Mitigation Option on Converted Forest Zone Through Agroforestry System

for Improving the Hydrological Function of Upper Singkil Watershed

Bejo Slamet

1,3

, Samsuri

, Abdul Rauf

, Rio Kristian Sinaga

Department of Forest Management, Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Tri Dharma Ujung No 1

Kampus USU, Medan 20155, Indonesia

Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. A. Sofyan Kampus USU, Medam

20155, Indonesia

Natural Produk Base of Technology, Centre of Excellent, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Dr. T. Mansur No. 9

Kampus USU, Medan 20155, Indonesia

Keywords: Converted Forest Zone, Agroforestry System, Community Preference, Mitigation Option, Upper Watershed

Abstract: The aimed of this study was to identify the mitigation option for improving the converted forest zone

function on Upper Singkil Watershed through agroforestry system. Mitigation option focus on the

preferences of community in the selection of the agroforestry system. Dryland mixture farming of shrubs

was the dominant land use of the forest zone. Agroforestry is one of the mitigation options to restore the

forest hydrological function of the upper watershed and also improve the community's access to the forest

zone legally. There are two types of agroforestry system in Upper Singkil Watershed, which is simple

agroforestry and complex agroforestry. The community tends to choose the simple agroforestry system due

to economic reason and the ease of management. The crops preference by the community were Musa

paradisiaca, Coffea arabica, Manihot esculenta, Citrus sinensis, Cacao Theobroma, Zea mays, Oryza

sativa, and Saccharum officinarum. The trees preference by the community were Durio zibethinus,

Archidendron pauciflorum, Parkia speciosa, Cinnamomum verum, and Arenga pinnata. Soil and water

conservation techniques applied by the community are still simple vegetative techniques due to the cost of

applying soil and water conservation techniques reason. The soil water conservation knowledge and skills

application techniques of the community need to be improved.

1 INTRODUCTION

The total area of forest zone in Upper Singkil

Watershed in 2017 identified has been converted is

55,302.90 hectares. The forest zone is converted

into an open area of 1,073.64 hectares and a dry land

mixture farming of shrubs of 45,548.94 hectares.

The location of this study is in the upper Singkil

watershed, which is administratively included in the

Pakpak Bharat Regency. Agroforestry development

based on soil and water conservation technology is

one of the approaches to restore the forest

hydrological function of the upstream watershed and

in addition to giving farmers land.

In general, Agroforestry practiced developing a

more land use sustainable form that can improve

land productivity and the rural community welfare

(Leakey, 1996).

The aimed of this study was to identify the

mitigation option for improving the converted forest

zone function on Upper Singkil Watershed through

agroforestry system. Mitigation option focus on the

preferences of community in the selection of the

agroforestry system.

2 METHOD

2.1 Research Location

The location of this study is in the upper Singkil

watershed, which is administratively included in the

Pakpak Bharat Regency. Agroforestry development

based on soil and water conservation technology is

one of the approaches to restore the forest

hydrological function of the upstream watershed and

in addition to giving farmers land.

The method used in this study is exploration to

determine the agroforestry patterns applied by the

community, the diversity of plant species and the

248

Slamet, B., Samsuri, ., Rauf, A. and Sinaga, R.

Mitigation option on converted forest zone through agroforestry system for improving the hydrological function of Upper Singkil Watershed.

DOI: 10.5220/0008552502480251

In Proceedings of the International Conference on Natural Resources and Technology (ICONART 2019), pages 248-251

ISBN: 978-989-758-404-6

number of individual types of plants in the

agroforestry plots encountered. There were 31

agroforestry plots from 4 sub-districts, Siempat

Rube, Salak, Sukaramai and Tinada. Interviews were

also conducted with landowners or farmers who

managed the land.

2.2 Data Analysis

The research data is analyzed using descriptive

statistics and displayed in the form of tables and

graphs.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

3.1 Forest zone conversion

Forest cover area tends to decline from 1990 to

2016, while the extent of dryland agriculture is

increasing (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2), it indicates that there

has been a conversion from forest land cover to

another use, especially for dryland agriculture. This

conversion occurs because the allocation of land

designated for non-forestry uses is only 19% of the

total area of Pakpak Bharat Regency.

