively culturing other country. “Us, in fact, often cultivate other people’s own, what we export is also other people’s own. Palm tree, coffee, cocoa are other people’s own, while our sandalwood, agarwood, meranti are all run out and has been cultivated by Australia in broad scale,” he stated.
In this occasion also held the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) about education, research, alma mater development and community development between IPB and Central Board (DPP) HA IPB.
The next one was a talkshow which present resource person Director of SEAMEO Biotrop, Dr. Irdika Mansur, Lecturer from Department of Conservation of Forest and Ecotourism (KSHE) Faculty of Forestry IPB, Ir. Haryanto R. Putro, M.Sc., and Head of Bogor Botanical Garden, Dr. Didik Widiatmoko. (qa)
