HUMAS FAHUTAN – The Faculty of Forestry at Universitas Sumatera Utara continues to strengthen its commitment to biodiversity conservation through a strategic meeting with the Forum Pohon Langka Indonesia (FPLI) under the Rare Tree Initiative Indonesia program. The meeting focused on developing conservation programs for rare, endemic, and endangered tree species on Mursala Island.
The meeting was attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Forestry USU, Prof. Dr. Arida Susilowati, the Dean’s Expert Staff for Cooperation Affairs, Dr. Nelly Anna, as well as representatives from FPLI, Mokhamad Nur Zaman and Sabrina.
In its presentation, FPLI explained that over the past eight years, the organization has focused on preserving rare trees through education, research, collaboration, and conservation actions. As of 2025, more than 1,800 rare, endemic, and endangered trees have been planted with the involvement of over 222 members across Indonesia and more than 100 collaborating institutions.
Collaboration between FPLI and the Faculty of Forestry USU has also been actively carried out through various academic and conservation initiatives, including tree identification training, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), tree planting activities on campus, the MBKM program, and joint scientific publications.
One of the key focuses of the meeting was the development of a rare tree conservation program on Mursala Island. Based on biodiversity survey findings, the island possesses exceptionally high floral diversity, including 39 species from the Dipterocarpaceae family. Recent explorations have also identified several new species such as Begonia mursalaensis, Hanguana sp., and Cyrtodactylus sp., further highlighting the importance of conservation efforts in the area.
Under the 2026 program plan, FPLI together with USU and stakeholders in North Sumatra will implement various strategic initiatives, including the establishment of rare tree nurseries, seed collection, permanent plot monitoring, planting site surveys, socio-economic assessments of local communities, and simultaneous rare tree planting activities. In addition, conservation documents and protocols based on scientific data and local knowledge will be developed as technical guidelines for field conservation implementation.
The Faculty of Forestry USU also plans to strengthen its rare tree research center through the development of seedling nurseries, germination research on rare species, MBKM and undergraduate thesis scholarship programs, practitioner teaching initiatives, and tissue culture laboratory development. Collaboration with various stakeholders, including the private sector and industrial partners, will also play an important role in expanding support for rare tree conservation efforts in North Sumatra.
Through this collaboration, the Faculty of Forestry USU demonstrates its active role as an academic institution in supporting research-based conservation, community empowerment, and sustainable forest resource management. This program is also aligned with the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 13 (Climate Action), Goal 15 (Life on Land), Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), and Goal 4 (Quality Education) through the strengthening of education, research, and cross-institutional collaboration in preserving Indonesia’s rare tree species, especially on Mursala Island.
