Wawan Sujarwo

Cultural Erosion of Balinese Indigenous Knowledge of Food and Nutraceutical Plants

Cultural Erosion of Balinese Indigenous Knowledge of Food and Nutraceutical Plants.The island of Bali has several traditional Aga villages that survive under the pressures of an intense tourist industry and agricultural changes. In order to understand possible impacts on traditional ethnobotanical knowledge (TEK) in Bali, we interviewed local people living in 13 traditional villages regarding the number of known plants and their uses. We analyzed socioeconomic factors influencing change of such knowledge at both individual (informant) and community (village) level. We identified a total of 149 food and nutraceutical plants being used in the study area. Neither gender, occupation, income, nor level of formal education had a significant effect on TEK. However, informant’s age and village status were found to play an important role in the retention of TEK at an individual level. At the village level, the use of Internet/smart phones was an important predictor of cultural erosion.Erosi Budaya Pengetahuan Adat Bali Tentang Tanaman Pangan dan Nutraceutical.Pulau Bali memiliki beberapa desa Aga tradisional yang masih bertahan di tengah tekanan pariwisata dan perubahan sistem pertanian yang signifikan. Untuk memahami kemungkinan dampak pada pengetahuan etnobotani tradisional (TEK) di Bali, kami mewawancarai penduduk lokal yang tinggal di tiga belas desa tradisional tentang jumlah dan kegunaan tanaman yang mereka ketahui. Kami menganalisis faktor-faktor sosial ekonomi yang mempengaruhi perubahan pengetahuan etnobotani di tingkat individu (informan) dan masyarakat (desa). Kami mengidentifikasi total 149 tanaman pangan dan nutraceutical yang digunakan di lokasi penelitian. Baik jenis kelamin, pekerjaan, pendapatan, atau tingkat pendidikan formal memiliki dampak yang signifikan terhadap TEK. Namun, usia informan dan status desa memainkan peran penting dalam mempertahankan TEK pada tingkat individu. Dan di tingkat desa, penggunaan internet/ponsel pintar merupakan prediktor penting dari erosi budaya.

Ethnobotanical study of Loloh: Traditional herbal drinks from Bali (Indonesia).

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Loloh are herbal drinks produced and consumed exclusively in Bali (Indonesia) to prevent and treat different ailments. This is the first study to document plants species used as Loloh, reporting the phytochemical components and pharmacological properties of the most cited plants. Documenting the plants used in herbal drinks in Bali by local communities to treat various ailments (providing some information on phytochemistry and pharmacology of the most interesting plants). MATERIALS AND METHODS Ethnobotanical data were obtained through semi-structured interviews (individual and group discussions) and questionnaires. Plant specimens were collected, identified and made into herbarium vouchers. RESULTS A total of 51 plants species (belonging to 32 families) have been documented for their use in the various preparation of Loloh. Different plants and plant parts are used to prepare Loloh to treat heartburn, fever, diarrhea, hypertension, aphthous stomatitis (canker sores), and other minor health problems. These plants are mainly prepared as decoctions, are juiced or simply added to the preparation. The most cited plants (>30 informants) are Alstonia scholaris (L.) R. Br., Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC., Cinnamomum burmanni Nees ex Bl., and Piper betle L. These plants are well studied with multiple demonstrated pharmacological activities (e.g., antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic). CONCLUSION The Balinese communities still preserve a rich ethnobotanical knowledge. Several species are well known for their pharmacological properties, but some [such as Pneumatopteris callosa (Blume) Nakai and Dendrocnide stimulans (L. f.) Chew] are understudied and could be promising candidates for further research.

Traditional knowledge of wild and semi-wild edible plants used in Bali (Indonesia) to maintain biological and cultural diversity

We report the first ethnobotanical study of wild and semi-wild food plants used by the inhabitants of the villages of Bali. Considering the urgent need to avoid the loss of this traditional knowledge, 50 informants from 13 “Bali Aga” villages across four districts were selected for our field investigation. Ethnobotanical data were collected through different interview methods (direct observation, semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, individual discussions, focus-group discussions, and questionnaires). The 86 recorded species belonging to 41 families and 68 genera, including angiosperms (82) and pteridophytes (4), are categorized as wild (33) and semi-wild (53), of which 63.64% are native to Malesian, Indian, and Indochinese. Wild and semi-wild edible plants play an important role in providing the Balinese with various essential nutrients. Fourteen species (16.28%) are also used medicinally. In recent years, with the growth of the tourist industry, the wild habitats of edible plants have been severely impacted. Traditional knowledge related to wild and semi-wild edible plants is also endangered. Therefore, the management of these resources and the preservation of biodiversity along with indigenous knowledge are of primary importance.

