The high rate of deforestation and fragmentation of elephant habitat on Sumatra Island has triggered human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Sumatra Island, Indonesia. This conflict brings negative impacts on humans and elephants. Despite numerous efforts having been made to solve this problem, the HEC continues to occur in the remaining elephant enclave every year. The harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants could be improved through HEC mitigation programs. The aim of this paper was to review information on HEC in Sumatra Island, investigate the causes and implications of HEC, review existing HEC mitigation methods, and formulate strategies to improve the harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants. The best strategies to create successful human and elephant coexistence are strengthening the institutions and policies, restoring the habitat, developing wildlife corridors, establishing Essential Ecosystem Areas (EEA), community empowerment through ecotourism, providing legal access to forests through Social Forestry (SF), and providing compensation schemes for conflict victims.

Abstract. Ridwan, Zahrah M, Rahmawaty. 2022. Ethnobotanical study and conservation strategy of medicinal plants in the ecotourism area of Kedah Rainforest Lodges in Aceh, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 6227-6237. Medicinal plants have long been used by indigenous communities, including Gayo people in Aceh, Indonesia. The conservation and sustainable utilization of medicinal plants can be integrated with ecotourism activities. Kedah Rainforest Lodges is an ecotourism area in the Protected Forest area of Forest Management Unit (FMU) Region V Aceh, Indonesia, which is an important source of medicinal plants, clean water and nature tourism. However, biodiversity in the area is threatened by excessive human activity, including the long-standing tradition of Gayo people using medicinal plants. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate medicinal plants used by the local community living around Kedah Rainforest Lodges using an ethnobotanical approach and to identify a strategy for the conservation of medicinal plants using strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis. A combination of field observations, interviews, documentation and focus group discussions were employed for data collection. The result of the ethnobotanical study identified 44 species belonging to 31 families of medicinal plants used by Gayo people in the studied area. Asteraceae is the family with the largest number of medicinal plant species, while herbs are the most common habitus of the medicinal plants and leaves are the most used plant part. Based on SWOT analysis, there are several strategies to conserve medicinal plants in Kedah Rainforest Lodges, including (i) the rehabilitation of degraded areas through the enrichment of medicinal plants to create living pharmacies; (i) the development of facilities to support medicinal plants ecotourism; and (iii) partnerships with related stakeholders to obtain funding and enhance the capacity of the area manager and staff.

Sumatra has extensive forests, rich in tree species, especially the Dipterocarpaceae species, which have high economic and ecological value in the development sector. The enormous number of Dipterocarpaceae species and the paucity of herbarium collections make identifying species quite easy. The study’s goal was to learn more about the Dipterocarpaceae family tree’s species, diameter, and height in the Mandailing Natal Forest Production Management Unit (KPHP ) in North Sumatra. Diameter and height data of Shorea sp was based on secondary data processing. The inventory revealed that the Dipterocarpaceae family has 12 different species. Trees in the Dipterocarpaceae family have an average diameter of 44.5 cm and a height of 20 cm. This inventory is expected to offer information on the several Dipterocarpacea families that can be found in this area, particularly those with high economic value and those that are protected.

Forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Understanding numerous ecological processes, such as nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration, necessitates the estimation of forest biomass. This study was conducted primarily to estimate the above-ground biomass of Shorea spp (Dipterocarpaceae) using an allometric model in the Forest Management Unit Mandailing Natal, North Sumatera-Indonesia. To estimate tree biomass in forests, allometric regression models are frequently utilized. These are mathematical functions that link a tree’s dry mass to one or more tree dimensions, like height, diameter, and wood density. The results showed that the average above-ground biomass of Shorea spp was 726.42 kg/tree. Intsia bijuga, with average biomass of 269.83 kg/tree, contributed to the smallest biomass. While the largest contribution to the amount of biomass is Shorea platyclados, with average biomass of 1564 kg/tree. and for carbon storage of 735,2761 kg/tree.

This research conducted to identify the kinds of feed plants sumatran elephant which is the main component of elephant habitats .The purpose of this research was to obtain data about kinds of feed plants sumatran elephant and analyzes the species diversity. The study conducted with analysis vegetation use of systematic sampling methods at any community different vegetation .The research results recorded there are 75 species of  feed plants  from 269 species of plants found , which means 28%  plants in the study locations is a source of feed for sumatran elephants. The data was obtained show that the number of species to spread of  feed plants of elephant more on a community of  I , a number of 36 species of all level vegetation began to the seedling, sapling, pole and tree; while community II and III each 30 and 23 species . Community IV and V had the same number of  feed plants species, a number of 31 species . Based on the analysis of the diversity of species to feed plants  of elephant, shows that community III have index the diversity of species ( H = 4,53; Hmax = 5,17 ) higher than other locations.