Management of Kaleka (Traditional Gardens) in Dayak community in Kapuas, Central Kalimantan

Anggie Abban Rahu, Kliwon Hidayat, Mahrus Ariyadi, Luchman Hakim

Abstract: This study aims at describing the management of Kaleka (traditional gardens) in Dayak community in Kapuas, Central Kalimantan. The study was conducted in Tumbang Danau Village and Dahian Tambuk Village in Gunung Mas District, Central Kalimantan. The results of this study confirm that Kaleka is a form of a traditional garden in Dayak community, arranged in a pattern of agroforestry. Kaleka was first created under the system of shifting cultivation, maintained continuously to take the advantage of the diversity of the trees that grow in the garden. Kaleka today is considered as a form of inherited custom from the predecessor generations of the community. The current community inherited Kaleka from their forebears do not have any desire to change the composition of the plants planted on the gardens and to divide Kaleka in small plots as individual property rights. Kaleka is retained as belonging to the family. Kaleka is considered very important in Dahian Tambuk Village and quite important in Tumbang Danau Village. In both places, people agree that conservation is very important for Kaleka. Kaleka can be maintained and managed by the family which owns the garden, but they less agree if Kaleka is managed by social or government agencies. In order to preserve Kaleka, the community refuses that Kaleka is converted into oil palm plantations, or inherited by the way of being distributed among the heirs. In general, Kaleka is still seen as economically beneficial to the owner of Kaleka itself. In addition to having economic value, Kaleka also possess ecological values valuable for the society.

Keywords: agroforestry, sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, local wisdom