A Supplemental HCVF Assessment on the Sumatran Tiger ...

FINAL REPORT Tiger <strong>HCVF</strong> <strong>Supplemental</strong> <strong>Assessment</strong> – Serapung FMU
In Serapung I district, a total of 1,343 ha or 12% of the FMU area is designated for
conservation (Konservasi). This conservation area consists of a wide strip running
parallel to the coast, from the northern most corner of the concession, to approximately
half way along its north-south length.
As of September 2004 a total of 5,723 ha (50% of Serapung I district) remains under
forest cover (data from SmartWood <strong>HCVF</strong> report; see Table 2 below). All of the
remaining forest within the three land-use categories above suffer from illegal logging
by local communities. The species of primary focus for these unauthorized loggers
include Suntai (Palaquium burkii), Punah (Tetramerista glabra), Meranti bunga (Shorea
teysmanniana) and Ramin (Gonystylus bancanus).
During the 1980s, the FMU and adjacent forests were selectively logged under the
Indonesian Selective Logging and Planting System (TPTI). Locomotive rail lines were
used to extract logs until around 1995. As a result most natural forest areas within the
FMU have experienced two previous logging cycles in addition to ongoing,
unauthorised commercial hand-logging by villagers.
Aerial surveys via helicopter, by both SmartWood and STCP assessment teams,
confirmed that no areas of primary forest could be identified within the FMU.
Degradation of habitat within the concession was classified by SmartWood (see Figure
3) from satellite imagery, described as either “severely degraded” (where little canopy
remains) or “less severely logged” (where canopy is patchy but a nearly continuous
under-story exists). Secondary forest and scrub vegetation, often the result of postagricultural
regeneration, is characteristic in the FMU wherever it borders coastal
farmland.
An extensive network of canals covers the majority of both forested and non-forested
production areas within the FMU. Ranging in size from primary canals of 12 metres
width, to secondary canals of approximately 9 metres width, these function to optimise
the water-table depth for plantation growth, for management access into the
plantations, and for the easy passage of barges to log collection points.
The FMU is adjacent to or overlapping the land area also claimed by each of four
villages - Pulau Muda, Segamai, Gambut Mutiara and Serapung. However, none of
these villages have permanent settlements on the north bank of the Kampar River near
to the FMU. Exceptions to this are the scattering of simple dwellings, situated along a
strip between the FMU and the coastline, which are associated with low intensity
coconut farming. Another exception is the expanding pioneer settlement associated
with the disused primary logging rail and canal of the previously active HPH concession
belonging to PT. Yos Raya Timber. Situated on the northern boundary of Serapung I
district, this settlement considers itself as an outpost of Pulau Serapung village. In
STCP’s opinion, land ownership disputes are likely to intensify in this region as the Yos
sub-village continues to expand. Further clarification of these issues is included in the
SmartWood <strong>HCVF</strong> report for Serapung District.
All four of the definitive settlements represent historically poor muara river villages,
where inhabitants tend to have a closer livelihood relationship with forests in contrast to
the upstream pangkalan villages with their important role as staging grounds for estate
crop commodities (Kuniyasu 2002). In recent times the replacement of river transport
with roads, increased employment opportunities in downstream timber and oil palm
plantations and, above all, greatly increased opportunities to sell timber from village
forests, have caused a rise in economic importance of muara settlements relative to
pangkalan villages.
Farming is the primary livelihood for villagers (SmartWood reports more than 75% of all
families rely on agriculture). The highest proportion of farmers can be found in the Yos
sub-village, where subsistence reliance on farming is likely to feature strongly until their
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