Increasing the populations of Dipterocarps in Indonesia

Increasing the populations of 10 globally threatened species including 8 Dipterocarps species in Hutan Harapan forest in Indonesia

Partenaire: Restoration Ecosystem Indonesia (REKI)
Période: 2021-2024

This project aims to conserve 10 globally threatened tree species including 8 Dipterocarps species by monitoring, protecting and restoring priority sites of the selected species through smart restoration approaches using drone technologies. The project will also integrate the targeted Dipterocarp species into agroforestry plots and promote the sustainable harvesting of their resin by the indigenous women groups.

Hutan Harapan, which means “Forest of Hope” in Indonesian, is a 98’000 ha forest area and a well-known Ecosystem Restoration Concession. It represents more than 20% of Sumatra’s decreasing tropical lowland forest and provides habitat for a wide range of threatened fauna (including Sumatran tiger, Sumatran elephant, Sun bear and Malay tapir) and flora (e.g. Hopea mengarawan, Eusideroxylon zwageri, Dipterocarpus hasseltii, and Aquilaria malaccensis).However, Dipterocarps are in decline in this concession due to illegal logging, encroachment and forest fires.

This project aims to reverse this trend by increasing the populations of 10 globally threatened species including 8 Dipterocarps species through better protection, habitat restoration (using locally propagated seedlings) and improvement of the resin value chain as well as the integration of the targeted Dipterocarps in existing agroforestry plots.