Kathy MacKinnon Gusti Hatta - Ecology of Kalimantan: Indonesian Borneo

THE ECOLOGY OF INDONESIA SERIES

Volume III: The Ecology of Kalimantan

Other titles in the Series

Volume I: The Ecology of Sumatra

Volume II: The Ecology of Java and Bali

Volume IV: The Ecology of Sulawesi

Volume V: The Ecology of Maluku and Nusa Tenggara

Volume VI: The Ecology of Irian Jaya

Volume VII: The Ecology of the Indonesian Seas

Produced by

Environmental Management Development in

Indonesia Project, a cooperative project of the

Indonesian Ministry of the Environment

and

Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia

under the sponsorship of the

Canadian International Development Agency

Copyright 1996 Dalhousie University

All maps in this edition copyright 1996 Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd

All rights reserved

Published by Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

ISBN: 978-1 4629-0505-8 (ebook)

Publisher: Eric Oey

Design: Pete Ivey

Prepress production: JWD Communications Ltd.

Copy editing: Sean Johannesen and Kathy McVittie

Distributors:

Indonesia:

C.V. Java Books, P.O. Box 55 JKCP

Jakarta 10510

Singapore and Malaysia:

Berkeley Books Pte. Ltd.

61 Tai Seng Avenue, #02-12

Singapore 534167

Tel: (65) 6280 1330

Fax: (65) 6280 6290

Email:

Web site: www.periplus.com

The Netherlands:

Nilsson & Lamm B.V.

Postbus 195, 1380 AD Weesp,

Printed in the Republic of Singapore

EMDI

The Environmental Management Development Project (EMDI) was designed to upgrade environmental management capabilities through institutional strengthening and human resource development. A joint project of the Ministry of State for Environment (LH), Jakarta, and the School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, EMDI supported LH's mandate to provide guidance and leadership to Indonesian agencies and organizations responsible for implementing environmental management and sustainable development. Linkages between Indonesian and Canadian organizations and individuals in the area of environmental management are also fostered.

EMDI received generous funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). CIDA provided Cdn$2.5 million to EMDI-1 (1983-86), Cdn$7.7 million to EMDI-2 (1986-89), and contributed Cdn$37.3 million to EMDI-3 (1989-95). Significant contributions, direct and in kind, were made by LH and Dalhousie University.

EMDI-3 emphasized spatial planning and regional environmental management, environmental impact assessment, environmental standards, hazardous and toxic substance management, marine and coastal environmental management, environmental information systems, and environmental law. The opportunity for further studies was offered through fellowships and internships for qualified individuals. The books in the Ecology of Indonesia series form a major part of the publications programme. Linkages with NGOs and the private sector were encouraged.

EMDI supported the University Consortium on the Environment comprising Gadjah Mada University, University of Indonesia, Bandung Institute of Technology, the University of Waterloo, and York University. Included in EMDI activities at Dalhousie University were research fellowships and exchanges for senior professionals in Indonesia and Canada, and assistance for Dalhousie graduate students undertaking thesis research in Indonesia.

For further information about the EMDI project, please contact:

Director

School for Resource and Environmental Studies

Dalhousie University

1312 Robie Street

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Canada B3H 3E2

Tel. 1-902-494-3632

Fax. 1-902-494-3728

Foreword

Indonesia covers only 1.3% of the earth's surface, yet it harbours some of the world's richest biodiversity: 10% of all flowering plants, 12% of the world's mammal species, 16% of all reptiles and amphibian species, 17% of the world's birds and a quarter of all marine and freshwater fishes. This incredible biological richness is not only an important part of our natural heritage, it provides the life support systems, natural harvests and environmental services on which the nation's health, livelihood and well-being depend. An estimated 40 million people (almost one-quarter) of Indonesia's population are dependent on biodiversity for subsistence through harvesting of coastal, freshwater and marine fisheries, collection of non-timber forest products or cultivation of indigenous fruits, vegetables, cereals and spices. Conservation of the country's natural ecosystems and the biodiversity and environmental services they provide is crucial to the sustainability of economic development in sectors as diverse as forestry, agriculture and fisheries; health care; science; industry and tourism.

Protection and wise utilisation of biological resources requires that we understand how ecosystems work and the interactions and interdependence between natural habitats and a healthy environment. The Ecology of Indonesia series, part of the CIDA-funded Environmental Management Development in Indonesia Project attempts to explain the principles of ecology in. the Indonesian context. This third volume in the series focuses on Kalimantan, part of Borneo, the world's fourth-largest island. Studies in Kalimantan provide valuable insights into ecological processes and the complex interactions between plants and animals in natural ecosystems. The book also considers human dependence on this island's biological resources and how human actions are changing and threatening the natural habitats on which so many Kalimantan peoples depend. As Kalimantan's vast tropical rainforests and coastal wetlands come under increasing pressure, this book reminds us that sustainable development depends on the maintenance of ecological processes and environmental functions.

The Ecology of Kalimantan was prepared as a collaborative effort between western and Indonesian scientists based at the environmental study centres in Kalimantan. The project provided training opportunities and resources for Kalimantan scientists and students to undertake ecological research in wetland and forest habitats and also established important literature collections and databases at KPSL-UNLAM, Banjarbaru, and PSL-UNTAN, Pontianak. I congratulate the authors and contributors on publication of this book and welcome this useful contribution to environmental literature of Indonesia.

Jakarta, September 1994

Sarwono Kusumaatmadja

State Minister of Environment

Republic of Indonesia

Acknowledgements

The Ecology of Kalimantan