Contribution of the Mutis Timau Protected Forest to Community Income in the Forest Management Unit of South Central Timor Regency, Timor Island, Indonesia

Abstract

Forest resources obtained by the community are used to satisfy family needs, and one is an additional family income. This study aimed at determining the contribution of Mutis Timau protected forest to community income. In order to knowing the income that the community earns from the forest, a survey was conducted in nine villages located in and around Mutis Timau protected forest that started from January to June 2018. Nine villages were purposively selected that Mutis Timau protected forest area is administratively under those villages whose communities directly interact with the protected forest. The technique of collecting data was a questionnaire with 353 respondents selected proportionally in each village. Also, observation and literature study were adopted. The data were descriptively analyzed. The results denote that Mutis Timau protected forest provide income to the community through non-timber-1-1 forest products of IDR1,637,510,566 year of the total income of IDR45,260,686,262 year. Community income earned from Mutis Timau protected forest is very low (3.62%) compared to the income gained from horticultural food crops (66.29%) and livestock (30.09%). The income is directly earned from the sale of non-timber forest products to the consumers without having product processes in particular for hunting wild animals, fungus, tubers, and honey. Honey delivers higher income besides other non-timber forest products, such as hunting wild animals, fungus, and tubers.

Deforestation Vulnerability Based Administrative Boundary and Forest Area in Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

“…West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara Province is dominated by forest conversion to dry land agricultural and dry land mixed with shrubs. This is illustrated by the fact that the people of Timor Island earn higher income from agricultural products [13]. In addition, the possibility of deforestation due to distance from settlements, and population density [23].…”

“…Apart from the different climatic conditions, the regional and social development conditions for the people of Nusa Tenggara are also very different from most of the several regions in Indonesia [12]. The people of Timor Island get a higher income from horticulture and animal farms when compared to non-timber forest product incomes [13]. This shows that there is still a large possibility of deforestation in Nusa Tenggara.…”