Forest and plantation land uses, and the influence in RIMBA corridor, Sumatra

Abstract

Indonesia is one of the largest globally distributers of pulp and paper. This is all produced on timber plantations, what causes deforestation and loss of biodiversity. The local communities living near such a plantation could have a disadvantage of these plantations by the loss of non-timber forest products (NTFP). The WWF Indonesia is establishing a reserve in central Sumatra that connects smaller reserves, the RIMBA corridor. Here timber plantations are also present. So what kind of influence do these plantations have on their surrounding area, how sustainable are they and how do the local communities circumvent with the impacts caused by the timber plantations? These questions were addressed through questionnaires for managers, employees of timber companies and local communities living near timber companies. However in the field, it became clear that the local communities had also a large influence on the natural forest, by converting it into all sorts of plantations. The timber companies and their management were almost unreachable and unfortunately not much information became available through them. The majority of the people use NTFP and are willing to increase sustainable forest management. One of the companies can have potential as an example of sustainable forest management and of one company the concession might be used for different purposes.