Aborigines in Taman Negara : The impact of a hunters, gatherers, community on a lowland rainforest ecosystem

Van Der Schot, W. E. M. (1990) Aborigines in Taman Negara : The impact of a hunters, gatherers, community on a lowland rainforest ecosystem. [Journal / Magazine]

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Abstract

The rain forest of Taman Negara is inhabited by a small aboriginal community the Batek. Since ancient times these people have been waondering through the forests of South-East Asia, subsisting on the natural resources of the forest. Nowadays only a minority of the Batek keep up a traditional nomadic life-style, which includes hunting with the blowpipe, gathering of forest produce and fishing. This type of forest exploitation only result in minor, temporary reductions in populations of a limited number of plant and animal species unless certain spesies, such as rattans, are collected excessively for commercial purposes. Most Batek, however, subsist on non-traditional forms of labour, such as agriculture and tourist guiding work. Surprisingly, their involvement in these novel means of subsistence does not make them to withdraw from the forest entirely. To some extent they keep on hunting and gathering in a smaller range, close to their labour source, which results in rapid exhaustion of local food resources. This type of localised forest exploitation results in significant long-term reductions in populations of a number of plant and animal species.

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