Small Scale Ecology and society: Forest-Culture of Papua Nutmeg (Myristica argantea Warb.)

Abstract

Identities and entities can be found in the cultural and ecological environment of a community when its members interact with each other. The Papua nutmeg (Myristica argentea Warb.) has been utilized by the Baham-Matta ethnic in the western part of Papua for centuries as part of their traditional ecological knowledge of non-timber forest products (NTFPs). However, this practice has not been scientifically constructed as part of social forestry science. Therefore, this paper seeks to contribute to an empirical understanding of the forest-culture of the local community and its implications for adaptive forest governance in West Papua. This study found that adaptive resource management has been applied to the Papua nutmeg, which is called henggi in Iha language and endemic to the tropical forest of the western part of Papua. The treatment of Papua nutmeg consists of three stages, namely pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest, all of which form a holistic unity which is sustainable until today. The Papuan nutmeg is traditionally managed and locally conserved using a traditional method known as the sasi system.