POTENSI BAMBU TALI (Gigantochloa apus J.A. & J.H. Schult. Kurz) SEBAGAI OBAT DI BALI

Penelitian mengenai pengaruh pemberian pupuk kandang dan kapur terhadap per-tumbuhan dan produksi nilam pada tanah podsolik merah kuning (PMK) dilakukan di Kebun Percobaan (KP) Laing Solok Suma-tera Barat sejak September 2007 sampai Mei 2008. Perlakuan disusun dalam Pola Faktorial, Rancangan Acak Kelompok dengan 3 ulangan. Perlakuan yang diuji adalah penggunaan pupuk organik (0; 20; dan 30 t/ha) sebagai faktor I, dan kapur (0; 1,5; dan 2 t/ha) sebagai faktor II. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pemberian pupuk kandang 30 t/ha yang dikombinasi-kan dengan pemberian kapur 2 t/ha meng-hasilkan pertumbuhan tanaman terbaik, dengan rataan tinggi tanaman 80,7 cm, jumlah cabang primer 33,4 buah, diameter tajuk 107,5 cm, dan produksi terna 25,2 t/ha. Hasil tersebut berbeda nyata dengan perlakuan kontrol dengan rataan tinggi tanaman 57,3 cm, jumlah cabang primer 20,9 buah, diameter tajuk 67,4 cm, dan produksi terna 6,1 t/ha.The Effect of Oryzalin on Ploidy Level of Arrowroot Plant ( Maranta arundinacea L. ) Arrowroot is propagated vegetative so its genetic variation is very narrow. The narrow genetic variation could be broadened through ploidy manipulation. Oryzalin could induce ploidy level of chromosomes and broaden plant genetic variation. Increase in chromosome number usually corresponds with increase stomata, corm, and starch contents. The aims of this research were to broaden germplasms of arrowroot plant by doubling its chromosomes and seeking for individual plants that potentially poly-ploidy to yield increase. This experiment had been done in experimental garden of Cibinong Science Center, February-December 2009. A five-node rhizome was soaked in Oryzalin solution of 0; 10; 20; 30; 40; 50; and 60 µM for 6 days and washed with water. The rhizome was then grown in a polybag containing soil and compost (1:1) in field with 30% shaded net. Oryzalin treatment at high concentration on arrowroot rhizome inhibited plant growth but it increased plant growth at low concentration (10 µM). Several arrowroot plants resulted from Oryzalin treatments were potential polyploid plants. Their stomata were bigger/longer, greener, more rounded, thicker, and more undulated leaves than the control.

Sharing Ethnobotanical Knowledge in Traditional Villages: Evidence of Food and Nutraceutical “Core Groups” in Bali, Indonesia

