Environmentally sound spatial management using conservation and land evaluation approach at sloping lands in humid tropic (A case study of Antang Kalang sub-district, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia)

Abstract

The main problem faced by sloping lands in the humid tropic includes land degradation influencing natural ecosystem damage broadly. Land conversion and improper land-use have been widely recognized as the main cause of environmental damage since the demands for agricultural lands become greater than land resource available. The objective of this study was to determine the concept of appropriate land-use planning through environmentally sound spatial management in order to prevent land and environmental degradation. The sub-district of Antang Kalang was chosen as study area representing sloping lands in humid tropic that have a susceptibility to erosion. Conservation approach by the use of USLE erosion risk prediction model and land evaluation through land suitability classification was used in this study. The geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) technology were applied to generate spatial basic information and to assist in spatial analysis. Two crops, upland rice, and rubber, representing food crop and estate p have been selected based on the local resource that has been existed since a long time ago. The result of spatial analysis shown that the arable land for agricultural practices covers 9,039 hectares (23.19%) while for non-arable land, it is allocated for forest preservation with total areas 29,934 hectares (76.81%). Land-use planning and land resources management involving conservation aspect and land suitability evaluation should be taken into account for farming practice at sloping lands areas since the value of soil loss potential appears as an indicator of erosion risk. Permanent cultivation system and the intercropping farming system is the option of recommended agricultural practice at sloping lands in the humid tropic that have a susceptibility to erosion.