RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) conducted a study on flora diversity in the concession forest area around Tukul Village, Tering District, West Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. This study aims to generate baseline data on forest ecosystem conditions as a basis for a sustainable, biodiversity-based post-mining land reclamation strategy.

Kalimantan is one of the world's centers of biodiversity, with many endemic plants that play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem function. However, baseline data on the area's ecological conditions prior to mining activities, such as plant species composition and carbon stocks, remains relatively limited.

A research team from BRIN's Biota Systems Research Center conducted a plant diversity inventory through vegetation analysis, including species composition, dominance, stand structure, and natural regeneration patterns. The team also measured environmental factors such as light intensity, temperature, humidity, and soil pH.

Soil samples were taken to analyze the physicochemical properties and nutrient content supporting vegetation growth. Tree diameter measurements and plant species identification were also conducted to estimate carbon stocks in the forest area.

Several local plant seedlings were collected from the forest area for acclimatization at the PT Graha Panca Karsa nursery as material for post-mining land rehabilitation. Some of the other seedlings will be conserved ex situ at the Purwodadi Botanical Gardens as a living collection and material for further research.

Trimanto, a researcher at the Biota Systems Research Center of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), emphasized that pre-mining ecological baseline data is essential as a basis for developing appropriate reclamation strategies. "A local species-based approach is expected to restore ecosystem function while preserving Kalimantan's unique flora," he said.

He said that local plants have a greater chance of being successfully used in reclamation because they have adapted to local environmental conditions. The research team also documented community knowledge regarding the use of plants for food, medicine, building materials, and cultural purposes through an ethnobotanical approach.

The data from this research will form the basis for developing conservation strategies, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable forest management. This collaboration between BRIN and PT Graha Panca Karsa demonstrates how research can support post-mining reclamation that takes biodiversity into account.