Trailing forest uses among the Punan Tubu of North Kalimantan, Indonesia

Abstract

Community-based conservation approaches are emerging as a viable alternative to classical conservation strategies. These approaches are based on the assumption that hunter-gatherers use and manage their environment in an extensive and sustainable way, but to date little research has focused on documenting huntergatherers’ current use of ecosystems, especially regarding their spatial movements for resource search and utilization. In this chapter we use spatial data to analyze patterns and intensity of forest use by the Punan Tubu of Indonesian Borneo. We recorded the spatial patterns of forest activities conducted by people in two villages over a 6-month period, during which selected individuals carried a GPS recording one track-point every two minutes. Data collection focused on single-day trips involving hunting, non-timber forest products gathering, and non-commercial logging. After filtering, 116 analyzable GPS tracks were obtained. We provide a descriptive account of Punan Tubu forest movements, emphasizing differences in the intensity of use between villages and individuals and across activities. We also discuss the intensity of intended and unintended impacts on forest biodiversity by analyzing the distribution of stopover areas. Vast areas of the forest are sporadically transited by people and offer important perspectives for forest community-based conservation.