Previously, local people had engaged in trees maintenance for this location in last August . The activities carried out by young people in work together activities (Gotongroyong). Field observations results, 80 percent of our planted are grow very well.
Maintenance of planted trees is absolutely vital to the success of any restoration programme. In previously cleared areas such as this site, where the soil quality is low (many stones) and exposed each day to the harsh tropical climate of highland Northern Sumatra, newly planted trees need our assistance before they can fully establish themselves. Fortunately, once this occurs and we have helped restore the microclimate needed for the rainforest to grow, the work is largely done by the trees themselves, which only require time and of course protection from being cleared and converted once again. Thus one of the most important aspects of any restoration programme must be in reaching this point where nature can ‘take over’, with the other equal if not more important aspect being the continued conservation and protection of the area of focus, to be discussed in detail below.
Maintenance is intensive, and more time-consuming than the initial planting, with a minimal schedule of 2-4 years required to best ensure tree survival. The actual process consists of the following activities:
- Removing any weeds or grasses growing on or around each planted tree or ‘volunteer’ tree growing in the area,
- Adding organic compost, and mulching,
- Where necessary, replacement of any dead planted trees,
- Conducting tree enrichment in any areas still dominated with pioneer tree species initially planted by us to more rapidly restore canopy cover and the accompanying rainforest microclimate beneath.