Homegarden ethnobotany of three Malay Villages in Belitung District, Indonesia

Abstract

Ethnic culture influences the plant diversity in homegardens, automatically impacting socio-economic and ecological services. The Malay ethnic in the Belitung district uses many species of plants from their homegardens. However, ethnobotanical studies of the homegarden must be carried out for more efficient and sustainable use. This study aimed to describe the plant diversity and structure of the Malay homegarden in the Belitung district through an ethnobotanical perspective. Ethnobotanical data were collected using the participatory observation method in three villages from different sub-districts, Kembiri, Sijuk, and Suak Gual. The key and general respondents were selected using the purposive and the snowball sampling methods, and the plant diversity was identified using the inventory method. The structure of the Malay homegarden in Belitung consists of side, front, and back yards. The homegarden plants have four habitus types: trees, shrubs, herbs, and lianas. The homegarden area in Sijuk villages was the most spacious (599.55 m2). Myrtaceae dominated the homegarden in Sijuk, while the Zingiberaceae dominated the Kembiri and Suak Gual villages. The highest Index of Cultural Significance value is Cocos nucifera in Sijuk and Kembiri villages and Citrus macrocarpa in Suak Gual Village. Malay ethnic uses most homegarden plants for food and medicine ingredients.