(Note: This is my script's summary for my undergrad final research in 2011. You can also get full version of the script here )
I. INTRODUCTION
Interactions between community and nature are forms of
socioeconomic activities of local communities to meet their need for life. That
interaction is reflected in their activities, such as collecting forest
products like food, firewood, fodder and tubers as well as the results of other
types of forest services (Widianto 2008). Studies of the interactions and
relationships between people and forests have been carried out by the
researchers. A study conducted by Baharudin (2006) which examined the
interaction of rural communities around the Mount Rinjani National Park shows
that local people around the national park use the land for intensive farming.
While, study by Ginting (2010) which examined the interaction of communities
around the Leuser National Park shows that the local community around the
national park take benefit of the forest for ecotourism and they also collect
forest products.
Sociocultural change is something normal and sustainable
in accordance with the nature and human nature itself (Lauer 1982 in Dewi
2007). In relation to human interaction with forests, this also applies, where
the interaction is also dynamically changing. Research conducted by Yatap (2008)
on the influence of socioeconomic variables to changes in the land cover in
Gunung Halimun Salak National Park (GHSNP) showed that socioeconomic factors
give real effect of changes in land cover in GHSNP. The forms and causes of
changes in people's interaction with the forest must be known.
Cipeuteuy village is directly adjacent to the GHSNP. This
village is one of the 1,517 villages directly adjacent to state forest land (MoF,
2007). Before becoming part of the national park in 2006, the forest area
around the village Cipeuteuy is intercropping land surrounding communities that
are managed together with Perhutani (Cantika 2008). Interaction between forest
and communities in this village has existed for a long time. The objectives of
this research are to know what kinds of changes in community interaction with
forest, to know the factors driving these changes, to know the relationship
between socioeconomic variables to the forest land use by the local community.
II. MATERIAL AND METHOD
2.1. Operational
Definition
1. The interaction pattern is defined as a pattern that is formed
from the interaction that occurs between communities and forest in this study
and it is based on the use of forest land by the community. There are 3
patterns used in this study, which are:
a. The pattern of using the
land is the use of land by the community for a particular purpose and permanent
use. Examples of this pattern is the use of forest land for permanent
agriculture or settlement.
b. The pattern of
harvesting is the use of forest by the community for harvesting the forest
products occupying the forest land. Examples of this pattern is the harvesting
of timber or non-timber forest products.
c. Pattern without
interaction is the people do not use
forest land and do not use or collect forest products.
2.
The change of interaction pattern is the change in the pattern of
interaction over time, which are:
a. Changes of the pattern
of using the land to the pattern of harvesting, or to the pattern without
interaction.
b. Change of the pattern of
harvesting to the pattern of using the land uses or pattern without
interaction.
c. Change of the pattern
without interaction to the pattern of using the land or pattern of harvesting.
2.2. Time and Location
This study was conducted in two sub-villages
namely Cisarua and Pandan Arum which are both located in the Cipeuteuy Village,
Kabandungan Sub-district, Sukabumi District of West Java Province, Indonesia.
The research activities was conducted during the months from mid-May to June
2011.
2.3. Respondents and data
Respondents in this study are the head of the
household who lived in the sub-village of Pandan Arum and Cisarua, Village
Cipeuteuy. The data used in this study are primary data and secondary data.
Data collected in this research is by interview and observation.
2.4.
Method
The selection of respondents as the sample unit
is done by a purposive sampling method, which the determination is done
intentionally under consideration of research purposes. Processing and analysis
of the data used in this research are descriptive analysis and multiple linear
regression analysis. Tabulation and descriptive analysis are used to explain
the changes in the pattern of interaction between people and forests, and the
driving factors for them. Multiple linear regression analysis is to estimate
the influence of socioeconomic variables that affect the use of forest land by
the community. Analyses were performed using SPSS 17.0. The dependent variable
(Y) is the area of forest land use by the public. The independent variable (X)
is a socioeconomic characteristics of the community.
3.1.
The Changes of Interaction Patterns
In this study, changes in the pattern of interaction are limited
to just one stage of change, that is changing before the current interaction
patterns into patterns of interaction that is done today. Under this condition,
changes of the interaction patterns that may occur are 6 (six) types. Not all
people change their interaction with the forest. In some respondents, it was
found a relatively constant interaction. In the context of this study, it was
found that some respondents did not change the pattern of interaction. Table 1
below states the amount of the respondents and their interaction changes.
Table 1 Respondents with
their pattern of interaction changes.
|
Patterns*
|
Cisarua
|
Pandan Arum
|
|
Quantity
|
Percetage (%)
|
Quantity
|
Percentage(%)
|
|
Pattern 1
|
2
|
4.55
|
0
|
0
|
|
Pattern 2
|
14
|
31.81
|
16
|
40.00
|
|
Pattern 3
|
6
|
13.64
|
4
|
10.00
|
|
Pattern 4
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
7.50
|
|
Pattern 5
|
20
|
45.45
|
13
|
32.50
|
|
Pattern 6
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Constant
|
2
|
4.55
|
4
|
10.00
|
|
Total
|
44
|
100.00
|
40
|
100.00
|
Description : *Pattern
of interaction changes, which are:
1. Change of the pattern of
using the land to the pattern of harvesting
2. Change of the pattern of
using the land to the pattern without interaction.
