Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

THE USE OF NATIVE PLANT FOR CONSERVATION OF FORMER BAUXITE MINING IN SANGGAU, WEST KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA

Ajun Purwanto, Sugeng Utaya, Dwiyono Hari Utomo and Budi Handoyo

Abstract

Land use in accordance with its suitability class can function as a means for soil conservation. This study aims to identify physical and chemical properties and land suitability analysis for Pekawai plants which are native plants for conservation of ex-bauxite mining land. The methods used are survey and laboratory analysis. The data used in this study consisted of average temperature, rainfall, humidity, soil drainage, soil texture, crude material, soil depth, cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation, pH H2O, C-Organic, total N, P2O5, K2O, salinity, alkalinity, surface slope, erosion hazard, high inundation, surface rocks and rock outcrops. Matching between soil characteristics and land suitability class criteria for Pekawai was used to analyse data. The former bauxite mining area for planting the Pekawai plant has a land suitability class N (unsuitable). The limiting factor for each landform unit is the availability of oxygen (oa), root media (rc), toxicity (c), sodicity (xn), erosion hazard (eh) and land preparation (lp). The most severe limiting factors are rough material and soil depth, because both are natural limiting factors. The foot slope of denudes hills (D4) and alluvial plain which originally had actual land suitability N (unsuitable) can be a potential land suitability class S3 (marginally suitable), because it has several mild inhibiting factors, so it is easy to overcome the limiting factor.