From monoculture pine forests to multifunctional landscapes: A case study of social forestry management transformation in Maros, Indonesia

Abstract

Pine forests (Pinus merkusii Jungh.) in Indonesia are the result of reforestation programs initiated in the 1960s. In some areas including the case examined in this study, these monoculture plantations have subsequently been allocated for community management under social forestry schemes, whereas many others remain under direct state forest management. The dominance of monoculture systems and the decline in pine stand productivity have limited the optimization of economic, ecological, and social functions for surrounding communities. Transforming management towards multifunctional forest landscapes offers a new perspective to simultaneously improve the performance of social forestry management. This study aims to analyze the dynamics of landscape structure, community socio-economics, and design adaptive and multifunctional forest management in social forestry areas through an exploratory case study involving the Abbulo Sibatang Farmers Group as a partner. Participatory observation, in-depth interviews, FGDs, and flora-fauna inventories were conducted to collect data. Analysis of the dynamics of landscape structure, biodiversity, and livelihoods was conducted to strengthen the research findings. By considering physical factors, biodiversity, local community needs for forest land, and the function of state forest areas, the landscape structure of monoculture pine plantations is arranged into three management regimes: (1) protection and biodiversity regime, (2) non-timber forest product utilization regime, and (3) food utilization regime. These findings can serve as a model for the development of social forestry areas that coordinate economic, social, ecological, and environmental functions through a series of interventions in each regime, accompanied by strengthening multi-actor synergies and local knowledge-based community involvement to realize adaptive, contextual, and sustainable forest management.

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