Pengelolaan hutan yang bersifat kompleks dengan multikomponen dan multiaspek di dalamnya, memerlukan berbagai pendekatan, antara lain pendekatan sosiologi yang menitikberatkan perhatiannya pada masyarakat, dalam hal ini masyarakat di dalam dan sekitar hutan. Masyarakat tersebut dipandang sebagai bagian dari ekosistem hutan, sehingga tidak hanya sebagai objek tetapi juga sebagai subjek pengelolaan hutan. Konsekuensi dari pandangan tersebut adalah dimasukkannya perhatian terhadap kepentingan masyarakat di dalam dan sekitar hutan sebagai indikator keberhasilan pengelolaan hutan, selain kepentingan fungsi produksi dan kepentingan konservasi. Ada hubungan saling ketergantungan antara hutan dan masyarakat yang tinggal di dalam dan sekitar hutan. Masyarakat tersebut berkontribusi kepada hutan dan sekaligus mengambil manfaat dari hutan. Dipandang dari sudut hubungan antarmanusia dan proses yang timbul dari hubungan tersebut, masyarakat, termasuk yang tinggal di dalam dan sekitar hutan merupakan objek sosiologi. Oleh karena itu, beberapa permasalahan terkait masyarakat dan pengelolaan hutan dapat pula diupayakan solusinya dengan pendekatan sosiologi. Pendekatan sosiologi tidak dapat berdiri sendiri dan perlu didampingi pendekatan lainnya, seperti pendekatan ekonomi, ekologi, politik, dan lain-lain. Namun, pengelolaan hutan tanpa pendekatan sosiologi yang bertumpu pada hal-ihwal masyarakat, tampaknya akan berujung pada pengelolaan yang tidak optimal.

”Decentralization of protected forest management from central to district government has not yet been implemented effectively. This effectiveness depends on many factors that include policy contents and political process or discourse in the policy making process. This study aimsto: 1) analyze the discourse in policy making process of decentralization in the management of protected forests, 2) analyze the actors/networks and their interests and 3) find out policy space for future policy reform. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used in the study. The results show that there are three discourses in the policy-making process of decentralized management of protected forests, namely: i) democratic discourse (with story line of externality and accountability, supported by an association forum of Indonesian district government and decentralization experts); ii) economic discourse with story line of efficiency, supported by businessmen, Association of Indonesian Provincial Government and World Bank); and iii) democratic and economic discourses. The House of Representatives (DPR) and Ministry of Home Affairs have authorities and capacities to integrate two discourses. Redefining of externality and interdependency can be used as narratives of new policies to improve the policy of decentralized protected forest management.

Penetapan perluasan kawasan hutan Taman Nasional Gunung Halimun-Salak berdasarkan SK Menteri Kehutanan RI No. 175/KPTS-II/2003 dari 40.000 hektar menjadi 113.357 hektar, bagi Kabupaten Lebak menimbulkan permasalahan antara kepentingan konservasi dan pembangunan daerah melalui pendapatan asli daerah (PAD). Untuk melihat permasalahan ini, dilakukan pengamatan karakteristik masyarakat, pengelolaan lahan, pemanfaatan sumberdaya hutan berupa potensi geologi, pertambangan emas, air, tumbuhan, satwaliar serta persepsi masyarakat terhadap potensi tersebut, terutama masyarakat pada lima kampung di Kecamatan Cibeber, Kabupaten Lebak. Hasil penelitian menyatakan bahwa sebagian besar mata pencaharian utama dan sampingan masyarakat di bidang pertanian sebagai petani dan buruh tani dan di bidang pertambangan, sedangkan pekerjaan lainnya adalah perdagangan dan transportasi. Pendapatan masyarakat yang bermata pencaharian di bidang pertanian dengan luas sawah ≥ 0,5 ha (Rp 1.350.000,00 per KK per bulan) lebih rendah dibandingkan bidang pertambangan (Rp 1.500.000,00 per KK per bulan). Pemanfaatan sumberdaya hutan yang paling utama adalah sumber air, perkayuan untuk bahan bangunan dan kayu bakar. Persepsi masyarakat lebih banyak ditujukan pada pemanfaatan potensi geologi berupa pertambangan emas, tetapi bagi masyarakat Kampung Lebak Sembada, Desa Citorek Kidul sebaiknya lokasi pengambilan emas tersebut dikembalikan kepada fungsinya sebagai kawasan konservasi untuk melestarikan sumber mata air. Kegiatan yang dapat meningkatkan sosial ekonomi masyarakat yaitu permudaan tanaman cengkeh, penanaman aren, dan peternakan dengan sistem kandang

