Description

Mountain forest has become the last sanctuary for most of Bali's biodiversity, as well as the whole of Java Island. This ecosystem is important given that most of the lowland forests in Indonesia have been disturbed and degraded. Forest areas in the Bedugul Basin are among the remaining tropical mountain rainforests in Bali and they play significant roles in maintaining the ecosystem, preventing erosion, preserving biodiversity, and functioning as a water source and buffer zone for the surrounding areas including the lower areas of Bali.

However, mountain rainforests are becoming more and more threatened as its extent and vegetation cover have declined due to the increased human activities, climate change and natural disasters. This is also true for Bedugul, especially in forest areas near Beratan and Buyan Lakes, and also Mt. Pohen, which are increasingly exposed to tourism activities and other anthropogenic disturbances. Hence, ecological research in these areas of Bedugul Basin is needed to assess and also anticipate any potential changes so that its natural resources could be protected and sustained in the era of changing climate.

This book is a compilation of relevant research works that were conducted in Bedugul Basin from 2005 up to 2017. Most of these research works were conducted by the authors themselves and their colleagues as researchers at Bali Botanical Garden. The relatively new study of species distribution modelling (SDM) using Biodiversity and Climate Change Virtual Laboratory (BCCVL) for Dacrycarpus imbricatus (which is one of the characteristic species of the area) is also introduced in this book. Another important and recent research output included in this book is the exploration of the autecology of an important endemic species, Pinanga arinasae, which is only found on Mt. Tapak, Bedugul.

Our Centre is glad to publish this book entitled “ECOLOGY OF BEDUGUL BASIN.” I believe that it should fill some of the research gaps in the ecologicalethnobotanical aspects of the plant community of high elevation landscapes in Indonesia in particular, and in Asia in general. I believe that this would be a useful reference to the scientific community in this field. I congratulate the authors of this book for their dedication to contribute to the body of knowledge on ecological-ethnobotanical research.

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