Responses to environmental and socio-economic changes in the Karangwangi traditional agroforestry system, South Cianjur, West Java

Abstract

In the past, the swidden agriculture system (huma) was dominant in village frontiers of West Java; including in the Karangwangi Village of Cidaun Sub-district, Cianjur District, West Java Province. Culturally, each Karangwangi household owned a right to cultivate upland rice (huma) by felling mature forest (leuweung). Moreover, the land was planted by upland rice and other annual crops, such as corn, cassava, cucumber, and various beans. After harvesting rice and other annual crops, the land was fallowed and transformed into secondary forest (reuma) through natural succession. Moreover, the mature secondary forest (reuma kolot) could be opened for rice planting again in the following year or fallowed for more than 3-5 years. People will shift to another piece of mature secondary forest for rice planting. Today, because of increasing population, decreasing forests, and increasing market economic penetration, the Karangwangi people have predominantly practiced the swidden farming in the non-forest instead of the forest. The forests had culturally been converted to traditional agroforestry systems, such as mixed-garden (kebon tatangkalan), and homegarden (pekarangan).This paper discusses the process of evolution of the swidden farming and innovatory cultural practice among the Karangwangi community, South Cianjur, West Java, in management of the traditional agroforestry systems which have been dynamically affected by ecological and socioeconomic changes. Four parts are presented in this paper. In part one, we account for the Karangwangi people used to practice the swidden farming in the forest when the forest area that was still abundant. In part two, we discuss a focus on process of the evolution of the swidden farming, transformed to the traditional agroforestry systems In part three, we elaborate on some changes of the traditional agroforestry system and responses to environmental changes. In part four, it is summarized and inferred of the paper. Based on this study, it can be inferred that by developing innovatory cultural practice, Karangwangi people of South Cianjur, West Java have tended to success to evolve their swidden farming to new condition of the traditional agroforestry systems in sustainable way, despite population growth, the depletion of the forests, and intensive market economic penetration.

How trust influence social capital to support collective action in agroforestry development?

“…It combines the land-based plant trees/wood and crop at the same time or shifting that turns simultaneously to have the function of ecological, economic, social and cultural rights (Mbolo et al 2016;Reid 2016;Lasco et al 2015;Wijayanto and Hartoyo 2015). Based on the study conducted by Iskandar et al (2016), the community tends to succeed in developing swidden farming into a sustainable traditional agroforestry system, despite population growth, forest depletion, and intensive market penetration.…”

Farmers and tumpang sari: Case study in Palintang Hamlet, Cipanjalu Village, Bandung, Indonesia

“…Various plants of the homegarden and garden were identified in the taxonomy and herbarium laboratory of the Department of Biology, Padjadjaran University. While to analyze data of relative population of plant community was used SDR (Summed Dominant Ratio) index of Numata 1974 (Iskandar and Iskandar 2016), namely:…”

“…In the past they traditionally engaged in the swidden farming system to cultivate upland rice in the forest. Today, the Palintang people are different from the Baduy of South Banten, Kasepuhan of South Sukabumi, Kemang of Cianjur, and Karangwangi of Cianjur in that they have not persistently engaged in the swidden farming (Iskandar 2007;Adimihardja 1989;Kosuko et al 2013;Iskandar et al 2016). Indeed, the Palintang people have not cultivated the irrigation rice field (sawah) system.…”

Local knowledge of the Baduy Community of South Banten (Indonesia) on the traditional landscapes

“…The forth, the gardens (kebon) can be categorized into several types that is based on occurring dominant species, such as kebon kopi (dominated by kopi/coffee crop and kebon cengkeh (dominated by cengkeh/clove crops), and mixed-garden planted mixed annual and perennial crops is called dukuh (talun-mixed perennial crops or kebon kaiwoody garden, and kebon tatangkalan-tree garden, in other Sundanese areas of non-Baduy) (see Iskandar et al 2016).…”

“…The Baduy hamlet is commonly encircled by anthropogenic forest, dukuh lembur or what Terra (1958) calls talun (see also Christanty et al 1986, Iskandar et al 2016. The dukuh lembur is planted mainly with medicinal species, fruit trees, and plants providing materials.…”