Konsumsi Buah dan lmplikasinya Dalam Konservasi Gajah Sumatra (Elephas maximus sumatranus Temminck, 1847) di Taman Nasional Bukit Barisan Selatan, Lampung
Michael Padmanaba , Dr.Ir. Djuwantoko, MSc
2003 | Tesis | S2 Ilmu Kehutanan
Penelitian ini dilaksanakan untuk menggali informasi mengenai konsumsi buahbuahan pakan gajah, variasinya, serta kaitannya dengan aspek-aspek ekologi dan konservasi. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui, pertama jenis-jenis buah yang dimakan serta variasinya setiap bulan. Ke dua, apakah variasi tersebut dipengaruhi oleh pola perbuahan jenis yang dimakannya. Ke tiga, apakah perilaku mengkonsumsi buah berpengaruh terhadap kadar air kotoran dan dengan demikian berpengaruh pula terhadap laju pelapukan kotoran. Ke empat, apakah persebaran gajah bisa diprediksi berdasarkan pola dan musim buah tertentu.
Sebanyak 300 sampel boli masing-masing 180 dari plot utara dan 120 dari plot selatan dikumpulkan selama satu tahun. Hasil pengamatan menunjukkan adanya bijibijian dari 29 jenis tumbuhan yang termasuk kelompok pohon, rumput, herba, dan liana. Gajah Sumatra relatif sedikit mengkonsumsi buah-buahan. Hanya 119 (39,67%) boli dari total sampel yang diketahui terdapat biji dan proporsi tertinggi antara berat kering biji dan berat kering bolinya tidak lebih dari 17%. Mereka lebih menyukai rumput-rumputan dan tepus, sejenis herba dari Famili Zingiberaceae. Perilaku mengkonsumsi buah-. buahan terlihat berkorelasi kuat dengan pola musim buahnya. Satu jenis pohon dari Famili Anacardiaceae yakni Rao (Dracontomelon dao) paling sering dan banyak ditemukan dalam kotoran dan besar kemungkinan merupakan jenis makanan yang penting dalam diet gajah di Tamen Nasional Bukit Barisan Selatan (TNBBS). Ketersediaan buah Dracontomelon dao tersebut tampak mempengaruhi pergerakan gajah meskipun distribusinya belum bisa diprediksi berdasarkan pola perbuahan karena luas lokasi penelitian kurang sepadan dibandingkan jelajah harian gajah. Namun demikian, diketahui bahwa gajah lebih banyak datang ke tempat yang lebih terbuka dibandingkan ke dalam hutan yang rapat.
Kandungan buah berpengaruh nyata meskipun belum bisa dipergunakan untuk memprediksi kadar air kotoran (p = 0,004 ; r sq = 0,03 ; n = 284) dan laju pelapukan kotoran (p = 0.000 ; r sq = 0,27 ; n = 68). Dracontomelon dao adalah salah satu di antara 10 jenis pohon dengan indeks nilai penting tertinggi yang bijinya mampu berl This research is aimed to provide information dealing with fruits consumption by elephants, how vary it is throughout the year, and how it can explain the aspects of ecology and conservation. First, fruits eaten by the elephants were identified and recorded each month and the variation of elephant consumption was described. Second, by carrying out monitoring of phenology, investigation was undertaken to search if the fruit consumption might be closely related to the fruiting pattern. Third, fruit content in the elephant dung piles was examined in order to know if it varied with water content and therefore affected the dung decay rate as well. Fourth, by collecting information on new elephant dung each month, distribution of elephants was analyzed if it could be predicted from seasonal fruiting pattern.
The total amount of 300 dung samples were collected during one year field work which 180 were found at the north side and 120 at the south side area of the research station. During the inspection, seeds of 29 species were recorded and classified as tree, grass, herbs, and liana. Sumatran elephants seemed to eat· less fruit rather than grass., leaves, and herbs of Zingiberaceae. Only 119 (39.67%) of the total sample contained seeds and the highest proportion of dried seeds and dung sample was no more than 17%. One species of Famiiy of Anacardiaceae, Rao (Oracontomelon dao), was the most common with the greatest number of all species present in the dung. Therefore, it might be considered as a preferred and an important species for the Sumatran elephants diet in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. Dracontomelon dao's fruit availability tended to affect elephants movement but their distribution could not be predicted yet according to the fruiting pattern. The study area, however, is much smaller than elephant's daily home range. What is known so far is that more elephants present in open area rather than in the dense forest.
Fruit content significantly influenced but could not be used to predict both water content (p = 0,004 ; r sq= 0,03 ; n = 284) and dung decay rate (p = 0.000 ; r sq= 0,27 ; n = 68). Dracontomelon dao was one of the 10 highest important value index species which seeds were able to germinate from the elephant dung piles. Sumatran elephants were likely to play as seed disperser for an important species in vegetation structure.
Kata Kunci : Hutan,Konservasi Gajah,Konsumsi Buah