Conversion of land cover can increase erosion

and sedimentation originating from the agricultural

area (Momm et al., 2019).

Figure 1: Trend of the forest cover area loss in upper

Singkil watershed.

Figure 2: The increasing trend of dry land agriculture area

in upper Singkil watershed.

3.2 Agroforestry pattern

There are two types of agroforestry system in Upper

Singkil Watershed, which is simple agroforestry and

complex agroforestry. The community tends to

choose the simple agroforestry system due to

economic reason and the ease of management.

Generally, A wide range of traditional cropping

patterns applied by farmers in the study location is

still included in the definition of agroforestry

(Ramachandran Nair, 2014). Most of the

agroforestry patterns found in the upstream region of

the Singkil Watershed Pakpak Bharat Regency are

included in the category of shade trees or shade

canopy (Schroth and do Socorro Souza da Mota,

2014). Trees planted by farmers are used as shade

for understorey with seasonal crops. Also, patterns

of complex multistrata agroforestry systems

(CMSAF) were found both based on shade-tolerant

understorey crops and Mixed systems of understorey

and overstorey trees although were not dominant.

Fruit-producing trees, food or drinks are the ones

most often planted by farmers for agroforestry.

Figure 3 shows that Durio zibethinus, Archidendron

pauciflorum, Parkia speciosa, Cinnamomum verum,

and Arenga pinnata are the most commonly planted

species. These trees are known as food-producing in

the form of fruit or can be used for drinks.

Economically, this tree is faster to provide money

compared to a tree which only produces wood. This

reason is the factor that influences tree selection for

agroforestry by farmers in the upper Singkil

watershed.

The same trend was found during the selection of

crops. Fruit-producing plants, food, and drinks are

the main choices. The next choice is staple food-

producing plants such as corn and rice. The most

common species are Musa paradisiaca, Coffea

Mitigation option on converted forest zone through agroforestry system for improving the hydrological function of Upper Singkil Watershed

249

arabica, Manihot esculenta, Citrus sinensis, Cacao

Theobroma, Zea mays, Oryza sativa, and Saccharum

officinarum (Figure 4).

Figure 3: The frequency of forestry commodity found

from the whole plots.

Figure 4: The frequency of agriculture commodity found

from the whole plots.

3.3 Soil and Water Conservation

Practice

Soil and water conservation techniques applied by

the community are still simple vegetative techniques

due to the cost of applying soil and water

conservation techniques reason. The soil water

conservation knowledge and skills application

techniques of the community need to be improved.

The main obstacle to the dissemination and

development of agroforestry is the lack of public

policy support that pays attention to tree-based

farming systems. Consequently, it is often absent

from recommendations even though many

agroforestry practices have been shown to contribute

benefits for rural community development, help the

rural community adapt to climate change, and

contribute to improving the hydrological function

mitigation. Furthermore, there was no effort to

assist agroforestry practices that implement the

proper soil and water conservation techniques by the

government.

Agroforestry systems provide both strategies of

mitigation and adaptation for hydrological function

and provide several pathways to securing food

security for poor farmers. Agroforestry must attract

more attention on the global agenda of hydrological

mitigation because of its convince social and

environmental impacts. Adding/introducing trees

into the existing planting system requires learning

advanced planting methods and some support to

ensure rapid adoption (Mbow et al., 2014).

4 CONCLUSION

The community tends to choose the simple

agroforestry system due to economic reason and the

ease of management. Fruit-producing trees, food or

drinks are the ones most often planted by farmers for

agroforestry.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank the Directorate for Research and

Community Service, Ministry of Research,

Technology and Higher Education, the Republic of

Indonesia for an Penelitia Unggulan Perguruan

Tinggi Grant 2017 (No.

003/ADD/SP2H/LT/DRPM/VIII/2017 to BS).

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