Indigenous Knowledge Degradation of Lom Community, Bangka Island in Identifying and Using Pelawan Padang (Tristaniopsis Merguensis)
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Biosaintifika 10 (3) (2018) 663-670 Biosaintifika Journal of Biology & Biology Education http://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/biosaintifika Indigenous Knowledge Degradation of Lom Community, Bangka Island in identifying and using Pelawan Padang (Tristaniopsis merguensis) Salpa Hartanto1, Yohana C. Sulistyaningsih1, Eko Baroto Walujo2 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15294/biosaintifika.v10i3.14089 1Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Indonesia 2Botany Division, Research Center for Biology-LIPI, Cibinong Science Center, Indonesia History Article Abstract Received 17 April 2018 Pelawan padang (Tristaniopsis merguensis) plays an important role in providing daily Approved 19 November 2018 needs including goods and services for Lom community in Bangka island. Recent- Published 31 December 2018 ly, modernization has an impact on the indigenous knowledge related to plants utilization in Lom community, especially pelawan padang. The aims of the study Keywords were to analyze the roles and benefits and to determine ethnobotanical knowledge Ethnobotany; Local Knowl- changes of Lom people on the use of pelawan padang. Data were collected through edge; Pelawan Padang; Tristani- opsis merguensis interviews using a structured questionnaire. Pebble Distribution Method (PDM) was used to analyze the quantitative data, while the qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistic. The result showed that pelawan padang can be used for mate- rial construction, firewood, honey production, traditional medicine and material of bagan traditional stilt houses. The degradation of indigenous knowledge of Lom people related to natural resources such as pelawan padang could be assessed accord- ing to individual factors which were; age classes and occupation. More respondents aged over 40 years showed the ability in identifying and using Pelawan padang com- pared to the younger (25-40 years old). According to occupational group, there was higher number of unemployed respondents and respondents working as farmers that used pelawan padang compared to respondents working as employee. No differ- ence was found for tribal leaders and community members regarding to the knowl- edge of Pelawan padang benefits. This study provides the latest information about the benefits of plants from the Lom Community that can be developed through the further research, especially for the benefits pelawan padang as a drug. How to Cite Hartanto, S., Sulistyaningsih, Y. C., & Walujo, E. B. (2018). Indigenous Knowledge Degradation of Lom community, Bangka Island in identifying and using Pelawan Padang (Tristaniopsis merguensis). Biosaintifika: Journal of Biology & Biology Education, 10(3), 663-670. Correspondence Author: p-ISSN 2085-191X Jl. Raya Dramaga, Babakan, Dramaga, Babakan, Dramaga, Bogor, Jawa Barat 16680 e-ISSN 2338-7610 E-mail: [email protected] Salpa Hartanto et al. / Biosaintifika 10 (3) (2018) 663-670 INTRODUCTION tion on the use of pelawan padang. This research is expected to contribute to Lom Community in Indigenous knowledge can be defined as cultivation pelawan padang considering the poten- the knowledge systems that have been natural- tials contained in this plant. For Scientists, this ly developed over a long time, unique, learned, research can be developed through the further re- and inherited in a local community group. Local search, especially for the benefits pelawan padang communities have different ways, points of view, as a drug and habits in their lives. The perceptions and con- ceptions of local communities have been obvious METHODS and defined including how they learn to utilize natural resources in their environment (Ifandi et This study was conducted from January al. 2016). Perceptions and conceptions of local to March, 2017 in Pejem and North Pejem sub- community are followed by the increase of the villages, Gunung Palawan villages, District of management and utilization of natural resources Bangka, Bangka Belitung Province (Fig. 1). The to fulfill their various daily needs. Management respondents (Lom community), both males and of natural resources continues to increase not females, whose ages ranged from 25 to 80 years only in food, clothings, construction of dwellings old were interviewed during the study. The res- but also in the fulfillment of other needs (Chinsa- pondents were divided into two groups, which my et al. 2011). were fixed and unfixed respondents. The fixed Lom community is a group of people variable was divided into sub-groups according that inhabit the coastal region of Bangka island. to the sex category, which consisted of 45 men Smedal (1989) reported that Lom people spread and 20 women. Meanwhile, the unfixed variable evenly in this area. In the past, Lom communi- was distinguished by age classes, occupation, and ty houses were a stilt house with wooden walls social status. or boards and roof made of rumbia