Results of ethnoecological studies in the prospect of forest tourism development in Tenganan Pegringsingan traditional village, Karangasem, Bali

Abstract

This study mainly discusses the lack of implementation of forest development as a tourist attraction in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia. This research aims to implement the results of ethnoecological studies to develop the Bukit Kangin forest tourism in the traditional village of Tenganan Pegringsingan, Karangasem, Bali. The population in this study area is considered in two aspects, namely the ecosystem aspect and the socio-system one. The population of the ecosystem consists of all plant species in Bukit Kangin, while the population in the socio-system aspect is the entire community of Tenganan Pegringsingan traditional village. The sample of this research from the ecosystem aspect includes plant species covered by squares with a size of 20 × 20 meters including tree habitus (nature), 10 × 10 meters (which includes sapling), and squares with a size of 1 × 1 meters including seedling habitus. The number of squares is 65 squared. For the community sample, community components are selected with a total sample of 50 people. The ecosystem data collection uses the quadratic method with systematic sampling techniques. Meanwhile, the data collection is carried out by interview, observation sheets, and questionnaires. The data related to ecosystem was analysed using ecological statistical analysis, while the data related to the socio-system were analysed descriptively. Descriptive analysis was used to determine the prospects for forest tourism development. The conclusions of this study are the following: (1) the results of ethnoecological studies in the Bukit Kangin forest, Tenganan Pegringsingan village, Karangasem, Bali, has the prospect of being developed into forest tourism as an alternative and complementary tourist destination; (2) some of the results of ethnoecological studies and supported by socio-system that interact with each other can be in the form of plant species composition equipped with descriptions, utilization, processing methods and products of useful plant species. The results of ethnobotanical and ethnobiological studies are very supportive in the development of forest tourism in the Kangin hills, Tenganan Pegringsingan, Karang Asem, Bali.