3. Change of the pattern of
harvesting to the pattern of using the land
4. Change of the pattern of
harvesting to the pattern without interaction
5. Change of the pattern
without interaction to the pattern of using the land
6. Change of the pattern
without interaction to the pattern without interaction.
Change in the pattern of interaction between people and
forests in Cisarua and Pandan Arum is not much different. There are two
patterns of change are most often committed by the respondents, which are the
pattern 2 and 5. The pattern 2 is a pattern of interaction with the change of
land use to be without interaction. While the pattern 5 is a change from
without interaction into interaction with using the land.
Change of the pattern of
using the land to the pattern of harvesting
Villagers that left the agricultural land in the forest,
but still take advantage of some forest products such as firewood and other
forest products, are categorized in the community who has made changes of
interaction from the pattern of using the land to pattern of harvesting. Some
residents in Pandan Arum worked in the forest area but now they do not continue
it. However, these villagers still take forest products like firewood from the
forest area.
Change of the pattern of
using the land to the pattern without interaction
Some farmers totally left working on agricultural land in
the forest. They also do not take the forest products from the forest. The
reasons are various, like less fertile soil, the high disturbance from animals like
pigs and monkeys, and the far distance from the house. They think that working
in the forest is not profitable enough to do. Some of the those farmers still
work on their own land and rental land. Some of them work as farm laborers or
work in another field than agriculture.
Change of the pattern of
harvesting to the pattern of using the land
There are some farmers were initially just interact with
the forest without occupying the land, but now turned into using the land, especially
for agriculture. From the statement of some respondents in Pandan Arum,
generally people started using the forest area at a time after the big harvest
in 1999 by Perhutani. Previously, they only worked only on their own agricultural
land or worked as farm laborers.
Change of the pattern of
harvesting to the pattern without interaction
Respondents who had previously interacted with the forest
without occupying the land, but they are no longer do it at all included in the
group of people who did this type of interaction pattern change. At first,
these communities only used forest products for a variety of purposes such as
firewood, vegetables, or wood to build houses. Currently, they are no longer doing
it because the status of the land became the national park with tight
regulation.
Change of the pattern
without interaction to the pattern of using the land
Respondents who initially did not interact at all with
the forest, but now they are working on the forest land are categorized in this
group. There are 20 respondents (45,45%) in Pandan Arum and 13 respondents (32,50%)
in Cisarua are included in this group. Almost all of the respondents explained
that the reason they chose farm forestry was because there was no other choice.
Before becoming a farmer, most of the respondents worked in the nearby big
cities like Bogor or Jakarta. Inadequate salaries and stay away from the family
are some of the reasons they decided to return to the village. They chose to
work in the forest area because they do not have their own agricultural land.
3.2. Driving Factors of the
Interaction Pattern Change
In this study, the changing patterns of interaction that
occurs are not only in one pattern only. A change in one thing does not always
lead to a pattern of change alone. Many factors influence the changing patterns
of interaction. Table 2 describes the patterns of change and their interaction
causes each based on data obtained from the respondents in the study village.
Table 2. The patterns of
interaction change and the driving factors.
|
The change of
interaction pattern
|
Driving factors
|
|
Changes of the pattern of using the land to
the pattern of harvesting
|
·
Less of fertile soil in the forest
·
Disturbance from animals like pig and monkey
·
Low harvest and not profitable enough
·
Conflict with the national park officer
·
More agricultural land outside the forest area
·
Age factor
|
|
Changes of the pattern of using the land to
the pattern without interaction.
|
·
Less of fertile soil in the forest
·
Disturbance from animals like pig and monkey
·
Low harvest and not profitable enough
·
Conflict with the national park officer
·
More agricultural land outside the forest area
·
Age factor
·
Far distance between forest land and settlement
·
Got new agricultural land outside the forest with better
condition
|
|
Change of the pattern
of harvesting to the pattern of using the land
|
·
Inadequate farm land or do not have farm land
·
The need for more money
|
|
Change of the pattern
of harvesting to the pattern without interaction
|
·
Tight regulation of national park
·
Lifestyle change
·
Age factor
|
|
Change of the pattern
without interaction to the pattern of using the land
|
·
Inadequate farm land or do not have farm land
·
The need for more money
·
Farming job is more profitable
|
The cause for a change
in the pattern of interaction is not always equal to each other. One factor may
also lead to more than one type of changes. One factor may cause a change in
the pattern of interaction in a household, but not necessarily affect other
households. Change in patterns of interaction is a combination of several
driving factors. Socioeconomic condition is often used as a reason by the
people to utilize forest resources. Although they are not too benefited from
the farm in the forest, but they have no other choice because of low levels of
education and skills.
3.3. Relationship
Between Socioeconomic Variables with Forest Land Use Area
The results of this
research, shows that each farmer who uses the forest land for agriculture has a
land area that is different. There were 47 respondents who work on the forest
land. Regression equation generated from multiple analysis of socioeconomic
factors with extensive use of forest land in GHSNP with stepwise method is as
follows,
Y= -540,172 + 22,87X1
+ 30,845X2 + 0,145X3 – 28,922X4 – 47,151X5
+ 0,001 X6