Funded by The Botanist, via the Global Botanic Garden Fund

Project Completed: 2024

Institution: The Ethnobiological Society of Indonesia/ Perhimpunan Masyarakat Etnobiologi Indonesia

Ex situ conservation of Mangifera casturi in Sultan Adam Forest Park, South Kalimantan

Introduction

Mangifera casturi Kosterm., a threatened plant native to Kalimantan province, faces challenges due to its Extinct in the Wild classification. Its reproductive difficulties and limited involvement of local communities in conservation efforts further threaten its survival.

Project Goals 

To conserve M. casturi, ex situ measures were proposed for this project, including seed collection and cultivation in Sultan Adam Forest Park. This research aims to identify the natural habitat of M. casturi, characterize its morphology, and explore the opportunities, challenges, and prospects for ex situ conservation in the Sultan Adam Forest Park.

Key Achievements

The impact of this project on Sultan Adam Forest Park includes the documentation of 36 Mangifera casturi trees distributed across three main areas. Local community knowledge about M. casturi conservation was enhanced, covering tree identification, special treatments to accelerate harvesting, propagation methods, and conservation program promotion.

Environmental factors influencing M. casturi growth were identified, including light intensity, soil pH, soil moisture, and soil temperature.

41 plants were propagated through conventional techniques, while 50 plants were propagated using tissue culture methods. Additionally, the project involved three undergraduate students from Lambung Mangkurat University to support their bachelor’s theses.

Watch the video below to see more about the work they carried out for this project: