Bukit Soeharto [Tropical Rain Forest]
[Photo by T. Toma]
The Bukit Soeharto Research and Education Forest (BSREF) of Mulawarman University is one of a few remnant of “lowland dipterocarp forest” in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Lowland forests in East Kalimantan have been disappearing in rapid rate since the late 1960’s by human activities, selective logging followed by slash-and-burn agriculture. The BSREF had suffered fire disturbances in 1982-83 and 1998, during severe droughts related to strong El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. Although the BSREF has been affected by the human and fire disturbances, it still keeps natural forest condition compare to its surrounding areas where have been converted to agricultural fields, plantations and also to abandoned grassland.
Site Information
| Established Year |
1988 |
|---|---|
| Research Partners | Mulawarman University |
| Latitude / Longitude | 0ﾟ52′S, 117ﾟ01′E |
| Mean Temperature | 21.4 ºC (minimum) / 29.9 ºC (maximum) |
| Mean Annual Precipitation | 2,000 mm |
| Soil Type | Ultisol |
| Plot Size | 1-ha (LDS), 0.72-ha (MDS), 0.36-ha (HDS), 9-ha (Felling treatment plot) |
| Main Disturbance agent | Human activities, droughts and fires |