SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN THE BUFFER AREA OF THE NANTU BOLIOHUTO WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, GORONTALO
Keywords:
socio-ecology; , buffer_zone; , dry_land; , conservation; , SM_Nantu.Abstract
This study analyzes the socio-ecological dynamics of land management in Sari Tani Village, located within the buffer zone of the Nantu Boliohuto Wildlife Sanctuary (SM). Previous studies have focused more on the biophysical aspects of land degradation and the impacts of agricultural activities on conservation areas, but have been limited in integrating the analysis of inter-factor relationships, land management strategies by different social groups, and the role of local institutions within a comprehensive socio-ecological framework. The study was conducted over two months using a qualitative approach through field observations and in-depth interviews with 40 farmers (20 local and 20 transmigrants), village officials, middlemen, community leaders, agricultural extension workers, and forestry agencies. Data were analyzed using a Social-Ecological System (SES) framework to capture the interrelationships between resource systems, resource units, actors, and governance. The results indicate that the degradation of resource systems and resource units is influenced by differences in management strategies between local and transmigrant farmers. Local farmers tend to open new land due to monoculture practices that reduce soil fertility, while transmigrant farmers adopt a relatively more adaptive and conservative intercropping pattern. Weak governance, minimal institutional coordination, and the dominant role of middlemen contribute to reinforcing incentives for land expansion. Interactions between actors demonstrate that land-use decisions are driven more by short-term economic motives than by ecological sustainability considerations. This research emphasizes the importance of strengthening collaborative governance, implementing conservation agriculture practices, and integrating local knowledge into buffer zone management. These findings are expected to fill the research gap related to socio-ecological analysis in conservation areas and serve as a reference for policy formulation and the development of sustainable landscape management models in protected area buffer zones.
References
Agustina, L., Lisanty, N., Sidhi, E. Y., Artini, W., & Arissaryadin. (2024). Analisis ketergantungan petani padi terhadap tengkulak dalam sistem pemasaran di sentra produksi padi Kecamatan Pace. Jurnal Ilmiah Pertanian Nasional (JINTAN), 4(2), 131–140. http://ojs.unik-kediri.ac.id/index.php/jintan
Borrero, A. P. C., Ramírez, K. I. R., & Jiménez, J. C. (2024). A socio-ecological evaluation of the conservation efforts in the Nevado de Toluca protected area, Mexico: Governmental performance and local community perception from a rural context. Water Policy, 26(1), 37–59. https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2023.105
Holmes, H., Kreft, H., Borgerson, C., Ranarijaona, H. L. T., Bemamy, C., Martin, D. A., Grass, I., Soazafy, M. R., Osen, K., Wurz, A., & Raveloaritiana, E. (2023). Complementary ecosystem services from multiple land uses highlight the importance of tropical mosaic landscapes. Ambio, 52, 1558–1574. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01888-3
Kamau, J., Mutoko, M. C., & Muriuki, A. (2024). Effects of adoption of ecological farming practices on farm income in rural households: Evidence from Central Kenya. Sustainability, 16(4), 1588. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041588
Kaur, S., Bedi, M., Singh, S., Kour, N., Bhatti, S. S., Bhatia, A., Kumar, M., & Kumar, R. (2024). Monoculture of crops: A challenge in attaining food security. In Advances in Food Security and Sustainability (Vol. 9, pp. 197–213). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.af2s.2024.07.008
Lesmana, S. B., Satriawan, B. J., & Ikhsan, J. (2025). Erosi dan sedimentasi akibat perubahan tata guna lahan pada DAS Winongo menggunakan metode USLE dan aplikasi ArcGIS (Erosion and sedimentation caused by land use changes in the Winongo Watershed using USLE method and the ArcGIS application). JPPDAS, 9(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.59465/jppdas.2025.9.1.1-18
Li, H., Tang, J., Wang, J., Qiao, J., & Zhu, N. (2024). Long-term conservation agriculture improves soil quality in sloped farmland planting systems. Plants, 13, 3420. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13233420
Naharuddin N, Rahmawati R, Wahid A. (2024). Pemberdayaan Masyarakat dalam Usaha Konservasi Lahan Terdegradasi di Wilayah Penyangga Kawasan Konservasi. Jurnal Masyarakat Madani Indonesia (2024) 3(1) 36-42
Olawuyi, S. O., Ijila, O. J., Adegbite, A., Olawuyi, T. D., & Farayola, C. O. (2024). Smallholder farmers’ use of indigenous knowledge practices in agri-food systems: Contribution of food security attainment drive. Research on World Agricultural Economy, 5(2), 45–67. https://doi.org/10.36956/rwae.v5i2.1056
Purnamasari, M., Huang, W.-C., & Priyanto, B. (2023). The impact of government food policy on farm efficiency of beneficiary small-scale farmers in Indonesia. Agriculture, 13(6), 1257. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13061257
Rachman, I., & Naharuddin, N. (2022). Soil erosion rate and surface runoff on various forms of culture. Journal of Experimental Agriculture International, 44(9), 123–131. https://doi.org/10.9734/JEAI/2022/v44i930857
Salsabilla, K. A. K. P., Suhirmanto, Rahmi, A., & Masri. (2023). Implementasi kebijakan penguatan fungsi penyuluhan pertanian (Policy implementation strengthening the function of agricultural extension). Jurnal Kebijakan Publik, 14(4). https://jkp.ejournal.unri.ac.id
Sumaatmadja, N. (2012). Manusia dalam konteks sosial, budaya, dan lingkungan hidup. Alfabeta
Toker, P., Canci, H., Turhan, I., Isci, A., Scherzinger, M., & Kordrostami, M. (2024). The advantages of intercropping to improve productivity in food and forage production: A review. Plant Production Science, 27, 155–169. https://doi.org/10.1080/1343943X.2024.2372878
Tran, T. A., Rigg, J., Pham, V. H. T., Yong, M. L., Vo, O. V., Pham, P. X., Dang, P. T., Tran, H. V., Nguyen, C. H. T., & Vo, T. D. (2025). Erosion of traditional ecological knowledge under conditions of hydrosocial rupture: Insights from the Mekong floodplains communities. Ambio, 54, 1666–1682. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02172-2
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Gorontalo Journal of Forestry Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work under licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