leaves. Lom people mainly work as farmer, fisherman and la- bor. They also depend on plant resources to sup- port their activities. One of the beneficial plants species that is still used by Lom community is pe- lawan padang (Tristaniopsis merguensis). Pelawan padang is a member of Myrtaceae, this species grows well in Bangka island. Akbarini (2016) revealed that Pelawan padang becomes one of the key species for biodiversity sustainability in Namang Central Bangka district (Muslich & Sumarni 2008). It is because this species has role Figure 1. Map of the study area and pelawan as a host of the fungus (Heimioporus sp.) and pro- padang sampling site (source: google maps) duce typical “bitter honey” from its flower which has high economic value. Pelawan padang also has a. Grouping of respondents based on the age strong and firm structure, so it is usually used as classes a construction material. In addition, firewood is Based on the age classes, the respondents also an important use of this species because it were classified in different age sub-group. Res- produces a good flame, less ash and higher heat pondents aged from 25 to 40 years were conside- than other species (Yarli 2011). red as introduction group, those aged from 41 to Pelawan padang is often used by Lom 60 years were considered as understanding group, people in the fulfillment of their daily needs. and those aged over 60 years (60-80 years) as ad- However, there is no hereditary knowledge of vanced knowledge group. the Lom community that will affect forest mana- b. Grouping of respondents based on the occupa- gement in maintaining the wisdom of the local tion community. Lom people’s knowledge on the use Based on community occupation, the res- of pelawan padang needs to be explored more and pondents were divided into three major groups conserved in order to avoid its extinction. The which were farmer, employee, and unemployed aims of this study were to investigate and analyze respondents. Group I was farmer consisting of the knowledge of Lom community in recogni- respondents who worked as fishermen, farmer, zing and utilizing pelawan padang, as well as ana- labor, and gardener. Group II was employee con- lyzing the Lom community’s knowledge degrada- sisting of respondents who worked as govern- 664 bdc Salpa Hartanto et al. / Biosaintifika 10 (3) (2018) 663-670 ment employee. Group III was unemployed res- pelawan padang (Fig.2) was used by Lom commu- pondents. nity as traditional medicine, firewood, construc- c. Grouping of respondents based on the social tion material, honey production, and materials status for Bagan houses. Bagan (traditional houses) are Based on social status, respondents were buildings just like the stilt house that were built divided into two sub-groups, tribal leaders group by fisherman over the water at the sea or river as and community members group. Tribal leaders shelter or resting place when they went to the sea were defined as a person or group of people who for catching fishes (Genisa 1998; Aliyubi et al. have an important role in the community. They 2015). Respondents revealed that type of bagan are used as a reference about the problems that commonly used in the coastal of Bangka island occurred to the community, whether in determi- were raft bagan and floating bagan. Then, percen- ning the law of the case, or explaining things that tage of respondents knowledge were categorized have not been known by the community mem- by age classes, occupation, and social status. bers. Community members are Lom society that do not hold any position in the custom (tribal ri- tual) or government. To investigate the degree of knowledge of plant uses, we divided respondents into groups by the ability to identify and use the plants. Respon- dents that knew the benefit of pelawan padang, but did not use it were considered as group I. Group II contained respondents that had used pelawan padang, but no longer used it. Respondents that still use pelawan padang in their daily needs was as Group III. The interview was conducted by visiting the respondent’s house directly without Forum Group Discussion (FGD). It is intended that Figure 2. Pelawan padang morphological features. informations obtained were a genuine knowled- (a) Plant physique (b) (c) bark (d) leaf blade struc- ge of every people (respondents). Data was col- ture (e) leaf tip (f) leaf base (g) leaf vein (h) flower g lected from respondents by using a structured and seed/fruit e h questionnaire as a guide. Respondents were asked to mention the use of pelawan padang plant, then Knowledge of pelawan padang based on the age distribute 100 of crystal beads that have been pre- Knowledge of respondents in identifying pared as a value or score for each use. the benefit of pelawan padang could be classified based on age classes (Fig.3). The interview result Data Analysis showed that respondents in the age over 40 yea- Data collected were analyzed qualitatively rs identify more the benefit of pelawan padang in and quantitatively. Qualitative data were analy- various uses. The majority of respondents that zed through the descriptive statistic.