Kutai National Park Safeguards Six Vital Flora Species

Kutai National Park (TNK) in East Kalimantan Province continues to conserve six important flora species that possess invaluable ecological, health, and cultural value to ensure the sustainability of the tropical rainforest ecosystem. “Protecting natural habitats, controlling illegal logging, and forest rehabilitation programmes are our top priorities so that the existence of these distinctive plants remains preserved and can be utilised sustainably,” said Head of Kutai National Park Syaiful Bahri in East Kutai on Saturday. The six important flora species being preserved in the 193,753.42-hectare area include pasak bumi (Eurycoma longifolia), widely known as a potent herbal plant; the ulin tree (Eusideroxylon zwageri) or ironwood, famous for its strength and durability; and the bendang tree (Borassodendron borneense), an endemic fan-leafed palm typical of Borneo. The area also protects mangrove ecosystems in coastal zones that function to withstand abrasion, the meranti tree group (Shorea spp) that dominates the lowland forest canopy, and the black orchid (Coelogyne pandurata) as an icon of Borneo’s tropical rainforest biodiversity. Special attention is given to the ulin tree or ironwood, considering that past exploitation for heavy construction needs has caused this floral identity of Kalimantan to suffer a population decline. Similar measures are applied to protect the meranti tree group, whose timber is highly sought after in the market but is now threatened by land conversion despite its crucial role as a shelter for endemic wildlife such as orangutans, explained Syaiful. To halt habitat damage caused by uncontrolled root poaching, park managers are now promoting pasak bumi cultivation. “We are also deploying surveillance patrols to monitor the sustainability of the black orchid, an iconic epiphytic plant with dark flower lips that lives attached to large trees and is highly susceptible to death if changes in the forest’s microclimate humidity occur,” Syaiful stated. In forest areas with high rainfall, officers ensure the security of the bendang tree, an endemic palm of Borneo with large fan-shaped leaves that plays an important role in the natural food chain through its fruit, which becomes feed for wildlife. Meanwhile, on the outermost coastal line of the Makassar Strait, the park authority is working to protect mangrove vegetation from pollution threats due to its vital function as a shield against coastal abrasion as well as a spawning area for various marine biota.