Forest Fire Threaten Indonesia Forest Plantation: a Case Study in Acacia mangium Plantation

Abstract

Fire in Indonesia in 1994fiom August to October destroyed aboutfive million ha offorest land including newly establishedforestplantationr. shifing cultivation area, grass 1 4 and landcleared for agricultural purposes. In south Sumatera of 120,000 ha ofAcacia mangium planted belonging lo one forest concession area which this research done, about 20,000 ha (1 7%) disappeared only in three months. The results of research show that fire destroyed all of the plantations mngingfrom one to four years and no regeneration recognized in the forest floor under the damaging trees one year af?er burning. One of the reasons why so much plantations were burned was high level offuel available because of poorly maintained. Unreasonable fire occurred in the plantation area mainly caused arson that rootedfiom the conflict between the forest concession area and the local people.