THE ECOLOGY OF MERAPI VOLCANO

The Volcano

The word ‘Merapi’ derived from two local words: ‘Meru’ and ‘Api’ where ‘Meru’
means mountain and ‘Api’ means fire. So, literally Merapi means ‘The Mountain of
Fire’ due to its volcanic eruption activities which exhibits glowing lava when passing
out the volcanic crater. The last major eruption occured in 2010 and since then
hasn’t occur.

Geographically, Merapi is an active volcano located in the relatively center of Java

Island which administratively shared by two provincial-regions: the Central Java
Province and the Yogyakarta Province.

Geologically, Merapi can be divided into two geological parts: the Old Merapi and
the Young Merapi. The old part has existed since around 60.000 years ago in the
north-eastern part of the Merapi while the young part existed just around 2.000
years ago in the southwestern part. Merapi Volcano occurred as the result of Indo-
China Asian plateau clashes with the Australian plateau.

Merapi’s Ecosystem

Dispite Merapi’s potential volcanic danger, Merapi posses’ natural ecosystem

which is essential to support the human activities and human environment. Merapi
also acts as water catchment area that is vital in sustaining the rhythms of flowing
rivers that passes nearby and farther cities such as Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Boyolali,
Klaten, Muntilan, and Magelang City.

Merapi’s natural ecosystem consists of plant species kingdom (flora), animal

species kingdom (fauna), and physical environment in which they interact in a way
that performed a balancing ecosystem despite Merapi’s volcanic activities. All of
the plant and animal species that remains in the ecosystem had passed through
extreme and dynamic natural selections. Therefore, these species considered local
species of Merapi.

• Plant Kingdom of Merapi

There are around 301 identified plant species in Mount Merapi National Park
which comprises 67 tree species, 13 bamboo species, 1 rattan species, 48 orchid
species, 26 fern species, 37 shrub species, 5 palm species, 64 forest floor
species, and 28 moss species. Some plant species has been known for its
medical use by the local people.
 • Animal Kingdom of Merapi
There are around 357 identified animal species which comprises 15 mammal
species, 171 bird species, 24 reptile species, 17 amphibian species, 128 insect
species, 1 gastrophode (snail) species, and 1 worm species. Among these
animal species, the most iconic in Mount Merapi is The Javanese Eagle (or the
Javan Eagle) for its beauty and bravery character. Javanese Eagle furthermore
is believed to be the Garuda Hawk that became the Indonesian National
icon/symbol because of its physical similarities.
Certain mammals such as deer and monkey species can be a bio-indicator of
volcanic activities. Usually, weeks before volcanic eruption occurs, deers and
monkeys migrate downwards to seek safe place from the eruption impacts.
Therefore, local people in the old days use them as indicator of volcanic
activities where at that time volcanic detector technology hasn’t exist.

• Physical Environments of Merapi

Merapi’s physical environments consist of soil, rocks, water, air, and
landscapes. These physical features besides forming varied types of terrains
and landscapes but also may contribute to the quality of ecosystem services for
mankind such as water utilizations and tourist services. Merapi’s physical
features also act as natural infrastructure where human can walk through some
natural pathways. There are also some natural hills at the feet and slope of
Merapi Volcano which are benefitials to prevent further impact of the volcanic
eruptions.
Merapi’s average weather is quite moderate ranges from 12oC at the coldest
night and until 34oC at the hottest noon. While its raining intensity is above
2.000 mm a year. Merapi peak has a height of around 2.960 meters above sea
level which makes it top 5 highest volcano in Indonesia.

Social and Economy

Human settlements in Merapi have existed for hundreds to thousands of years.

They witnessed and faced series of Merapi eruptions from time to time, and
therefore they have adapted socially to the dynamic environment of Merapi and
forming local wisdoms and local norms. Commonly they live and work as farmers
and farm animals, what more due to the fact that Merapi has fertile volcanic soil.

