Agriculture system and bioresources utilization in villages around Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park: A case study of Ilomata village, Gorontalo

Abstract

It is a common trait for villages surrounding conservation areas to be dependent on the forest ecosystem for food and economic needs. This is also the case for Ilomata Village, a village bordering the Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park. This research aims to identify agricultural systems, bioresources utilizations, ecological threats and the potential development of an ecologically based agricultural system in Ilomata Village, Gorontalo Province. Data were collected using in-depth interviews, participatory observations, and focus group discussions. Further, descriptive statistics are utilized to analyze the data. The result shows two forms of agriculture. First, the monoculture system is characterized by one main commodity (corn). Second, the polyculture system is characterized by a combination of crops, plantations, forestry, and livestock. For the bioresources’ utilization, as many as 79 species of vegetation were used by the community. This research also notes the forms of utilization that have the potential to threaten the ecosystem, as well as several potentials that can be developed. This research concludes that although there is an ecological-based agriculture system in Ilomata Village, it has not been implemented optimally by utilizing the existing potential. The result implies that it can be used to determine an ecologically-based agriculture intervention model.