The island of Bali has several aga (indigenous) villages that have survived despite the pressures of an intense tourist industry and agricultural changes. A rich ethnobotanical culture persists, but the meaning of differences in traditional ethnobotanical knowledge (TEK) remains under-explored. We analyzed information obtained from interviews of inhabitants from diverse villages on food and nutraceutical plants to identify plant patterns, i.e., relevant plant groups with species sharing a similar occurrence. Through cluster analysis, we identified 12 main groups of species and found that species were grouped based on traditional knowledge and the use each community made of plants on the whole, and not on growth forms nor on specific uses. The frequency distribution of species clusters showed a bimodal trend, with several groups present only in few villages, and a few groups present in almost all villages. The latter are defined as “core groups,” and represent the shared TEK of each aga community. Other “satellite species groups” embodied in the local TEK were related to small isolated communities. Cultural erosion caused by modernization, with the consequent fragmentation of information, was judged to be one of the main causes of increasing TEK heterogeneity.Abstract (Italian)L’isola di Bali possiede diversi villaggi indigeni (aga) che sopravvivono nonostante la crescente pressione legata al turismo e ai cambiamenti agricoli. A Bali ancora esiste una ricca cultura etnobotanica, ma sarebbe utile comprendere il significato delle differenze fra i villaggi relativamente alla conoscenza etnobotanica tradizionale (CET). Sono state quindi analizzate le informazioni sulle piante alimentari e nutraceutiche, al fine di identificare rilevanti gruppi di specie con riferimento a un uso tradizionale nei villaggi. Sono stati definiti dodici principali gruppi di specie sulla base della similarità ottenuta dalla cluster analysis, che sembra essere influenzata dalla conoscenza specifica di ogni villaggio, basata sulle sue tradizioni piuttosto che dalla forma biologica né dall’uso per cui le piante sono coltivate. La frequenza di distribuzione dei gruppi di specie nei villaggi è risultata bimodale, con alcuni gruppi presenti solo in pochi villaggi e pochi presenti in quasi tutti. Questi ultimi sono stati definiti “gruppi nucleari” e rappresentano la CET condivisa da ogni comunità aga. Gli altri gruppi, definiti “gruppi satellite” sono riferiti alla CET di piccole comunità locali. L’erosione colturale, con la conseguente frammentazione, è definibile come una delle cause principali di tale eterogeneità.

Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Building Materials from the Island of Bali, Indonesia

Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Building Materials from the Island of Bali, Indonesia. Local knowledge of plant-based building materials has long been part of Balinese tradition. In order to better understand this particular tradition, we carried out a comprehensive ethnobotanical study of 13 aga villages. The data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Seventy-eight species of plants were identified, comprising 63 genera and 34 families, of which 46% are native to the Flora Malesiana floristic region, 20% to the Indian floristic region, and 17% to the Indochinese floristic region. Ninety-one percent were trees. The most frequently used part was the stem (88%). The main use categories reported for building materials were houses (58%), religious uses (Balinese Hindu temple; 35%), stables (5%), and barns (2%). Thirty-eight percent appeared in more than one use category. Arenga pinnata (Wurmb) Merr. and Magnolia champaca (L.) Baill. ex Pierre were the two species that possessed the highest values in the preference ranking for use value (UV) followed by Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. Species richness differed substantially between villages according to their different levels of traditional knowledge preservation. Despite the impact of the fast-growing tourist industry and the decline of local knowledge, the Balinese who live in the study areas still depend on locally available indigenous plant species for their building materials. The cultivation of these indigenous plants is in a period of crisis, especially with regard to conservation.Studi Etnobotani Bahan Bangunan Tradisional dari Pulau Bali, Indonesia. Pengetahuan lokal bahan bangunan berbasis kayu telah lama menjadi bagian dari tradisi orang Bali. Untuk memahami tradisi tersebut dengan lebih baik, studi etnobotani yang menyeluruh dilakukan dengan menggabungkan tiga belas desa aga. Data etnobotani diperoleh melalui wawancara semi-terstruktur dan kuesioner. Tujuh puluh delapan jenis tanaman yang terdiri dari 63 genera dan 34 famili telah diidentifikasi, yang mana 46% adalah tanaman asli dari Malesiana, 20% dari India, dan 17% dari Indocina. Sembilan puluh satu persen adalah jenis pohon. Bagian yang paling sering digunakan adalah kayu (88%). Kategori kegunaan utama bahan bangunan adalah hunian rumah (58%), tujuan keagamaan (Pura Hindu Bali; 35%), kandang ternak (5%), dan lumbung padi (2%). Tiga puluh delapan persen dari total tanaman yang diidentifikasi memiliki lebih dari satu kategori kegunaan. Arenga pinnata (Wurmb) Merr. dan Magnolia champaca Magnolia champaca (L.) Baill. ex Pierre adalah dua jenis tanaman yang memiliki nilai tertinggi dalam peringkat nilai guna (UV), kemudian diikuti oleh Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. Kekayaan spesies berbeda secara substansial diantara desa-desa sesuai dengan tingkat pelestarian pengetahuan tradisional. Meskipun dampak dari pesatnya perkembangan industri wisata dan penurunan pengetahuan lokal, orang Bali masih tergantung pada ketersediaan jenis tanaman asli untuk bahan bangunan mereka. Budidaya tanaman asli berada dalam periode krisis, khususnya yang berkaitan dengan pelestarian.