Natural Availability of Medicinal Plants Used by the SAD Community in the Bukit Duabelas National Park Area, Indonesia

Abstract

This article describes the natural availability of medicinal plants used in the community health behavior of Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) in the Bukit Dua Belas National Park (BDNP) area. The SAD community, also known as the Kubu, Orang Rimba, or Orang Ulu, are a minority (marginal) ethnic group who live in remote areas and have minimal interaction with the outside world and maintain a primitive way of life amidst modernization. This level of availability is important in decision-making in the socio-economic empowerment program of the SAD indigenous community through the commercialization of medicinal plants. The survey research was conducted for 2 months in the Air Hitam District, Sarolangun Regency, Jambi Province. Data were collected through field observation and interviews with sources of information from the leader of the SAD group, usually called Tumenggung. The data analysis method used simple mathematical techniques to identify the determinants of the level of sustainability of the supply of medicinal plants. The research results showed that the types of medicinal plants classified as shrubs had a higher sustainable supply from nature. This group of medicinal plant species also has the opportunity to be cultivated so that it can be integrated with efforts to empower the SAD community both in the area (in-sites) and around the BDNP (ex-sites). The preservation of medicinal plants of the SAD community in the BDNP area is still maintained, except for several types of medicinal plants belonging to certain trees that require conservation efforts through protection and ecosystem enrichment. Based on the supply of medicinal plants, it can be concluded that a particular strategy is needed for each medicinal plant in developing its economic value, which is grouped into conservation and cultivation efforts, both in situ and ex situ.