Oldest nature reserve near Jakarta in danger

Oldest nature reserve near Jakarta in danger

Bambang Parlupi, Contributor, Jakarta

Forests across Indonesia are under grave threat. Nature reserves,
national parks -- whatever they are called and wherever they may
be -- are being threatened by illegal logging and human
encroachment.

Pancoran Mas Nature Reserve, a unique forest just on the
southern outskirts of Jakarta, is no exception. Its survival is
threatened by poor management and aggravated by population
pressure.

Only six hectares in size, the nature reserve is part of the
fast-growing Pancoran Mas subdistrict in Depok municipality, West
Java, and shares a border with South Jakarta. Also called Depok
Nature Reserve, it is the country's oldest nature conservation
site.

According to the Jakarta Natural Resources Conservation Center
(BKSDA Jakarta), this nature reserve is home to about 12 species
of fauna such as birds, mammals and reptiles. Although it is
relatively small, it is also home to 48 species of flora.

Squirrels, snakes, monitor lizards, owls and many species of
songbirds can be found among the thick foliage comprising bamboo
trees, Zalacca palm trees and rattan trees. Most of the plants in
the reserve are indigenous to the low-lying lands of West Java.

Unfortunately, this site, some 25km north of Bogor, has to
cope with many threats and pressures.

"Proper maintenance is greatly lacking," said Sumardi, a
former forest ranger currently living at the reserve. Sumardi is
a pensioner of the nature protection and conservation division of
the Jakarta office of the ministry of forestry.

Sumardi said that in the past, Pancoran Mas was a very dense
forest and that few would dare to go into it.

The only path leading to the deepest part of the forest is no
longer visible now.

"It is very dark in the forest, as the trees block out the
sunlight, and there are many bushes and rattan trees," he said.

People are also discouraged from wandering deep into the
forest because of the cobras and pythons that call the reserve
their home. This is, of course, good for this water-absorption
area. The forest ecosystem remains intact, as virtually nobody
hunts animals or fells trees there.

An iron fence reinforced with barbed wire has been put up
around the site to separate it from the local neighborhood.

"The fence is in very bad repair and locals hang their laundry
to dry on it," said Triono, a BKSDA Jakarta forest ranger who has
lived at the reserve for four years. He lives in a building that
serves as both his home and a lookout. No official sentry post
has been provided for this nature reserve.

He said that much of the fence was corroded, and that it was
broken in many parts.

Where the forest borders local residences, garbage is piling
up uncontrolled, some of it spilling into the forest area.

"Many locals are not environmentally conscious and throw away
their garbage in the nature reserve," said Triono.

The household waste is dangerous to the well-being of the
animals and the vegetation. The forest soil is contaminated and
seeds cannot sprout properly.

"The main problem now is the management of this site," he
said, as the site had been neglected for several years.

At first, the nature reserve was under the management of BKSDA
Bogor but later, owing to some legislative changes, the
management was handed over to BKSDA Jakarta. Following this, the
site was managed by the West Java provincial administration.

Today, it is under the direct management of the forestry
ministry, with the West Java provincial administration carrying
out a supervisory role. For the time being, the supervision of
the reserve has been entrusted to Depok municipality.

As the management of the reserve has been left to different
authorities over the years, it has become much neglected. Triono
said the government planned to turn the reserve into an
ecotourism destination to be called the People's Forest Park
(Tahura).

Historically, the reserve used to be part of a greater expanse
of forest in Depok. During the Dutch colonial times, Depok,
located at the foot of Mount Salak, was surrounded by a 4,000-
hectare forest. The land was then owned by several Dutch
landlords, with Pancoran Mas owned by Cornelis Khastelein.

In 1922, Khastelein handed over his 6-hectare plot of land to
the Dutch colonial administration on condition that no logging
was to be allowed. Locals were allowed to collect the wood for
their personal use only.

By virtue of a decision of the Dutch governor dated May 3,
1926, the area was officially made a protected forest. Therefore,
the Depok area, which is part of Pancoran Mas village
administration, is known as Indonesia's first nature reserve.

Throughout the Japanese occupation and the years of struggle
for independence, more people built houses in Pancoran Mas. In
1989, only 15 families lived in the area around the reserve, but
today, 6,500 families live in the Pancoran Mas area, which covers
475.55 hectares.

Unless the relevant authorities take immediate measures, the
oldest nature reserve in Indonesia will suffer degradation or
even face extinction. Its survival ensures that native flora and
fauna will also survive.

Besides being home to flora and fauna, it also serves as a
water catchment for the surrounding area. A thick forest area is
also important as the "lungs" of the city, with the thick foliage
absorbing toxic gases from various sources of pollution,
particularly those emitted by motorized vehicles and industrial
factories.

This nature conservation area plays a great environmental role
especially because it is located close to Jakarta and Bogor,
where air pollution is abominable.

The Pancoran Mas nature reserve also serves as a living
laboratory of nature, a facility very useful in teaching students
about the environment, particularly about conservation efforts
and why natural forests must be preserved.