The traditional Rimbo Larangan system of forest management: An ethnoecological case study in Nagari Paru, Sijujung District, West Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract. Alandra Y. Amelia FUD, Iskandar J. 2018. The traditional Rimbo Larangan system of forest management: An ethnoecological case study in Nagari Paru, Sijujung District, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Asian J Ethnobiol 1: 61-68. The community of Nagari Paru, Sijunjung District, West Sumatra Province, Indonesia, has a traditional forest conservation system locally known as Rimbo Larangan, which is based on the Local Knowledge (LK) or the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) - strongly embedded in the local culture. Although the Rimbo Larangan has nearly disappeared in many villages (Nagari) of West Sumatra, particularly of the Minangkabau ethnic, this traditional forest conservation system in Nagari Paru has been appropriately maintained. This study aimed to document the ecological history, the characteristics of the involved local institutions, and the management system of the Rimbo Larangan based on a case study in Nagari Paru, Sijunjung District, West Sumatra Province. The method used in this study was qualitative with the ethnoecological approach. The study results showed that the ecological story of Rimbo Larangan has been established for a long time, in parallel with the initial construction of agricultural and settlement areas in the forest. The institution of Rimbo Larangan, as a distinctive model, was initially organized by the original initiatives of informal leaders, which were later joined and supported by the local government. Based on the Rimbo Larangan system, various non-timber forest products of Nagari Paru have been sustainably utilized by the local community. In addition, the forest has provided ecological services overtime for the local community.