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Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Building Materials from the Island of Bali, Indonesia

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Abstract

Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Building Materials from the Island of Bali, Indonesia. Local knowledge of plant-based building materials has long been part of Balinese tradition. In order to better understand this particular tradition, we carried out a comprehensive ethnobotanical study of 13 aga villages. The data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Seventy-eight species of plants were identified, comprising 63 genera and 34 families, of which 46% are native to the Flora Malesiana floristic region, 20% to the Indian floristic region, and 17% to the Indochinese floristic region. Ninety-one percent were trees. The most frequently used part was the stem (88%). The main use categories reported for building materials were houses (58%), religious uses (Balinese Hindu temple; 35%), stables (5%), and barns (2%). Thirty-eight percent appeared in more than one use category. Arenga pinnata (Wurmb) Merr. and Magnolia champaca (L.) Baill. ex Pierre were the two species that possessed the highest values in the preference ranking for use value (UV) followed by Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. Species richness differed substantially between villages according to their different levels of traditional knowledge preservation. Despite the impact of the fast-growing tourist industry and the decline of local knowledge, the Balinese who live in the study areas still depend on locally available indigenous plant species for their building materials. The cultivation of these indigenous plants is in a period of crisis, especially with regard to conservation.

Studi Etnobotani Bahan Bangunan Tradisional dari Pulau Bali, Indonesia. Pengetahuan lokal bahan bangunan berbasis kayu telah lama menjadi bagian dari tradisi orang Bali. Untuk memahami tradisi tersebut dengan lebih baik, studi etnobotani yang menyeluruh dilakukan dengan menggabungkan tiga belas desa aga. Data etnobotani diperoleh melalui wawancara semi-terstruktur dan kuesioner. Tujuh puluh delapan jenis tanaman yang terdiri dari 63 genera dan 34 famili telah diidentifikasi, yang mana 46% adalah tanaman asli dari Malesiana, 20% dari India, dan 17% dari Indocina. Sembilan puluh satu persen adalah jenis pohon. Bagian yang paling sering digunakan adalah kayu (88%). Kategori kegunaan utama bahan bangunan adalah hunian rumah (58%), tujuan keagamaan (Pura Hindu Bali; 35%), kandang ternak (5%), dan lumbung padi (2%). Tiga puluh delapan persen dari total tanaman yang diidentifikasi memiliki lebih dari satu kategori kegunaan. Arenga pinnata (Wurmb) Merr. dan Magnolia champaca Magnolia champaca (L.) Baill. ex Pierre adalah dua jenis tanaman yang memiliki nilai tertinggi dalam peringkat nilai guna (UV), kemudian diikuti oleh Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. Kekayaan spesies berbeda secara substansial diantara desa-desa sesuai dengan tingkat pelestarian pengetahuan tradisional. Meskipun dampak dari pesatnya perkembangan industri wisata dan penurunan pengetahuan lokal, orang Bali masih tergantung pada ketersediaan jenis tanaman asli untuk bahan bangunan mereka. Budidaya tanaman asli berada dalam periode krisis, khususnya yang berkaitan dengan pelestarian.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Italian Ministry for Education, University, and Research (MIUR) through University Roma Tre for its financial support and Ida Bagus Ketut Arinasa, formerly director of Bali Botanic Garden, for his help in the identification of plants. We also wish to express our gratitude to the informants who took part in our study for sharing their knowledge, hospitality, and assistance. We also express our deep appreciation to Prof. Giulia Caneva of Department of Science, University Roma Tre, for sharing her valuable knowledge. Justin Bradshaw and Nigel Kerby of AVI revised the English language version. Gebby Agnessya helped in data tabulation.

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  1. Bali Botanic Garden, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Candikuning Baturiti, Tabanan Bali, 82191, Indonesia

    Wawan Sujarwo

  2. Herbarium Bogoriense (Botany Division), Research Center for Biology, Cibinong Science Center, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Cibinong West Java, 16911, Indonesia

    Ary Prihardhyanto Keim

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  1. Wawan Sujarwo
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Correspondence to Wawan Sujarwo.

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Sujarwo, W., Keim, A.P. Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Building Materials from the Island of Bali, Indonesia. Econ Bot 71, 224–240 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-017-9385-z

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