Until recent days, they who remain to live in traditional norms continues to utilize
natural resources from Merapi region such as water, firewood, and grasses for their
livestock, but they also commerce in traditional market, and sometimes take a part
time job as building constructor. While other members of the local people,
particularly who had higher education, tends to the nowadays professions such as
tourisms, modern commerce, modern agriculture, hostelry, modern milk farming,
transport services, medical services, safety services, supermarket businesses, etc.
 MERAPI ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION
(Case study in Mount Merapi National Park)

It has been Merapi’s nature as volcano to erupt due to the earth’s dynamic plateau
movement for thousands of years. These eruption activities haven’t been an issue
until human settlements came. The ecosystem that surrounds Merapi Volcano is
dynamic, therefore, all plant and animal species that exists in Merapi are adapted
to this dynamic environment. It is normal whenever volcanic eruption occurs,
significant forest and vegetation area are damaged or affected, and it is normal
then the Merapi ecosystem recovers naturally.

Although Merapi ecosystem able to recover itself whenever after the eruption
impact, but due to social and economic issues that arose, the ecosystem recoveries
have to be speeded up through human interventions, therefore this is what refers
to Merapi Ecosystem Restoration.

There are several steps in restoring the Merapi ecosystem in the post eruption as
explain below:

1. Mapping out the volcanic eruption affected area through field identifications
and inventorying. The map of eruption-affected area illustrates the heavy
affected, moderate affected, and minor affected area.
2. Determining the prioritized area to be restored by human interventions.
Certainly, the heavy affected area is the rank number 1 of the prioritized area
to be restored by human interventions, then followed by the moderate
affected area. While the minor affected area considered sufficient to restore
itself in a short time.
3. Determining the target missions, time length, and strategies to achieve a
successful ecosystem restoration. There are four aspects that became target
missions such as: the vegetation coverage recovery, the bio-diversities
recovery, public facilities reparation, and environment conducibility for
human activities. The length of time needed to achieve successful ecosystem
restoration depends on the availabilities of manpower, knowledge, budgets,
and facilities. Based on Mount Merapi National Park’s experience, it took 5
years to accomplish satisfying result though several unfinish home works
need additional time to be accomplished.

There are several worthy knowing of restoring the Merapi ecosystem such as:

1. Preventing any foreign species to be introduced into the National Park.

Therefore, choosing plant or tree species for nursery and plantations must
be local species, unless planting trees outside the National Park area.
 2. The ecosystem restoration project must involve the local people and other
legal institutions and organisations, and it must have significant
improvement to the local communities’ economy.
3. Technical field innovations are important as an answer or solution relating
to any field issues such as limited water at dry season, terrain obstacles,
animal disturbance, etc.
4. The ecosystem restoration in Mount Merapi National Park area were led,
supported, and took the account by Forestry Ministry of Indonesia as the top
institution that administered the Mount Merapi National Park. But at field
and technical level, the National Park took the lead and in charge.

As a brief, ecosystem restoration in Mount Merapi National Park is a must as long

as there are human existence in the region and whenever Merapi volcanic eruption
significantly affects the surrounding environment.
 KALIKUNING PARK

Kalikuning Park is a certain landscape area inside the Mount Merapi National Park
which consist only 29 hectares developed for natural recreation, ecotourism, and
conservation-education based on collaboration between the National Park
management and certain group of local community. Kalikuning literally means ‘The
Yellow River’ (Kali = river, kuning = yellow) where two natural spring water formed
a river which flows through two steepy cliffs in between. These two steepy cliffs act
as a natural lava passageway whenever volcanic eruption occurs.

The natural view of Kalikuning Park is astonishing, a view of the Merapi Volcano to
the north, Yogyakarta City to the south, steep landscape to the east and west. To
add some thrilling feelings, the Park constructed some selfie points at certain edge
of the cliffs where wind sometimes swiftly blows the visitors.

Despite Kalikuning Park was just recently established and opened for public in the
late 2016, its popularity grew quite rapidly. Some national events had taken place
in Kalikuning Park such as a visit from several European Nation ministers and
ambassadors in the late 2017. Kalikuning Park has become one of the popular
choices by national and oversea universities and schools for studying forest
rehabilitation, natural disasters, and national park management topics.

The visitors’ entering point of Kalikuning Park is at a certain point at a side of a

street called the Bebeng Street. From here visitors can walk following a pathway
that passes through a forest and then descending the cliff until it reach two volcanic
natural spring water named The Umbul Wadon and The Umbul Lanang natural
spring water at the river bank.

Not far from the Kalikuning Park, an off-road jeep adventure registeration office to
register an adventure off-road jeep car journey through volcanic rocky terrain that
transits in every monumental place outside the Mount Merapi National Park. This
off-road jeep adventure is totally managed by the local people gathered in Merapi
off-road jeep association.