Taman Nasional Kutai (TNK) seluas 198.629 ha, sejak tahun 2000-an mulai dirambah penduduk untuk dimanfaatkan sebagai tempat pemukiman, lahan perkebunan dan tambak seluas 53.629 ha (27%), sehingga hutan yang tersisa dan masih utuh sekitar 145.000 (73%). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh informasi tentang kondisi interaksi masyarakat di dalam kawasan maupun daerah penyangga TNK, melalui wawancara dengan responden sebanyak 33 KK (Kepala Keluarga) yang dipilih secara purposive. Keterkaitan masyarakat dengan TNK dibedakan berdasarkan tipologi masyarakat berlatar belakang sosial ekonomi dan budaya berbeda yaitu dari etnis Dayak, Kutai, Jawa dan Bugis. Interaksi masyarakat ke dalam kawasan TNK dilakukan dengan berbagai tujuan antara lain untuk memperluas lahan garapan masyarakat, sedangkan bagi pemerintah daerah dilakukan guna memperluas daerah dalam rangka otonomi daerah. Untuk mengatasi masalah perambahan hutan hendaknya didasarkan pada aspek konservasi untuk mengembalikan fungsi kawasan TNK seperti semula, sedangkan pelestarian dan pengembangan pemanfaatan potensi sumberdaya alam yang termasuk keanekaragaman tumbuhan lokal dan endemik Kalimantan seperti buah-buahan dan bahan pewarna perlu disosialisasikan dan dibudidayakan di kebun rakyat baik untuk masyarakat lokal maupun pendatang.

The problem in implementing exploitation method with the Indonesian Selective Cutting and Planting System (TPTI) at production forest area in Mt.Tambora, Sumbawa island was low regeneration of duabanga (Duabanga moluccana Blume) on logged over areas and substituted with another less non commercial wood species. The growth of D. moluccana regeneration required enough sunlight on open area (intolerant species). The implementation of Indonesia Strip Cutting and Planting System (TJTI) make to open areas will be created better growth on D. moluccana regeneration. The objective of this study is to obtain some information about the effect of D. moluccana regeneration on TJTI silviculture system. The study was conducted with Completely Block Randomized Design method using 4 treatments of silviculture system and 3 groups/repetitions i.e. no enrichment planting and maintenance on TJTI, enrichment planting and maintenance on TJTI, no enrichment planting and no maintenance on TJTI, enrichment planting and maintenance on TPTI. The wide of production strip is 170 m and conservation strip is 30 m. D. moluccana enrichment planting with spacing 10 m x 10 m was conducted 1 year after exploitation. The maintenance was conducted every 6 months in the first year, then one every year until 3 years old. The study result on silviculture system of TJTI showed that 4 years old after exploitation, it could increase the height, diameter, and survival of natural regeneration and enrichment planting population of D. moluccana. The growth rate of height, diameter, and survival of natural regeneration increased i.e. 47.40%, 86.68%, 183.2% respectively and enrichment planting 47.26%, 88.1%, 272.3% respectively. Regeneration of D. moluccana, 74% comes from natural regeneration and 26% comes from enrichment planting. The maintenance doesn’t increasing height and the population of regeneration, but it?s increasing the diameter. The exploitation with TJTI and TPTI silviculture system could decrease soil fertility and micro climate.

This research was designed to get information on the characteristics of small scale private forest using mix farming pattern which is sustainably managed (product, income, and ecology). The study was focused on technical and socio-economical aspects. The result indicated that so far the mix farming pattern is still managed traditionally. The compositions of planted species varied among sites, the commonest timber species planted were sengon, mahagony, and maesopsis, while fruit species were durio, parkia, and melinjo. In Pandeglang the pattern was composed by 38.45% of timber trees, 49.88% fruit trees, and 11.67% under growth, while in Sukabumi it was composed by 52.43% of timber trees, 28.68% fruit trees, and 18.89% under growth. Income gained from this pattern depend on the composition of species planted i.e. timber trees and fruit trees and kinds of wood product soled. In Pandeglang, income which was gained from this pattern was Rp 2,477,323/ha/year (21.62% was derived from timber trees), while in Sukabumi was Rp 3,973,039/ha/year (60.30% was derived from timber trees). The vegetation structure in this pattern was simpler as compared with those in natural forest, however tree density and canopy cover was almost similar with those of natural
forest. The number of species of the pattern in Pandeglang was more diverse than those in Sukabumi. Biodiversity condition of the pattern both in Pandeglang and Sukabumi at tree and pole varies between 28-39 species and its crown cover was about 96.4% to 246.3%, hence ecologically it is a better system. The productivity of the pattern could be increased by using good method of silviculture and plantation system

The research was conducted on Punti Kayu Recreation Park in Palembang, South Sumatera. The aim of these study were to: (1) Identify the visitor characteristics of Punti Kayu Recreation Park; (2) Identify factors influencing the demand of recreation; (3) Estimate of the demand equation of recreation benefit of Punti Kayu Recreation Park; (4) Value the economic of Recreation Park. The result revealed that visitor characteristics including old age, gender, incomes, occupation, cost during activity of recreation, motivation, and the vehicle type used were highly varied. The data were analyzed using multiple regression model. The factors influencing the visit to Punti Kayu Recreation Park were traveling expense, number of people per district, and number of working hour per day. The demand equation models based on traveling cost method was Y = - 4.018 + 0.0002428 X1 with r²= 0.767; Y: recreation demand, X: traveling cost. The economics valuation of Punti Kayu Recreation Park was obtained from the averages of williningness to pay, sacrificed value, and consumer surplus of each 1,000 people which were Rp 365,932.215; Rp 165,485.997; and Rp 200,446.218 respectively.