Heath forest as a source of medicinal plants for the Maanyan Dayak tribe in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia: deforestation and its relationship to medicinal plant biodiversity

Abstract

The heath forest in Kalimantan is renowned as a source of medicinal herbs for the Dayak tribe. This study seeks to examine the use of medicinal plants from heath woods by the Dayak Maanyan in Central Kalimantan and to assess the potential of medicinal plants depend on disturbances. The gathering of information on the use of medicinal herbs was conducted using semi-structured interviews. Utilizing the snowball technique, the main informant is determined. Observed forms of heath forest were classified as follows: I secondary heath forest with ancient growth, ii) relatively disturbed young secondary heath forest, and iii) burnt heath forest. Path and square measuring plots were employed to obtain data on the vegetation. The use of medicinal plants was studied using a tabulation matrix. For vegetation analysis, the number of species and the Shanon-Wieneer diversity index (H') was employed as parameters. As medicinal resources, the Dayak Maanyan people use thirty kinds of trees and fifteen types of undergrowth from the heath forest. 24 of 27 species of old-growth heath forest trees were utilized for medicinal purposes. The remaining 12 species of the 17 species of slightly damaged juvenile heath forest trees were employed as therapeutic ingredients. Only four of the remaining five tree species in burnt heath woodlands were recorded as being used as medicinal ingredients. In old-growth heath forests, tree diversity and regrowth index were in the low range (H'=2.6-2.87). The tree diversity and regeneration index of young heath forests fell within the low to moderate range (H'= 1.09 – 2.56). The index of burnt heath forest's tree variety and regeneration is poor (H' = 0.98 – 1.5). In heath woods, disturbance and deforestation affect medicinal plant biodiversity.