Abstract:
The heath forest in Kalimantan is renowned as a source of
medicinal herbs for the Dayak tribe. This study seeks to examine
the use of medicinal plants from heath woods by the Dayak
Maanyan in Central Kalimantan and to assess the potential of
medicinal plants depend on disturbances. The gathering of
information on the use of medicinal herbs was conducted using
semi-structured interviews. Utilizing the snowball technique, the
main informant is determined. Observed forms of heath forest
were classified as follows: I secondary heath forest with ancient
growth, ii) relatively disturbed young secondary heath forest, and
iii) burnt heath forest. Path and square measuring plots were
employed to obtain data on the vegetation. The use of medicinal
plants was studied using a tabulation matrix. For vegetation
analysis, the number of species and the Shanon-Wieneer
diversity index (H') was employed as parameters. As medicinal
resources, the Dayak Maanyan people use thirty kinds of trees
and fifteen types of undergrowth from the heath forest. 24 of 27
species of old-growth heath forest trees were utilized for
medicinal purposes. The remaining 12 species of the 17 species
of slightly damaged juvenile heath forest trees were employed
as therapeutic ingredients. Only four of the remaining five tree
species in burnt heath woodlands were recorded as being used
as medicinal ingredients. In old-growth heath forests, tree
diversity and regrowth index were in the low range (H'=2.6-2.87).
The tree diversity and regeneration index of young heath forests
fell within the low to moderate range (H'= 1.09 – 2.56). The index
of burnt heath forest's tree variety and regeneration is poor (H' =
0.98 – 1.5). In heath woods, disturbance and deforestation affect
medicinal plant biodiversity
