Economic Function of Java Teak Forest

Economic Function of Java Teak Forest

If we visit the teak forests in Java, we will see that these areas have other Economic Function of Java Teak Forest.

Many Pesanggem (farmers) who live in teak forest villages use teak tree bark as wall material for their houses. Teak leaves, which are wide and hairy and fall in the dry season, they use as food wrappers and goods. Teak branches and twigs provide fuel for many households in teak forest villages.

Teak forests mainly provide arable land. Between the teak trees, the farmers plant crops in rows. From the teak forest itself, they can earn additional income in the form of honey, a number of carbohydrate food sources, and medicines.

Food substitutes for rice grown in teak forests, for example, are gadung (Dioscorea hispida) and uwi (Dioscorea alata). In fact, teak forest villagers also use iles-iles (Amorphophallus) during famine. Traditional medicinal plants such as kencur (Alpina longa), turmeric (Curcuma domestica), ginger (Zingiber officinale), and temu lawak (Curcuma longa) grow in this forest area.

Teak trees also produce clusters of whitish flowers that bloom shortly after dawn. The best teak flower pollination occurs around the center of the heart—each flower lives for only one day. Pollination of flowers is carried out by many insects, but especially by types of bees. Therefore, residents can also often harvest bee honey from teak forests.

Teak forest village communities in Java also used to raise livestock such as buffalo, cows, and goats. This type of livestock requires grass as feed. Although farmers sometimes find it easy to get grass in their fields or fields, they mostly use forest land as a source of fodder production. By simply releasing livestock into the forest, livestock will get the various types of feed they need. The time that is not used by farming families to collect grass can be used for other activities. Economic Function of Java Teak Forest

Teak Wood is a First Class Wood

Teak wood is a First Class Wood

Teak wood is a first class wood because of its strength, durability and beauty. Technically, teak has a strength class II and a durability class I-II. This wood is very resistant to termite attack.

Teak wood is light brown, gray brown to dark red brown. The sapwood, on the outside, is white and yellowish-grey.

Teak wood is easy to cut and work and whuch is preferred for making furniture and carvings. Finely sanded wood has a smooth and greasy surface. The circular patterns of the years on the patio wood are clearly visible, resulting in a beautiful picture.

With the subtlety of the texture and the beauty of the color of the wood, teak is classified as a luxury wood.

Although relatively easy to process, teak is known to be very strong and durable, and not easily deformed by changes in weather. For this reason, teak wood is also used as a material for harbor docks, rail bearings, bridges, merchant ships, and warships. Carpenters in Europe in the 19th century are said to have asked for additional wages if they had to process teak. This is because teak is so hard that it can dull tools and consume their strength. The British marine manual even advises avoiding Chinese junks made of teak as they can damage the steel of British marines if they collide.

In the 17th century the people of South Sulawesi used teak roots as a producer of natural yellow and yellow brown dyes for their woven goods. In East Java, the people of Bawean Island brew teak leaves to produce natural red-brown dye. Lamongan people choose to brew the collision of young leaves. Meanwhile, the people of Madura Island mix the collision of teak leaves with tamarind. At that time, people with cholera were also advised to drink the bitter teak wood and leaves as an antidote.

Burmese teak is slightly stronger than Javanese teak. However, in Indonesia itself, Javanese teak is the prima donna. The texture of Javanese teak is smoother and the wood is stronger than teak from other parts of the country.

According to the characteristics of the wood, in Java people recognize several types of teak.

  1. Teak lengo or night teak, has a hard, heavy wood, feels smooth to the touch and seems to contain oil (Jw.: lengo, oil; Malam, wax). Dark in color, lots of blotches and stripes.
  2. Sungut. Black, dense and heavy (Jw.: sungu, horn).
  3. Werut teak, with hard wood and wavy fibers.
  4. Teak doreng is a very beautiful hard wood with bright black stripes colour.
  5. Teak flower
  6. Teak lime is whitish because it contains a lot of lime. Less strong and less durable.

Teak wood is a First Class Wood

Teak Forest in Java Indonesia

Teak Forest Distribution Area in Java Indonesia
picture BUMN.go.id

As early as 1927, Teak Forest Distribution Area in Java Indonesia were recorded to be widely distributed in the North Limestone Mountains and Kendeng Mountains and Muria Mountains, from Jepara district to the eastern end of Probolinggo district. However, teak forests are most widely spread in the provinces of Central Java and East Java, which are up to an altitude of 650 meters above sea level. Only in the Besuki area does teak grow no more than 200 meters above sea level.

In these two provinces, teak forests are often formed naturally due to the monsoon climate which causes periodic forest fires. Teak forest which is quite extensive in Java is centralized and the largest is in the forest area of Blora Regency, Grobogan, Cepu and Bojonegoro Regencies. In fact, teak with the best quality and has been recognized by the international furniture world is produced from the Blora and Grobogan Regencies, Central Java. Both areas have their respective advantages.

Teak from the Blora area is favored by furniture craftsmen because straight teak fibers are especially for export quality flooring materials, while Teak from Grobogan Regency is favored by teak wood house craftsmen for joglo materials or residents’ houses because it is the strongest and has the highest density compared to teak from other areas and various crown fibers.

This can be proven by the many discoveries of ancient teak (pendem wood) that are thousands of years old from the forests around Grobogan, Blora to Cepu. Javanese teak, especially Central Java and East Java, is the most preferred by the international community, especially in 4 season countries in Europe and America because only the best quality teak can survive in 4 different seasons.

Currently, most of the teak forest land in Java is managed by Perhutani, a state-owned public company in the forestry sector. In 2003, Perhutani’s forest area covered almost a quarter of the island of Java. Perhutani’s teak forest area in Java reaches around 1.5 million hectares. This is almost equivalent to half the forest area of Perhutani or about 11% of the total area of the island of Java dwipa. Teak Forest in Java Indonesia

Source wikipedia.org

Teak Forest in Indonesia

Teak forest in Indonesia

Teak forest in Indonesia , apart from Java and Muna, teak is also developed in Bali and Nusa Tenggara.

In recent years, there have been efforts to develop teak in South Sumatra and South Kalimantan. The results are less than encouraging. Teak dies after two or three years. The problem is, the soil in these two places is very acidic. Teak itself is a type that requires large amounts of calcium, as well as phosphorus. In addition, teak requires abundant sunlight.

Now, outside Java, we can find teak forest in limited places in Sulawesi Island, Muna Island, Bima area on Sumbawa Island, and Buru Island. Teak also develops in the Lampung area on the island of Sumatra.

In 1817, Raffles noted that teak forests were not found in the Malay Peninsula or Sumatra or adjacent islands. Teak only thrives in Java and a number of small islands to the east, namely Madura, Bali and Sumbawa. The hills in the northeastern part of Bima on Sumbawa were completely covered by teak at that time.

Heyne, in 1671, recorded the presence of teak in Sulawesi, although only at a few points in the eastern part. There are about 7,000 ha on Muna Island and 1,000 ha in the interior of Butung Island in Sampolawa Bay. Heyne suspects that real teak is also found on Kabaena Island, as well as in Rumbia and Poleang, in Southeast Sulawesi. Recent DNA analysis shows that teak in Southeast Sulawesi is a branch of the development of Javanese teak.

Teak grown in South Sulawesi was only planted in the 1960s and 1970s. At that time, much of the land in Billa, Soppeng, Bone, Sidrap, and Enrekang was being reforested. In Billa, the current growth of teak trees is not inferior to that in Java. The diameter of the trunk can exceed 30 cm. Teak forest in Indonesia

Source wikipedia.org